SYLLABUS OF THE COURSE HEN634
Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
Ir. Jan Haverkamp studied biochemistry, energy policy and nuclear physics at the University of
Leiden, and environmental sciences, social and environmental psychology and communication
psychology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He worked 10 years in the development
of environmental NGOs in East Germany, Czecho-Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, Albania and
Croatia before he emigrated to the Czech Republic. He is founder of the ZHABA facilitators
collective. In the Czech Republic he worked for organisations like the NGO computer network
Econnect, Hnutí DUHA / Friends of the Earth CZ, EPS (Environmentální právní service – now
Frank Bold) and as campaigner and campaign director for Greenpeace Czech Republic. Since 2004
he was free-lance consultant for organisations like the World Information Service on Energy
(WISE/NIRS), Greenpeace and others. From 2007 to 2012 he worked as EU policy advisor on
nuclear energy for Greenpeace in Brussels and between 2012 and 2017 he was expert consultant
nuclear energy and energy policy for Greenpeace in Central and Eastern Europe and other
Greenpeace offices. From 2017 he works for WISE Amsterdam, Greenpeace Central and Eastern
Europe and Greenpeace Switzerland, and he is vice-chair of the watchdog organisation Nuclear
Transparency Watch. He lived 17 years in the Czech Republic, 4 years in Gdansk, Poland and since
2017 in Amsterdam. He is 57 years old and has a 25 year old son in the Netherlands, a 22 year old
daughter and a 0.5 year old granddaughter in the Czech Republic.
The role of Environmental NGOs in society
Goals
1. Students understand the basic role in society of NGOs in general and environmental NGOs
more specifically.
2. Students understand the main differences in roles of environmental NGOs in different societies
(USA / Canada, Western Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America,
international / global / UN level).
3. Students understand the difference between local, national and international civil initiative.
4. Students know the situation under which environmental NGOs work in CZ and Europe.
5. Students know where to place different NGOs on the line non-violent – violent, extreme – main
stream.
6. Students can form and express a well-founded opinion about who they would support or oppose
under which circumstances.
7. Students understand the dynamics of NGO organisation.
Times
Two blocks of two days, 10:00 – 17:00 hours.
Dates: 19 and 20 October 2017, 26 and 27 October 2015, room: Aula
Exam: in the form of a 3-4 people essay and oral discussion on 7 OR 8 December 2017, Aula
Students are expected to attend all blocks, because the seminar will be highly interactive and
participative and includes a lot of work and discussion during the seminar hours. The seminar
blocks will not exist of lectures, but of interactive group work. The seminar will take place in
English and much of the literature and materials will be in English. English knowledge therefore is
necessary for this seminar. Halfway the seminar, students will investigate the history of one
environmental campaign in small teams and present the results to the group.
The course will be concluded in the form of a short group-essay with an oral debrief on the basis of
the work done during the blocks and background literature.
Thursday 19 October 2017
Introduction and basis
• Introduction in the way this seminar will be run
• Mapping own experiences with and present position towards environmental NGOs
Stakeholders in environmental debates
• Mapping stakeholders in several key environmental debates
• Positioning the role of NGOs in these debates – Force Field Analysis
Friday 20 October 2017
Principles, tools, dynamics and organisation of environmental NGOs I
• Tools environmental NGOs have at their disposition
• Underlying principles of non-violence, direct and symbolic action, relation of NGOs to the law
• Some history of the NGO movement
Environmental campaigns
• The Model for a Generated Campaign
• Analysis of case campaigns
Thursday 26 October 2017
History of the environmental movement
• Case stories of campaigns
• Freedom of operation / repression of environmental NGOs
People in environmental NGOs
• Motivation and roles in environmental NGOs
• Working with volunteers
• Environmental NGOs and gender issues
Friday 27 October 2017
Principles, tools, dynamics and organisation of environmental NGOs II
• Financing of NGO activities
• Organisation structures of NGOs
Round-up – our position towards environmental NGOs
• debate on the role of NGOs
• short NVDA training (Non-Violent Direct Action)
• finding our own position towards environmental NGOs
• preparation for group-essay
Exams in coordination with students on 7 or 8 December 2017