PRESENTATION
ASSOCIATION GREENWOMEN
Established in 1995 to fulfill the initiative of women journalists
specializing in ecological issues coverage.
Agency carries out its projects with financial support provided by
"HIVOS" Humanistic Institute.
(The Netherlands)
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Mission - to facilitate public
participation in the process of resolving environmental issues by
increasing public awareness and developing ecological mentality among
people living in Central Asia.
Organization’s mission is being accomplished by means of information
management including: |
- Publication of the popular scientific magazine
“Terra-Zher Ana” covering a broad range
of aspects related to cross-sector cooperation among NGOs, government
and corporate community in the sphere of harmonizing relations between
nature and human beings
- Publication of “The Green Heart”
youth bulletin
- Electronic information broadcast “Greenwomen-info”
- Development of analytical reports covering sustainable development
issues "The Town of the XXI Century"
- Support for the Greenwomen web site which will contain information
related
to a range of ecological issues.
- Organization of information management youth master classes on
topics related to ecology and sustainable development
- Information and consulting services
- Development of the system aimed at providing paid information and
- publishing services
Geographic scope of activities: Central Asia, NIS, Europe
Goals:
- Create favorable social environment fostering active public
participation in environmental decision-making at the local, regional
and international levels.
- Establish a system distributing ecological information and
knowledge among all interested parties in Central Asia
- Stimulate public participation in implementation of provisions
stipulated in 1992 Rio-de-Janeiro Declaration and Orhus Convention on
access to ecological information, public participation in
decision-making and access to justice on environmental issues, as well
as other conventions and provisions related to environmental
protection.
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TERRA-Zher Ana
popular scientific magazine
GREEN HEART
youth bulletin
THE TOWN OF XXI CENTURTY
analytical reports magazine
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Scope of
the problem:
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Currently in Kazakhstan there are many “green” non-governmental
organizations aiming to foster public participation in resolving
ecological issues. At the same time Kazakhstan lacks authoritative media
agencies capable of serving as intermediaries in cross-sector dialogue
and as keystones of cross-sector cooperation. A few ecological
newspapers published in the regions to fulfill orders placed by local
administrations and ecological NGO bulletins promote narrow
agency-specific interests.
This is the reason why it is so important to facilitate development of
the interested favorable social environment, atmosphere in which people
are ready to join public organizations or to initiate individual actions
supporting positive ecological transformations. It is necessary to
create a system feeding out objective information, clarifying issues,
enlightening people and ensuring readily available public access to
information. These background conditions will help general public to
understand the importance of direct participation in processes improving
environmental conditions at the national, regional and international
levels.
Stated goal requires active cooperation among all interested parties.
Environmental protection NGOs will be able to increase their
effectiveness multifold if the general public is convinced to understand
the need for direct public participation and support of ecological
transformations This is called “creation of the interested social
environment and development of the ecological mentality”. To the
contrary, absence of the interested social environment, passive
ecological mentality hinder public participation in practical actions.
We feel that ecological mentality has to be developed among government
officials as well as among common citizens. When a driver realizes that
by using low-quality gasoline he/she increases toxic content in exhaust
gases, which have negative impact on the environment; when a driver
carefully monitors technical conditions of the vehicle etc. The “green”
mentality starts to develop when an industry executive understands that
it is important to use ecologically sound technologies, ensure safety of
manufacturing output and utilization of industrial wastes.
People make decisions. Workers and executives, young and old people
alike read newspapers and watch television programs. Thus, there is a
unique opportunity to develop common approaches and positions related to
ecological issues and to find solutions acceptable for all people
regardless of their social status. This is the core of the work done by
ecological news agency Greenwomen working as the only organization of
its kind in Central Asia.
Achievements and Results:
- Since 1995 the agency has prepared and published hundreds of
articles issues in nation-wide, regional and local publications
covering ecological issues. Dozens of television and radio programs
have been aired by television and radio companies in Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
- In 1995-1999 Greenwomen branches were carrying out operations in
Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek, Rybache village), Uzbekistan (Tashkent),
Kazakhstan (Almaty, Ust-Kamenogorsk).
- Series of ecological reports “The Town of
the XXI Century” have been developed in English and Russian to
cover priority ecological issues affecting the republic of Kazakhstan
(key topics included: current state of Kazakhstan’s air and water
basins; nuclear and industrial wastes; expansion of deserts and
biodiversity; nuclear pollution of the Caspian Sea basin; benefits of
ecologically sound technologies; ecological rights of citizens
declared by the Orhus Convention; ecological catastrophe areas –
Semipalatinsk nuclear testing range, Aral Sea; influence of ecological
factors on women’s health; ecological impact of urban development etc.).
- Summarizing the agency’s media publications Greenwomen published
the ecological antilogy “The Town of the XXI
Century” including publications, overview reports, texts of
ecological documents, addresses of ecological organizations. The book
is in high demand among NGOs, university professors, journalists and
specialists.
- Greenwomen agency’s Kyrgyzstan branch and an NGO “Independent
Ecological Expertise” published a collection of articles entitled
“Public Participation in Economic Decision-making. The Law, The
Experience and the Recommendations”.
- The agency played an active role in preparing reports for a
collection of articles entitled “The steps for the “greens”. How to
stage an ecological action in Kazakhstan”.
- Jointly with NGO “Naurzum” (Kostanai region) the agency is
carrying out projects to foster cooperation among government agencies
aimed at implementing environmental protection conventions dealing
with preservation of biodiversity, prevention of deserts expansion,
international trade in flora and fauna objects, climate changes,
protection of natural and cultural heritage. A task force involving
representatives of government agencies and general public has been
established to monitor environmental conventions implementation in
Kazakhstan. A plan and program of actions is being developed to ensure
participation of all sectors in preparation for and ratification of
the international environmental protection conventions; public
expertise of national programs, strategies and action plans;
development of mechanisms aimed at supporting inclusion of general
public proposals into national action plans supporting implementation
of the conventions. An important step forward has been made to unite
all interested parties and preserve the unique nature of the Republic
of Kazakhstan.
- In cooperation with the NGO “Center: Gender, Innovations and
Development” (Uzbekistan) Greenwomen agency has implemented a project
entitled “Creation of instruments and mechanisms supporting promotion
and implementation of key environmental protection conventions in
Central Asia based on the example of Stokholm Convention: public
participation in the global process of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
elimination”. The project has been implemented in all five Central
Asian republics (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan,
Turkmenistan). POPs specialists from all over Central Asia took part
in the project. Project implementation included organization of the
public information campaign, “round tables”, regional consultations on
POPs-related issues. For the first time in NIS the first two issues of
"TERRA-Zher Ana" magazine covering
POPs-related issues were published. The project included development
of recommendations on public participation in resolving POPs-related
issues.
Greenwomen agency focuses special attention on development of its
youth project. Students working as volunteers ensure publication of
“The Green Heart” bulletin. They also
actively participate in a variety of ecological actions.
Greenwomen agency believes that young people will grow up to become
prominent decision-makers – politicians, business people, executives.
Ecological mentality of decision-makers and support staffers is of
paramount importance since even the best projects have to be understood
before they can be implemented. Thus, development of the ecological
mentality - to love this world and not to harm it – has to start from
the cradle…
By Lydia Astanina
Contact information:
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