Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09GUANGZHOU162
2009-03-11 07:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Guangzhou
Cable title:
Sustainable NGO Development in Fujian: A Lesson from Green
how-toVZCZCXRO6032 RR RUEHAST RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO DE RUEHGZ #0162/01 0700731 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 110731Z MAR 09 FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0335 INFO RUEHGZ/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE 0126 RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE 0001 RHMFIUU/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC 0015 RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC 0069 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC 0062 RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC 0023 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC 0114 RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC 0114 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 GUANGZHOU 000162
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/CM, OES/PCI, DRL, AND EAP/PD
STATE ALSO PASS USTR FOR CHINA OFFICE
EPA FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN EAGR PGOV SOCI ECON CH
SUBJECT: Sustainable NGO Development in Fujian: A Lesson from Green
Cross
REF: A) Guangzhou 0418, B) Guangzhou 1297
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 GUANGZHOU 000162
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/CM, OES/PCI, DRL, AND EAP/PD
STATE ALSO PASS USTR FOR CHINA OFFICE
EPA FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN EAGR PGOV SOCI ECON CH
SUBJECT: Sustainable NGO Development in Fujian: A Lesson from Green
Cross
REF: A) Guangzhou 0418, B) Guangzhou 1297
1. (U) Registered non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Fujian
province are few and far between, but at least one, Xiamen Green
Cross, is finding room to operate successfully and form a
cooperative relationship with government authorities. After 10
years of gradually expanding environmental and energy-efficiency
campaigns, Green Cross obtained the official support of both the
Xiamen and Fujian authorities, in large part because its mission and
activities complemented government priorities. Green Cross has
expanded public buy-in through education campaigns targeting
specific audiences. Its founder believes that one of the major
challenges facing NGOs in Fujian today is lack of opportunities to
share information and assist each other in capacity building. End
Summary.
--------------
It's All About the Mission
--------------
2. (SBU) Official tolerance of NGOs appears to be growing in Fujian
Province, at least in the case of environmental groups whose mission
and activities complement government efforts. Green Cross is one
environmental NGO that has succeeded in gaining government approval
and even support. Its mission of environmental protection and
energy-efficiency falls in line with municipal and provincial
development goals like reduced energy consumption as well as the
promotion of ecotourism and ecological preservation. Green Cross's
campaigns such as "Island Care Day," citizens picking up trash along
the beach, help to promote these goals. In addition, these
activities offer a public service that the government is otherwise
unable to provide due to a lack of capacity.
3. (U) The Fujian government has even taken proactive steps to
encourage the growth of environmental NGOs. In November 2008, it
hosted a large-scale environmental NGO training program, coordinated
by the China Environmental Awareness Program (a three-year program
launched by UNDP and China's Ministry of Environmental Protection),
the Fujian Provincial NGO Administration, the Volunteer Center of
the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League, and
the Fujian Center for Environmental Education and Communication.
The event included Fujian's first Outstanding Environmental
Volunteers Ceremony, suggesting greater tolerance of civil society
participation in environmental affairs.
4. (SBU) Comment: Fujian, however, is not supporting the work of all
environmental NGOs. The experience of Pingnan Green Home, which was
established to respond to the environmental damage caused by a
government-backed gunpowder factory, has been quite different.
Because Pingnan Green Home brings attention to a lack of
governmental oversight rather than complement the local government's
development agenda, the NGO and local officials are at odds,
including ongoing legal cases. Ma emphasizes that while Green Cross
does not want to be a 'government puppet,' it does understand the
importance of close cooperation with the local government to
ensuring the organization's sustainability. End comment.
--------------
Obtaining Government Support and Legal Status
--------------
5. (SBU) Government support is not a simple matter even with a
complementary mission. According to Azure Ma, founder of Green
Cross, obtaining government-backing is a long, complex road, one
that has taken her organization almost 10 years to achieve. The
ways to get government support vary, but Ma tells us that Xiamen
began to support Green Cross after in conducted multiple, successful
environmental campaigns and proved both the organization's
value-added to the local community, and the non-threatening nature
of its work. Such campaigns have included launching Xiamen's first
city-wide 'Car Free Day' and promoting an annual energy-efficiency
'Black-out' night in downtown Xiamen.
6. (SBU) Lack of government support makes legal registration
impossible, says one local organizer, leaving many of Fujian's NGOs
to operate under the radar. Ma emphasized that the lack of legal
status makes it harder for NGOs to achieve long-term sustainability.
However, she noted that many local NGO's lack strategic long-term
GUANGZHOU 00000162 002 OF 003
development plans, making the desire for legal recognition less
important.
7. (SBU) Official NGO registration requires sponsorship from at
least two 'parent' organizations, the local Civil Administration,
and a relevant, local governmental department. NGOs that are able
to register are then monitored by Fujian's Provincial NGO
Administration. Green Cross is sponsored by the Economic and
Development Bureau, Construction Bureau, Transportation Bureau, and
Environmental Protection Bureau. Prior to receiving official NGO
status, Green Cross was registered as an enterprise with the local
Administration for Industry and Commerce. Ma commented that Green
Cross's motive for registration as an official NGO was to alleviate
its tax burden, rather than a matter of principle.
