Community afforestation against climate change?

The struggles and results of the Sixty Thousand Trees movement in Békéscsaba

Abstract

In the fight against climate crisis, afforestation plays a prominent role at the global, national and local scales. Civil organizations, nation states, large companies and transnational organizations alike have put afforestation on their agenda. One of the best organized afforestation initiatives in Hungary (“60,000 trees in Békéscsaba”) is examined as a case study. This study aims to better understand the agency of local organizations in the context of the climate crisis, with particular attention to their communication, decisionmaking, resource mobilization strategy and ability to shape public affairs. In its communication (framing) and decision-making, the “60,000 trees in Békéscsaba” initiative is closer to the more moderate branch of the global climate movement. It emphasizes individual responsibility rather than urging systemic transformation. The movement applies participatory methods, but in order to achieve organizational efficiency the primary field of decision-making is the „democratic presidency”, in which renewal is not yet planned. In its resource mobilization strategy the movement primarily builds on its broad social base locally. Its local embeddedness and online presence enables it to widely mobilize volunteers, to acquire financial resources, tools and land needed for planting trees. While due to its broad social base locally it effectively influences public affairs on the local level, its capacity for shaping afforestation and climate policy on the national and global level is limited. Due to the movement’s local focus it does not aim at advocacy through networking with national and international civil society organizations. On the other hand, the initiative applies cooperative rather than confrontational strategies.