Be ready to change your way of life

by François Schneider

“THE American way of life is not up for negotiation” was saying the elder George Bush in 1992. In Can Decreix, it is different: "THE Can Decreix way of life IS up for negotiation". Sure it is disturbing sometimes, but also very rich in learnings: we can understand the building of a new reality.

For many people, being happy would mean living according to one’s habits. This is not the philosophy here.  Can Decreix is a place to experiment, invent new ways of life. But it is not about any life change. In Can Decreix we search and we live according the goals of degrowth : conviviality, ecology, fair resources for all, horizontal democracy, well-being.  

The neo-liberals invent us new ways of life to grow more our economy, so that we become richer (in reality this is only possible for a shrunk share of privileged). Our ways of life become googleable, automatised, we dream of spatial exploration and green super jets.

Facing this others think that we shall defend our habits, our present ways of life, against the neo-liberals. They defend their car, their house in the subburbs, the supermarket "luxury" food...

We think differently. This way of life has been and continues to destroy our planet and our relations. And the path of change proposed by neo-liberals would make things even worse.

So we are for degrowth change : less and different.

The experience of Can Decreix is not about about fitting into a new rigid framework, the framework we propose precisely enables to rethink regularly options by integrating feedbacks of how to take care even better of each others, ourselves, as well as the surounding and global environments. But if you simply defend your habits this is not a valid feedback. Sorry Can Decreix is not a place to confront different habits, different cultures. It is a place where we try to find practical solution to take care of ourselves and the planet with all our differences.

So if you come to Can Decreix, be ready to experiment something new. Do not come here to experiment what you know already. Why do people even travel if they want to experience the same of what they know already? Let us not imitate tourists that go to asia to stay in european hotels. Live the real experience! And keep it easy, there is no risk involved, when you will leave Can Decreix you will be able to go back to your old habits. Or may be you will like it and you will stay in this project:) here or somewhere else.