More information
Description
Green Istria (GI) is one of the leading watchdog associations which provides daily support to citizens in solving problems related to climate and environment, and continuously initiates and implement ad-hoc support initiatives depending on the escalation of problems or new threats in the environment. Although the Green Istria and its team has many years of experience and achieves exceptional results in relation to challange of uncertain financing, organisational support will:
- provide stability for development and security to keep the existing number of people.
- enable one person to devote part of its working time for development of ad-hoc activities. GI currently support the civic initiative "Referendum for Lungomare" against exessive tourism and privatization of public good. Such initiatives are time and resource consuming and this support will allow sustainability and quality of this and simmilar actions
- will contribute to the strengthening of the new program "Resilient Communities and Climate Change". Although the team has very successfully started and is implementing a number of projects and activities in this area, we lack capacity, more specifically we need a new professional and competent technical person or natural science professions in order to realize all the potential of this program, to ensure sustainability in the field of natural sciences, related to climate changes.
- contribute to enlarge opportunities for networking and the creation of new partnerships in regard to trends of financing of projects, in line with the European Green Plan, aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change,
- Strengthening the membership in accordance with the Membership Development Plan is a program to which the team must devote special attention, it also requires time and dedicated work, and this support would enable us to do it well let''s dedicate ourselves to work on strengthening and increasing membership.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to address several significant challenges in Croatia. First, it sought to improve the country''s democratic culture, where consultations between the government, citizens, and civil society organizations (CSOs) often lack genuine engagement, with little attention given to public feedback. This has led to a situation where both CSOs and citizens are not equal participants in political decision-making. Additionally, the project aimed to address the growing threats of climate change and environmental pollution, which are impacting many areas of life, including the economy, health, security, and democracy. Without tackling these issues, Croatia''s future could be at risk.
The project outlined key programs to address these challenges:
- Building a Strong Civil Society: Strengthening CSOs is crucial to tackling these challenges. Given the uncertainty of project funding, the project focused on building the capacity of CSOs, helping them to work together, submit joint proposals, and carry out shared activities.
- Engaging Citizens and Civil Initiatives in Istria: Many citizens, especially in Istria, feel disconnected from politics and civil society, leading to low participation in political processes. Like citizens across Croatia (SCS), they are often passive and distrustful of politics and civil society, with low political participation. Furthermore, they are insufficiently informed about how they can personally contribute to addressing key challenges, often downplaying their significance. The project sought to change this by educating and empowering citizens, helping them to understand their role in addressing key challenges. This included supporting participation in public consultations and organizing educational programs for all age groups, especially children and youth.
- Improving Public Authorities'' Understanding of Participatory Democracy: Local and state public authorities often lack a full understanding of participatory democracy and the risks posed by environmental and societal challenges. The project aimed to educate these authorities and encourage collaboration between them and citizens, fostering innovative solutions that benefit the broader public.
The project significantly strengthened collaborations with civil society organizations at local, national, and international levels, reinforcing advocacy in environmental protection, human rights, and civic engagement. It played a key role in networks advocating for sustainable policies and established new partnerships, particularly through the Civic Space Preservation and Restoration project, supported by the CERV program. This initiative included a survey on civil society threats in Croatia, Austria, and other EU countries, with results discussed in Zagreb in April 2024.
Through partnerships with organizations from Slovakia, Belgium, and France, the project contributed to the Erasmus+-funded ECO-Quest video game, building on earlier work promoting energy sustainability. A key outcome was hiring environmental expert Andrea Ivančić, first as an educator in 2023 and then permanently in April 2024. As part of the Communities Go Circular project, the organization supported the Re-Geppetto Repair Workshop and expanded advocacy efforts for sustainable development. The Climate Bridges project led to the formation of the Climate Action Network in Southeastern Europe, now consisting of 30 members. The organization was selected to coordinate the network and successfully passed the first evaluation stage of a new project proposal.
The project was actively engaged in networks such as Green Forum, Climate Bridges, and Zero Waste Croatia, participating in key policy discussions and public consultations. It facilitated 42 meetings, including 16 Green Forum meetings, 11 Climate Bridges meetings, and five SAVE & GAME meetings. Additionally, it co-organized a policy working group at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and contributed to advocacy efforts such as the Global Plastic Treaty petition and the GOOD Initiative for quality education.
Significant advocacy and awareness-raising efforts resulted in 9 coordination meetings at DC Rojc, securing 8.5 million euros for energy renovation, and supporting inclusive community initiatives like a garden project with accessibility improvements. The project was also active in the Civil Oversight Working Group for the Kaštijun waste center, advocating for improved waste management policies.
The project''s impact extended to engaging citizens in decision-making processes, preventing harmful developments, and ensuring public participation in environmental protection. The "100% Naše" campaign successfully blocked harmful legislation on maritime property privatization, leading to a revised law incorporating public and civil society feedback. Public awareness campaigns included a national documentary on maritime property issues, while legal actions were pursued against environmental violations, including a lawsuit against the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development.
