Green Agenda Network

The fourth meeting of the three working groups in Preza was held on Friday, 20^th June 2008. They discussed about the types of risks that are facing the values they decided to promote and maintain.

 The group of “Touristy Infrastructure” -The types of risks to different elements within this value are respectively: 

1. There is a conflict of competencies to open and maintain a Tourist information office / centre

2. There is a great competition from other tour agencies in the region, especially the ones in Kruja, Durres  and Tirana, which take visitors only to their cities.

3. The objects are not in a suitable state to be visited at present by the tourists. Left unattended they will be degraded even more.  There are no information tables to provide the tourists with some knowledge. If they continue like this, they will be forgotten.

4.Lack of funds to open and maintain a museum in Preza

5. High cost to build and maintain a hotel in Preza considering the present state of the number of tourists who are willing to stay overnight.

6. Entertaining trends are such that most of the people prefer to spend time and money in bar-cafes and restaurants and not in nature doing recreative activities

7. The globalization in the lifestyle and the way people dress and eat posses a danger to the loss of the authentic clothing, traditional food and lifestyle.

  The group of “Forests and Biodiversity” – The types of risks to different elements within this value are respectively: 

1. Rivers are facing the danger of their water being polluted by the chemical industries in their water-basin. They also face pollution risk from the industry of inert materials, and from the urban waste.

2. Lakes are facing the risk of being dried due to the lack of water, the forests in their vicinity are being cut down, and their water is being filled with wracks.

3. Fauna is facing the increase of endangered species and the hunting without any criteria.

4. Flora – medicinal plants are not being used as much as they should. Endemic species are not being cared for.

5. Bio-products are facing a great competition by the conventional ones. Use of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers is a danger for the authenticity of bio-products.

6. Forests are being cut down without any criteria by un-licensed people.

7. Underground water – sources are facing the risk by the well drilling which has increased a lot lately.

 The group of “Ethno-cultural and artisanal values”- The types of risks to different elements within this value are respectively: 

1. The artisan works are facing the risk of being obsolescent because the old people that used to produce them did not pass the skills to the young ones [or the young ones are not interested to continue the skills of their grandfathers / grandmothers]

2. The traditional costumes also are facing the danger of being obsolete because they are not used in events. People tend to go more on the casual and modern style of clothing.

3. The religious cults are in a normal state.

4. The folklore and the traditional musical tools are facing a lot of competition by the modern styles of music and art in general.

5. The oil mills are facing competition by the oil fabrics.

6. The water mills are inexistent for the moment. The risks have done their job already.

written by albpermakulture

The National Study visits in Albania will be coordinated by the Albanian Permaculture Association [APA] and they are foreseen on the following dates.

Preza Commune welcomes visitors from Dajci and Voskopoja on 26-27 July 2008

Voskopoja Commune welcomes visitors from Dajci and Preza on 23-24 August 2008

Dajci Commune welcomes visitors from Preza and Voskopoja Commune on 15-16 November 2008.

Looking forward to exchanging experience with other Green Agenda Communes in our country and sharing it with you on this site.

Best regards,
Edlira Mulla

APA – GA Coordinator in Preza

written by albpermakulture

Dear all,

Preza Commune would like to be in a “twinning” partnership in the Green Agenda process with any other Communes in the countries where the GA is being implemented, in the Netherlands or other EU countries interested to have an Albanian partner in the local government level.

On behalf of the Commune of Preza, I am kindly asking you to let your respective Communes know about this request for twinning and if there is any interest, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Best regards,

Edlira Mulla

GA Coordinator in Preza Commune

written by albpermakulture

THIRD MEETING 

GREEN AGENDA IN VOSKOPOJE COMMUNE

Based on work plan of GA on 5th of June 2008 TWA organized and facilitated the third workshop with working groups. During the workshop the working groups determined the trends of the values. Divided after working groups they did the exercise to determine the trends of the values. They agreed the main trends as following:

1. The trends of cultural and historical values:

• Maintenance and preservation is improving.
• Religious monuments restoration is increasing
• Old tradition of handicrafts has just reviving. 

2. The trends of environment and nature values.

• Flora and fauna is improving.
• River fishes is decreasing
• Water resources are improving
• Preservation of Nature monuments is increasing.

3. The trends of agriculture and livestock values.

• Livestock is stable
• Health care of livestock is increasing
• Plantation with fruit trees is increasing
• Plantation of forage crops is increasing

4. The trends of tourism values.

• Number of Visitors is increasing
• The hotels and houses that accept visitors are increasing
• Family tourism is increasing

written by Natyra Nderkufitare

On Saturday, June 7 th, 2008 was held the second training with the three working groups, in Preza Commune. The topic of the training was “ How to communicate with the public”. The trainer was conducted by the EDEN Center. In this training participated 23 members from the three working groups.

