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# LT RES ae sate
Figure 1. Nyim Eco Community. Nyim, Hungary. 2022. Photo: Judit Ruprech
A key concept of these movements and communities is /ocalization. Instead of the
energy-devouring, nature-destroying, economic and political power-centralizing
processes of the global economy fuelled by the ideal of incessant growth, they
promote a localization which decentralizes power and places it in the hands of
local communities and uses local natural resources sustainably, in short, which
helps the economy to serve the good of the community and the natural environment
at the same time. In addition to the process of localization, it keeps an eye on the
complexity of the world, on ecological, geographical and cultural differences,
realizing that what is feasible in one place may not work in another. Such
movements include the Transition Movements, permaculture, communal gardens,
ecovillages, and agrarian movements (e.g. Via Campesina, Agroecological
Movement). Since they all agree on the basic principle, they are very similar
movements, with a great overlap at the local level (Emmett — Nye 2017: 117-123).
The other key concept of the communities described below is the idea of de¬
growth. De-growth is a central principle of the alternative economic paradigm,
which criticizes the goal of continuous economic growth, the expectation of growth
above all; this is where it sees the root of contemporary ecological-social problems.
Supporters of no-growth have elaborated several methods for developing sustainable
economic functioning: decreasing consumption, minimizing garbage, achieving
carbon neutrality, decreasing waste, etc., and of course their combination.
Researchers agree that the most fundamental change must be achieved in the area
of consumption habits and the organization of society (Emmett — Nye 2017:
123-128).
The communities in Hungary to be presented below reflect upon these basic
challenges.