9. Activities to be carried out by the
Mediteranean NGOs
9.1. Participation in
international forums
9.2. Mediterranean
Cooperation
9.3. Information campaigns
9.4. Consolidating the
organization of the Mediterranean NGOs: MED Forum, "The
Network of Mediterranean NGOS"
9.5. Environmental
education for sustainable development
9.6. Information and
participation
9.1. Participation in international forums
The Mediterranean is a complex and diverse reality, but with a set of problems that brings together many points of contact. This social, economic and ecological region needs common activity by all the NGOs in all international forums.
From the NGOs this requires:
a) Common lines of action from the Mediterranean NGOs, decided in international meetings, in collaboration with the international NGOs that work in the Mediterranean Basin, held for this purpose and after a process of debate and democratic participation, such as at the Mediterranean Environmental Forum, held by MED Forum and organized by EcoMediterrània.
b) Programmes from the Mediterranean NGOs on specific subjects, prepared at congresses, conferences, seminars, held specifically for the purpose of preparing specific programs on specific subjects, such as the International Seminar on Integrated and Sustainable Coastal Zones management, held in Benidorm (1997).
c) Specific proposals from the Mediterranean NGOs to present at international meetings, by means of declarations, communiques, reports, studies and other means for their inclusion in the conclusions of the seminars, congresses, conferences and other types of international meetings.
The Mediterranean NGOs that are members of MED Forum will act by organizing and participating in international meetings, by participating in international organizations, and through its role as an interlocutor of international bodies.
a) To organize international meetings. MED Forum will organize international meetings to debate and approve lines of action, programmes and the proposals from Mediterranean NGOs. These may be: forums, congresses, conferences, seminars, etc.
b) To participate in international meetings. MED Forum will participate actively in all types of international meetings where it is important that the voice of the Mediterranean should be heard, in order to present lines of action and programmes from the Mediterranean NGOs, as well as to carry out the specific proposals of each meeting at which it is present.
c) To participate in international organizations. MED Forum will participate as a member in the governmental and non-governmental organizations, whether as a full member or as an observer, wherever it is important the present and defend the lines of action, programmes and proposals of the Mediterranean NGOs.
d) To be an interlocutor of international bodies. MED Forum will seek to be recognized as an interlocutor of the international organisms that adopt agreements affecting the Mediterranean or whose programmes affect the Mediterranean Basin directly or indirectly.
Current examples:
1. Organizing international meetings:
- Forums: IV Mediterranean Environmental Forum (EcoMediterrània, Barcelona, 1996). Euro- Mediterranean Partnership (CLAPE-LR, Montpellier, 1997)
- Congresses
- Conferences
- Seminars: Integrated and Sustainable Coastal Zones management (EcoMediterrània, Benidorm, 1997)
2. Participation in international meetings: International Conference on Water (Paris, 1998), Ministerial Conference on SMAP (Helsinki, 1997) Pan-European Conference on the Environment (Arhus, 1998), Seminar on Sustainable Tourism (Lisbon, 1998).
3. Participation in international organizations:
- Non-governmental international organizations: Earth Action, EEB, etc.
- Governmental and mixed international organizations; United Nations (MAP-UNEP, MCSD, UNESCO, FAO, ECOSO, CSD, etc), IUCN, etc.
- International Conventions; Desertification (Bonn), Biodiversity (Montreal), Berne, Ramsar, Climatic Change, etc.
4. As an interlocutor of international bodies:
- European Union: D.G. XI (Programme MEDA-SMAP: support for NGOs); D.G. I (Euro- Mediterranean Process-MEDA); D.G. VIII (Cooperation).
- United Nations, GEF, World Bank, etc.
June 1998.
9.2. Mediterranean Cooperation
The Mediterranean region requires co-development to achieve greater balance between the economies of the north and the south and to ensure greater solidarity between the peoples of the Mediterranean Basin. It is clear that this should be achieved by promoting a political, economic an social framework that respects human rights, guarantees individual liberties, allows the social and political participation of the citizens, respects the cultural and religious practices of each people, and guarantees the right to an environment that is respectful of natural resources and the welfare of persons.
In this framework, MED Forum considers Mediterranean cooperations is one of the main axes of its line of activity. We consider cooperation between countries and between societies, in the economic, social and cultural field, to be a valid instrument to favour exchange based on solidarity that allows:
- actions of solidarity that favour the broadest range of social sectors
- exchanges of Mediterranean experiences of all types
- cultural relations that favour a Mediterranean culture, and
- the strengthening of civil society, especially NGOs.