--------------
Public Buy-in and Participation
--------------
8. (SBU) Government support is not the only challenge for Fujian's
NGOs; they must also get public buy-in. For many local residents,
efforts to encourage community participation in environmental
affairs are stifled by either a lack of awareness or fear of
government reprisal. For Green Cross, public education has been
key. According to Ma, the organization has raised awareness by
crafting programs that emphasize public responsibility and the role
of the individual as a stakeholder in his/her community. To
heighten public participation, Green Cross uses a strategy of
targeting education programs to specific audiences: 1) school-aged
children and youth ages 20-30 and 2) enterprises and the public at
large.
9. (SBU) For youth, the focus is teaching through visually
stimulating activities. Green Cross has held art workshops
promoting environmental protection, workshops on building solar cars
and joint teacher-student activities. The 20-30 year-old
demographic is the backbone of the organization, spearheading
internal brainstorming and leading public education campaigns.
Previous campaigns lead by youth include 'No Plastic Bag Day,' in
which volunteers staffed local shopping malls to deter the use of
plastic bags.
10. (SBU) To raise awareness within the public at large and among
potential donor enterprises, Green Cross authored and distributed
the "Xiamen Citizen Guide on Environmental Disclosure and Public
Participation." Also, in April 2008, Green Cross held a conference
on public participation, during which NGOs, local environmental
officials, donor enterprises and the general public were invited to
exchange ideas on issues as varied as NGO financing and
government-NGO coordination. Green Cross was one of the vocal
environmental organizations raising public awareness during the PX
Plant incident of 2007 (ref B).
-------------- --------------
Challenges: Local NGO Capacity Building and Networking
-------------- --------------
11. (SBU) The lack of opportunities for information sharing between
NGOs is one of the major challenges facing Fujian's non-profit
sector. According to Ma, it is imperative that NGOs do not solely
focus on individual development, but also on capacity building among
likeminded organizations. Many organizations, especially
unregistered ones, are unaware of legal regulations and remedies
that apply to their specific missions, and are unknowledgeable about
available resources or how to pursue long-term organizational
development.
12. (SBU) Green Cross proactively seeks to broaden its impact by
increasing its network both locally and nationally, a route that Ma
encourages all environmental NGOs to take. Nationally, Green Cross
is a member organization of Beijing-headquartered Friends of Nature,
which describes itself as China's oldest environmental NGO, as well
as the National Green Community Network. Locally, Green Cross,
along with several local organizers, are working to strengthen the
capacity of Fujian's environmental NGOs through the development of
Fujian's Grassroots Network.
GUANGZHOU 00000162 003.2 OF 003
GOLDBERG
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/CM, OES/PCI, DRL, AND EAP/PD
STATE ALSO PASS USTR FOR CHINA OFFICE
EPA FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN EAGR PGOV SOCI ECON CH
SUBJECT: Sustainable NGO Development in Fujian: A Lesson from Green
Cross
REF: A) Guangzhou 0418, B) Guangzhou 1297
1. (U) Registered non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Fujian
province are few and far between, but at least one, Xiamen Green
Cross, is finding room to operate successfully and form a
cooperative relationship with government authorities. After 10
years of gradually expanding environmental and energy-efficiency
campaigns, Green Cross obtained the official support of both the
Xiamen and Fujian authorities, in large part because its mission and
activities complemented government priorities. Green Cross has
expanded public buy-in through education campaigns targeting
specific audiences. Its founder believes that one of the major
challenges facing NGOs in Fujian today is lack of opportunities to
share information and assist each other in capacity building. End
Summary.
--------------
It's All About the Mission
--------------
2. (SBU) Official tolerance of NGOs appears to be growing in Fujian
Province, at least in the case of environmental groups whose mission
and activities complement government efforts. Green Cross is one
environmental NGO that has succeeded in gaining government approval
and even support. Its mission of environmental protection and
energy-efficiency falls in line with municipal and provincial
development goals like reduced energy consumption as well as the
promotion of ecotourism and ecological preservation. Green Cross's
campaigns such as "Island Care Day," citizens picking up trash along
the beach, help to promote these goals. In addition, these
activities offer a public service that the government is otherwise
unable to provide due to a lack of capacity.
3. (U) The Fujian government has even taken proactive steps to
encourage the growth of environmental NGOs. In November 2008, it
hosted a large-scale environmental NGO training program, coordinated
by the China Environmental Awareness Program (a three-year program
launched by UNDP and China's Ministry of Environmental Protection),
the Fujian Provincial NGO Administration, the Volunteer Center of
the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League, and
the Fujian Center for Environmental Education and Communication.
