On Friday 29 and Saturday 30 August 2025, citizens, artists, activists, researchers and representatives of various institutions gathered for a forum on the place of trees and forests in our society, at the Multilingualism Garden in Luxembourg-Kirchberg.
The two-day “Citizen Political Assembly”, organised by Luxembourg non-profit organisation Citizens for Ecological Learning and Living (CELL), featured contributions from forest guide Karen Decker, artist Mariette Schiltz, urban planner Sergio Carvalho, philosopher Pascal Ferren, tree climber-arborist Thomas Brail, ecofeminist researcher Asmae Ourkiya and legal expert Gaël Defins.
The multidisciplinary exchanges led to a shared goal: to move from words to action. Through a participatory and inclusive process, participants shaped four action plans to guide the next steps.
Citizen Defence Movements
In a workshop led by Thomas Brail, participants created a toolbox to support citizen mobilisations and increase their visibility in public spaces and the media.
Acquiring a Shared Forest
With the guidance of economist Nicolas Franka, participants explored the idea of forming a citizen group to purchase, preserve and manage a forest collectively, based on cooperative and participatory models. They discussed creating local cooperatives, using crowdfunding, and launching a pilot project.
The Legal Dimension of Forest Protection
Gaël Defins led a workshop on existing and emerging legal tools to defend living ecosystems. Participants discussed recognising forests as legal persons and strengthening the fight against ecocide. They proposed writing a declaration charter and setting up governance bodies to defend forest rights.
Forest Linx
Facilitated by Sophie Zuang and Dr Ariane König from the University of Luxembourg this participatory science project explored the relationships between people and forests. During the session participants developed educational approaches and digital tools to strengthen citizen involvement in forest research.
Outside of the debates, the attendees also undertook singing sessions, storytelling, shared meals and participated in a sensory workshop.
CELL said: “This Assembly marked a decisive step: citizens, cultural actors, legal experts and scientists laid the foundations for united action in defence of forests in Luxembourg and beyond.”
