Assemblée citoyenne poélitique

To mark the conclusion of the project L’Arbre qui Cache la Forêt* (déi Wëll, déi lafen am Bësch), a two-day po.e.litical**** citizens’ assembly will take place at the Jardin du Multilinguisme (Garden of the Multilingualism) in Kirchberg, home to European institutions and bank headquarters.

This unique event features a rich programme of talks and participatory workshops, accompanied by an in-situ artistic installation that offer a space for reflection and exchange around trees and forests in our contemporary societies.

Rooted between reality and imagination, this programme seeks to challenge our ways of thinking and to reinvent our relationship with the living world, in order to collectively give rise to ecological actions in Luxembourg.

Throughout our cities, trees silently cohabit with us, —they share the same living space, yet often remain invisible to many, unless they are deemed “remarkable”. A vital element, a source of oxygen and a thermal regulator, trees form nonetheless our habitat. It is thanks to them, to the photosynthesis of plants, that we can share a common breathing space, that we can exist.

But in our noisy urban environments, this is easy to forget. This ecological amnesia, however, can be reversed if we set our minds to it. That’s why we’re proposing a two-day po.e.litical*** Citizens’ Assembly around the tree, to consider it as a subject, as an individual on equal footing, with the same sensitivities and the same needs as us, human beings. But also, to approach it as a collective ‘we’, a colony, an ecosystem, a habitat, a network, a world, which can serve as a source of inspiration to open up other perspectives.

Whether in the city or in the forest, we wish to reflect on concrete actions that will lead to greater recognition, a deeper knowledge, a better comprehension and more a an equitable cohabitation with our allies, the trees. Because there will always be cohabitation between species. Through these two-day Assembly, we want to make visible what often escapes us: the deep connections that unite us to the living world and the state of interdependence in which we find ourselves.

This poetic and political event aims to change our perceptions, but also to create communities of interest and practice around urban environmental issues, involving all actors of a civil society: residents, professionals, environmentalists and activists.

The assembly will focus on a several areas:

• A time for shared expertise and knowledge (researchers, philosophers, artists, writers, storytellers, educators, environmentalists, activists, healers, civil society actors, etc.).
• A space centered around the arts, the senses and the imagination (storytelling, role-playing, singing, care, gastronomy, etc.)
• A time for exchange and convergence between the natural sciences, the humanities and social sciences, the arts, environmental and citizens’ movements
• An open space for democratic debate and a laboratory for collective experimentation (intergenerational, intercultural and multiperspectival)

For more information: https://www.cell.lu/blog/luga-2025-larbre-qui-cache-la-foret

Registrations: [email protected] 

PROGRAMME

Assembly | Day 1
Friday 29 August 2025 | 10:00 – 00:00

10:00 – 10:30
MILITANT CHOIR
Opening of the Assembly & Presentation duration 30 min

10:30 – 11:45
THE TREE AS AN ECOSYSTEM
Presentation, duration 1h15

What is a tree? The tree is an ecosystem in itself through its roots, trunk, branches, and leaves, housing a wide variety of species. It is both an individual and a plural entity, interacting in various ways with many forms of life. The session begins with a presentation of this complex being with whom we coexist and who allows us to exist.

11h45 – 13h00
A CITY OWNED BY TREES
Symposium, duration 1h15

How do we cohabit with trees ? City dwellers are not always aware of the vast biodiversity present in their urban environments, even though it greatly contributes to their quality of life. In order to imagine a vibrant and livable city, trees must thrive and become our strongest allies. What role do trees play in our cities? How do we perceive them? We will explore the perspectives of thinkers, urban planners, artists, and architects who critically examine urban development and the relationship between cities and the living world.

13:00 – 14:00
LUNCH

14:00 – 15:00
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE LIVING
Role play, duration 1h00

In order to better understand the nature and functioning of an ecosystem, participants will take on the role of a species within an ecosystem in a role-playing game. This will allow them to better recognize, through experience and empathy, the interdependence of these species and their connection to their environment.

15:00 – 16:15
THE VALUE IN THE TREE
Symposium, duration 1h15

There are many relationships between humans and trees—whether through symbolic attachment to a particular individual tree, the services provided, or moments of collective cultural experiences. We wish to question what gives a tree its value in a capitalist society.

