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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
In Croatia, a true democratic culture is lacking, with consultations between the government, citizens, and civil society organizations (CSOs) often seen as mere formalities, with little regard for public feedback. CSOs and citizens are not equal participants in political decision-making processes. Climate change and environmental pollution are increasing threats that impact all aspects of life, including the economy, health, security, and the democratic nature of society. Addressing these challenges is critical for the country’s future, as a society that does not understand their importance will be unprepared to respond effectively.
The strategic plan defines key programs that aim to address these challenges: Resilient Communities and Climate Change, Sustainable Waste Management, and Good Governance and Citizen Participation. These programs target primary and secondary groups to address their needs and issues:
Civil Society (PCS): A strong civil society is essential to address these challenges. Given the uncertainty of project financing, there is a need to systematically build the capacities of CSOs. The organization continues to contribute to CSO networks by submitting joint project proposals and carrying out shared activities.
Citizens and Civil Initiatives in Istria (PCS): Citizens and civil initiatives in Istria are also unequal participants in political decision-making. Like citizens across Croatia (SCS), they are often passive and distrustful of politics and civil society, with low political participation. They are insufficiently informed about how they can personally contribute to addressing key challenges, often downplaying their significance. The organization provides direct support to PCS through the Green Phone, helping to combat environmentally harmful projects, encouraging participation in public consultations on policy documents, spatial planning procedures, and environmental impact assessments. It also organizes numerous educational programs for all age groups, particularly children and youth, and supports citizens across Croatia through public communication.
Public Authorities in Istria (PCS) and at the State Level (SCS): Public authorities at both local and state levels do not fully understand the benefits of participatory democracy or the risks associated with key challenges. They require further education and encouragement. The organization continues to work on intersectoral collaboration within local government in Istria, acting as a bridge to citizens, and implements innovative solutions that have a positive impact on the broader public.
Our activities significantly increased public awareness of citizens'' rights and their participation in decision-making processes. We encouraged citizens to engage in public consultations, get involved in local community issues, and influence environmental and quality-of-life decisions. Through various civil initiatives, we achieved concrete positive changes, such as amending spatial plans to remove harmful projects like quarry expansions or marina developments (e.g., Moja Prikodraga and Karigador).
We contributed to improving communication and waste management systems through the Kaštijun Civil Oversight Working Group and enhanced the management of the DC Rojc building. Media campaigns and public forums raised awareness on environmental, social, and climate change issues.
We supported active protection of public goods and promoted participatory democracy and good governance. For example, the “100% Naše” campaign successfully prevented harmful legislation, such as the Maritime Property Law, which was withdrawn and replaced with a revised draft incorporating public and civil society feedback, thus preventing privatization of maritime goods.
In 2024, we continued to monitor cases of maritime property infill and inform the public on this issue through national media, including a documentary on HRT1.
Our innovative practices, such as the Workshop and Community Garden, engaged numerous citizens in sustainability, food production, recycling, and healthy living, setting a positive example for others. These efforts have become part of daily life for many, while also inspiring other citizens and organizations to adopt similar practices.
Local governments received new services and projects aligned with their strategic plans on climate change and sustainable waste management (e.g., Pula, Umag, Oprtalj, Brtonigla, Buje, Marčana, Fažana, Barban, Ližnjan).
We also facilitated public education on rights under the Aarhus Convention through the Green Phone service, assisting citizens with information access and environmental protection. This included helping citizens file complaints, requests for information, and report illegal activities like illegal tree cutting.
Our support has led to legal actions stemming from the Aarhus Convention, such as initiating a lawsuit against the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development for approving the Kuje Bay development. We also contributed to the initiation of a misdemeanor case against the former president of HBOR for violating environmental protection regulations.
Additionally, we strengthened collaboration with environmental organizations addressing climate change, notably being selected as coordinators for the "Climate Bridges" network, which continued to thrive after the project. We also actively contributed to civil society development through our 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.