Christian Felber, co-founder of the Economy for the Common Good, visited Turkey from May 29 to 31, 2024 for the first International Prosumer Economy Conference (IPEC 2024). On this event, Felber shared a panel with ecologist Uygar Özesmi, the initiator of IPEC 2024. The event was made possible by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Turkey. As a possible next step, there are plans to support the establishment of an Economy for the Common Good Local Chapter by the second edition of IPEC in 2025.
The organising team succeeded at gathering a diverse group of representatives from various sustainable economic models ranging from Post-growth to Doughnut Economics, from CSA to Social and Solidary Economy, from Fair Trade Social Enterprises to the Economy for the Common Good. The conference presented opportunities for sharing ideas and networking amongst like-minded individuals and groups.
There were a number of important international guests, to mention a few: Vincent Liegey from the Degrowth movement, who is currently editing the Routledge Handbook on the topic; Leida Rijnhout from the World Fair Trade Organization, who is encouraging social entrepreneurship amongst fair producers and exporters from the Global South; internet security specialist Melanie Rieback, who is engaging for the end of extractive finance; and Amanda Kiessel from Good Market who is developing and offering a global infrastructure for initiatives of change.
Uygar Özesmi, Melanie Rieback, Amanda Kiessel, Leida Rijnhout, Vincent Liegey and Christian Felber.
Felber introduced the Economy for the Common Good on the main stage and related it to the planetary boundaries, the Doughnut, Fair Trade, and Social Enterprises. The message was warmly received, along with his dance moves, living up to the well-known nickname “dancing economist”.
Apart from the panel, Felber had the opportunity to represent the model and organisation in a deep dive session with young climate activist Selin Usluer and an impromptu workshop between Christian Felber and Erinch Sahan emerged. The first introduced the opportunity to discuss power relations and the possibility of genuine change within the current political system, while the latter allowed them to contrast the Doughnut Design for Businesses (DDfB) and the Common Good Balance Sheet (CGBS). During this discussion, they discovered a large overlap between both tools and started a project to “map, match, and merge” them. They are now seeking volunteers interested in participating in this endeavor.
IPEC 2024 concluded with discussions on power relations, the future of democracy, and the possibility of “eternal peace”.
For more information, please visit the official website of the event.
