After a recent effort made by Maltese non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to access the structural funds they are eligible for according to European regulations, the Prime Minister stated that such funds have not been tapped by NGOs because they do not have the competence to do so. For those who work in NGOs this will not come as a surprise because in countless joint projects with government institutions or parastatal organisations, NGO workers are considered amateurs.
On one count the Prime Minister may be right because since there are no legal structures in place to regulate NGOs, it is very difficult to differentiate the competent NGOs from the incompetent ones. Furthermore, in most cases, it is the NGOs’ structure that is in question and not the expertise of their workers. In a stable and transparent structure, NGOs and their workers are given the space to use their expertise for maximum benefit, whether in projects or awareness campaigns. Malta is the only EU State not to have NGO legislation. Even countries in the Eastern Bloc such as Poland and the Czech Republic have had NGO legislation for the past few years. Furthermore, it is incomprehensible why the proposed legislation here in Malta is titled the “Voluntary Organisations Act”, and does not cater in any way for the professionalisation of NGOs, but limits the description of their activities to ‘voluntary’ work.
However, luckily for the hapless NGO workers, NGOs have been innovative and proactive and, true to form, Moviment Ghall-Ambjent / FoE Malta is participating in a Capacity Building Project in order to keep abreast of developments and be a sustainable organisation. A sustainable organisation is one that is proactive to the same organisation, its members and the wider society. FoE Malta is currently restructuring itself through its participation in the Capacity Building project. To our great advantage, FoE Malta is twinned with FoE UK – EWNI (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland). According to The Guardian, FoE is the UK’s most effective environment group. In fact, FoE EWNI employs more than 180 professional staff, with offices all around the country and the support of millions of volunteers and members.
Other twins include Amigos de la Tierra (FoE Spain) and Millieu Defensee` (FoE Netherlands); FoE Croatia , ProNatura (FoE Switzerland) and Amis de la Tierre (FoE France)]
FoE Malta aims to fulfil a futuristic mission, the path towards which is already being paved. FoE EWNI’s role as our twin is in a dedicated programme fundamental for the management and the development of the organisation. It focuses mainly on the values FoE Malta embraces and the push to achieve key strategic goals. Since the start of this project, working with highly professional staff from the UK has truly been an inspiring experience. Our major goals are not only to increase our capacity in terms of funds and volunteers but also to have a strategic plan for the years to come.
The capacity building project is training members of FoE Malta with the necessary communication, planning and organisational skills. Two of the training sessions have taken place in France and Czech Republic. The identification of best practices in a different environment increased our synergistic efforts and the new contexts helped us identify tools that are involved in the sustainable management of any NGO. FoE EWNI took a positive attitude towards sharing their expertise and inspired us to seek solutions in cooperation.
“Change is not only likely, it’s inevitable” – Barbara Sher. One of the training sessions in fact focused on “Managing Change”, the transition change in an organisation and how it can be dealt with in the face of development towards transformation. A number of issues here were of course raised, as not everyone finds it easy to accept change.
Discussions were very useful and helped to clear certain misconceptions. After all, it is not that people do not like change, it is that they do not want it imposed on them.
Undeniably, the organisation members have a significant role in accepting or bringing about the changes that ensue. However, communication or group thinking, a focused vision and a planned framework, clear doubts and motivate empowerment for integration of change into the organisation culture.
Our goal is to be more organised and more effective. This Capacity building project is proving to be the ideal means to improve the work of FoE Malta and to maximise FoE Malta workers’ skills and expertise. The training is giving FoE Malta the tools to recognise its present situation and plan for the future. As a result we are focusing on prioritising our work in order to grow.
During the training sessions that have already been carried out, the significant issue of having an overall administrator was raised. Such a person is needed for the healthy management of the organisation. Therefore, FoE Malta is looking for someone who is capable of grasping the spirit of the organisation and has the drive to direct and run it in a coherent manner.
To put things into the wider context, it seems the country had to reach a state of crisis for people to pay attention to the pressing matter of the environment. But this means that environmental matters are no longer seen as the eccentric fancy of the few. More and more people are realising that our quality of life depends on a clean, equitable environment. The fight to plan for the long term, in other words to think sustainably is still on, but the current situation promises that before long sustainability will be the standard we aim to surpass.
So if anyone dedicated to the promotion of a sustainable Malta, to forging international links, to working in a new exciting sphere is looking to begin their career or to develop their career in NGOs please send your CV to Friends of the Earth (Malta) – P.O. Box 13 Valletta, or by e-mail to [email protected] .
Martin Galea De Giovanni
Friends of the Earth (Malta) – Coordinator