Sekowo News 24NEW RESEARCH INSTITUTE OPENS IN YAMASHIMA CITY
The Yamashima Institute of Post-Growth Studies will study prosperity without economic growth and aid international economic institutions, enterprises and policy makers.Minister of Culture and Education Hara Yōko at the inaugurationYamashima, 03.5348 - Following the approval of the Minister of Culture and Education Hara Yōko, the new research institute has been inaugurated in Yamashima.
It will study what the government defines as "Prosperity": wellbeing and high quality of life in a stable, non-growing economy.
THE THEORY
The 1st of July 4825 one thousand scientists, economists, activists, researchers and citizens gathered in Yamashima, Seko. They publish the first Yamashima Degrowth declaration, defining the concept of degrowth and it's importance to bring stability in Terra.
Around the same time, istalian economist Antonio dal Negro develops a theoretical economic model called "donut economics". Although not necessarily a model for degrowth, it remains an important pillar for post-growth economics, as it defines an economic system with very specific high and low social environmental boundaries. This economic model has been adopted by the Eco-Left party and has shaped many reforms of the sixth Istalian Republic.
Many countries have officially adhered to the Yamashima Degrowth Declaration: Selucia and Kallistan in the 5th millennia, Sekowo in the 6th.
A second Yamashima Degrowth Declaration was released in February 5321.
SELUCIA
Selucia has been a pioneer in degrowth, implementing such policies already in the 45th century under the governance of the Republican Party. Selucia is an important key study, as it has maintained a high Human Development Index and all indicators show a prosperous society even without economic growth.
KALISTAN
Kalistani economics have seen minimal to zero growth for over a millennia, having implemented a system called "Dual Economy", in which "the Private Sector does not ever get large enough so that boom and bust cycles which are inherent in Capitalism can affect the lives of average citizens in any way: the population is insulated from the speculative decisions of finance and investment. And yet the Private Sector is large enough to entirely meet the consumer demands of fickle tastes of the People of the Republic. Meanwhile, critical national services, such as health, drug export and pharmaceutical development, infrastructure and electricity, phone and food, and so on are guaranteed to Kalistan's citizens regardless of their ability to buy these things: Universalizing social spending gives all people a stake in the system and works against resent created by means-testing." This system works because Kalistan has enough wealth to universalise social services, a strong regulatory central bank and it doesn't neet to invest much money in military or in we a prison system (which is non-existent).
In Kalistan people do not get wildly rich, but recession have been marked by one or two companies closing, and 50 people or so losing their jobs, rather than a whole sector crashing while ten million people starve.
SEKOWO
Low-tech seaweed farming, Takeda prefectureSekowo has always swung between liberal government, pursuing economic growth, and social-oriented ones. Between these, the governments of the Liberation Movements have surely been the closest ideologically speaking to the Declarations of Yamashima. After a period of liberal democratic government, these policies have become popular again, with the emergence of Tomorrow (a political hier of the Liberation Movement) and its coalition partners. Economy is simply not growing in Sekowo, the economic reform of the latest governments have prioritised indigenous and rural development, with the emergence of many agricultural co-ops that have solved food shortages and unemployment. Sekowo is also restoring its biodiversity, after centuries of greedy capitalist extractivism that has destroyed many ecosystems and driven many local species to extinction. Domestic flights have been banned and the economy is completely decarbonised. Artanian food such as beef or hamburgers has disappeared as Sekowo has reverted its diet to a healthier and traditional plant based ones. Many traditional delicacies such as rice, soy, tofu, tempe, avocado, quinoa, seitan, nori, wakame, spirulina, mizo, bamboo, shiitake mushrooms, kombu, rootless duckweed, chia, taro and yeasts have returned and are increasingly exported as meat alternatives in other countries, especially in Dovani. The Umeoka declaration has finally ended institutionalised animal violence and exploitation, and the very few descendants of Artanian and Majatran imported species such as cattle, pigs or poultry are now adopted and kept as domestic animals.
PRESENT AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
The high-speed train departing from Senmatsu, final destination: Sogo (Talmoria) Both Kalistan and Sekowo rely on magnetic levitation rails for long distance travels. This has been proved to be an efficient way of commuting, with little to no negative externalities for the environment. In recent years, a Sekowo-based company, Dovanian Railways, has constructed many lines, connecting much of the western Dovanian continent.
The aim of the Institute of Post-Growth Studies is not only to study successes and failures of the degrowth mechanisms and post-growth economic systems of the past, but also to advice policy makers and companies about present and future projects.
One example of this is the development of railways in the rest of the Dovanian continent.
Dovanian Railways has started to share technology and know-how with its partners, as part of the Sekowan scheme of international cooperation, and this is certainly positive in the sense that an affordable, efficient and comprehensive transport network is essential for what dal Negro defined as "social foundation", but is has to be done carefully, especially in developing nations, where it can damage and fragmentate ecosystems or interfere with indigenous sovereignty, displacing local communities.
The first goal of the Institute? It will be to study the best schenario for a railway connecting the eastern Dovanian cities of Kalibaka and Niederung