With 196 media posts—far exceeding the initial goal of 20—the project amplified environmental and social issues, provided direct support through the Green Phone service, and delivered educational programs encouraging civic engagement and environmental responsibility. Collaboration with local governments resulted in new services aligned with climate and waste management strategies in municipalities such as Pula, Umag, Oprtalj, Brtonigla, Buje, Marčana, Fažana, Barban, and Ližnjan.
Public engagement efforts encouraged citizens to participate in consultations, address local community issues, and influence environmental and quality-of-life decisions. Civil initiatives achieved tangible results, such as amendments to spatial plans that removed harmful projects, including quarry expansions and marina developments in Moja Prikodraga and Karigador.
The project contributed to improving waste management and public communication through the Kaštijun Civil Oversight Working Group while enhancing DC Rojc''s management. Media campaigns and public forums further raised awareness of environmental, social, and climate change issues.
Advocacy for participatory democracy and good governance was reinforced through legal actions. The project supported citizens in filing complaints, requesting information, and reporting illegal activities under the Aarhus Convention. This resulted in a lawsuit against the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development for approving the Kuje Bay development and a misdemeanor case against the former HBOR president for violating environmental regulations.
Innovative practices, such as the Workshop and Community Garden, engaged numerous citizens in sustainability, food production, recycling, and healthy living, inspiring others to adopt similar initiatives.
The project strengthened collaborations with environmental organizations addressing climate change and was selected to coordinate the Climate Bridges network, ensuring its long-term sustainability. It also contributed to civil society development through involvement in the Green Forum Coordination and by launching a working group to assess environmental impacts and organize advocacy activities with government ministries.
The project successfully advanced participatory democracy and civic activism in environmental matters. Key activities included the coordination of the Rojc Social Center, organizing events at the Gregovica Community Garden and the Re-Geppetto Workshop, and contributing to civil-public collaboration with the City of Pula. The organization played a significant role in overseeing public goods management through the Civil Oversight Working Group at the Kaštijun Regional Waste Management Center.
A major achievement was advocating for participatory democracy through the “Za(VRT)imo za inkluziju zajedno!” project, which led to the City of Pula establishing a commission for persons with disabilities. The organization also garnered national attention with the “Za Dajlu” initiative, highlighting the protection of live clam habitats, and actively supported the Lungomare citizen initiative in response to tree cutting.
The Civil Oversight Working Group’s monitoring of Kaštijun’s operations positioned the organization as a key stakeholder in waste management in Istria, with significant improvements in information access and media recognition. Media visibility surged with 138 mentions, including features by international outlets like Deutsche Welle. The organization’s influence in local decision-making grew, reflected in continuous invitations to participate in working groups.
The project emphasized the creation of resilient communities through innovative practices, such as urban gardens and repair centers. These initiatives, along with the Re-Geppetto Workshop and Gregovica Community Garden, showcased sustainable local practices. Climate change education, including the “Save&Game” project, further strengthened the organization’s role in advocating for climate adaptation and mitigation. Active participation in the “Climate Bridges” network and the 9th International Degrowth Conference reinforced its regional impact.
Overall, the organization achieved significant milestones in civic engagement, climate action, and organizational development, with increasing community involvement, expanded staff, and growing international collaboration.
In 2024, the organizational team independently enhanced its skills by learning to use Canva tools, creating 30 designs for various platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, print leaflets, presentations, and Mailchimp. Canva for Nonprofits has proven invaluable, allowing for faster, more innovative, and efficient creation of presentations, reports, documents, brochures, and posters. Additionally, the organization invested in an external SSD drive, enabling regular data backups from office laptops. This step has ensured a secure digital archive for all important organizational documents.
The team continued to use Google Suite daily for document writing, archiving reports, storing photographs, and internal collaboration. Google Suite also supports external partnerships, such as managing shared folders for initiatives like the Climate Bridges network, where the organization acts as a coordinator.
During the reporting period, the team participated in the “Citizens Forum on Gender Mainstreaming”, an online training organized by the CERV program of the European Commission. This training focused on integrating gender perspectives into project planning and activities. It enhanced the team’s understanding of gender inclusion and highlighted the predominance of women (70-80%) in past educational workshops. This gender disparity was partly due to traditionally "female" workshop topics.
Following the training, the organization piloted gender-balanced initiatives:
- A repair café workshop focusing on repairing electronic devices during Reuse Day in Rojc.
- A bike repair campaign, “Bic-Pop,” which successfully increased male participation to approximately 50%.
Moving forward, the organization plans to balance educational activities by incorporating traditionally "male" topics and refining messaging to appeal to all genders. This approach has already been implemented in the “Do-It-Yourself” workshop series, which attracted more women to traditionally male-dominated topics.
The team actively participated in 30 seminars, workshops, lectures, and conferences, significantly strengthening its capacity and expertise. This training supports the organization’s ability to execute its activities effectively and enhances overall organizational resilience.
These efforts collectively contribute to a more robust, inclusive, and innovative organizational environment.