Between October 2000 and March 2001, an international team of ECOLOGIA staff from Lithuania, Russia, and Belarus held three two-day NGO capacity-building trainings in Visaginas. A central part of the Nuclear Communities in Transition project in Lithuania is strengthening Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) near Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania. A stronger NGO sector will be better able to participate in decision-making about the future development of Visaginas, and to cope with the social effects of the decommissioning (e.g. rising unemployment). NGOs can play a key role in fostering transparent decision-making, creating solutions to challenges that face the community, and gathering community support for efforts to help the town make the economic and social transition away from dependence on a closing nuclear industry. This report examines the results of ECOLOGIA NGO trainings and work in Visaginas by April 2001. What are the enduring ways that the NGOs are stronger as a result of the conducted trainings? It was decided to address this question to Visaginas NGOs. According to their comments and general observations: 1. NGOs have became stronger:
2. NGOs have united for common work (personal sympathies and antipathies are less important than common goals. More leaders are working together, because the motivation is the same):
3. Partnership is stronger not only with other NGOs. First steps are made towards common decision making with businesses and Municipality
4. NGOs have acquired strengths to stand their interests on municipal level:
5. Better co-operation with Municipality Council
6. It was said We are ready to work as initiative group for the development and implementation of LA21 for Visaginas to become a model territory of Baltic Agenda 21
7. NGOs are better in finding their way in the variety of foundations. Several organizations are writing or have already written project proposals to some foundations. 8. Visaginas NGOs perceive themselves as a part of Lithuanian third sector and third sector of the world.
9. Participants start to feel We are becoming a town community, they want to work together and jointly solve the problems. 10. The conference organized by ECOLOGIA and Atgaja in February 2000 was the incitement to create the Association for Social Security of INPP Region Population. (Members are Visaginas, Zarasai and Ignalina Mayors, INPP trade union, Greens. The chairman is Mayor of Visaginas. They have done a lot to implement the idea of purposive INPP region, that would allow receive more direct financing from EU.) In what specific ways have the NGO trainings strengthened the Visaginas community's ability to deal with the social effects of the closure of Ignalina NPP? The trainings strengthened confidence of NGOs that their role can be important in transition period. 1. Participation in LA21 process NGOs make important steps to create their own future 2. Activity of NGOs has risen new NGOs were created, some NGOs have started working more actively; people are writing projects, receiving grants 3. More communication and co-operation between NGOs 4. NGOs got informed about the Visaginas NGOs information center (The last two statements during the discussion were generalized as impression of NGOs coalition) What are the primary challenges that remain for Visaginas NGOs? 1. There can be some conflict between some people and organizations. This conflict has reduced already to some extent. 2. Visaginas NGOs should integrate into Lithuanian NGOs sector. Some improvements can be seen here. For example mutual macro project of Visaginas NGOs center with Kaunas Municipal teaching center for distant learning (contact was initiated via REC); some new ideas about Lithuanian language learning. Here the good contacts of ECOLOGIA with Visaginas NGOs could also be mentioned. ECOLOGIA continues working on NGO capacity building and public participation near Ignalina nuclear power plant. This report was written by Kristina Vilimaite, Lithuanian National Coordinator for the Nuclear Communities in Transition project. The report is a result of discussions between ECOLOGIA and Ecoline staff from Lithuania, Belarus, and Russia, and with NGO participants at the March 2001 NGO training in Visaginas. April 2001 Last updated: April 2001 Please make comments & report problems to the Webmaster |