Decision-Makers not Willing to Engage in Open Policy Creation Process

11 December 2006

The EDEN Center, is one of the most active non-governmental organizations in Albania working on issues of environment. To get a deeper insight environment issue in the country, we talked to Merita Mansaku, Executive Directress of EDEN Center.

owpsee: Which are the activities that distinct EDEN?

Merita Mansaku

Merita Mansaku: EDEN Center is a new environment organization. It has been established in March 2004 and since than it has been very active in some town of Albania. EDEN Center has a wide range of activities starting from offering assistance and trainings on organizing and management, authentic environment themes as well as advocacy and lobbying for nongovernmental organizations, local governance and other actors interested follow management of urban garbage and environment education as a novelty in Albanian settings. What we bring differently from other organizations and makes us unique in our field of work is youth enthusiasm, engagement in community projects and certainly the Nature Guides.

For the first time ever in Albania a group of 18 people has been prepared to serve as guides in the �Dajti National Park� and the �Grand Lake Park�. Environmental education and eco-tourism promotion is the mission of this group which lately is aiming to offer its services to tourists which are impassioned after nature, through a cooperation with tourist agencies.

owpsee: How much are country CSO�s involved in creation of environment policies?
Merita Mansaku: Indirectly they are engaged. I say this because very often it happens that CSO�s are present in consultative or presentation meetings for environment draft-laws. However, it didn�t happen once that the CSO�s themselves were initiators of a draft-law proposal or amendment of an existing.

It should be emphasized that there is lack of willingness from decision-makers to have an open process for creation of policies.

As a positive example I can bring the engagement of EDEN Center in framing of the first strategy for healthy spaces in Tirana capitol. As an outcome of continuous �pressure� with Tirana Municipality decision-making structures, in framing of this strategy the inclusiveness principle was followed through. Success of this strategy has demonstrated clear to local governance leaders that civil society involvement in creation and framing of public policies and decision-making not only leads to process success, but also in proper perception of problems and their solutions.

owpsee: How much are CSO�s coordinated in national or regional level in activities implementation?
Merita Mansaku: When there is a structure or a donor which request this kind of coordination the willingness is present. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that are very few cases when CSO�s themselves come up with regional or national initiatives. A good example of such kind of coordination would be the national campaign conducted by �Ekol�vizja� (Ecomovement) lately for Greening of Elections.

owpsee: Can it be said that environment organizations in Albania are well organized in what they do?
Merita Mansaku: I would have to think before I say this. There were many initiatives for coordination of activities which started with organizing of national strategic meetings and were crystallized with establishment of Ekol�vizja. EDEN Center is a member of this new group and we strongly believe that environment organizations together can have a powerful voice and a deeper impact in this contaminated environment surrounding us.

owpsee: How much do environment organizations use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT�s) to aware the public opinion on environment?
Merita Mansaku: Very little, not to say they don�t use it all!. And I refer this not only Tirana-based organizations, but mainly county organizations which in most of the cases do not have an office, not to mention latter for computer means and ICT�s. As a result of undertaken initiatives by Center for Electronic Communications, there are around 12 organization in the whole country which have been trained on ICT use, while to some of them internet access was enabled as well their internet site drafting. But, this number still remains small compared to endless possibilities that ICT�s offer nowadays.

owpsee: Which is the most challenging aspect for environment in Albania today?
Merita Mansaku: I would look in two different poles: fabulous nature and hyper polluted environment.

We still possess a virgin and fabulous nature which many European tourists would like to explore. Let�s protect and promote these still unconsumed values.

On the other hand, there is too much garbage in the streets and in the air, which cannot be called by another name apart from this. This should challenge all of us to be active and more cooperative in our struggle for a healthy environment.

owpsee: What would be your advice and message to environmental organizations?
Merita Mansaku: Frankly, it needs a lot of work, idealism and effort to involve as many young people as possible. They have a lot of ideas and energy. Make them part of your structures and give them responsibility.