Environmental NGOs Take Next Steps Toward Sustainability

by Bill Pfeiffer and Tamara Semenova photo by Susan Cutting

In early December, six environmental activists arrived in the US through the invitation of the Sacred Earth Network (SEN). All members of SEN's Eurasian advisory board, the group represented the geographical extremes of the former Soviet Union; Moscow, St. Petersburg and Magadan in transitional Russia, Tbilisi in post-crisis Georgia, and Dashowuz in totalitarian Turkmenistan. It also reflected the region's diversity of environmental activism. These activists came to participate in the Next Steps Project, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding, with the goal of promoting the fiscal and organizational autonomy of the Eurasian environmental movement.

SEN began its work in Eurasia by building an effective communications infrastructure for environmental activists. Since 1989, working with ISAR and the Socio-Ecological Union, it has set up over 300 e-mail stations across the vast expanse of Eurasia. By providing scientists, activists and educators with access to information and global partners, SEN has reached many struggling and isolated groups, and linked them with the rest of the world for the first time. The project has now far outstripped its original parameters and its primary focus is no longer on equipment donation and training. Now the emphasis is on the area where international technical support frequently fails: the transition from Western-led initiatives to independent, self-directed local leadership and sustainability.

The Next Steps Project was initiated as an exchange program for members of SEN's Eurasian advisory board, focusing on fundraising, strategic planning and interdisciplinary dialogue. In the course of this exchange, SEN brought together communities whose interest in US-Eurasian environmental collaboration will be integral to the future of Eurasia's environmental movement: the current movers and shakers of environmental activism in the former Soviet Union, potential funders, American colleagues working on Eurasian environmental issues and US academics. The purpose of the meetings was to explore useful strategies for fostering the sustainability of environmental NGOs in Eurasia. The visiting NGO leaders, who have been involved in environmental protection activities for many years and come from a variety of backgrounds, brought a wealth of experience to this discussion.

Some of the specific questions that were addressed included:

• What is the present character of the Eurasian environmental movement and where does it appear to be headed?
• How can the momentum established over the last five years best be maintained?
• Given the likelihood of significant decreases in US assistance in the next several years, where can assistance money be applied most effectively?
• What areas require the most immediate attention?
• What do Eurasian environmentalists need to know about the US assistance community in order to develop reasonable expectations?
• What does the US assistance community want and need to know about the state of the environmental movement in Eurasia?

Fifteen discussions and meetings were held in various cities, drawing more than 65 US participants representing government agencies, private foundations, and scientific and activist communities directly involved in Eurasian environmental assistance.

The activists got their first chance to explain their vision at a public mini-conference held in Amherst, Massachusetts. This gathering was planned as an opportunity for meeting and networking rather than formal presentations, so the emphasis was on dialogue between activists and scholars interested in the field of Eurasian/US environmentalism. It became clear from their discussion that joint research and professional exchange are vital to both sides. Nature reserves, islands of pristine nature in the former Soviet Union, are a very attractive resource for field investigations.

The most effective and encouraging meetings were with American environmental experts who work cooperatively with different Eurasian NGOs. As a rule, they speak fluent Russian and have very positive feelings about their joint work, in spite of, or maybe thanks to, the obstacles they face, such as difficult overseas living conditions and different cultural views and habits. Their vivid perception of problems, their desire to find solutions and their unfailing capacity for hard work set an example for their Eurasian colleagues. After several meetings with US colleagues, the Eurasian group was inspired to take a look at the way the Eurasian environmental movement has changed over the last five years.

Vladimir Shestakov, a St. Petersburg biologist involved in environmental activism since the early 1980s, said, "The three weeks spent with an international team of environmentally committed people with broad horizons and global identification was an unforgettable experience. It allowed me to 'rub feathers' with birds of my own flock, to share ideas and fears and get recharged."

Armed with a clear, current picture of the movement and where it is going, the next step in the project was meeting with foundations in hopes of broadening the donor base for environmental projects in Eurasia. Targeted meetings brought US funders face to face with new projects now underway in Eurasia and publicized the growth and importance of Eurasian environmentalism.

The Next Steps Project culminated in a briefing with representatives of US government agencies and Washington, DC-based foundations, facilitated by the staff of ISAR. The agenda included presentations on the state of the Eurasian environmental movement, an overview of NGO priorities and examples of specific, effective projects. The US participants described support currently available for Eurasian environmental activism.

For NGO activists from the former Soviet Union, whose interests are usually represented by American colleagues half way around the world, the Next Steps project represented a remarkable opportunity to share and spread their vision, in their own words, to a wider audience.

Bill Pfeiffer is executive director of Sacred Earth Network. Tamara Semenova, project administrator of the World Wildlife Fund's Moscow office, was a participant in the program. Sacred Earth Network, 267 East Street, Petersham, MA, 01366; phone: (508) 724-3443; e-mail: sacredearth@igc.apc.org