The best estimates suggest that (directories of ISAR, CounterPart and Innovation and Development Centre, database of Ministry for Justice etc.) in Ukraine there are around 500- 700 active environmental NGOs. About one third of them regularly or incidentally use electronic mail, and approximately 25-35 eco-NGOs have Internet on-line access (these are my own estimates). The value of information-communication technologies (ICTs) for environmental activities are beyond doubt. Their use will grow with the improvement of eco- NGOs' material base and as activists learn the necessary skills.

At present these technologies are used by ecoNGOs mainly for the own needs, and only rarely for information exchange with other organizations. All NGOs want information, but only a few share it with other groups. There are various reasons for such situation - first of all shortage of time, resources, skills etc. But there is also a lack of mutual trust, solidarity, and even conflict between some NGOs.



The Dutch organization "MilieuKontakt Oost Europa" (MKOE) is known for its' long- term work in support of environment groups in Central and East Europe. In October, 2001 in Kyiv, MKOE supported a seminar for ecoNGOs of Byelarus, Moldova and Ukraine, devoted to various aspects of ICTs use. The participants agreed to try to use ICTs to not only improve communication, but also co- operation between each other.

Therefore MKOE have decided to work with Ukrainian ecoNGOs on a pilot project which will be a trial both for Ukrainian NGOs and for MKOE. The goal of this project is "TO support practice of Ukrainian NGOs towards development and use of ICTs for cooperation". In the framework of the project cooperation is carried out by working groups on specific topics. The results should be useful for the conference of "Kyiv-2003".


One of the important preconditions of the project is an understanding of complexity of social environment of eco- movement, availability in it some organic contradictions. For example, the necessity of solidary actions of many ecoNGOs to strengthen environment influence on the society is quite difficult to agree with ambition of each organization to be independent.

The limited resources to support NGOs compels them to a competition for these resources. The public attention to activity of this or that NGO also is important (though not material) resource, it's also limited and for it NGOs compete too. As the competition between NGOs frequently is not settled by any rules, it derivates many conflict situations.

As the positive precondition the participants of the project share the opinion of the sociologists, that various forms of the cooperation promote the self- regulation in given social environment. The strengthening of self-regulation amongst ecoNGOs will reduce amount of conflict situations and enrich ways of their productive resolution.

According to the thesis, that "the democracy is an power of procedure", a lot of time and efforts in the project is spent both on development and discussion of procedures of work and criteria for the decision making. In this respect an experience of MKOE, which is familiar with principles and practice of work of NGOs both in West and East Europe, is very useful for Ukrainian NGOs.

The project is developed step- by-step. At each stage there are attempts to reduce a role of the subjective factors. It's followed the logic which hasn't been imposed outside, and naturally implying from previous steps, eventually - from the will of interested public organizations.

Almost at each step the competitiveness ordered by criteria and procedures is provided. For example, submission of the applications for the competition to determine responsible for realization of the certain functions, works, measures.


The central points of the project are working groups. After the seminar, MKOE invited NGOs to submit proposals on possible mail-lists and other ICTs tools useful for ecoNGOs. 22 applications were received and a short-list of 9 were discussed by NGOs. From these discussions three groups were set up:

a) Environment and Mass Media (submission of Tamara Malkova, NGO "Green Dossier")

b) Environment and Health (proposition of Polina Mykhailenko, "Ecology. Woman. World")

c) Compilance with Environmental Legislation (offer of Mykola Korobko, Ukrainian Environmental Association "Zeleny Svit").

The proposers already possessed experience of cooperation and were able to set up an initial working groups (WGs), but for further development the WGs are open for any interested ecoNGO' activist to join. Each WG has a clear set of criteria and procedures, developed democratically.


One condition for involvement in working groups is access to e- mail. The Coordination Group (CG) of the project recognizes the serious problem that many Ukrainian ecoNGOs have no access to e-mail yet. However CG aims to address this problem after improving cooperation among organizations that have e- mail now. Each of WGs has an internal mail-list and, if it proves useful, has the opportunity to create an external (open) mail-list (and possibly web-page) on WG subjects, accessible for anybody interested.

