On December 9-10, “Eco Center” organized a two-day training on advocacy and civil activism.
The training was conducted within the framework of the project – “Strengthening the Network of Environmentalists in Kvemo Kartli”. The project is carried out by a grant from the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), with support from the British Government.
Young people and teachers interested in environmental issues from various schools in Rustavi and Kulari village from Marneuli (“Kulari Youth Initiative”) took part in the training.
Within the framework of the training, we introduced the purpose of our activity to the participants, we discussed the environmental problems in Rustavi, the challenges and achievements in regard of air pollution, we talked about environmental advocacy, the importance of civil activism.
During the first day, we explained to the participants what air pollution is and why the air is polluted in Rustavi, we discussed the types of pollution and the main pollutants that are a problem for Rustavi; In addition, we talked about the impact of air pollution on human health. We ended the day with an informational tour of the industrial area and the participants saw the current situation on the spot, the improvements and the challenges we face in this part of Rustavi.
The second day of the training was devoted to advocacy. We discussed the essence, goals and objectives of advocacy; The youth received information about how the advocacy campaign is planned.
In order to better understand the received information, and to determine the ways to be implemented in practice, the participants worked on identifying specific problems, their causes and consequences using a practical exercise on the example of a “problem tree”.
Another practical task that our training participants engaged in, as part of the planning of the advocacy strategy, was to identify and analyze the activities of interest groups related to the issue. Also, we talked about the role of the media in the process of planning and implementing the advocacy campaign.
In the final part, together with young people, we discussed the importance of each of us contributing to improve global results, and how to involve other people in environmental activism.
At the end of the training, the participants received certificates.
The integrated training allowed us to expand the network of young people with common interests on a regional scale and promote the formation of an active and strong civil society.