STRENGTHENING THE ENGAGEMENT
AND NETWORKING OF GREEN NGOs
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
By Dr. Roger Z. Guzman
Exécutive Director
Philippine Federation for
Environmental Concern
(PFEC)
Why are NGOs important?
NGOs are recognized as important
players in the formulation design ,
application of development strategies.
NGOs Guiding Philosophies
• Increase local capacities;
•Target beneficiaries who are often
among the needy;
•Seek sustainable solutions; and
•Involve beneficiaries in the
development process.
NGOs important role is to
increase “social capital”
Social capital is the ability of people to
trust each other enough to work
together toward agreed-on goals.
In recent years the presence and
number of NGOs has grown
In the Philippines, 500,000 registered
Philippine NGOs try to make a difference
in a variety of sectors.
However, the influence and importance of
NGOs differ depending on the national
context in which they operate.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT
DISTINGUISH NGOs
 Voluntary
 Independent
 Not-for-profit
 Not self-serving in aims and related
values
Name
Characteristics
Non-Profit Organization (NPO)
The organization’s goal is not to make a
profit for
the benefit of organizers, but can earn
money to achieve the organization’s
mission.
Private Voluntary Organization (PVO)
and Voluntary Sector
Acknowledges the importance of
volunteers and voluntary actions
Independent Sector or the Third
Sector
Distinguishes organizations from the
business or government sectors
Philanthropic Sector or Charitable
Organization
Addresses the charitable nature of these
organizations
Name
Characteristics
Social Sector
Underscores how the activities of this
class of organizations enhance the social
fabric of a country.
Community-based Organization
(CBO) or People’s Organization (PO)
Stresses the participation of and benefit
for local citizens
Civil Society Organization
An emerging and increasingly popular
name that focuses on a desired outcome
of these
Groups – the creation of a civil society
Role of NGOs and CBOs/POs
in development work with
emphasis
on environmental awareness
and education
Community-based organizations
(CBOs) are those whose mission is
primarily focused on meeting a specific
social or human service need within a
given community.
In fact, the CBO may be part of a national
association.
For example, PATLEPAM is a national NGO.
However, there are Coordinating centers in
different regions of the country that implements
direct and focused projects, programs and
concerns.
The RCCs therefore may be categorized under
the CBOs
Peoples’ Organizations or POs are
excellent examples of CBOs and there
are hundreds or thousands of them
throughout the country implementing
projects that directly benefit their
community and constituents.
Non-Government Organization (NGO) is the
most common name used internationally for
an organization formed to help others. NGOs
are not governmental organizations or forprofit businesses.
Three Sectors of the Society
the government sector
for-profit/private business sector,
the NGO/third sector.
Each sector has strengths and weaknesses in
providing what citizens need and want.
The business sector most effectively delivers
goods.
The government sector enacts and enforces laws
The third sector, which consists of nongovernmental organizations, provides services
that the business and government sectors are
unwilling or unable to provide, and they provide a
venue for citizens to come together and be heard
on issues what they feel are important.
Acronyms describing various types of
organizations
Business-Organized NGO or BONGO
Government-Organized NGO or GONGO
Quasi-Non-Governmental Organization or
QUANGO.
Other Important Roles of NGOs
NGOs is facilitator of citizens’
participation in their societies.
NGOs enable all voices to be heard when
individuals form a group with others who have
similar values and interests.
Other Important Roles of NGOs
NGOs often aim to promote understanding
between citizens and the state.
 NGOs contribute to a civil society by
providing a means for expressing and actively
addressing the varied and complex needs of
society.
Civil society- organizations that fall
between the family and the state.
A civil society is characterized by
active, diverse, inclusive citizen
participation.
NGOs are seen as serving several
essential functions:
•NGOs promote pluralism, diversity, and
tolerance in society while protecting and
strengthening
cultural,
ethnic,
religious,
linguistic, and other identities.
