ECHO! - Strengthening eco-activism for emergency climate action

Description

Project "Echo!" is focused on the global and local problem of the deepening climate crisis and the insufficient capacity of civic initiatives and citizens in Croatia and the region to influence climate policies. There is a scientific and international political consensus on the urgency of radical change in all sectors, if we wish to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change in the coming decades. Croatia, which has not shown an understanding of the depth of this problem with its previous strategies and planned projects, will soon adopt key climate regulations for the future, within the European Green deal. Therefore, the main goal of the project is to build a dynamic and interconnected climate movement, which will use innovative methods to publicly advocate an urgent response to the climate crisis. The movement will consist of CSOs, informal activist groups and citizens of all ages, especially youth, as well as lawyers interested in the legal aspects of advocacy, who are all target groups of this project.
The main goals and activities in the project are:
• Build a dynamic and interconnected climate movement in the Republic of Croatia and the region, and strengthen local initiatives and CSOs for innovative public advocacy through trainings, labs, educational materials and a climate camp,
• Build and increase the capacity of activist groups, lawyers and informal initiatives and CSOs in Croatia and the region through education and training for active advocacy of climate change solutions
• Use the knowledge gained through these trainings and networking to implement national and local climate campaigns and use new activist methods to respond to key climate policies .

Summary of project results

Project "Echo! - Strengthening eco-activism for urgent climate action" is focused on the global and local problem of the deepening climate crisis and the insufficient capacity of civic initiatives and citizens in Croatia and the region to influence climate policies. There is a scientific and international political consensus on the urgency of radical change in all sectors, if we wish to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change in the coming decades. Croatia, which has not shown an understanding of the depth of this problem with its previous strategies and planned projects, will soon adopt key climate regulations for the future, within the European Green deal. Therefore, the main goal of the project is to build a dynamic and interconnected climate movement, which will use innovative methods to publicly advocate an urgent response to the climate crisis. The movement will consist of CSOs, informal activist groups and citizens of all ages, especially youth, as well as lawyers interested in the legal aspects of advocacy, who are all target groups of this project.
The main goals and activities in the project are:
• Build a dynamic and interconnected climate movement in the Republic of Croatia and the region, and strengthen local initiatives and CSOs for innovative public advocacy through trainings, labs, educational materials and a climate camp,
• Build and increase the capacity of activist groups, lawyers and informal initiatives and CSOs in Croatia and the region through education and training for active advocacy of climate change solutions
• Use the knowledge gained through these trainings and networking to implement national and local climate campaigns and use new activist methods to respond to key climate policies
• Strengthen the Green Action Activist group through public events, workshops and meetings to attract new activists and communicate more effectively the topic of climate change in order to raise awareness among the general public.
The project is implemented by Green Action, which will be the applicant, due to its many years of experience in climate activism and partners Eko Zadar, BED and Pan, which will plan local climate campaigns with their activist groups. Norwegian partner NU will share its experience of successful climate campaigns, as well as the experience of coordinating a large network of national groups of thousands of volunteers.

The media impact of the JEKA activities, through partner posts on websites and social media, as well as media coverage, reached a large audience. For example, a national campaign informed 100,000 citizens about a crucial national tool for combating climate change and highlighted the government''s long-standing inaction on this issue. Urgent calls for an action plan have paved the way for long-term improvements in public policies related to climate change.

Local campaigns reached over 110,000 citizens in Zadar, Karlovac, and Slavonski Brod, where they learned about local solutions to the climate crisis, such as urban green spaces, better urban planning, agricultural protection, and cooperative management. Through three local campaigns, citizens had the opportunity to participate in the creation of local public policies, and NGOs will continue to monitor these processes and involve citizens in further actions and public pressures. Additionally, the capacity of active volunteers across all age groups has increased, leading to more frequent and effective activities for local volunteers and communities compared to the year before JEKA started. A total of 26 volunteer meetings were held, involving 58 people, representing a significant improvement for the partners.

Furthermore, through 11 public actions, 4 workshops, and an Environmental Film Festival, the Activist Group of Green Action was strengthened to effectively address and raise awareness about environmental issues.