MED Forum will carry out its specific work in the field of Mediterranean cooperation by:
- Performing projects in all the countries of the Mediterranean Basin.
- Supplying information to all the NGOs that are members of MED Forum.
- Helping its members by assessment at all levels.
- Facilitating the exchange of experts and technicians between the member NGOs.
- Obtaining economic support to perform projects.
- Carrying out campaigns in favour of the most urgent priority matters.
- Promoting social and cultural meetings, especially of young people.
- Coordinating the work of its members on specific matters.
MED Forum will promote these activities through the Mediterranean Cooperation Programme, which will consist of:
a) Technical Advice Service. Services that make it possible for us to supply information on the sources of funding for aid for cooperation, to advise its members on the presentation of projects, to provide experts and technicians, to promote campaigns, to achieve funds and to direct its Projects Bank.
b) Projects Bank. This is a centre for the reception of projects for assessment, possible presentation for funding, and if it is necessary to support it at international bodies that consider MED Forum a valid interlocutor. The Projects Bank fixes rigorous criteria for presenting a project that means that the projects are more likely to obtain funding.
c) MED Info. An information programme on Internet that will make it possible to obtain immediate information on all aspects of MED Forum, especially on everything related to Mediterranean Cooperation: information, requirements, exchanging experiences, etc.
d) Performing projects: MED Forum will participate in different ways in the performance of cooperation projects. These forms may take the form of:
- assessing the presentation of a project prepared by NGO members
- providing small sums to prepare the project's presentation
- supporting the presentation of a project and carrying out the follow-up monitoring
- participating directly with member NGOs in carrying out the project
- carrying out a project directly in collaboration with members of the network.
Whatever the form in which the participation of MED Forum occurs, this should be clearly Stated in all the documents and publications relating to the projects. It is very important that all the projects carried out by MED Forum's member NGOs should display MED Forum's logo. This will achieve two objectives: strengthening MED Forum's presence in all the Mediterranean countries and ensuring that the work performed by the NGOs in each country acquires an international dimension with a "Mediterranean label". We can not forget that the purpose of performing these projects is to benefit the population and to strengthen the NGOs in each country through their contacts with civil society.
Current examples:
1. The Mediterranean: towards sustainable development. Project performed in Tunisia by EcoMediterrània (Spain) and ATPNE (Tunisia) with the financial support of Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Provincial Council (Spain)
2. MED Project Ulixes 21. For sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean. This project was carried out in France, Spain and Morocco by EcoMediterrània (Spain), CLAPE-LR (France) and ASMAPE and APE Wilaya of Tétouan (Morocco), with financial support from the European Union (D.G. XI) and the Languedoc-Rousillon Region (France), the Generalitat of Catalonia, the Junta of Andalusia, Calvià Town Council and others (Spain).
3. For rural development and against erosion. A project performed in Algeria by EcoMediterrània (Spain) and MEA (Algeria) with the support of Barcelona City Council and Barcelona Provincial Council and, possibly, the European Union (D.G. VIII).
4. Water for peace. Project to be carried out on the West Bank (Palestine) by EcoMediterrània and the PHG (Palestinian Hydrology Group) which has applied for support from Barcelona City Council (Spain).
June 1998.
9.3. Information campaigns
There are many problems in the Mediterranean that require a joint treatment by the NGOs to try and find a regional solution. But a common effort is also necessary to force the national governments or local administrations to make a contribution to the common solution. A strong network of NGOs, like MED Forum, it could influence the different administrations and companies to adopt solutions to existing or provoked problems.
Depending on their scope, campaigns may be:
- regional (Mediterranean)
- interstate
- or local
Depending on the activity involved, campaigns may be:
- To raise awareness
- educational
- to criticize
- specific demands
- global (awareness, education, criticism and specific demands)
The campaigns may be proposed by the Executive Committee or the Mediterranean Council of MED Forum for support of the entire network. A campaign may arise from a proposal by one or several members, whether local or international, that request the Executive Committee for the network's support.
Current examples.
1. The Mediterranean Green Traffic Light. Campaign in the area that seeks to involve citizens in the protection of coastal zones, by classifying the state of their municipality with a green light if it is in good condition, yellow if it is normal, and red if it is bad.
