Cooperation between NGOs and institutions as a basis for establishment of Natura 2000 in Montenegro

After two years of the project "Partnership Action for Biodiversity Protection in Western Balkans” and three years of the project "Strengthening the Capacity of Governments and Civil Sector in Serbia and in Montenegro to adapt to EU Nature Protection Acquis” we are happy to see that things related to nature conservation in Montenegro are moving in a positive direction (although very slowly). Given the changes that were happening in the relevant Ministry through this period (3 Ministers in 2 years) and small number of employees in nature conservation sectors, the research on species and habitats in Montenegro has been successfully completed. Additionally, the reference list of species and habitats for Natura 2000 (in line with the Habitats Directive) and the draft catalogue of habitats in Montenegro have been prepared. A young team of experts was employed by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism to fulfil the database with field results and to help mapping data needed for Natura 2000.

Members of Natura 2000 Info Center network were very active

On the other hand, we had active environmental NGOs. During the implementation of both projects, they were interested and committed to strengthening their capacities to participate and take an active role in preparation for Natura 2000 in Montenegro. Today we have a network of NGOs - Natura 2000 Info Centre. It includes 35 organizations that are trained to communicate, lobby, make campaigns and promote the topic. The network communicates with relevant authorities for biodiversity protection in the European Commission in Brussels or professional international NGOs in the region. They help organize thematic activities for capacity building or meetings for networking and cooperation of different sectors (environment, forests, water management, agriculture, transport, tourism), especially for high conservation value areas, in which there is potential ''conflict” with different development approaches.
Although it’s still too early to talk about Natura 2000 areas, there is an overview of what we currently have in Montenegro. However, the quality and detail of data processing depends on Montenegrin experts. Montenegro recognizes the necessity to begin with preparations for the establishment of an ecological network, but state institutions are still not ready to deal with that task. To succeed in this, significantly greater understanding of the EU process is needed, as well as the preparation of technical grounds and motivation of the academic and general community to participate in these very important activities.

Natasa Kovacevic, Green Home

Mission Impossible

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

The IPA project “Partnership actions for biodiversity protection in Western Balkans” is ending in December 2011. I had the pleasure to be involved in this project as manager of the various capacity building activities: face to face training in Montenegro and Serbia as well as exchange visits to Spain and Croatia. The project concluded with a final workshop and exhibition in Belgrade where the participants showed what they had achieved with the small actions from the project in year two. Looking at the pictures of the exhibition and reading the short text, the motivation of the participating organizations became tangible. In addition I had come to know most of them during the capacity building activities: their faces, the way they expressed themselves in the different workshops and I knew listening to them how difficult it is for small NGOs in Serbia or Montenegro to make their voices heard.

This project is only a small step in the long road that most of the organizations must follow. Hopefully some things may remain once the project is closed: better contact with other NGOs from their country or region, an understanding of the importance of working together and a sense of urgency or a sense of “Mission Impossible”. The environment, biodiversity, nature, earth – however you will call it – is threatened by us: by you, by me, by us. We know that our way of living destroys what we want to protect. We feel that we are part of the problem. But nevertheless we try to stop the process. We work for NGOs, smaller or bigger ones, we recycle, we eat organic food – but we are still part of the problem. Exactly here starts our mission impossible: to break the cycle, to show alternatives, to be different, to make the world a different, better place. This means that we as individuals and as an NGO have to find new ways of acting and thinking. In our training courses we use examples of what has worked so far, best practices, or we describe the project management cycle. But in a way this is the old way of thinking, the way of thinking which created the problems which we now try to solve with the sameold logic. Most of you know well this famous sentence of Albert Einstein that we can’t solve the problems with the same thinking which created them. Here again is the mission impossible for NGOs: find these new ways, new ways of doing and new ways of thinking. After two years working with many different NGOs as part of this project I have learned that NGOs have enough motivation and creativity to look for these new ways. Good luck and please keep me updated on your progress!