16:15 – 16:30
BREAK

16:30 – 17:45
THE STRUGGLE FOR TREES: PUTTING ECOFEMINIST IDEAS INTO ACTIONS
A conversation, duration 1h15

Starting with the Chipko women’s movement to protect the trees of the Himalayas, this discussion will look at various feminist movements, both activist and artistic, which are working to protect living things. Ecofeminism will be approached as a movement of struggle articulating a profound relationship between women and nature, conceived as a space of collective empowerment. The aim is to challenge traditional dichotomies by proposing a plural and inclusive approach to life and the environment, based on a decolonial perspective.

17:45 – 18:00
CLOSING WORDS

18:00 – 20:00
DINNER

19:00 – 21:00
THE CARING TREE
Different stalls, activities and presentations, duration 2h00

An exploration around tree grounding meditation, herbal medicines, foraging, etc.

21:00 – 00:00
FESTIVE PROGRAMME

Film screening
& Tree disco

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Assembly | Day 2
Saturday 30 August 2025 | 09:00 – 22:00

09:00 – 09:30
MILITANT CHOIR
Opening of the Assembly, duration 30 min

09:30 – 10:45
THE FOREST, AS AN ECOSYSTEM – WORLD TREE
Presentations, followed by a discussion, duration 1:15

This second day focuses on the collective tree—that is, the forest, made up not only of trees but also of other species that together contribute to the global regulation of CO₂. Whether primary, wild, or exploited for their resources, our forests have evolved. How do they function as ecosystems, and what place do human societies give them? We will explore the different possible forms of forests and how we can live with them.

10:45 – 12:00
THE FOREST, HERE
Dialogue, duration 1:15

An integral part of the country’s identity, the relationship with the forest holds cultural significance in Luxembourg. Starting with an overview of the local forest landscape, we will explore, from a professional perspective, the ways in which forests are managed, bringing local and international expertise into dialogue. The discussion will be followed by a sound immersion featuring recordings collected in various Luxembourgish forests.

12:00 – 13:15
THE LEGAL PERSONALITY OF A FOREST
Presentation followed by a discussion, duration 1:15

Who speaks on behalf of the forest? In the context of protection and the possibility of coexistence, should the forest have a voice and be granted legal personhood in order to defend itself—or to be defended? What can the law do, and how can it serve as a transformative tool to change the way we view this common good?

13:15 -14:15
LUNCH

14:15 – 16:30
FORESTS FOR CITIZENS
Presentations & workshops, duration 2:15

Walk towards the nearby woodland around the Museum of Modern Art (MUDAM) to meet with different speakers involved with citizen projects. A series of parallel presentations are running alongside :

1) CITIZEN’S DEFENCE (ZONE TO DEFEND MOVEMENT)
2) OBSERVATION: TREES AND FORESTS AND THEIR STATE OF HEALTH
3) FOREST RESERVES / REFORESTATION
4) ECOLOGICAL FOREST MANAGEMENT / CITIZEN FUNDING – ANOTHER APPROACH TO FORESTRY
5) DEVELOPMENT OF A TREE CHARTER IN AN URBAN CONTEXT
6) OBSERVING A TREE – THE ROLE OF POLLINATORS

16:30 – 19:00
ACTION PLANS
4 plans of actions workshops with the audience with long-term effects, duration 2:30

ACTION 1: Citizens defence movement (Zone to defend movement) – toolbox
ACTION 2: Citizens’ group on the purchase of a common forest
ACTION 3: The legal dimension of protection of forests (ecocide)
ACTION 4: Citizen science: inspection of the state of trees (ex : lichen and pollution)

19:00 – 20:30
DINNER

20 :30 – 21:30
ARBORESCENCE
Converging tales by Luisa Bevilacqua, duration 1 hour

Closure of the Citizens’ Assembly and the L’arbre qui cache la forêt project with a moment around tales and the power of narrative, followed by an informal discussion with the audience.

21:30 – 22:30
CLOSING WORDS, AROUND THE FIRE
Moment of synchronicity & convergence around a campfire, duration 1 hour