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Study trip in Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic in the framework of the "Rural Development in Romania" program financed by Milieukontakt Oosteuropa
Report Zoltan Hajdu, national coordinator 27 September 2002, ThursdayStart from Tg. Mures at 6 o’clock and travel to BUDAPEST (we arrived at 6 o’clock afternoon), visiting the Independent Ecological Center (Budapest, Miklos ter 1, email:jvasarhelyi@foek.hu)
The Independent Ecological Center is one of the leader NGOs in Hungary and they are developing several programs in Budapest and in other regions in Hungary. They have an impressive documentations center which was visited by the participants. In spite of the short time (about one hour) the visit it was useful and the participants can use in the future the library of the IEC. One of the programs developed by the IEC is the elaboration of the sustainable development strategy for the micro region of Dorogd. This model it was largely debated in Hungary and it was used as a model in other micro regions. We picked up the leader of this program Mrs. Judit Vasarhelyi and we travelled to the micro region situated about 140 km from Budapest.
Visiting the Independent Ecological Center in Budapest
27 September 2002, Friday
It was visited the demonstration centre realised by IEC in Vigandpetend (the accommodation it was there) and the educational and training program realised there were presented. After that it was presented the whole program and the different steps of the project by Mrs. Judit Vasarhelyi.
Breakfast in Vigandpetend at the demonstration centre.
Presentation given by Mrs. Judit Vasarhelyi about the sustainable development project from the Dorogd valley.
The most important steps of the program were: -Definition of the Dorogd depression (with five village: Vigandpetend, Kapolcs, Taliandorogd, Ocs, Pula) as an ecological and geographical unit and the recognition of this fact by the local authorities and by the inhabitants from the 5 villages
-Elaboration of a sustainable development strategy for the micro region with the next key elements:
-Elaboration of several projects with the financial support of the foundation Stiftung Pro Dorogd-Becken from Switzerland: · Cooperation forum for the local farmers · Agricultural machines for the farmers (import of the second hand agricultural machines from Switzerland) · Training program for the farmers · Counselling service concerning the bio agriculture · Landscape preservation program · Local products promotion program · Fruit tree program · Training program for mayors and other local community leaders
The long term support (1993-2001) from the Stiftung pro Dorogd Becken has a crucial role in the success of the whole program, not only by financial support but by the creation of a link between local communities from Switzerland and the villages from the Dorogd valley.
Visited objectives:
- Bio-farm of Mr. Lajos Szentgyorgyi (Kapolcs, Kossuth Lajos u. 9)
Mr. Szentgyorgyi is the leader of a local association of 11 farmers with IFOAM certification. These farmers are producing bio-products (fruits and vegetables) and medicinal plants.
Visiting the bio farm of Mr. Szentgyorgyi. -Valley of the Arts
This program it was created by an artist from Budapest who became local inhabitant. These program trough theatre presentations, concerts and other artistic events attract in each year about 180000 tourists.
Visiting the ruins of an old church where there are organised symphonic concerts during the events of the „Valley of the Arts”
-Visiting the community centre
In the village of Taliandorogd it is organised a community centre (Telehouse, rural information centre), where there are organised daily information and education programs for the local inhabitants.
The information centre from Taliandorogd
-Visiting different pilot projects (implementation of the sustainable development strategy) from Ocs.
It was organised a meeting with the mayor from the village Ocs, and were visited several objectives like tree planting projects, nature protection and wetland restoration.
Nature observation point realised with the funds from Switzerland
28 September 2002, SaturdayIt was visited the demonstration centre from the village of GOMORSZOLOS (Kassai ut 37-39.Hungary; Tel/Fax: 36-48-435-016, Email:okogomor@matavnet.hu) developed by the Ecological Institute for Sustainable Development from Miskolc (3525 Miskolc Kossuth u.13.Hungary.Tel/Fax36-46-352-010; Email:biodivhu@mail.matav.hu).
The village of Gomorszollos is situated in a valuable landscape in the Northern part of Hungary. The Ecological Institute for the Sustainable Development from Miskolc Developed the demonstration centre in order to experiment the possibilities of the sustainable lifestyle in Hungary. According to the director of the Institute for the Sustainable Development from Miskolc, Mr. Ivan Gyulai this project is a „fundamentalist” project, which try to experiment the sustainable lifestyle as much it is possible, and probably will be difficult to be followed by the other „real” communities but the visitors can learn different elements and they can implement the lessons in their communities. The demonstration centre is in twinning with the Kleine Aarde from Boxtel, The Netherlands.
The building of the demonstration centre
Presentation of the program by Judit Kovacs
Visited objectives:
-The first visited objective it was the demonstration centre where were presented the ecological water cleaning system, the solar panels (used for heating, warm water and as well for fruit drying), bio-toilets.
Explanations about the water treatment system
-Local handicrafts workshop
The local handicrafts workshop it was realised in order to give a new value to the local products and to realise an income for the local people. It was registered the trademark „Product from Gomor” and the goal is to sell the local products mainly on the local market. This program is linked with the sustainable tourism program; the tourists are involved in the production of the handicrafts and as well in the landscape maintaining programs.
