Organize or Burn - by Fabian Holt

About the Book

"At a time when the climate movement is exhausted, the organizational approach of the democratic socialist movement shows a way forward on the democratic road to climate survival. Organize or Burn tells the story of the unique approach of the New York socialist movement and its relevance to the wider conversation around climate and democracy"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A successful political playbook for fighting climate change and expanding democracy from the New York socialist movement

Climate inaction is already causing widespread suffering and devastation around the world. How can citizens take collective action? Fabian Holt argues that we must go beyond protest and direct action, and turn to the potential of hybrid organizations that bring together social movements and political parties. One such "movement party" with recent political success is the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (NYC-DSA), which has become the city's main organization for movement climate politics, running multi-year climate pressure campaigns and a slate of climate-focused electoral campaigns, as well as spearheading the first Green New Deal legislation in the country, the New York State Build Public Renewables Act of 2023.

Organize or Burn situates the NYC-DSA in the history of the democratic socialist movement in the United States, combining a political history of the insurgent international left with a richly textured local ethnography of the organization's place in the climate movement and relationship to the Democratic Party. Holt argues that NYC-DSA has developed a distinct approach to political organizing that has broad relevance to citizen climate mobilization. The organizational innovation specifically involves integrating micro-level organizing in individual campaigns and macro-level organization-building, synthesizing approaches from traditions of social movements and electoral campaigns in the US. Ultimately, Holt shows that NYC-DSA can offer powerful lessons in how political collective action can be meaningful in the present moment of political turbulence, from the very concrete perspective of a local movement world. An engaging read for political organizers, scholars, and concerned citizens, Organize or Burn provides new insights and solutions for the climate crisis.

Review Quotes

"This fascinating ethnography demonstrates how socialism can be pursued, even in the face of rising fascism, economic inequality, and ecological degradation, through the combination of movement and party politics. Holt's analysis of the socialist movement in New York City uncovers the powerful potential of organizational innovation in the development of a movement party."-- "Donatella della Porta, author of How Social Movements Can Save Democracy"

"Organize or Burn is a pathbreaking and riveting ethnographic account of grassroots climate politics. In New York City, as Fabian Holt shows, DSA organizers built a 'movement party' from the ground up, confronted entrenched elites, and won historic Green New Deal legislation. A must-read for anyone interested in how democratic organizations can build popular power, take on the powerful interests that profit from the climate crisis, and win a sustainable future for all."-- "Thea Riofrancos, author of Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism"

"If we want an energy system that is affordable and safe, lifts up the marginalized, and creates good union jobs, then we need to put it in the hands of the people. Organize or Burn tells the story of a successful campaign to expand the public sector's role in renewable energy, which I was proud to support during my time in Congress. Led by NYC-DSA and allies in environmental justice and labor, their achievement holds crucial lessons for organizers around the world."-- "Jamaal Bowman, educator and former member of US Congress (NY-16)"

About the Author

Fabian Holt is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Arts at Roskilde University. He is the author of Everyone Loves Live Music: A Theory of Performance Institutions.