About Milieukontakt
Milieukontakt International
Milieukontakt international is an organization of committed professionals with a huge network of individuals, organizations and institutions working for a better environment throughout the world.
Our strategy can be defined in three phrases: building capacities, involving citizens and solving environmental problems. We provide training, coaching, support and advise for organization working for sustainability. We stimulate and support the involvement and empowerment of citizens and develop processes of participative strategy development and decision making. And finally, we connect these activities to solutions for environmental problems. All three elements can be found in the majority of our projects.
In order to achieve the desired results, Milieukontakt International builds strategic alliances and partnerships with civil society organisations active for the environment or other issues connected to this theme, like gender, health and education. We develop, use and facilitate methods of information sharing, analysis, and action among stakeholders and connect this approach to practical, cost effective and sustainable solutions for environmental challenges. We gladly use the experience of experts on technical solutions to environmental problems from either civil society, business or government. We cooperate with (social) scientists and research institutions to research, analyse, and further develop the Milieukontakt approach and working methods. We convince donors to invest in our programmes and disseminate the acquired knowledge through on-line manuals, learning histories, and on-line services.
In our daily activities we apply 6 main principles:
1. Our activities and methodologies increase the self-reliance and empowerment of organisations & individuals that have participated;
2. Through partnerships, Milieukontakt develops both our own and our partners’ skills to realize projects and activities and to increase considerably their impact on society;
3. We raise awareness on global responsibility and contribute to the conservation of Eco-systems;
4. We improve quality of life, contributing to a healthy environment, public participation in decision making and raised living standards;
5. We measure quality and impact and develop monitoring and evaluation criteria;
6. We apply a democratic style of coordination of projects, which means that it is principled, that assessment is based on fixed criteria, and openness and transparency are applied.
Our Mission
Milieukontakt International initiates partnerships to improve the quality of life by enhancing people’s participation in the development of ecologically sustainable societies.
Milieukontakt cooperates with (inter)national partners because environmental problems do not stop at borders.
Many of the current environmental challenges are world wide. On the local level people can be supported and learn from the experiences of others working in other parts of the world with the same problems. Milieukontakt connects people, organisations, and networks that deal with the same challenges and want to cooperate towards enhancing people’s participation in defining their own future. Milieukontakt will provide people with the means and skills to actually use the possibilities for participation, including training, (legal) advice, assistance and seed financing. Participatory decision-making processes are essential in these partnerships. Milieukontakt focuses on the research and development of tools for participatory learning, decision-making, and project implementation.
Founded in 1988
In 1988 Milieukontakt was founded by, amongst others, Friends of the Earth International (FoEI), Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands) and Stichting Natuur en Milieu (Dutch Foundation for Nature and Environment). We started our activities in Poland. Soon after, countries like Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Russia followed. Now we are active in all the countries mentioned on this website.
Until recently Milieukontakt International was called Milieukontakt Oost Europa. “Oost-Europa” has been replaced by “International” because our capacities can be valuable in all the countries of the world, including the Netherlands. “Milieu” is the Dutch word for “environment”, which indicates the connection with the Netherlands. “Kontakt” is a Polish word meaning communication in the real sense. Poland was the first country in which we began our activities. In the Dutch language, “contact” means reciprocal communication with real understanding. Thus, the name “Milieukontakt International” reflects our new mission and historic background perfectly
