On June 17-18, a training on “Environmental Advocacy and Civic Activism” was held, organized by the “Eco Centre” and supported by the Women’s Fund Georgia. The training aimed to empower women and girls in Rustavi.
The two-day training module was packed with both theoretical and practical components.
During the training, we explained and discussed advocacy in depth. We examined the environmental advocacy campaign using the example of the civil movement “Gavigudet”. We explained what green advocacy means, defined the stages and tools of advocacy implementation, and discussed the importance of this process in solving societal problems. We also talked in detail about the importance of civic activism, the challenges the movement has faced since its inception, and the achievements we’ve made as a result of our activism and advocacy campaigns.
At the end of the first stage, we discussed the mechanisms for planning advocacy strategies, including techniques for legally obtaining information.
Additionally, we reviewed sources of air pollution and presented statistics on the percentage contribution of various economic sectors to air pollution. We introduced participants to the air pollution problem in Rustavi, providing information on why the air is polluted and which pollutants are most problematic for Rustavi in increased concentrations. We also discussed the threats air pollution poses to the environment and human health. We familiarized ourselves with statistics on diseases caused by air pollution and the economic cost of air pollution.
Participants also learned how to check air quality on the portal – air.gov.ge.
Furthermore, we discussed issues such as indoor air pollution and tricks on how we can reduce indoor air pollution with beneficial plants. We also examined the connection between reducing air pollution and sustainable development goals, and listed steps on how to protect air from pollution by changing our daily habits.
We also extensively and in detail discussed the important issue of the impact of air pollution on human health, familiarized ourselves with the list and statistics of diseases caused by air pollution, and focused on groups of people who are particularly vulnerable to the effects of polluted air.
The interactive-practical part of the training included a practical exercise where participants worked on identifying specific problems, their causes and effects using the “problem tree” example. They discussed issues such as water pollution, stray animals, and waste management.
The practical part of the training also included an informational tour of Rustavi’s industrial zone, where participants saw both, improvements in several enterprises and cases of unorganized emissions from enterprises.
Another practical work in which our training participants engaged in the advocacy strategy planning part was identifying and analyzing the activities of interest groups related to the problem. We also discussed the role of media in planning and implementing advocacy campaigns.
At the end of the two-day training, participants were awarded certificates.
We’re glad that women and girls of different ages and fields have joined our eco-warriors.