The international event The Great Transition: Struggling in Times of Global Crisis will take place in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, Canada from 18-21 May 2023 https://thegreattransition.net/: In order to move from resistance to a societal transformation, we need a real project of transition out of capitalism, based on critical knowledge produced both in the university and in social movements. We, therefore, invite citizens from diverse backgrounds to reflect on this question with our esteemed international guests, as well as a hundred panels and activities from speakers around the world.

Leadership for the Ecozoic, a university-based network at McGill University and the University of Vermont https://www.l4ecozoic.org/, will contribute a session entitled “Regional TapestryThe weaving of networks of Alternatives of AlternativesAre activities and initiatives, concepts, worldviews, or action proposals by collectives, groups, organizations, communities, or social movements challenging and replacing the dominant system that perpetuates inequality, exploitation, and unsustainabiity. In the GTA we focus primarily on what we call "radical or transformative alternatives", which we define as initiatives that are attempting to break with the dominant system and take paths towards direct and radical forms of political and economic democracy, localised self-reliance, social justice and equity, cultural and knowledge diversity, and ecological resilience. Their locus is neither the State nor the capitalist economy. They are advancing in the process of dismantling most forms of hierarchies, assuming the principles of sufficiency, autonomy, non-violence, justice and equality, solidarity, and the caring of life and the Earth. They do this in an integral way, not limited to a single aspect of life. Although such initiatives may have some kind of link with capitalist markets and the State, they prioritize their autonomy to avoid significant dependency on them and tend to reduce, as much as possible, any relationship with them.: Exploring Ecological Political Economies for the Northeast Region” on 18 May. From the session description: Popular political activism and imagination have been reanimated by a post-capitalist possibility, in part because it remains a vague outline of aspirations. In view of the rapid organizing of authoritarian projects, proponents oriented to ecology and justice must elaborate on details. We need to publicly debate different visions beyond capitalism, think strategically about how to make them a reality, and ensure they are just, transformative, and ecologically beneficial.

The session takes inspiration from the Global Tapestry of Alternatives (GTAGlobal Tapestry of Alternatives), which works to create solidarity networks and strategic alliances amongst alternatives on local, regional, and global levels, increasingly shifting to the level of regional networks. Stemming from the Leadership for the Ecozoic partnership’s Ecozoic Policy Project, the session aims to promote and connect ecocentric political economies in northeast North America that align with the criteria of GTA. This session will provide a space to understand and explore such a regional network for the region of northeast North America, as an emerging Regional Tapestry of Alternatives. The objective is to identify and create a dialogue between different post-capitalist models across this region including bioregionalism, commons, degrowth, eco-socialism, eco-anarchism, Indigenous political economies, pluriversal post-development, social ecology and municipalism, well-being economy, and others. The session applies an open-space meeting format, allowing flexible time and space for deeper discussions on these regional alternatives.