G R A N T S
Earmarked Grants project updates from Albania, Poland, Croatia and Slovenia
Albanian Special Grant on Freshwater Ecosystems
Two projects were selected for awards under this grant. The first, "The Establishment of an Ecocenter for Shkodra Lake," was proposed by PPNE Shkodra. Shkodra Lake is a registered Ramsar site and was identified by the Plan of Ecological Bricks for our Common House in Europe (1990) as one 24 European transboundary areas of major importance for nature conservation. In cooperation with Montenegrin NGOs, PPNE Shkodra will develop an Ecocenter with the goal of preserving and protecting the lake's characteristics, monitoring water quality, educating local people about the lake and the environment, and producing a variety of information bulletins and films. This is the first project from the REC in which an NGO from Montenegro will participate.
Award: 21,983 USD
The second grant was awarded for the "Green Center for Ohrid Lake," proposed by two NGOs, Kadmi and Harmony. Bridging the border between Albania and Macedonia, Ohrid Lake is known for its unique natural and ecological value, and was ranked as one of the most important fresh water systems of Europe in the Dobris Assessment. The project brings together partners in Albania and Macedonia in establishing a Green Center to provide a meeting place for students and others from both sides of the lake to learn about the lake and perform experiments on water pollution and treatment.
Award: 22,680 USD
Special Call to Establish a Computer Network in Slovenia
Having access to up-to-date, relevant information opens the door to active participation in decisionmaking and is the key to a powerful citizenry. Computer networks offer a useful tool for environmental NGOs to gain important information, share experiences, and coordinate their efforts.
In recent years, the REC has supported environmental NGO computer networks in Hungary, the Green Spider Network, in the Czech Republic, EConnect, and in Romania, Strawberry Net.
Now the REC is granting 60,000 ECU to finance the establishment of a new network in Slovenia. The project is designed in three phases. The first, establishing the central unit of the network is underway. Next, the operating staff will be trained and contacts with the already existing networks will be established. Third, the "end-users," Slovenian environmental NGOs, will be provided with the necessary equipment and training. The Project is lead by RETINA in Slovenia in cooperation with other NGOs. The Slovenian network will be compatible with a proposed "trans-CEE" NGO computer network which REC intends to support.
UPDATES
Saving Small Marshes on the Island of Cres
Located off the coast of Croatia, Cres Island is a site of great natural beauty. The NGO Svanimir, partially funded by the REC, is working to clean up several ponds on the island and to save the biodiversity values of small natural or semi-natural sweet water ecosystems of exceptional biological richness. The village community depends on the ponds to water their sheep and local people participated actively in the clean-up effort. The sheep are an essential link in the chain of life that maintains the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), the most endangered bird species in Croatia, which in turn keeps the island clean by disposing of sheep carrion. In the first two years of the NGO's work, three pools were cleaned and restored.
Svanimir also produced a video "Pools on the island of Cres," and a companion full-color English-Croatian language booklet, both available from their office.
The Eurosite Award 1995 honored the project with their "Prix d'encouragement," recognizing the enthusiasm and the energy of the activists involved.
Campaign for Recycling Paper Promotion
In the first phase of their project, the Polish Ecological Club (PKE) Wroclaw reports that they've had a significant impact on the recycling of waste paper and the use of recycled paper in their community. The PKE focuses on education programs and lobbying government and business. With limited funds and time, they managed to organize Boy Scouts to collect waste paper for recycling and to distribute information leaflets about environmental threats of paper production for a major campaign. Eight lobbying postcards were designed and 3000 sets of each will be distributed to schools and NGOs. They will also lobby the Ministry of Finances to demand lowering the VAT tax on production of recycled paper and the purchase of secondary materials. At a concert organized for young people, the entrance fee was a contribution of waste paper. Extensive TV and media coverage provided free publicity for this event.
In addition, the PKE published two issues of their information bulletin and two environmental posters. Edward Lutczyn, a reknowned Polish artist designed notebook covers for children on environmental topics and 1,000,000 copies were produced and distributed.
They established regular cooperation with the local paper research institute to determine the potential for starting recycled paper production at Polish papermills and to discuss the current market for waste paper in their locale. A collaboration with local advertising firms is promoting recycled paper; and a number of local offices and companies have agreed to use recycled paper.
This project is an outstanding example of a focused effort to reach all the relevant players on an environmental topic in one community.
For more information about these projects, contact the NGOs directly or the Grants Department at REC Head Office, Tel: (36-26) 504-000, Fax: (36-26) 311-294, E-mail: bhyman@rec.org.
REC * PUBLICATIONS * THE BULLETIN * AUTUMN 1996