2. MED Project Ulixes 21. For sustainable tourism. A campaign to raise awareness in three countries to begin with (France, Spain and Morocco), but which aims to cover the whole region.
3. MED Educa. MED Forum's Environmental Education Commission which has prepared environmental education campaigns to be performed throughout the region.
4. No to the transfer of water from the Rhône to Barcelona. A campaign to denounce a mistake, and demand that it be changed, which is being carried out in two countries (France and Spain); it rejects a project that is contrary to sustainable development, and also demands an alternative model of water management in Catalonia (Spain).
5. Protect the Mediterranean? Ratify the Convention and its Protocols now! A regional campaign whose aim is that the modified Barcelona Convention, prepared in 1995, as well as the different protocols hat were approved, should be ratified by the governments, in order for it to come into force.
June 1998.
9.4. To consolidate the organization of the Mediterranean NGOs; MED Forum, "The Network of Mediterranean NGOs"
The national, regional and local NGOs in a country require a programme, an activity and partners in order to affect society and influence the different levels of administration to improve their environment within the framework of sustainable development. To make best use of this effort it is worth coordinating activity within their own country and with the other countries of the Mediterranean Basin. MED Forum, "the Network of Mediterranean NGOs for Ecology and Sustainable Development", favors the NGOs of the member States through the programme approved by the network's members as a whole, through its application through an international presence, through the projects performed as a result of Mediterranean cooperation and through information campaigns.
There are two types of NGOs active within States; national NGOs (covering an entire State, a region or a local area) and international NGOs. MED Forum seeks to federate the national and international NGOs to coordinate their activities and to be more effective when it comes to accomplishing our common aims. The international NGOs that act by creating a red of NGOs will be considered, for all intents and purposes, as a regional network.
MED Forum's method of working has shown itself to be effective in its first years of functioning. This method is based on:
- Clear aims; fixed in the Founding Charter
- Specific activities to be carried out: approved in the annual work programme
- Broad participation of members; Executive Committee and Member NGOs
- Realistic and feasible budget: approved and carried out every year.
This system has made it possible for member NGOs to sign up for MED Forum's activities and campaigns, and for the network of Mediterranean NGOs to be present in almost all the coastal and neighbouring States.
MED Forum has democratic management bodies:
- Executive Committee with members from all the areas of the (south, east, northeast and north), with a President and Secretary General.
- The Mediterranean Council consisting of one member per State (22) (proposal waiting approval).
- Assembly General consisting of all the members of MED Forum, which meets every three years.
- Sectorial commissions, crated to coordinate activities. The Environmental Education commission is already in function.
The General Secretariat is currently located in Barcelona, and EcoMediterrània has been mandated by the board of Founder Members to carry out the Working Programme and seek funds to carry out the Budget.
Current examples:
1. Executive Committee. President: Zohir Sekkal. General Secretary: Rafael Madueño. Spokesmen Joseph Travé, Natja and Abbas Saharadine.
2. Founder members: Algeria: MEA; Croatia: Eko Rijeka; Chyprus: Ecological Mouvement of Cyprus; Lebanon: LINE; Morocco: ASMAPE; Palestine: Palestinian Hydrology Group; Spain: EcoMediterrània; Tunisia: ATPNE.). Legambiente (Italy) assisted as an associate member.
3. General Assembly (List of members as of June 1998)
Founder Members: See Section 2.
Full Members: Albania: Alpine Geographic Club "Tomori" in Albania, PPNEA; Algeria: TOUIZA; Croatia: Ecological Group Zmergo, Eurocoast-Hrvatska; Egypt: FEDA, Egyptian Association for Conservation of Natural Resources; France: CLAPE-LR, DIVA Biodiversité Méditerranéenne; Greece: Nea Ecologia; Israel: CVI, SPNI; Italy: ISPROM, CRIC; Monaco: Association Monégasque pour la Protection de la Nature; Slovenia: Livinggreen, DOPPS; Spain: Vida Sana, CAE, NEREO, FONAT; Tunisia: APENA, APNEK, Les Amis des Oiseaux; Turkey: TURMEPA, TEMA, Lawyers of Izmir for the Environment; International Scope: Ecopeace, WWF-Mediterranean Programme.
