conflict to look deeply

Dear Ecotopia participants,

I am agree that topic of the conflict between EYFA and Green Dossier is in 
a way personal but also I need to pint out that in some way you can find 
some general tendencies which are characterized recent development of NGO 
movement in the Eastern Europe compare with the Western one which leads to 
the conflict. I don't want people generalize acting of Green dossier as 
representative for the Ukrainian activists in general. The problem only in 
different approaches of certain new born after changes in Ukrainian society 
NGOs who need to go through certain experience in discovering how Western 
EYFA-kind of organization working. I have an experience working with EYFA 
(organizing Globalization, Gender and Genetic engendering with focus on CEE 
seminar in Czech Republic, 1999), ASEED and other organization of this kind 
and can point out important things to look into.
1. Certain NGO activists in the Ukraine becoming active not because of 
convinced political position (they cannot afford to do so due to the absent 
of social financial support from labour office while Western activists can 
be politically active and sit on a "dole"). Simply they cannot use they 
privat money to give for political or social work because most of the time 
they don't have one plus there is no develop tradition to do so.
2. Many NGOs have been created to survive in heavy post-soviet turmoil 
using Western funds. They would never manage do important social and 
political projects without heaving Western donations (Soros and plenty of 
other Western and American funds with they big injections into NGOs budgets).
3. Such organizations as EYFA, ASEED etc normaly taken as a funds in one 
pot with other Western funds (maybe according to the fact of they encourage 
appearing of Eastern European NGO-tourism to the Western events when 
NGO-activists always have been paid going to political events wherever in 
the Europe). Last fact produce certain perception that Ukrainian NGO exists 
to do the work for the West and be paid. The approach that NGO doing some 
political events for their own cost is not in use yet, especially because 
economical situation still give a excuse for it.
4. To do politics for own cost as personal as organizational is far from 
mentality of mainstream Ukrainian NGOs since they set up with "help" of 
Western donors in capitalistic frame to do things. Above mentioned funds 
normally were giving money for salaries (this is how NGOs could survive). 
Barbarian capitalism in the Ukraine has fast frequency at the moment (I 
just came from the Ukraine) and partly poisoned NGOs. This is interesting 
point for NGO world to decide if they shall work with 
alternatively-oriented movements in the world who have the political issue 
(anti-capitalistic, anti-globalization etc) on the first place and because 
of this they don't have much money to be independent from the funds and 
need to do things most of the time of they own cost. Threfore they cannot 
support Ukrainian NGOs budgets to help it to survive. Maybe it's still 
early for Ukrainain society to realize which desaster coming to the country 
with capitalism and joining global economy and stay resitable to it. 
Alternative environmental movement not develop yet own political tradition 
to do things in resistance because the Ukraine don't found it's own way of 
development yet and it's takes time till NGOs will find they 
fund-independent position.

All this tendencies are very important to look and discuss till both side 
(Eastern and Western activists) would learn the differencies about each 
other and teach each other and have paition to deal with this different 
approaches due to different development on the East and West. In all this 
issue only solidarity of activists is important to look what they want to 
bring in Ukrainian society with Ecotopia happening there, except money to 
one NGO. Ecotopia in the Ukraine is a big political event and it would be 
pity if it be in a shadow because of conflicts.
For more information please look: html: www.savanne.ch/tusovka/welcome.en.html

with regards, Olga