The REC’s holistic approach is the key to achieving sustainability,says Marta Szigeti Bonifert, the REC ’s new executive director, in her first interview with the Bulletin. "The reason the REC is focusing on education and training is to change the mentality of the generations to come." How did the May summit in Kiev redefine the environmental priorities for Central and Eastern Europe and the entire continent? The fifth Environment for Europe ministerial conference was a very good moment for me to re-enter the environmental field. It came at a time when Europe is trying to reshape its perspectives and values system. Europe is our common global village. It was good to see the vision of sustainable development in a global and regional perspective come across through the ministers' declaration in Kiev. The document provided a good framework for developing our society in a way that environmental, economic and social goals are achieved equally well. What role will Central and Eastern Europe play in the future, now that 10 of its countries will be joining the EU? We will all be members of the EU sooner or later. But experience proves that being a member state does not change everything overnight. Accession is not a magic word, unfortunately. We will need to work much harder than we anticipated, and we will have to work differently. Ahead of accession the REC has been focusing on strengthening democracy, putting different stakeholders to work together, and civil society development programmes. Now we need to focus on local initiatives and small and mediumsize business initiatives. Compliance with the EU directives will require a holistic, multi-stakeholder, intersectoral approach. I believe this is where the REC can make the difference. Which way will you choose to steer the REC in order to make that difference? For over 13 years our organisation has worked to promote the idea of sustainable development through its 11 programme areas. What REC was always very good at was to facilitate among the different stakeholders -- governments, business and civil society. We are proud to have been mentioned so many times in Kiev as a good example and potential partner for cooperation. There are areas where REC's experience and input will be essential in the future. Among them are public participation, capacity building -- particularly for local authorities -- and environmental education. This last area is one of the most recent REC success stories, the designing of the Green Pack, a multimedia environmental education tool kit that will eventually be adapted to five countries: Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and now Slovakia and the Czech Republic, with the generous support of Toyota. Is there anything that the REC could take along from Central and Eastern Europe to the rest of the world? The REC was founded to assist societies in the period of political and economic transition, to strengthen democracy and to help with the development and stabilisation of civil society. We have developed into a very flexible and very unique international organisation. We have 200 people in 15 offices across the region, which enables us to focus on each society's particular needs, taking up the good practices from the local, national, and regional levels. Throughout its history the REC has been touching upon social and economic issues and building partnerships in these areas, too. We have already been approached by Central European countries which want to graduate from being recipients to donors. They are very much interested in the REC's help in providing good ideas and fundable projects across the new target regions -- whether it is the Balkans, the Mediterranean or the territory of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Do you expect radical changes in the coming 10 years throughout CEE and the world regarding the overuse of resources and public awareness of this problem? Many believe that sustainable development means something different for every country; it means one thing in the US, another thing in Europe, and something else in Africa. But the resources of our world are limited and not utilised efficiently. We still do not think as global citizens. The reason the REC is focusing on education and training is to change the mentality of the generations to come. They need to be conscious about development -- whether it is sustain-- able or not. If this happens there will be a change. And, as an optimist, I believe this will be change for the better. I believe we at the REC are among the pioneers facilitating these changes.

Back to front page IN CHARGE: Hungarian Marta Szigeti Bonifert took over as the REC’s executive director in June. Local recruit with global experience BORN: In London to Hungarian parents ENVIRONMENTAL ACUMEN: Worked 12 years for the Environmental Protection Institute and the Environment and Water Ministry, Hungary, from where she was seconded to the REC OTHER WORK: Worked for multinationals including UB/Gyori Keksz, Vivendi Telecom Hungry and the ING Group in positions ranging from head of human resources to commercial director for the CEE region AFFILIATIONS: • First managing director (remains a member) of the Environmental Management and Law Association • Co-founded the CEE Network for Gender Issues, still sits on its board • Served as vice-president of the Hungarian Foundation for Real Equal Opportunities • Was the Hungarian civil focal point of the Gender Task Force of the Stability Pact EDUCATION: • MBA with specialisation in strategy and human resources from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh • Diploma in management from the International Management Center at Central European University, Budapest • Bachelor of science in psychology/biology from the University of Kuwait