Supporting members: Andorra: APAPMA; France: IME; Italy: IJO, Legambiente; Jordan: The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature; Malte: ECO, the Malta Ecological Foundation; Morocco: Assoc. de Protection de l’Environnement pour la Wilaya de Tétouan; Portugal: GEOTA; Spain: ADDA; Tunisia: ATPNE-Sousse; Turkey: Turkish Ass. for the Conservation of Nature
Individual members: Algeria: Mouraz Belaaz; Croatia: Dubravko Mácesic, Dra. Jasmina Muzinic; Egypt: Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Mohamed Kelany; France: El Ghezal AbdelKader; Israel: Prof. Lev Fishelson, Prof. Shaul Krakover; Italy: Prof. Eugenia Aloj Totàro, Hoffmann Karl; Jordan: Nawal B. Abu Rmeileh, Faris M. Al Junaidi; Morocco: Belahbib Mohamed; Spain: Mª del Mar Sánchez Cañadas; Yugoslavia: Dobrica Jovicic.
Membership requests made: Algeria: Ass. Ecologique l’Espoir-Vivant, Ass. scientique "SOS Biosphere", Ammar Ali Benamara, Nasrallah Yahia, Jean Gernigon, Rafik Baba-Ahmed, Djenkal Foudil, Mohamed Lellouchi, Sahel Ali, Moueddene Boumediene, Mohamed Belkadi; Andorra: Chyprus: Croatia: Eko Liburnia, Prof. Drasko Serman; Egypt: SOEP; France: GERES, Jacques Centelles; Gibraltar: Vanya Walker-Leigh; Greece: International Institute Environemtal Research; Israel: IUED, Life and Environment, Uri Schlesinger, Tzippora Ron; Italy: IMC, CSEEAM; Jordan: Lebanon: SPNL; GreenLine; Libya: IEF; Mauritania: CANPE, ONG Mauritanie 2000, Monaco: EcoPolis; Morocco: Ass. Tetouan-Asmir, Enda-Maghreb, AMEDI, CMEPE; Palestine: Portugal: Slovenia: Slovenian Ecological Movement; Spain: FENPA, ANSE, Master en Educación Ambiental, Miguel Ángel Movilla Lobo; Switzerland: International Ocean Institute; Tunisia: Ass. Nationale Tunisienne Protection Faune Sauvage, Women for Sustainable Development; Turkey: ARKADAS.
4. Working Commissions. MED Educa. The Education Commission consists of the member NGOs of MED Forum that work in the field of environmental education.
June 1998.
9.5. Environmental education for sustainable development
The purpose of environmental education is to build the capacity of individuals and communities to understand the complex nature of the environment and for them to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes and skills needed for them to participate responsibly and effectively in the tasks of foreseeing and dealing with environmental problems, and also to development environmental management techniques based on criteria of sustainability. Environmental education is an instrument
that, together with other political, legal and financial tools, is required in order for there to be a social change towards a sustainable future.
To ensure effective capacity building, awareness raising and citizen participation in the Mediterranean's environmental future, what is needed is an environmental education strategy that
considers the natural, social, cultural and economic diversity from an overall Mediterranean perspective.
The NGOs, because of their important role in environmental education, raising awareness and citizen participation, have to participate in the preparation of this strategy together with international governmental organizations.
In this sense, MED Forum has to focus its efforts on:
a) Urging the international organizations to draw up a Mediterranean environmental education strategy.
b) To establish a base document, or framework of reference, that establishes the aims, purposes and contents of environmental education for sustainable development in the Mediterranean area.
c) To be an active interlocutor of international bodies, by generating proposals and stable channels of participation.
MED Forum has to act in the line of encouraging environmental education programmes starting from the priority actions: the integrated management of water, integrated and sustainable management of the coastline, combatting desertification, protecting biodiversity, sustainable tourism and waste management.
MED Forum's Programme:
a) To prepare a base document on environmental education to foster sustainable development in the Mediterranean.
b) To draw up an inventory of educational resources on the priority subjects and to prepare a data base.
c) To design and publish educational resources aimed at a large section of society: schoolchildren, collectives, youth groups, women's groups, government workers, etc.
d) To prepare programmes that allow the participation of the member organizations and that favour the involvement of other social sectors, such as universities, local groups, youth groups, women's groups, etc.
e) To participate in the international meetings on environmental education or on sustainable development and present the Mediterranean perspective of MED Forum.
f) To ensure the coordination of the environmental education programmes of the member NGOs and to spread their results.
