The Ordination of a Tree by Darlington Susan M.;

Author:Darlington, Susan M.; [Darlington]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 3408673
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 2012-11-08T00:00:00+00:00

Grassroots Environmentalism

Philip Hirsch (1996) demonstrates that several different environmentalisms coexist in Thailand, grounded in social and material perspectives. That of the middle class is most visible, given the social and economic power of that group. Yet Hirsch argues that, “for most Thais, concrete livelihood issues at a very local level are the most significant consequence of environmental degradation.” Consequently, the reality is “that the majority of Thais whose livelihoods are most threatened by environmental and resources degradation are poorer people living in rural areas” (1996, 30). He concludes that “a latter-day moral economy of control over resources may be seen to underlie much of the ‘peripheral environmentalism’ which, though more hidden and perhaps counter-intuitive than middle-class environmentalism, forms the backbone of the environment movement in Thailand today” (1996, 34). Hirsch downplays the impact of environmental monks in the formation of this “grassroots environmentalism,” citing them as one aspect of how environmentalism at the grassroots takes a “Thai” rather than Western perspective (1996, 33). I would agree with Delcore (2000) that monks such as Phrakhru Pitak Nanthakhun have influenced the development of a broader environmental movement through the 1990s. As Delcore (2000, 153) points out, “Phra Khru's ‘individual problematic’ (his individual concerns and their social and cultural appeals) have helped shape the character of Thai environmentalism and the place of Buddhism in society.” The same holds true for other environmental monks who have captured the nation's imagination.

Although less visible than the protests and controversial positions some monks have taken on well-known debates, such as the resettlement plan in Isan, grassroots activities form the core of the work of environmental monks. At this level, monks collaborate with villagers and NGOs to combat increasing poverty, debt, and desolation of rural people as they are entangled in the state's rhetoric of progress. As with development monks, they are concerned about the place of Buddhism in society and fear the loss of moral values due to growing consumerism and a cash economy. They bring their concerns together through a range of projects, from wildlife sanctuaries and protecting water sources and forests, to promoting integrated agriculture.

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