Nordic Gathering - how can we rethink the Nordic welfare state model through the Degrowth lens?

​📍 Malmö, Sweden
📅 September 4–6, 2026

After a series of local workshops in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, we will gather in Malmö for a weekend focused on political ecology, degrowth, and strategies for a socially just transformation.

​The gathering is intended for participants who already have a basic understanding of degrowth and/or political ecology and would like to explore these themes more deeply together with others from across the Nordic region.

We will explore the following topics:
- How can we make degrowth and the climate justice crisis once again the forefront of the agenda?
- Rethinking the Nordic welfare state model
- The abolition of AI and the reclamation of technology for the collective good
- Delinking Global North and Global South relations

Here is a preliminary plan of the event:

Friday evening:
Vegan grilling in Folkets Park

Saturday:
Breakfast (9:00-9:30)
Introduction

PANEL 1: How to make degrowth relevant? (10:00-12:00)

PANEL 2: Degrowth in welfare states (13:00-15:00)

WORKSHOP 1: Visioning workshop (15:30-17:30)

Dinner (18:00-19:00)
Followed by evening activities

Sunday:
Breakfast (9:30 - 10:00)
Talk and WORKSHOP 2 about Dismantling AI (10:00-11:30)

PANEL 3: How to build meaningful North-South alliances?(13:00 - 15:00)

WORKSHOP 3: Debt for Climate (15:30 - 17:30)

Here is a more detailed version of the plan:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nY_cUc2nB4_EH_VFKgivDfs16LV9hdJ8/view?usp=drive_link

​The event is organised by cirka cph, Foreningen Robust and Lund University, in partnership with ABF Malmö Sydväst, which is where it takes place.

​🌱 Travel, accommodation, and food during the gathering are covered by the project funding whenever possible. Due to funding policy, we can only cover for those up to and including 30 years old. We would appreciate if you could choose a low carbon-intensive mode of transport.

🚆 Participants from Denmark and Norway can receive travel support through their national partner organisations. It may also be possible to receive travel support from other Nordic and Baltic countries through the Norwegian partner, Foreningen Robust.

​If you are interested in joining or have questions, feel free to contact the organisers:

​Miroslav Lakota – cirka cph (Denmark)
miroslav@cirkacph.com

​Ekaterina Chertkovskaya – Lund University (Sweden)
ekaterina.chertkovskaya@miljo.lth.se

Pierre Smith Khanna - Lund University (Sweden)
pierre.smith_khanna@miljo.lth.se

​Sigrid Løvlie – Foreningen Robust (Norway)
sigrid.loevlie@gmail.com