Overall, 1,033 people were involved in activities over 2 years, which is double the original target. NGOs participated in the preparation and/or adoption of 26 national policies, and 11 changes were made to climate public policy documents following the acceptance of recommendations and comments from partners. The number of media public announcements about NGO participation in policy preparation and adoption was very satisfactory, and three supported platforms exceeded expectations.

Main Objectives and Achievements:

1. Capacity Building and Activism:

   • The primary goals of JEKA included building the capacities of NGOs and activist groups, using knowledge gained from project activities to design local and national campaigns, influencing climate policies, and strengthening the Green Action Activist Group. The project also aimed to foster the development of new volunteer bases in Zadar, Karlovac, and Slavonski Brod. Based on achieved indicators, successful activities, participant evaluations, and internal partner evaluations, all goals have been met, establishing a solid foundation for ongoing work in these areas.

2. Knowledge and Local Campaigns:

   • Knowledge gained in the first year through training and networking, and the use of new activist methods, has been reflected in the positive responses to the local climate campaigns. NGOs have successfully fulfilled their mission and become recognized actors in promoting and advocating for environmental protection. Local campaigns were designed based on good practices from JEKA''s networking and education (A 1.1., A 1.2., A 1.4., A 1.5). For instance, the Zadar local campaign was based on research and examples from project partners, as local coordinator Danira Travica had no prior experience in public campaigns and modeled the campaign on partner organizations'' work. Through internal consulting and mentoring from partners, cooperation and the capacities of involved NGOs have been strengthened, aligning with the project''s objectives.

3. Visibility and Advocacy:

   • Local campaigns significantly enhanced the advocacy role of partners and citizens in decision-making and influencing climate policies. For example, a national campaign reached 505 people from about 100 locations in Croatia, calling for the urgent adoption of a Climate Action Plan. In Zadar, citizen response to a survey was unexpectedly large, with many detailed open-ended responses providing clear opinions, views, ideas, and suggestions on urban planning and green spaces. This citizen participation strengthened the advocacy document presented to city institutions, based on solid arguments and creating a stronger advocacy moment.

4. Legal and Organizational Advances:

   • Increased support for the rule of law was demonstrated through successful training of young lawyers (A. 1.5) and the Kosinj strategic lawsuit, which clarified the role of NGOs as parties in cases against specific government decisions. The acquisition of a lease for Gajna during the JEKA project is a notable example of good management of a specific area.

5. Internal Capacity Building:

   • The internal structure and organization of project partners in Croatia have improved, notably increasing their capacity for public advocacy and training young staff in project management. Partners report enhanced knowledge and experience in public advocacy, campaign design, activist group management, project management, results tracking, and reporting. The number of volunteers in partner organizations doubled over two years, and local coordinators gained valuable experience in managing volunteer meetings and planning activities, which will benefit future work with a larger number of volunteers.

6. International and Regional Collaboration:

   • The project significantly improved collaboration between local project partners and between Croatian and Norwegian partners (activities 1.2 and 1.4). Prior to JEKA, Natur og Ungdom and Green Action had limited systematic collaboration, mainly meeting through Young Friends of the Earth Europe. JEKA facilitated detailed acquaintance with each other''s working methods and themes, creating valuable contacts for future cooperation.

7. Regional and Cross-Border Cooperation:

   • Regional (cross-border) collaboration on climate change advocacy has been enhanced, particularly through knowledge and idea exchange with Serbian “Ecological Movement” activists (during A 3.1.), regional NGOs participating in the Klimatopija camp (A 1.4.), and participation in the Adriatic Climate Camp. The Activist Cookbook (A.1.3.) is considered an extremely useful manual for climate activism in BHS languages and is expected to benefit future generations of young and established activists in the region.

Overall, the JEKA project has achieved remarkable results, exceeding many of its initial goals and creating a strong foundation for continued advocacy and action on climate change.

Summary of bilateral results

During the JEKA project, a summer camp for youth focused on activist methods and networking was held. This camp was a key activity aimed at strengthening the capacities of young activists, encouraging their engagement in the fight against climate change, and building long-lasting connections among young people involved in activism. Five partner organizations and five organizations from the region actively implement advocacy strategies and collaborate with local and national bodies, while informing at least 50% of their followers on social media and other communication channels with knowledge and updates.