Managing Development Multidisciplinary Perspectives on NGOs Friends of the Irish Environment In association with: The School of Geography and Archaeology & The School of Engineering NUI, Galway. Find out nuigalway.ie & Background The company was set up in 1997 as an ‘environmental watchdog’, attempting to specifically target European Laws that were it felt were not being recognized in Ireland The company has 7 original subscribers, who are registered with the company offices, who act as the formal structure for an active network of volunteers who aim to fulfil the company's goals. Mission Statement  Monitor the full implementation of, and to assist in the development of, European law.  Work for changes in the Irish planning laws.  Encourage the implementation of the right to full public participation.  Provide assistance to individuals, local groups, and the wider public in understanding environmental issues.  Seek proper implementation of environmental and planning law to support sustainable communities, including the pursuit of concerns and cases in both the built and the natural environment. Collaboration & Partnership The company's primary form of collaboration and partnership is in relation to people within local communities. Volunteers of the company have worked in collaboration with other agencies such as An Taisce and Coillte Teo. The company has also worked in partnership with European institutions raising awareness about climate change through public campaigns like Earth Hour and 10:10. - The company represents World Wildlife Fund in Ireland for Earth Hour and has becoming the lead ENGO for bringing 10:10 concepts into Ireland. The company has refused to adhere to the governing directives of ‘Social Partnerships’ and currently had no direct collaboration with government agencies. Through the promotion of public awareness and active public participation in environmental politics, and by avoiding direct government collaboration, this ENGO can be accredited with implementing a ‘bottom-up approach’ in the call for environmental change. Inclusion, Equality & Empowerment The company encourages the implementation of extensive public participation in order to be inclusive of, provide equality for and to empower individuals, local groups and the wider public. - Extensive public participation is sought to be accomplished by assisting the public in understanding relevant environmental issues, particularly in relation to EU policy. -The company encourages local people in communities to interact with, and to become involved in, environmental planning processes. Rural Focus The environmental context within which the company operates is, for the most part, rural-based. -The rural perspective of the company is in no small part due to that fact that it remains as one of the few non-Dublin and non-international ENGOs, along with the rural backgrounds of directors of the company. - Nevertheless the company continues to work with groups, and have subscribers that are, urban in their concerns. Monitoring & Evaluation The company has roughly 20 subscribed members to which all development submissions are circulated. The signatures of the members are always circulated to other organisations proposals and press releases. A single opposition will end any environmental initiative drafted by the company. Since, this NGO is in fact a company - and not a registered charity - it cannot offer tax returns upon aid provisions. - However, if the FIE was a registered charity it would be unable, under the Charities Act (2009), to campaign for changes within environmental law, which is seen as one of their primary objectives. Accountability, Transparency & Sustainability The company stands by the 1987 Brentland Commission definition of sustainability, defined as “meeting our needs while not preventing future generations from meeting theirs”. Possible Future Actions The FIE must reach beyond the traditional modes of Irish ethics and norms the perhaps selectively focus upon the rural-based populations and their understanding of environmental issues. The company could aim for a transformation of environmental awareness and associated knowledge among the younger generations of the public populace. - This transformation could targeted at the younger generations of the given communities, supplying them environmental knowledge through the networks of national and secondary level education. The company could attempt to reconfigure some of its objectives and in turn work to find ‘common-ground’ upon which to build a successful collaborative partnerships with other potential partner ENGOs. The company could also aim to lobby for other world environmental initiatives, such as the Growing Green Project and Kids for Saving the Earth, thereby expanding its outlook in addressing environmental issues. - David Folan (Geography – MA, Environment, Society & Development) - Cillian Ryan (Engineering – BE, 3 rd Year) - Eoin Linehan (Engineering – BE, 3 rd Year) - Alex Curran (Engineering – BE, 3 rd Year) - Allan Hannon (Project & Construction Management – 3 rd Year)