•NGOs advance science and thought; develop
culture and art; protect the environment; and
support all activities and concerns that make a
vibrant civil society.
NGOs are seen as serving several
essential functions:
•NGOs motivate citizens in all aspects of society
to act, rather than depend on state power and
beneficence.
•NGOs create an alternative to centralized state
agencies and provide services with greater
independence and flexibility.
•NGOs establish the mechanisms by which
governments and the market can be held
accountable by the public.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A CIVIL
SOCIETY?
What constitutes a civil society varies from
culture to culture.
 A civil society can be defined by one culture
in terms of the results or behaviors produced.
Another definition may focus on the
preconditions or foundations for civil society.
A third culture may describe it as a desirable
state for all society.
And a fourth may emphasize the composition
of civil society - who is and is not included.
We need to determine what local citizens
consider key elements of a civil society. To
illustrate this, the following elements reflect a
point of view which can serve as a starting point
for a conversation with the people we associate
with..
1. The government must be proactive in expanding
opportunities for public participation.
2. Special efforts must be made to include women,
indigenous people, youth, and other traditionally
marginalized groups, such as disadvantaged ethnic
minorities.
3. The three sectors of society must share
responsibilities to ensure public participation.
Effective partnerships between NGOs and/or
businesses and government require concerted
efforts to become and remain accountable,
transparent, and inclusive.
4. There must be a continuous public participation
throughout the process of design, implementation,
and evaluation of projects, policies, or programs to
legitimize decisions and enrich outcomes.
5. Transparency ensures all motives and objectives
are apparent and information vital to a decision is
presented and is reliable.
6. Cooperation among national, regional, and local
government authorities and NGOs is essential for
effective coordination of public participation. It is not
sufficient to have cooperation at only one or even
two levels.
7. Openness to informal as well as formal routes of
communication broadens the scope of public
participation.
The Role of NGOs/Civil Society in
Environmental Education
1. Promoting education, public awareness and
training
2. Creating a educational program through
camps network
3.Publishing promotional/educational materials
(brochures, leaflets, etc)
4. Clean-up activities
5. Sponsoring green Contests
6. NGO-Mass media involvement in EE program
State of Environmental Education Implementation
PLUS
MINUS
Many NGOs, associations, clubs are
producing materials in order to sustain
the environmental education
The NGO’s haven’t enough funds to
produce as many support copies are
necessary
Some goals of environmental education is There is not enough willing to really fulfill
these goals
part of the national plans and programs
for the formal education
Inadequacies of trained mentors/teachers
to teach environmental topics
Initiation of Green Schools or EcoSchools
There aren’t enough schools or
organizations involved in these activities
Most of the environmental education
projects are about monitoring, research
gathering information or awareness and
public campaigns
There are less projects on areas dealing
with real/near issues like sustainable
livelihood, recycling, sustainable use of
the resources, etc
State of Environmental Education Implementation
PLUS
There are some local/national contests
(interdisciplinary or only environmental
project)
MINUS
In some areas there is a lack of interest of
teachers and students (they don’t know
anything about this contests or they don’t
want to waste their spare time working
outside the classes)
Some NGO’s are trying to bring together It is a lack of communication /cooperation
more schools, teachers, students, in small between the main actors in the field of
environmental education networks
environmental education
Most of the resources in the schools,
libraries, NGO’s are donation from foreign
organizations (very useful works but can’t
be used without being adapted to the
local conditions
State of Environmental Education Implementation
PLUS
MINUS
There are many opportunities to get funds Only some NGO’s, associations are
for environmental education projects
aware of this but also eligible for that and
they need skills in writing good project
proposal
Some schools (middle- and high-schools)
have optional lessons on the
environmental
The choose of the optional is very
subjective (depends more on the
teachers, principals/Deans and less on
the students)
Most of the environmental education The people who are working on these
activities are organize in the non-formal projects are most of the times volunteers
approach
Case Presentation:
The Oil of Hope