Description
There is an urgent need to reinforce the Green Sector in Hungary. The growing number of highly qualified conservation experts cannot find jobs in conservation, which results in increased unemployment and an unbalanced situation between education and labour market. This program intends to provide young and future conservationists with a new mind-set that fosters the reinforcement of the green civil sector through alternative approaches. In partnership with SEEDS (NGO, Iceland) 6 Hungarian trainees will participate in leadership training in Iceland, followed by 5 one week long subject specific placements in Hungary, where they can cascade their new knowledge to 35 more activists. A dissemination road-show will help to distribute project results to ten more conservation NGOs and will motivate other stakeholders to contribute to the empowerment strategy. Improved resilience, independence and power in the entire sector will be achieved by the end of the project.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to contribute to the redefinition and reintegration efforts of the Green Movement with the search for positive visions and various capacity-building activities. Six young national conservationists, selected on the basis of a nationwide competition, had the opportunity to learn about good practices in the form of a 2 week long study trip on Iceland, and another 32 young NGO activists/experts, selected again by an open tender, could develop their knowledge in 5 one-week-long specific field camps on various topics (communication and career building, landscape protection, sustainable management and ecotherapy, habitat protection, species protection). In co-operation with 10 other nature conservation NGOs, a "road show" was held in 10 different points of the country focusing on the topics of advocacy, reputation and fundraising, involving altogether 120 representatives of 38 organizations in co-thinking. To motivate more to think about the strengthening possibilities of the green civil sector, an idea competition was also released. The three experts who submitted the best essays were able to get acquainted with the operation of foreign organizations on a one-week study trip to England. The good practices gathered during the project were organized in a study as well as summarized in a brochure, on the website and in a short film.
Summary of bilateral results
The role of the partner was restricted to organize the study trip on Iceland that was succesfully executed. It was an important element of the project as 6 young NGO experts could learn about best practices, and as such, it strenghten the NGO sector in Hungary on the long run. However, bilateral relationships were not really developed: no further cooperation has grown up from this visit so far.