Six grantees selected to address the local environmental issues

The Institute of Communication Studies (ICS) in partnership with the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) selected the six civil society organizations that in partnership with high schools from the regions that include protected areas (Pelagonia, Ohrid, Strumica, Tikvesh, Demir Kapija and Prespa) will be implementing initiatives for solving the local environmental problems.

A total of 28 applications were received for the Call, which was open to civil society organizations and initiatives. The Commission consisted of members from ICS and MES, using initially established criteria (proper defining of the environmental problem, solution offered, priority of the topic and capacity of the organization) selected the following six grantees:

• “Ekovita“, Negotino in partnership with high school “Sv.Kiril i Metodij” from Negotino;

• “KAB Struga 2017“, Struga in partnership with high school “Niko Nestor” from Struga;

• “Eko Gerila“, Prespa in partnership with high school “Car Samoil“ from Resen;

• “Horti Eko“, Strumica in partnership with high school “Dimitar Vlahov“ from Strumica;

• “Klisura“, Demir Kapija, in partnership with high school “Sv. Kiril i Metodij“ from Negotino;

•  Youth Cultural Center (MKC), Bitola, in partnership with high school “D-r. Jovan Kalauzi” from Bitola

The selected civil society organizations, in partnership with the schools, will work on the following initiatives: implementation of good agricultural practices in the Tikvesh and Strumica region; better access to information on the operation of the “Stenje” measuring station in Prespa; campaign for better transparency and accountability of the Municipality of Struga regarding the municipal funds for dealing with small illegal landfills in Struga and the surrounding area; solving the ecological catastrophe in the Demir Kapija Gorge caused by the construction waste generated from the construction activities of the Demir Kapija – Smokvica highway section; and encouraging eco-activism among young people including civil responsibility through anti-litter campaigns in Bitola.

The selected CSOs will receive a grant of 5,000 euros for implementation of their activities, including a set of trainings for both developing a public interest campaign plan and managing EU small grants, as well as mentoring from professional teams of ICS and MES for more effective implementation of the campaigns.

The “Local Action for Better Environmental Policies” project will be implemented by the Institute for Communication Studies in partnership with the Macedonian Environmental Society and with the financial support of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).