The Global Role of Environmental Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Promoting Local ESE and Nature Protection

• In Event: From ESE policy to practice and action in the global/local nexus

Proposal

Introduction

The role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in environmental politics and advocacy is well documented in the literature (Finger & Princen, 2013; Gemmill & Bamidele-Izu, 2002). Less is known, however, about the role of NGOs promoting environmental and sustainability education (ESE) (Palmer & Birch, 2003). In this paper, we report on two projects that demonstrate the important role for promoting ESE by the Society for Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI). ESE is known for its many barriers for implementation (Stevenson, 2007; Stevenson, Brody, Dillon, & Wals, 2014), including the need for mediating global sustainability understanding to local implications (Tilbury, Goldstein, & Ryan, 2003). These types of projects should be researched and assessed for their impact on sustainability and implementation of global aspects of ESE in schools and community.

In this paper, we demonstrate how global sustainability issues that relate to nature conservation can be internationally and locally implemented. We present two examples that represent the mediating role of environmental NGOs, the SPNI, between the global and the local arena. Established in 1952, SPNI is Israel’s oldest and largest environmental NGO, dedicated to protecting and preserving the country’s natural resources, environment and unique landscape for the future generations. SPNI works with and for the public, through education, and public activism. It works via the concerted effort of three modes of actions: creating public power, protecting open spaces, educating for awareness, action and influencing others.
From local action to global thinking and vice versa: the contribution of SPNI projects in promoting ESE

"Igor and the Cranes Journey – Joint Educational Environmental Project between Germany and Israel"

The SPNI and NAJU (Youth Association for the Protection of Nature in Germany) have been cooperating for many years and delegations from both organizations work together to advance nature preservation and education on the love of nature. One of the projects involves the gray crane. ‘The Grey Crane’ is a migratory bird that nests in Europe and Asia, and is well-known in Germany and Israel alike due to the challenges it poses. Tens of thousands of cranes raiding agricultural fields might cause serious damage to local farmers. Farmers must cope with the need to protect crops on the one hand, while ensuring that cranes, a species protected by law, are not harmed. Farmers are ‘forced’ to cooperate with nature and tourism agencies in order to find creative solutions to the complex situation.
These issues are studied by students participating in this project, and through the cranes learn about different cultures, the complexity and difficulties of migration, the complexity of ecosystems and conflict management. The educational program, developed by the combined teams from Israel and Germany, deals with the cranes, their migration and what affects them, in addition to what can be learned from the behavior of their family, and the challenges they pose to us. The program focuses on the need for cooperation, of the cranes in the family within the flock; of farmers, nature keepers and tourists in dealing with the damage caused by cranes to agriculture and of the work teams from Germany and Israel. The program is taught in both Israel and Germany, in elementary and junior high schools and can be implemented in other places around the world.

“Birds Count in the Yard – A Citizen Science Educational Environmental Project”
The largest birds count project of wild birds conduced since 2006 to track the change in bird populations aimed at protecting birds. The compiled data helps experts build a multi-year database of the composition and number of wild birds near our home, and characterize trends and changes over the years. The information obtained is of tremendous value to scientists, ornithologists, and decision-makers, nature lovers and the public in general. Every year, hundreds of forms are collected that facilitate an understanding of national and global data.
As part of the educational program, children, teens, and teachers across Israel study Israel as a globally important site for birds, become familiar with the challenges in coping with migrating birds, choose the area in the town with the best visibility, allowing birds to become accustomed to your presence. Birds are identified and recorded, as is the number of each species observed. Students learn that their observations contributed to nature preservation in Israel and around the world. Every year, new students join the project, indicating the project’s success.

Summary
The ESE programs presented constitute an example of understanding that the impact of nature and environmental protection on a global level requires local and national action. The concept of “Think Globally, Act Locally”, the SPNI and its projects represent this spirit. We believe that educational projects on nature and environmental protection such as these, motivate participants to protect the environment in other areas, as environmental activism, even beyond said projects. This subject should be examined in an accompanying study. In the future, we would want to incorporate decision-makers, the local authority and on the national level, to leverage the programs and advance legislation and enforcement on nature and environmental protection.


References

Finger, M., & Princen, T. (2013). NGOs and transformation: beyond social movement theory Environmental NGOs in world politics (pp. 62-80): Routledge.
Gemmill, B., & Bamidele-Izu, A. (2002). The role of NGOs and civil society in global environmental governance. In D. Esty & M. Ivanovai (Eds.), Global Environmental Governance: Options & Opportunities (pp. 77-101). Yale: Yale School of Foresty and Environmental Studies.
Palmer, J. A., & Birch, J. C. (2003). Education for sustainability: The contribution and potential of a non-governmental organisation. Environmental education research, 9(4), 447-460.
Stevenson, R. B. (2007). Schooling and environmental/sustainability education: from discourses of policy and practice to discourses of professional learning. Environmental education research, 13(2), 265-285.
Stevenson, R. B., Brody, M., Dillon, J., & Wals, A. EJ. (2014). International handbook of research on environmental education: Routledge.
Tilbury, D., Goldstein, W., & Ryan, L. (2003). Towards environmental education for sustainable development: The contributions of NGOs in the Asia-Pacific region. International Review for Environmental Strategies, 4(1), 59-73.

Author

• Dafna Gan, Kibbutzim College of Education