The internal lists are an on- going electronic conference of WG members. They link WG participants from different organizations and different cities, and this is not something that can be done by telephone or meeting, and it is far cheaper than either. But occasional face- to-face meetings also take place: the times for these are agreed by the WG members. MKOE has provided an financial support for each WG to conduct two one-day seminars and also 3 technical meetings (for the most active participants of WG).

The seminars are intended to acquaint local NGOs in regions of Ukraine with the project and with the use of ICTs, and to promote possible join local NGO representatives with working groups. Each WG sets the agenda, venue and other details for its" seminars. There are also two larger (about 80 participants each) conferences "On a green platform", which link all the WGs. The first such conference was held in Kharkiv in June 26- 27, 2002. The second conference "On a green platform" will be held in Vinnitsia at November 8-9, 2002.


Each working group has a co- ordinator and deputy. The co- ordinator is not the chief in traditional understanding, i.e. person having rigid functions and significantly more rights than other WG members. Amongst members of this WG she he is only "first amongst equals", for example first contact person for others WGs and MKOE.

There is also a general co-ordinator, who has no authority to order activities, but is there to promote the activities of all working groups, to assist communication between the coordinators of three WGs and MKOE, and to search for ways to resolve the problems, including technical ones, arising in the project realization. After some discussion, the role of general co-ordinator was trusted to Serghiy Fedorynchyk, Director of "Zeleny Svit" Information Centre.

The co-ordinators of WGs, the general coordinator, MKOE consultant in Ukraine (Olga Malakhova) and curator of the project in MKOE (Willem Oostenbrink) compose the Coordination Group of the project. The CG pays significant attention to development of democratic mechanisms of the decision making in the project, including criteria and procedures. Approved in such way decisions in least degree depend from subjective factors, they quite rare seem as unfair, therefore they create positive practice of self- regulation amongst ecoNGOs.

For example, the venues of both conferences "On a green platform" were determined not by personal wishes of CG members, but as results of competitions for the technical organizer (host) of these conferences. The announcements on each competition were widely distributed amongst NGOs. In competition for the host of the first conference "On a green platform" six applications were arrived. The CG members, estimating the various features of the applications by earlier agreed criteria, calculated the scores. The application of "EcoPravo- Kharkiv" has won, and this fact determined a venue of the first conference.

In competition for the host of the second conference two applications were arrived. After use of criteria (among which the validity and rationality of the budget, opportunity of ICTs' demonstration during a conference and other), application of organization "Zeleny Svit Podilla" got an advantage. So second conference "On a green platform" will be held in Vinnytsia.


To promote the cooperation an project provides the maximal transparency of all activities. Financial openness ensures that no-one can make unfounded allegations. The project is costing about 27,000
Euros.

Approximately one third of these costs goes on preparation and organization of two conferences "On a green platform".

Approximately the same sum is for the conducting of six regional seminars (two for each WG). The rest is for common co-ordination of the project. This includes maintenance of the mail-lists and
web-pages, publications, 3 one-day technical meetings of each WG and 7 CG meetings.

There is also modest compensation for time spent by the co-ordinators- 35 Euro per month for each co-ordinator. Contracts for running the seminars and conferences are agreed between МКОЕ and each organizer separately. This means that there is no one Ukrainian NGO concentrating all the project costs, something which could distort its relations with other ecoNGOs.

The costs are not large, and there are many bigger projects. But the focus by MKOE and the NGOs on rational and transparent procedures has removed the basis for any suspicions, accusations and conflict situations.It also helps greatly that MKOE recognises the impossibility of rigid financial planning in Ukrainian conditions and allows small deviations in distribution of the budget articles.
Interaction with other Kyiv 2003 activities

The Coordination Group of the project is interested in cooperation with other public structures, projects, programs and initiatives during preparation for a conference of "Kyiv-2003". This includes
interaction with Public Organizing Committee of Ukrainian ecoNGOs in preparation for "Kyiv-2003". The CG met with Public Organizing Committee, represented the project, and has invited POC to participate in platform conferences.

