AR: Activity Report 2023

Bringing Eastern European Young Greens Together

General Assembly

The first event of the year was the General Assembly (GA), the highest decision-
making body of our network. It was be hosted by Ostra Zielen in Warsaw, Poland,
in March 2023. Throughout the four days delegates engaged in political and
organisational debates, adopted reports & plans, voted for amendments and
elected the new Executive Committee.

This year's GA was exceptionally important for two reasons. We updated statutes
with several amendments, including a major change of structure in membership -
we opened the door for Eastern European organisations from the EU to be more
involved members instead of partners. We also took a moment to reflect on our
journey and celebrate CDN's 20th anniversary with a lively panel discussion.
Following documents were adopted:Reports & Plans:Activity Report, Financial
Report, Activity Plan, Financial Plan; Statutes and Internal Rules of Procedure
we updated, Stautes, Internal Rules of Procedure; Three resolutions were
approved:Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups in Eastern Europe, CDN-FYEG Relations
Paper Revision, Resolution linked to Statutes Amendments 2 - concerning the
change of the membership structure; Delegates also amended following
documents:Political Platform, Safe Space Policy, Strategy Paper 2022-24. We also
welcomed new Observer organisation - Neoi Prasinoi - Young Greens of Greece.
While with updating statutes, Ostra Zieleń (Polish Young Greens) andProtests
became member organisations. And finally, the General Assembly also elected the
new Executive Committee.

Minutes of the General Assembly.

Annual Work Plan on Climate: Bring Your Tote Bag
But Smash the System

The realization of the Work Plan has passed successfully, with core elements of
the first activity, Eastern European Climate Summer Camp, being the facilitation
of space where young activists met, learned from the facilitators and each other
about climate crisis and related adverse effects, and shared and gained skills
necessary for tackling these issues on different levels of influence (political,
societal, educational…), hence contributing to the aim of the Work Plan, which
was to equip the young people from Eastern Europe with better understanding of
climate crisis and skills for mobilising the youth around the issue, in order to
empower them to bring systemic change in their local communities and regions.
Summer Camp lasted for 7 days and was held in Ulcinj, Montenegro, hosted by URA.
It gathered 36 participants from 17 countries and 8 prep team members from 6
countries.

The second part of the Work Plan were Local Actions or Eastern European Climate
Campaigns, where representatives of participating organisations of the first
activity organised local and regional Campaigns with topics and activities
related to the Climate Crisis. Out of 10 applications involving 15 countries, 7
Campaigns were selected involving 10 countries of Eastern Europe:

The Campaign in Bosnia and Hercegovina conducted by Revolt focused on education
of youth and their mobilisation for the fight against contributors to Climate
Crisis. Utilising NFE methods, they organised an internal training, 3-day
educational event, and two activist gatherings. New Regions from Belarus took
the educational approach as well, organising 5 events (3 online, and 2 in
person) which focused on sustainable practices and countering the adverse
effects of Climate Crisis. Young Greens of Georgia focused on raising the
knowledge base about climate crisis in Georgian language with the creation of 6
articles and 3 educational videos. Green Youth of Ukraine opted for a concrete
and relevant problem-solution approach, organising awareness raising activities
in elementary and high schools about the adverse effects of burning crops in
autumn and proposing composting as solution. Czech Young Greens worked on
mobilisation and green movement building around climate issues, organising
meetings, and producing a publication. Protest from Latvia took an artistic
approach and developed a performance which was played twice, coupled with
complementary street actions. Young Greens of Greece joined the regional
Campaign conducted by Green Youth of Serbia and MODOM (North Macedonia) who,
together with two partner organisations from Croatia (Green Window) and
Montenegro (URA), organised a pan-Balkan “Let’s TRAIN” Campaign, focusing on
advocating for improved and more sustainable railway infrastructure in the
Balkans, directed at stakeholders in their respective countries. The showcase of
Local Actions results can be found HERE.

Regional Focus

Regional focus remains integral part of our work. On that account, we organised
feminist cross-regional meetingfor young women activists in Green political
parties. Furthermore, each EC member is assigned entire region and MOs within
now and is responsible to organise quarterly catch-up calls. The cross-regional
meeting brought together dozen women from Green parties and youth wings across
Eastern Europe. We used non-formal methodology as guiding tool for the session
that were led by team of volunteers thus creating safe environment with peer-to-
peer learning principle. We also had expert invited to deliver 1/3 of sessions
that was highly evaluated by the participants. Our focus equipped young women
from political parties with necessary skills to actively take part in political
processes. One of the prep team members run for the local council of Belgrade
and was elected in December 2023. Within the framework of the event, we
organised public panel discussion with women politicians, including co-chair of
Green-Left Front and MP Biljana Djordjevic, from Serbia to discuss their
experience, challenges and hopes - livestream is available HERE.

