Society for Sustainable Living in the Slovak Republic

Society for Sustainable Living in the Slovak Republic Staroturský chodník 1, 811 01 Bratislava 1, Slovakia Phone./fax:+421-2-54 41 06 47, 54 41 39 68 Email stuz@nextra.sk Web : http://www.stuz.sk The Society for Sustainable Living in the Slovak Republic (Society or SSL/SR) was established in the year 1993 in Bratislava, as a voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organization. The Society includes professional ecologists, geographers, philosophers, physicians, lawyers, sociologists, ethnographers, economists, educators, and other environmentally oriented specialists, as well as artists and journalists concerned with the survival of life on the Earth. Analogue Society for Sustainable Living was established in the Czech Republic after the split of Czechoslovakia. They have compatible programmes and several common activities. By searching and asserting human values and ways of life compatible with sustainable development for mankind, the goal is to achieve the ideals of humanism and harmony between man and nature. Activities of SSL/SR are based on the philosophy of respecting life in all its forms and on the sense of responsibility for contemporary, as well as future generations. The Society in the Slovak Republic includes about 100 leading Slovak activists aimed at sustainable living and is open to similar personalities from other countries. General rules were accepted by Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic and registred on 26 January 1993. GOALS OF THE SOCIETY The concept (paradigm) of sustainable development has been quoted very frequently since 1987, when Brundtland's Commission published the report 'Our Common Future'. This term was adopted at the Earth Summit as a symbol of primary global objective and later on it came to be one of the most fequent one in the vocabulary of the environmentalists. In spite of this, the elaboration and implementation of the sustainable development concept are just at the beginning. Implementation of the concept of sustainable development is necessary also on the part of environmental NGOs. A systematical activity for this did not exist in Slovakia until recently. The activities of the SSL/SR are trying to bridge this gap in some ways, e.g. by: establishing NGO's "Programme Implementation Unit" for the implementation of ideas and projects of sustainability in national and local conditions in ways relevant to NGO's, supporting sustainable activities, technologies, etc., effectively lobbying to the decision-makers, organizing public hearings, round tables, forums, etc. of NGO representatives, experts and the public for discussing pertinent questions - potential constitution of the Chamber of Environmentalists, involving the public in the whole process and improving public awareness, supporting existing environmentally oriented mass media, translating and distributing relevant documents, supporting the creation of regional and local centers for regional / local sustainable development. promoting relevant research projects, influencing the power and opposing the activities potentially affecting the environment and character of development, strengthening of international collaboration. INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL AND REGIONAL PROJECTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES The Society, together with its Czech counterpart, is initiating the establishment of an International Network of Societies for Sustainable Living as a non-governmental structure that would seek alternatives for a sustainable future. They started with sustainability projects at both the research and implementation levels: Sustainable development of the rural landscape ( study area - White Carpathian Mountains). They are preparing a foundation of a transboundary Czecho-Slovak-Polish Euroregion (responsible subject from the Slovak side is the White Carpathians branch of SSL/SR). The sustainable development of Levočské vrchy (Levoča Mountains) is an example which the SSL/SR is dealing with. The Society in cooperation with A-Project dealts with a pilot project 'Sustainable development of the Sub-Tatras region as an alternative to the plans to organize the Winter Olympic Games in The High Tatras'. The Society (branch in Košice) is active in promoting the alternative water management concepts at both the national and regional levels as well as promoting sustainable energy, recycling, etc. The Society (branch in Bratislava) is initiating creation of the NGO forum for sustainable city. In cooperation with EuroUniPress (EUP), a small alternative publishing house was established with the aim of translate and publishing international documents and other relevant materials as well as the results of our activities in Slovak and English languages. The Society and EUP have published 'Post-revolutionary Development of the Slovak Republic from the Aspects of Sustainability, I - V" (the theme of above mentioned publication has been the subject of two seminars organized by SSL/SR recently) and a Reader from Global Issues, called "The Prosperity Shock". Some small collections of environmental and sustainable living issues were prepared in English for different international events (e.g. Message to Kostelec, Message to Buenos Aires, Message to Paris, Message to America, Message to Venice, Message to Kolymbari, Message to Prague, Message to Sofia and Message to Aarhus). Effective lobbying direction of the government, parliament, local governments, businesses, industries, and other structures with the aim to influence their strategies, policies, and decision-making processes is ongoing continually. SSL has been lobbying for new environmental laws - (Nature protection, Environmental Impact