Martin Niry (ELP 2022) | Finance Officer, WWF, Madagascar

According to the World Bank: “Civil society organization refers to a wide array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], labor unions, indigenous people groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations.”

I would like to talk about the Civil Society Organization who addresses the issue of the degradation of the environment. Their roles are to sensitize people to the degradation of the planet. I realized that because of the loss of the forests, the world faces the negative impact of climate change, such as wildfires, and floods. The implication is that all people on the planet are already suffering (or will soon suffer) from the impact of the degradation of the environment. 

The responsibility of civil society is to establish strategies and implement effective planning on how to tackle the issue that I have referred to above. 

The challenges which Civil Society Organization is facing are the following:

• Disadvantageous changes in legislation, or inadequate implementation of existing laws;

• Hurdles when accessing financial resources to ensure their sustainability

• Difficulties in accessing and influencing decision makers, and feeding decisions into the development of laws and policies;

• Lack of competences of the leaders and members, and the self-centeredness of leaders;

• Leaders of the Civil Society Organization that are opportunists, who are not concerned about the problems, but are more concerned about resourcing opportunities and how to get hold of the funding.

• The sources of their funding are not stable; they are sometimes getting funds from the members through subscription.  There are no permanent sources of funding for their activities.

As mentioned above, I would like to focus on the sustainability of civil society. There are a number of steps that can help them to become more sustainable:

• They should be mentally convinced of the issues to be addressed, and have a clear vision on their responsibility, and what they can do, or have to do.

• They should have a strategic plan on how to tackle or address the problems. 

• They should have an effective management structure and have proven governance practices regarding the management of funds.

• They should demonstrate integrity / credibility toward donors and stakeholders.

• They need an effective fundraising plan to sustain their organization and to explore funding opportunities.

After attending the Environmental Leadership Program, I will share the knowledge and what I have learned from the course with my colleagues. I have studied project management and have developed leadership skills and a better understanding of the impact of the degradation of the environment.

In my current work, I am working with a Civil Society Organization that is greatly concerned about the degradation of the environment. It raises its voice and sensitizes the community on the importance of the environment. My role is to share my experiences regarding financial management.

The content of the courses at the University of California, Berkeley has strengthened my capacity in project management and has given me more skills and greater confidence. 

I am very grateful to my facilitator and mentor and also the staff at the University of California, Berkeley. 

I would like to express my gratitude to WWF Madagascar, and my colleagues and my family who supported and encouraged me to complete the course.