The event included Fujian's first Outstanding Environmental
Volunteers Ceremony, suggesting greater tolerance of civil society
participation in environmental affairs.
4. (SBU) Comment: Fujian, however, is not supporting the work of all
environmental NGOs. The experience of Pingnan Green Home, which was
established to respond to the environmental damage caused by a
government-backed gunpowder factory, has been quite different.
Because Pingnan Green Home brings attention to a lack of
governmental oversight rather than complement the local government's
development agenda, the NGO and local officials are at odds,
including ongoing legal cases. Ma emphasizes that while Green Cross
does not want to be a 'government puppet,' it does understand the
importance of close cooperation with the local government to
ensuring the organization's sustainability. End comment.
--------------
Obtaining Government Support and Legal Status
--------------
5. (SBU) Government support is not a simple matter even with a
complementary mission. According to Azure Ma, founder of Green
Cross, obtaining government-backing is a long, complex road, one
that has taken her organization almost 10 years to achieve. The
ways to get government support vary, but Ma tells us that Xiamen
began to support Green Cross after in conducted multiple, successful
environmental campaigns and proved both the organization's
value-added to the local community, and the non-threatening nature
of its work. Such campaigns have included launching Xiamen's first
city-wide 'Car Free Day' and promoting an annual energy-efficiency
'Black-out' night in downtown Xiamen.
6. (SBU) Lack of government support makes legal registration
impossible, says one local organizer, leaving many of Fujian's NGOs
to operate under the radar. Ma emphasized that the lack of legal
status makes it harder for NGOs to achieve long-term sustainability.
However, she noted that many local NGO's lack strategic long-term
GUANGZHOU 00000162 002 OF 003
development plans, making the desire for legal recognition less
important.
7. (SBU) Official NGO registration requires sponsorship from at
least two 'parent' organizations, the local Civil Administration,
and a relevant, local governmental department. NGOs that are able
to register are then monitored by Fujian's Provincial NGO
Administration. Green Cross is sponsored by the Economic and
Development Bureau, Construction Bureau, Transportation Bureau, and
Environmental Protection Bureau. Prior to receiving official NGO
status, Green Cross was registered as an enterprise with the local
Administration for Industry and Commerce. Ma commented that Green
Cross's motive for registration as an official NGO was to alleviate
its tax burden, rather than a matter of principle.
--------------
Public Buy-in and Participation
--------------
8. (SBU) Government support is not the only challenge for Fujian's
NGOs; they must also get public buy-in. For many local residents,
efforts to encourage community participation in environmental
affairs are stifled by either a lack of awareness or fear of
government reprisal. For Green Cross, public education has been
key. According to Ma, the organization has raised awareness by
crafting programs that emphasize public responsibility and the role
of the individual as a stakeholder in his/her community. To
heighten public participation, Green Cross uses a strategy of
targeting education programs to specific audiences: 1) school-aged
children and youth ages 20-30 and 2) enterprises and the public at
large.
9. (SBU) For youth, the focus is teaching through visually
stimulating activities. Green Cross has held art workshops
promoting environmental protection, workshops on building solar cars
and joint teacher-student activities. The 20-30 year-old
demographic is the backbone of the organization, spearheading
internal brainstorming and leading public education campaigns.
Previous campaigns lead by youth include 'No Plastic Bag Day,' in
which volunteers staffed local shopping malls to deter the use of
plastic bags.
10. (SBU) To raise awareness within the public at large and among
potential donor enterprises, Green Cross authored and distributed
the "Xiamen Citizen Guide on Environmental Disclosure and Public
Participation." Also, in April 2008, Green Cross held a conference
on public participation, during which NGOs, local environmental
officials, donor enterprises and the general public were invited to
exchange ideas on issues as varied as NGO financing and
government-NGO coordination. Green Cross was one of the vocal
environmental organizations raising public awareness during the PX
Plant incident of 2007 (ref B).
-------------- --------------
Challenges: Local NGO Capacity Building and Networking
-------------- --------------
11. (SBU) The lack of opportunities for information sharing between
NGOs is one of the major challenges facing Fujian's non-profit
sector. According to Ma, it is imperative that NGOs do not solely
focus on individual development, but also on capacity building among
likeminded organizations. Many organizations, especially
unregistered ones, are unaware of legal regulations and remedies
that apply to their specific missions, and are unknowledgeable about
available resources or how to pursue long-term organizational
development.
12. (SBU) Green Cross proactively seeks to broaden its impact by
increasing its network both locally and nationally, a route that Ma
encourages all environmental NGOs to take. Nationally, Green Cross
is a member organization of Beijing-headquartered Friends of Nature,
which describes itself as China's oldest environmental NGO, as well
as the National Green Community Network. Locally, Green Cross,
along with several local organizers, are working to strengthen the
capacity of Fujian's environmental NGOs through the development of
Fujian's Grassroots Network.
GUANGZHOU 00000162 003.2 OF 003
GOLDBERG