Assessment, Anti-Ozone Depletion, The State Budget - environmental aspects). In 1994 and 1998, SSL organized a survey among the top politicians (ministers and MP candidates). The survey was focused on environmentally related issues and results were distributed among the jurnalists. SSL tries to initiate the hearings, round tables, forums, etc. of representatives of NGOs, independent experts and the public for discussing pertinent questions. In order to improve public awareness and participation, it is necessary to involve the public in the whole process. In this sense, the Society for Sustainable Living informs the public about conclusions of international documents as well as problems of sustainability using an environmentally oriented mass media, for example Eko ďalej, Nová Európa, Prognóza, Životné prostredie, Univerzum, Enviromagazín, RFE, Mosty, Tvorba T, etc. The Society aims to deal with the research of philosophical, ethical, psychological, axiologic roots of environmental crisis, and its sociological, perceptual, and other consequences. It was the initiator of foundation of the European Eco Forum Issue Group “Values for a Sustainable Future”. The Society aims to make statements to the proposals of legislative, economic, organisational, and other tools, potentially affecting the environment and/or character of development. SSL has prepared several statements about new environmental act proposals and conceptions and/or development plans (EIA, Nature Protection Act, Water Act, Air Act, Water Management Conception, Energy Policy, State Budgets etc.). The Society is permanently monitoring the behaviour of those in power in the fields related to the environment and sustainable living issues. Press-conferences are organized by SSL monthly in Bratislava, ad hoc in Košice, Prague, etc. Conclusions and recommendations from SSL projects are prepared. The Society cooperates in the practical revitalisation of rural settlement and landscape (Zaježová, Liptovský Peter, Podšíp, Kvačianska dolina, Muránska Zdychava, Poľana, Terchová, Klenovec, Biele Vody, Tichý Potok, etc.) during the summer and on weekends. SSL proposed an alternative concept of water management in the Slovak Republic (in cooperation with other NGO's). In order to strengthen the inner structure, the exchange of information, etc., the Society for Sustainable Living organizes monthly sessions for its members, organizes or co-organizes ad hoc seminars on topical themes, and publishes an information bulletin “INFOSTUŽ” . The Society supported the foundation of its regional branches: Bratislavská (Bratislava region) Biele Karpaty (White Carpathians region) Košická (Košice region) In order to strengthen international collaboration, the Society is cooperating with organizations that have similar characteristics in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Germany, and other European countries, as well as with international organizations like Friends of the Earth - Europe, WWF, IUCN, Greenpeace, EEB, and International Forum on Globalisation. The Society is a member of the 'International Sustainable Development Research Network', 'ANPED', 'INFORSE' and its representative is a member of the 'UN Commission on Sustainable Development - Indicators Expert Group'. The Society co-organized, with the Society of Sustainable Living in the Czech Republic, an international conference on Sustainable Living in Europe, held in Kostelec near Prague in November 1993. Five international seminars on 'Revitalization of Villages and Landscape in the White Carpathians' were held in Nová Bošáca, Strání and Pruské in June 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997. Together with SSL in the Czech Republic, The Japan Center in Prague and The American Center for Culture and Commerce in Prague, the Society has organized a multicultural 'Seminar on Perspectives of sustainable living in Europe, Japan and North America'. Similar event was organized in Olomouc, 1997. Since 1995, the Society organizes The Josef and Petra Vavroušek’s Memorial in West Tatras every year. In 1995, the Society has been responsible for monitoring and reporting the activities related to preparation of the National Environmental Action Programme (NEAP) in the frame of the Sofia Ministerial Conference preparation process. The chairman of SSL/SR has prepared the a national report dealing with NEAP issues. Since June 1995, SSL has been responsible for Slovak participation in the 'Sustainable Europe Campaign'. Society expert team has translated and distributed 'Towards Sustainable Europe' publications (Summary and Handbook) and has organised some seminars, round tables, press conferences and a national conference 'Towards Sustainable Slovakia' in an international context. National report is under preparation. The recent projects are: Monitoring of the (eco)political situation, Road to Aarhus – Slovak report, Environmental indicators for sustainable cities, Promotion of the Sustainable energetics, Sustainable development strategy for several pretected areas, Several new publications. The major projects of the Society for Sustainable Living in the Slovak Republic were supported by the Environmental Partnership for Central Europe, Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, and Friends of the Earth - Europe. For contacts: Mikuláš Huba, president - telephone: +421-7-5249 27 51, fax: +421-7-5441 06 47, E-mail: huba@savba.sk or geoghuba@savba.sk Vladimír Ira, vice-president - telephone: +421-7-5249 27 51, fax: +421-7-5441 06 47, E-mail: ira@savba.sk Juraj Krivošík, vice-president – telephone/fax: +421-7-5441 06 47, E-mail: juraj.k@pobox.sk Silvia Kompoltová, secretary - telephone/fax: +421-7-5441 06 47, E-mail: stuz@nextra.sk

Society for Sustainable Living in the Slovak Republic