T R A I N I N G
by Adriana Craciun
NGOs and environmental activists cannot be effective in their work without professional training in management, networking, fundraising, communications and accounting — all relatively new skills in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) which were not taught in the schools of the former communist countries. But given the difficult financial situation many NGOs find themselves in, the new "knowledge market" is not easy to access, be it through training materials or the people who have all the answers: the trainers.
Fortunately, the Regional Environmental Center (REC) still plays an active role in providing training for environmental NGOs in CEE through its Capacity Building Department (CBD).
"Secondary education in Central and Eastern Europe is among the highest in the world," says Solomon Ioannou, Head of the REC's CBD. "The need to address adult education is therefore more challenging, especially in view of the changing geo-political trends."
The Department addresses capacity building activities through two levels: the institutional and the personal. At the institutional level is the Environmental Management Training Centers (EMTC) Network of 11 environmental training institutions in 8 CEE and NIS countries. The network brings together one of the largest pool of trainers and professional experts in the field of adult education, addressing the training needs of government, businesses and NGOs throughout the region.
At the personal level, REC's Junior Fellowship Program (JFP) helps NGO representatives develop their management skills or become stronger leaders and specialists in fundraising. The program has so far provided training for some 160 environmental activists from the region and demand for the program continues to be high, proof that this type of training is still very much needed.
"I am not aware of another capacity building program for young environmentalists with a higher impact than the REC Junior Fellowship Program," says Simona Popovici, training manager within the Phare Programme for Civil Society Development in Romania. "For young activists interested in building a career in the environment, this is the place from where you want to start."
Some former JFP participants met one year ago to discuss developments in the program. Many wanted to return to the REC for more intensive training, especially in leadership and management. As a result, the Advanced Workshops Project was born, with the accent not on building the capacity of organisations through training individuals, but on developing the personal capacity of those fellows who felt strongly motivated to contribute to the environmental movement in general.
Participants in the Advanced Workshops no longer talk about learning how to write a project proposal but rather hope to become better leaders, to learn how to be effective lobbyists and to become trainers able to multiply their knowledge.
With the financial help of the UK-based Sainsbury Family Charitable Trust — Staples Trust, Advanced Workshops began in early 1998 with the first two-week session in July. The lucky six participants, selected from over 50 applications, included environmentalists from Albania, Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, Romania and Ukraine.
The content of the session was established in consensus between the participants and the trainers. Topics identified were team-building, personal development, working with managerial boards, evaluation, public relations, sustainable development, leadership, advocacy, working with the media and information management. Perhaps the most interesting component was the opportunity for participants to share their knowledge with and learn from East European trainers with similar experiences.
"Advanced Junior Fellow training means more than a simple training," said Popovici. "Experienced East European trainers guide the group through subjects relevant to their needs and applicable in their countries For the participants, it is a chance to learn from each other and share experiences in an international context with colleagues with similar priorities, concerns and values." For more, contact Adriana Craciun.