The working groups decided to extend the participation in them, to have a wide and direct communication with the public, not only with post boxes and TV program, but they want to communicate with them by leafleats, where they can call their friends, or family members to be active in the Green Agenda process in their commune. They want to let them know about Green Agenda work, and to notify the community what they are doing and how can the wide community participate in this process.

Also the WG have decided the second three – monthly working plan. They defined who would do what, when and where.

During the training they thought to organize a fair to promote the cultural, ethnographic and handcraft values, of their commune. If it is possible this fair will be at the same dates as Miss Shqipwria 2008 on 23rd and 24th June, which will be held in Preza Castle. Also they want to make a short presentation for Preza Commune during the show.

written by albpermakulture

5 JUNE  THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

On the 5^th of June Transborder Wildlife in the framework of Green Agenda and in collaboration with the Commune and Voskopoja School organized a clean up activity in the village. Pupils of Voskopoja school gathered in the centre of the village. Before starting the cleaning up activity teachers and representatives of TWA spoke on envirenemnt. Later the stuents and teachers started to clean up the village. The commune supported the activity with a truck for collection of waste materials in the village.

written by Natyra Nderkufitare

On the 3rd of May 2008, in Preza Commune, the groups of Green Agenda participated in a training ”How to work together as a team?” As a result of the information received in this training, it is noticed that The teamwork has shown improvement. The tasks are divided based on the capabilities of each member and there is a better coordination between each groups members as well as between the three groups with one another. This was demonstrated during the preparations for the TV Program when they worked with commitment and punctuality.

The more progress is made in the Green Agenda Process in Preza, the more it is understood that capacity building is needed in the respective areas for each working group. The working groups suggested that time after time they work for a little while as a whole group, regardless the fact that they have specifics within themselves, because they feel they complement each other.

In the 3rd meeting of the working groups, held on May 30th, an idea came up that in the end of each meeting, the finding of each working group be presented in front of the participants of the three working groups, where they will have a possibility to ask questions and give answers to one another. The outline of each meeting is the same for the three groups, but the themes are different between them. They thought that it is better to know what is going on with the other groups and they felt that in the personal level, but also as groups they have ideas and knowledge to offer to one another.

With the facilitation of the Albanian Permaculture Association, this was practiced in the end of the same meeting, and it resulted efficient. The Ethnocultural and artisan values felt that they can cooperate in a few points with the Touristy Infrastructure Group and this last group felt that they can cooperate in a few points with the Forests and Biodiversity Group. “By regenerating the nature and our ethnocultural, and artisan values we can attract more tourists in our area!” was one of the conclusions in the end of that meeting.

In the 3^rd meeting, separately, the working groups discussed on the impact of each value in the socio-economical life of their commune for different stakeholder groups. They made a division: “How was this impact before the 1990s and after 1990s up to day?” Due to the different governing system this impact has been very different for different values and for different stakeholder groups. They filled in the charts by indexing them “+ for the positive impact; 0 for the neutral one and – for the negative impact.”

Unfortunately, there are very few studies, not to say nothing at all, from which they can get figures and numbers in order to make quantitative comparisons. Nevertheless, one of the tasks that individuals within the working groups took over was to look whether these figures can be provided by the institutions in the local level and see that they make use of them, if they exist.

The discussions regarding these estimations were very active, because for different stakeholders, the marking was different. It is very positive that the participants in the working groups come from all the villages of the Commune, the gender balance is kept good and that their professional background is diverse. With this composition and with the high diversity of thoughts and opinions, within each group there were constructive debates in order to reach a consensus as a group as well as during the presentations in front of the three groups there were many questions and answers from the presenters and participants. The discussions and remarks were appreciated by all participants in the meeting. The Albanian Permaculture Association suggested that this sharing time be not more than 10 minutes for each group in the end of the separate meetings on the same day.

It is a very positive thing that now groups see themselves as complementary parts of one another and they even called themselves as a whole “The Green Agenda Group in Preza!”

written by albpermakulture

Biosfera from may 2008 establish a partnership with German organization ANU based in the city of Hamburg. Working groups representatives of the Green Agenda process in Bitola, have the possibility to present the activities in a front of the new partner organization.

During the German NGO visit in October 2008 possibilities for cooperation in line with implementation of the Green Agenda plan for Bitola will be discussed. This study visit was excellent opportunity to get information about implementation of the Agenda 21 in Germany and how german NGOs are involved.

Special interest of the Macedonian side was expressed for the work of the Environmental education centres, their work and link with social and economic component of the sustainable development.

written by biosfera

In line with strengthening the Green Agenda network in Macedonia, study visit to Vevchani Municipality was organized. Members of the Green Agenda working groups from Delchevo and Bitola municipality have the possibility to meet, exchange ideas and exchange experience related to Green Agenda implementation.

Comon conclusion from the meeting is that people are one of the most important elements in Green Agenda implementation in Macedonia.

See the short video at the folowing link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eYr-3F_4pw

written by biosfera