Mrs. Judit Kovacs in the wool workshop
-Biological agriculture program
The goal of this program is to promote the biological and extensive agriculture. It was made an inventory of the local traditional fruit species which don’t need any chemical treatment and it was reintroduced the growing of a traditional pig called mangalica. This species it was very common in the past but at this time it is almost extinct. Recently it was discovered that the level of cholesterol in the meat of this species is very low. There are used several sustainable agricultural solutions like: using of the wind energy for pumping of the water.
The mangalica pig farm
Using the energy of the wind for water pumping
-Traditional architecture
The sustainable development of the village means also to maintain the traditional architecture style in the village. Several houses were renovated according to this principle and in cooperation with a local organisation it was realised a museum and a playground for children. It was made also a successful lobby at the telecommunication company to build a public phone cabin in the style of the local architecture instead of the standard red public phone cabin.
Public phone cabin in local architectural style in Gomorszolos
29 September 2002, Sunday
It was visited the project realised by the NGO People and Water from Kosice (Prazska 4/413,040 11 Kosice, Slovacia, tel./fax:00421 55 6428 184, e-mail:mvolav@changenet.sk, http:/peopleandwater.sk), in the region of Upper Torysa, together with three representatives of this organisation (Ivan Hosko, Veronica Palichova, Zuzana Ujhaziova).
The NGO People and Water is a leader NGO in Slovacia concerning the sustainable use of the water resources and concerning the sustainable development in the rural area. The leader of the NGO People and Water has a new theory concerning the global warming (Michal Kravcik: New Theory of Global Warming) and the NGO became famous in the 90’s because they started a successful campaign in order to stop the building of a dam at Tichy Potok.
Visited objectives:
-Alternative water management methods in Torysa
In order to stop the floods in the Upper Torysa region the water authorities from Slovacia used the classical water regulation methods. The NGO People and Water proposed an alternative water management scheme which is using small scale, environmental-friendly works, in harmony with the nature and with the traditional agriculture. The method is successful and well accepted by the community.
Veronica Palichova presenting the alternative water management methods in Torysa
Erosion protection and mud retention -Sustainable development in the village of Tichy Potoc
Tichy Potoc it’s a village which it was supposed to be moved if it was realised the dam in the valley. Thanks to the campaign of the organisation People and Water the construction of the dam it was stopped and the village started to elaborate a sustainable development strategy. The mayor of the village Lubica Dzuganova is very involved in the implementation of this strategy. The key elements of this strategy are: agro tourism, forest management, agriculture.
Lubica Dzuganova the mayor of the village, in the „tradition’s” house of the village
Playground for children in Tichy Potok
Presentation given by Sona Sabolova, executive director of the Blue Torsya Community Foundation during the lunch in Tichy Potok
-Visiting the demonstration centre
The NGO People and Water started to realise a good practices demonstration center. This centre will be used also for trainings.
Ecological waste-water treatment at the demonstration centre
30 September 2002-1st October 2002 Monday, Tuesday
These two days were dedicated to the White Carpathian region situated in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. This rural area it is very similar with the rural areas from Transylvania from where the participants came and there are several interesting rural development projects. It were visited several organizations.
- ZO CSOP KOSENKA (Brumovska 11, 766 01 Valasske Klobouky, CR, TEL./FAX;420577.320145 e-mail:kosenka@mail.walachia.cz)
The Kosenka NGO has a very complex rural sustainable development program focused on the realisation of a very inspiriting centre where there are organised trainings, educational programs and workshops in order to maintain the traditions and to promote the local handicraft products. The location of the centre is in a traditional house. The program has an integrated vision about the economical development, environmental protection and social problems.
Presentation of the centre by Miroslav Janik, Rostislav Travnicek and Pavlina Kolinkova
-Visiting the White Spring Protected Landscape Area
This protected area it is included into the network of the biosphere reserves of the UNESCO. There are many species which are very rare and endangered. One of the goals of the sustainable development concept is to reintroduce the traditional, extensive sheep-farming. This form of sheep breeding it was common in the past and it is very suitable for the landscape.
Extensive sheep-farming
Using the solar energy at the sheep farm TRADICE BYLICH KARPAT (687 71 HOSTETIN 4, TEL.0633-641040, E-MAIL TBK@ECN.CZ, WWW.TRADICEBK.CZ ; www.tradicebk.cz) Contact person: Radim Machu
The organisation promotes the sustainable development in rural area. They are promoting the organic agriculture, mainly the production of the fruits. It was made an inventory of the traditional fruit species (which don’t need any chemical treatment), and several farmers were included in the program. It was realised also a collection of the old species. With a support from Luxembourg the foundation purchased a small fruit-juice factory and now they are producing 6000 l of fruit juice each day and they are processing in each season 140 t of fruits. This project it was realised with the support of the eco-counselling organization Veronica from Brno. It was created also job for the local people and the „White Carpathian” trade mark it was registered as a biological product label.