g) To favour exchange of experiences in order to learn from the different situations in the field of environmental education, raising awareness and environmental communication in the Mediterranean as a whole, by means of meetings, seminars, conferences, etc.
h) To establish a programme to train people to train others.
i) To prepare methodologies to build environmental capacities aimed at a broad range of society.
j) To promote and support the performance of programmes, campaigns and projects at the Mediterranean, regional and local levels.
k) To create an environmental education projects bank.
l) To establish systems to look for resources to finance these education campaigns supported by the Network, whether they are national or cover the entire region.
m)To use all the communications media (our magazine, web site, specific publications, etc.) to spread this programme, the projects and MED Educa's other activities, and those of the other programmes related to MED Forum.
Current examples:
1. MED Educa Commission. On November 21-23, 1997, Beirut (Lebanon) hosted the Euro-Mediterranean Seminar on Environmental Education, which was organized by Liban Nature Environnement (LINE) and MED Forum. Experts on environmental education from the Network's Member NGOs established the bases for the MED Educa Commission, the Network's environmental education commission.
2. The Mediterranean Green Traffic Light Project. This year has seen the start of MED Educa's first project, the Mediterranean Green Traffic Light Project. This campaign's objectives are to raise the awareness of the general population on the need to preserve the Mediterranean coastline, and it seeks to generate demands for actions aimed at integrated and sustainable management of the area by local, regional and national administration. This programme is partly financed by D.G. XI of the European Commission.
June 1998.
9.6. Information and participation
Information is the basis for responsible NGO participation and activity. MED Forum has to devote itself to making proposals rather than making protests. To do this it has to ensure the participation of all the technical capacities of its experts to ensure these proposals are rigorous and knowledgeable. Wherever possible, alternatives should be presented to the main problems based on documented and viable proposals.
MED Forum has to ensure it provides its members with the basic information that is necessary for their activities. To do this, it will use:
a) Online information: The systems needed to connect all the NGOs in the different countries will be established. The MED Info Programme will be established to provide:
- Permanent information: Internet bulletin
- Information on the members: connection to the home page of the members.
- Information and documentation on MED Forum; the Network's home page
- Information on specific projects; specific home page (for example, MED Project Ulixes 21)
- Online notice board and members' notice board
- Online meetings
b) Publications; magazines and documents. Publication of the magazine MED Forum. Ecology and Sustainable Development allows the network's members to maintain contact with each other and publicize all their activities throughout the entire network. Special single-issue documents will also be published on specific events or subjects. Important documents will also be published to help fix MED Forum's position on a given subject or event, similar in approach to MED Forum's Agenda 2000.
c) Special reports. Special reports will be published for distribution among the members and among government and business representatives in order to influence decision-taking.
MED Forum wishes to ensure broad participation at all levels of both its NGO members and the experts linked to the network. The participation of civil society in NGO activities, of the organization's members in its social life, and a democratically functioning structure is the basis of an NGO that is representative of its society and with the capacity to act as an interlocutor at the level of its own country. This model of an NGO linked to the activities of the network of Mediterranean NGOs will allow MED Forum to become a representative voice of the Mediterranean.
The plural forms of participation in MED Forum by its members:
- In its structure: Executive Committee, The Mediterranean Council, in its sectorial Commissions and in the technical services of the General Secretariat.
- In its activities; cooperation projects, informative campaigns.
- As a representative: participation in international organizations and in international meetings (congresses, conferences, seminars, meetings, etc.)
Shared information and participation in the activities by all its members are the bases for the existence of MED Forum, the Mediterranean Network of Mediterranean NGOs.
Current examples:
1. Web site. There is now a home page o the web with permanent information on MED Forum (www.medforum.org) and a page with information on our programme for sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean: MED Project Ulixes 21 (www.medforum.org/ulixes). An interactive page is about to appear for the V Environmental Forum and which we hope will be functioning by September 1998 through the MED Info Programme.
2. The magazine MED Forum. Ecology and Sustainable Development. By June, 1998, 9 ordinary issues have been published (in two years) and two special issues (IV Mediterranean Environmental Forum and Memorandum of Activities for 1997). This serves to spread MED Forum's activities and to supply information to the members.
3. Special reports: Special documents with information of general interest will be prepared, such as the publication of MED Forum's Agenda 2000. The Programme of the Mediterranean NGOs for Sustainable Development.
June 1998.