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Description
The “Hvozd Reinforced” project is intended to support the NGO Hvozd, which operates in the Ústí nad Labem region and focuses on the development and support of local (cultural, ecological and economic) sustainability.
The project responds to the typical obstacles encountered by initiatives in isolated regions like ours: weak connections to similar organizations, lack of funding, lack of capacities, contacts and skills for further development. These can be solved only through active networking with like-minded NGOs and individuals within the region and beyond. The project is dedicated to joint trainings, mutual mentoring of leaders from friendly civic initiatives and creation of a new series of strategic NGOs'' meetings to strengthen the cooperation.
The key element here is the partnership with Prague based Unconditional Basic Collective (UBC; Nepodmíněný základní kolektiv in Czech). UBC brings together experts with knowledge of regional transformation issues as well as people with experience in project management and in the organization of the non-governmental sector. UBC will transfer all that in the form of mutual mentoring, training and lectures and also boost the networking.
At the end of the project, there will be more people in the region who understand the connection between sustainability in terms of agriculture and sustainability as a principle of cutting our region off from dependence on the coal industry. There will be a new network of helping associations, interconnected with NGOs outside the region, able to communicate their work and agenda effectively at the national level. The Hvozd NGO and their project partners will be steady, with the image improved towards the supporters, and prepared to face and solve the upcoming social transformation of the region.
Summary of project results
The “Hvozd Reinforced” project was intended to support the NGO Hvozd, which operates in the Ústí nad Labem region and focuses on the development and support of local (cultural, ecological and economic) sustainability. The project responds to the typical obstacles encountered by initiatives in isolated regions : weak connections to similar organizations, lack of funding, lack of capacities, contacts and skills for further development. These can be solved only through active networking with like-minded NGOs and individuals within the region and beyond. The project was dedicated to joint trainings, mutual mentoring of leaders from friendly civic initiatives and creation of a new series of strategic NGOs'' meetings to strengthen the cooperation.
The key element was the partnership with Prague based Unconditional Basic Collective (UBC; Nepodmíněný základní kolektiv in Czech). UBC braught together experts with knowledge of regional transformation issues as well as people with experience in project management and in the organization of the non-governmental sector. UBC transfered all that in the form of mutual mentoring, training and lectures and also boosted the networking.
1. Capacity objective: to ensure better functioning (administrative, organizational and professional) for locally based NGOs focused on sustainability practices and positive social change. Primarily increasing the capacity and operational capability of two partner organisations, but secondarily supporting the capacity of more than ten other NGOs in Ústí nad Labem.
2. Networking goal: to create a functioning network of regionally active associations and individuals with overlap outside the region. The purpose of this network was to engage in advocacy activities, mutual empowerment and mentoring, as well as to organize new social activities so that the positive impact of the project also had an impact on other organizations.
3. Ethos/objective: To link the practice of sustainable farming methods and low energy production with the idea of sustainability as a principle for a just transformation in a region moving away from the brown coal industry. It was therefore an effort to link theory and practice, or institutional measures and local grassroots activities in the Ústí nad Labem region.
Project impact: Two cooperating organizations that entered this Project as partners were connected. Together, they filled the project with activities that developed the potential of both organizations. The partnership forced them to communicate, to hold regular meetings, so that the entire comprehensive project could be successfully implemented. For Spolek Hvozd, it was the first project collaboration from which the management gained experience in team communication. The partnership of two non-government women, one aiming at systemic change and the other at sustainable individual behavior, was logical and right, but it was also very demanding to organize. The non-government management focused on the implementation of the project, but also on its correct implementation, reporting, and now also on communication with the new independent accountants. The overlap connected the organizations and thus a joint project activity was created: education, mentoring, strategic meetings, networking, time spent together to connect with other NGOs. The most valuable thing about the project for us is the experience and contacts, and a kind of perspective with which they will look back after the end of this project on the way to realize their goals.The project most benefited the implementers, secondarily contacted subjects, and last but not least also the public, who could participate in the events. The impact was that they contacted partners that they wanted to contact for a long time, and the growth process accelerated, some contacts resulted in good alliances in certain tendencies and efforts. The project helped the growth of knowledge and competence of leaders. The most important outputs are the contacts and experiences that are partially written to the financial and project procedures, and to the mentoring lessons that are published on the website, because they can serve a wider range of organizations.