Fair Transitions is a new platform of Institutions for Open Societies (IOS) at Utrecht University, starting September 2022, involving more than 50 scholars. The aim of the platform is to radically rethink sustainable development and envision institutions for the future that safeguard not just ecological boundaries, but also boundaries of fair and just development – on equal and symmetrical terms. By facilitating an interdisciplinary dialogue among various faculties within Utrecht University, and with actors in society, the platform explores the question: How do institutions need to change in order to guarantee safe, inclusive and climate-resilient landscapes and social-ecological environments across the globe?

The basic assumption that underlies the platform is that environmental problems such as climate change are human or institutional problems, characterized by, or rather constitutive of, deeply unfair and unjust governance arrangements. In other words, we believe that existing governmental and market institutions must change and collaborate with informal, bottom-up institutions in new ways in order to achieve fairness and social justice, facing complex global challenges, such as climate change-related transformations that lead to shifts in people’s mobility, relationship between human and non-human species, and access, use and control of natural resources.

Engaged as board member

• dr. Julie Fraser
• dr. Rick Dolphijn
• dr. ir. Janwillem Liebrand
• dr. Mucahid Bayrak
• Nicholas Polson

Democratic processes are often perceived as conflicting with the need for rapid and fundamental sustainability transformations. This perception calls for new visions of democracy that can stimulate pathways to sustainability while enhancing inclusion and empowerment. A diversity of grassroots initiatives is already experimenting with alternative ways of thinking and practicing democracy. These range from transition towns and ecovillages, and alternative food initiatives to social movements, urban squats and protest camps. Also described as ‘real utopias’ (Wright, 2010, 2013), they bring potential visions and imaginaries of future democracies into the here and now. However, what democracy means in the context of these initiatives, and the relationship between their democratic practices and wider sustainability transformations is not yet well understood.

This project will assess under which conditions democratic practices in grassroots initiatives can enhance pathways to sustainability. It investigates to what extent democracy is considered a value in different forms of grassroots initiatives, how it is understood, practiced, and organized, and how this supports or hinders sustainability transformations. The contribution to sustainability transformations is assessed by studying how grassroots contribute to shifts in dominant logics as central leverage points for transformation: from materialistic culture and growth toward post-capitalist perspectives, from control of humans over nature toward reconnecting human-non-human relationships, and from expert to pluralist understandings of knowledge (see Alakavuklar, 2023, Tschersich et al. 2023, Tschersich & Kok, 2022, Feola et al., 2021).

This project combines an in-depth investigation of Freetown Christiania in Denmark with a larger comparative study. We will organize a 1,5-day transdisciplinary workshop at Utrecht University with scholars and representatives of different types of grassroots initiatives to compare and contrast experiences of democratic practices in different grassroots experiments in the Netherlands and across Europe, and discuss and reflect on the hindering and supporting factors for grassroots’ democratic practices to enhance pathways to sustainability with stakeholders.

This project creates the space for inter- and transdisciplinary exchange at Utrecht University and beyond around new forms of thinking about and practicing democracy in grassroots. It aims to build new collaborations and a new vibrant community around democracy and transformation at UU and beyond, and build a larger collection of case studies on Democracy and Transformation. 

• dr. Giuseppe Feola
• prof. dr. Marcel Boogers
• dr. Ozan Alakavuklar
• dr. Jacob Smessaert