Were realised also other projects like:
-Sun for the White Carpathians. During this project 10 houses from the village of Hostetin were equipped with solar panels. At this time 90% of the warm water of this houses it is provided by the solar panels at summer time.
-Ecological waster-water treatment. It was realised a waste water treating plant for the village of Hostetin (280 inhabitants).
Radim Machu presenting the traditional fruit drying methods
The small fruit juice factory at Hostetin
The ecological waste water treatment plant in Hostetin
Ecologicky Ovocnar (68772 Pitin 15, Tel: 0633/641334) Ing Zdenek Sevcik
In Pitin we have visited the small fruit-drying factory owned by Ing. Zdenek Sevcik. This small family business it is a good exempla of local sustainable production. Mr. Zdenek it was used to be electronic engineer but he decided to return to his village and to start a family business. He gets back his family’s orchard confiscated during the communist time and he is producing now organic fruit. He has a little workshop in order to conserve these fruits by drying. The request for his products is so big that all the products are sold out before the Christmas.
Radim Machu and Zdenek Sevcik explaining the history of the project
Mr. Zdenek’s fruit drying workshop in Pitin
After the interesting visit at the Mr.Zdenek’s workshop we started the back-way and in the evening we get to Hungary in the micro region of Bodrogkoz where our Hungarian colleagues expected us for dinner in Tokaj.
02 October 2002, Wednesday
KARCSA, BODROGKOZ micro region, Bokartisz, Hungary Contact person: MOLNAR GEZA, E-mail bokartis@enternet.hu
Our last visit it was in the micro region Bodrogkoz where the organisation Bokartisz initiated an international project being involved in the project 12 villages from Hungary and 6 villages from Slovacia.
Were made several studies concerning the landscape, the biodiversity and water in the region and it was elaborated the sustainable development strategy of the micro region with a special focus on the water management and sustainable development of the economy.
According to the leader of the organization Bokartisz, Mr. Geza Molnar the region it was well developed in the past but due to the wrong water management and due to the inadequate structures of the agricultural production the region has a strong regression in the last fifty years.
One of the main questions is how to stop the exodus of the local people (especially the young people). In this respect were initiated several projects like a pilot goat farm at Bodroghalom, or the Telehouse in Karcsa (rural information centre)
Geza Molnar presenting the sustainable development strategy in the Telehouse in Karcsa
Visiting one of the key element site of the alternative water management strategy
After this last visit, late evening we arrived in Romania.
At the Romanian border
Conclusions
The study trip it was very useful and the participants learned many things and they get a new motivation for their work. We can find some common elements at the visited sites which ensured the success of the projects.
-elaboration of a long term sustainable strategy for the community -involvement of the different stakeholders and especially the strong involvement of the local people -permanent cooperation between the local community and the regional organisation -establishing a local demonstration and training center -active international cooperation
Evaluation
The evaluation it was made trough a questioner.
According to the participants the study visit it was very interesting and useful, they gave the next scores: -9, two participants -9.5, two participants -10, four participants
According to the participants the aims were fulfilled and the trip it was very motivating for the further work.
According to the participants the programme it was very varied, the sequences of the topics fulfilled the expectations, the number of the visits were appropriate. According to two participants the programme it was too intensive. The conclusion of one of the participant is: it was a pretty exhausting experience, a little bit too much travelling. According to an other participant the daily travelling distances were reasonable.
In this respect the opinion of the participants are very different. Most frequently are mentioned as most useful visits: Hostetin, Dorogd, People and Water, Gomorszolos. Concerning the less useful visits the opinion of the majority of the participants it was that they didn’t want to mention any visit because all the visits were useful, only tree participants are answering to this question, one participant mention the visit at the church from Tichy Potok, other two are mentioning Gomorszolos which is very interesting because the visit in Gomorszolos is mentioned in three cases as one of the most useful visits.
The most relevant answers are: -the key of the success of the projects is the cooperation between NGOs and authorities -it’s important to keep the balance between the information and practical demonstrations -using the local resources as much as possible -practical knowledge in bio agriculture -the important role of the planning, the good organisation and the communication -practical knowledge about environmental friendly technologies (solar energy, water cleaning) -the importance of the cooperation between several local organizations (coalition of local organizations) -the necessity of creation of many small programs -developing a community vision
-sharing the responsibility in the working group -presenting the received information in the local community -promoting a successful programme in order to gain the trust of the community -presenting in the community the solutions for the similar problems from our community -attracting new people in the local working group -promoting the bio agriculture -initiating new projects (in bio agriculture, solar energy, water) -explaining that a small community is able to became stronger without major external help
One participant mentions that she would like to receive more technical information concerning the agriculture. According to the other participants were no neglected subjects.
According to the participants the trip it was very well structured and organised and the visited organizations offered models which can be followed in many aspects. During the trip it was a nice atmosphere, the group being very well received by our hosts. It was very good transport. One participant mentions that he has „small problem” concerning the translation.
According to the participants the food it was very good the best being the traditional food. The accommodation it was also very good in many cases in „picturesque landscape”
It’s only one recommendation: try to find useful experiences in a smaller area because the long travels are tiring.
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