Christoph Stein, WWF

Christoph Stein: Capacity building is about transforming your society, starting with you and your organization

In many countries NGOs are competitive. I can’t say NGOs in Serbia and in Montenegro are not competitive, but I see many of them caring about each other which makes me proud of our two partners, Young Researchers of Serbia and Green Home

Christoph Stein lives in Barcelona, but being WWF capacity building officer, his working area, apart from Spain, includes Northern Africa, Middle East and Western Balkans countries. Through the IPA project “Partnership actions for biodiversity protection in Western Balkans”, Stein has trained several NGO representatives from Montenegro and Serbia for lobbying and advocacy.

The Project ”Partnership actions for biodiversity protection in Western Balkans” is in its final phase. Being capacity building officer, what is your opinion on this project?

Capacity building is one of the main line of the project. If you start a new policy process, such as Natura 2000, you have to find a way to connect it to civil society for many reasons. Civil society has to push the government to be active on Natura 2000 and later on to monitor the process. This is something that needs to be built up, and you can’t do it in few weeks. We are very lucky with this project that we have two years to work with the group that slowly grows within the project.

This is your second project in the region, after the one you’ve already worked on with Young Researchers of Serbia and Green Home. Are you satisfied with these collaborations?

We had another capacity building project that was a small project. It is really good to see those NGOs are both champions in their countries with an interest in other NGOs. In many countries NGOs are competitive. I can’t say NGOs in Serbia and in Montenegro are not

competitive, but I see many of them caring about each other which makes me proud of our two partners.

Photo: Christoph with the IPA project team in Zagreb

How long have you been interested in capacity building?

Capacity building is about how to use educational processes in the best way to achieve previously established learning objectives. In this, I started in early 1990s, first as a teacher in different schools, then I worked for other NGOs on educational projects. In 2000 I came to WWF and this is when we started talking about capacity building and education. I have worked in the region for 10 years with capacity building. But, my job is divided – I work in the Western Balkans and in Northern Africa and Middle East.

Is there any fundamental rule of capacity building?

No main rules. Capacity building is about pushing for transformational changes. We all want to change something in a positive way. First you want to change yourself. You need to learn how to do it and how to apply it to other people. So, capacity building is about transforming your society, starting with you and your organization. It’s about listening and asking the right questions, it’s about being open to learning and changing and for an organisation it means a permanent process.

Lobbying is a part of your training. Do you have good experience with NGOs learning about lobbying?

Lobbying is part of most NGO work – there are few NGOs who are not dealing with advocacy or lobbying in a different context. If you work for an environmental or social NGO, you need to know how to lobby. You need to lobby people and advocate institutions. There is a lot to learn and a lot to improve. When you start to plan that process, you see how difficult it might be. Many NGOs say: “We have no power, we are too small...” That is not true! NGOs need to understand that their power starts at the community level where they work. From there it goes up… But, yes, they have power – not to change alone, but to push that change with their partners.

And what about lobbying and advocacy, is there a golden rule?

You have to be very clear what exactly you want a person or an institution to do. You have to ask yourself the question: what exactly do I want and what can this person or organisation really do to help me to achieve my goals. A golden rule in most advocacy processes is that you have to evaluate your progress and to be flexible enough to adapt to changes on the policy level.

Do you get feedback from stakeholders you have trained?

We have different feedback – from evaluations that people write after training, in personal contact… As I see it, people are positive. Organizations come back to our training courses. This means they were satisfied with the previous training, and we have a relationship of trust, we are on a good track. What they learn, they try to apply. We can see this from small grants that we gave to 17 NGOs within the project “Partnership actions for biodiversity protection in Western Balkans”. It’s a pity this project is ending this year, there is so much more we could do. Hopefully there will be funds to continue this project…

What would be the next steps of the follow up?

We could keep this group together to work on the implementation of Natura 2000. This is not a process of one of two years, but of 10 years! We should motivate this group to keep on this process, to work with public institutions, for which they need a lot of energy. This follow up could be on socio-economic assessment, on communications… There are so many possibilities and if we want to work on it for the next 10 years, we could. The group of NGOs is very motivated and all we need now is to find funds to continue the process….

Petra Boic Petrac, WWF