The CG has also responded to the offer of POC to take part in a writing of the Ukrainian NGOs "Public estimation of environmental policies of Ukraine" which will be a very important contribution
of Ukrainian NGOs in process "Environment for Europe". At the given moment three CG members coordinate work on a writing of three sections (from nine) in report and involve to this work the participants of the project WGs.

The project cooperates also with European EcoForum, which representative Piotr Gorbunenko has participated in Kharkiv conference "On a green platform". P. Gorbunenko told about European ECO-Forum activities, answered numerous questions of the participants and had dialogue with POC representative Ms. Olena Paschenko.

A key task for each WG is to try to connect their work with Agenda items of the Ministerial conference "Environment for Europe" and the parallel meeting of eco-NGOs. It helps that there are links between Project WGs and some WGs of European EcoForum. One problem is the language barrier - not all WGs' participants have enough English skills to co-operate with EcoForum WGs.

At the Kharkov meeting there was for the first in Ukraine a live internet "telebridge" between Conference participants and the Chair of UN Office in Ukraine, Mr. Douglas Gardner in Kyiv. The UN Millenium Declaration and practical steps for its popularization and implemetantion were discussed.

The ecoNGOs representatives could see how ICTs can facilitate the international contacts. The project can serve as a step to the greater activity in sphere of the information and communications among Ukrainian environmental NGOs, to begin discussion about development of strategy of cooperation and interaction among Ukrainian NGOs.


1. The project tries to use ICTs' potential to improve cooperation in the community of Ukrainian eco-NGos. The project is trying to reduce subjective factors, to concentrate on the common needs of eco-movement and to enable joint working, using clear procedures and criteria.

2. Co-operation in the project is mainly through Working Groups. ICTs play in a very important role, ehlpoing link these groups and enabling them to be in constant dialogue and information exchange. The WGs topics also were determined by Ukrainian ecoNGOs themselves.

3. The work in the project is conducted in procedural, open and transparent way. All WGs are open for co-operation, but not for chaos. Common co-ordination in the project is carried out also by a special Working Group -the Coordination Group.

4. MKOE assists Ukrainian NGOs, but does not interfere with the main things. The experience MKOE on comparative specifics of NGOs' work in the countries of Western, Central and East Europe is a very valuable methodological resource.

5. The project is recognized already by many Ukrainian ecoNGOs, by the public organizing committee on preparation to conference "Kyiv- 2003", and European EcoForum too. The participants of the project in a measure of their forces and possibilities try to cooperate with all initiatives towards to "Kyiv - 2003", to find common tasks for joint actions.



More detailed information on each of three working groups can be got by email from the WGs' coordinators:

  Working group "Environment and Mass-media",
  co-ordinator - Ms. Tamara Malkova, "Green Dossier";
  +380-44/227-6277 <tamara AT akcecc DOT kiev DOT ua>;

  Working group "Environment and Health",
  co-ordinator - Ms. Polina Mykhailenko, "Ecology. Woman. World";
  +380-44 259-0593;  <eww AT onconet DOT kiev DOT ua>;

  Working group "Compliance with Environmental Legislation",
  co-ordinator Mr. Mykola Korobko, Ukrainian Environmental Association
  "Zeleny Svit"; +380-564/36-36-51; <greens AT alba DOT dp DOT ua>;

  The MKOE consultant in Ukraine - Ms. Olga Malakhova, Kryvy Righ,
  (0564) 291-524, 728-408; <molga AT mg DOT dp DOT ua>;

  MKOE curator of the project - working with NGOs in Bulgaria, Romania,
  Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus' Willem Tjebbe Oostenbrink
  <w DOT oostenbrink AT milieukontakt DOT nl> <www.milieukontakt.nl>

Serghiy M. Fedorynchyk, general co-ordinator of project,
Director of Zeleny Svit Informational Centre,
Ukrainian Environmental Association "Zeleny Svit" (Green World)
(380-44) 456-3435, <fedoryn AT grworld DOT freenet DOT kiev DOT ua>;
Post address: post box 449, Kyiv-1, 01001, Ukraine;