Contributing to Green Peace & Security Debate

During the six days of the Study Session “Green Perspectives on European
Security” that was held in the European Youth Centre in Budapest in October
2023, co-organised by the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe
(CDN), Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG), and Green European Foundation
(GEF), in cooperation with Youth Department of the Council of Europe, 34
participants from 17 European countries, together with a team of 5 people from 5
countries, discussed, exchanged experiences, and generated knowledge about the
state of play regarding the security situation in Europe, questions of what
security means to people from different backgrounds and what areas of life are
impacted the most by the security concerns, what frames of reference we need in
order to interpret current security issues, and what the Green movement has to
offer in terms of the way policies are formed around concerns of European
security. During the session, we primarily focused on the following objectives:

Being organised by both CDN and FYEG, this Study Session provided a unique
opportunity for gathering of young people involved in the green movement from
both (traditionally understood) Western and Eastern Europe, and engage them in
discussions related to current concerns around European security, as well as for
fostering a dialogue between young people coming from different political,
geographical, economic, and social realities, and carrying with them a different
set of experiences and historical baggage. The group saw a positive and fruitful
setting of the common ground, and common goals to pursue, while acknowledging
the diverse perspectives and unequal needs of people from different parts of
Europe.

With a common vision in mind: that of a peaceful, prosperous, cooperative, and
green Europe, participants and the team behind the Session produced the Toolkit,
to serve as a guiding document for organisations and individuals seeking to
bring this vision into reality.

Professionalisation and growing internal
capacities

Looking inwards and ensuring relevance and sustainability of the organisation
was high on the priority of 2024 working year. As planned, we organised less in-
person activities while focused to improve the quality of the events. We managed
to this by better preparation, smooth logistics, as well as better content with
invited experts to deliver several sessions.

There was a restructure in office and office assistant got promoted to Finance
and Office manager that contributed to improved management and clearer division
of roles with Secretary General. At the same time, we did not renew position of
Project Assistant due to lack of relevance and need. The process of restructure
is ongoing. 2023 was the first year during which we started fully using new
accounting software that improved financial management as well as transparency
and accountability.

In order to improve and better coordinate the work of the Executive Committee,
we adopted “Delegation order” that outlines decision making authority for
individual assigned EC responsibles. This has significantly improved the
effectiveness of the work of the EC, collaboration between staff-EC and overall
health of organisational management. Simultaneously, we developed more detailed
Task List of the Executive Committee that includes all responsibilities
throughout the year with descriptions that enables better understanding of their
work by EC members. Task list corresponds with delegation order.

During 2023 General Assembly, we started the working on a new, four-year
Strategy. We heavily invested in this process, organised strategic planning
meeting attached to the GA to ensure its relevance for the MOs. Taking the
report from SPM into account, the Secretary General led the process and together
with an EC representative worked on the initial draft, which was subsequently
reviewed and approved by the entire Executive Committee. In the second phase,
the draft was shared with MOs and Partners with a survey to gather feedback,
guiding further revisions. Simultaneously, Secretary General organised several
meetings with stakeholders including in-person feedback session during Study
Session in Budapest attended by 10 participants. Based on the input, Secretary
General and a designated EC member further refined the strategy. The Strategy is
ready for the amendments and final adoption by Member Organisations on the 2024
General Assembly.

Finally, process of updating Visual Identity and Website starting by the end of
2023 and finished in March 2024 from which CDN has a new logo, visual identity,
and well-working website.

Building alliances and Networking

CDN continued the good cooperation with Young European Greens. We had joint
study session “Green Perspectives on European Security”. Throughout the year we
took part in the FYEG activities (General Assembly, Summer Camp) as well as
provided space for FYEG participants on our events. We planned the cooperation
in the activities for 2024 (European Train Tour, Alter-COP) and scheduled the
joint EC-EC meeting during the European Green Party Congress in Lyon, February
2024. Following the 2023 CDN GA decision, we revised the relations paper that
was published in May 2023.

The EC and Office were invited for the European Green Party Congress in Lyon,
February 2024 even though our role is limited as an observer the meeting brings
different stakeholders together with whom it is possible to organise side
meetings. We participated in other events organised by EGP and other European
Green organisations: Secretary General took part in European Ideas Lab organized
by EGP and Greens/EFA in March and together with two EC members in European
Green Academy in November.

Other Green stakeholders remained on our radars. As the side event of our study
session we met with Hungarian Green mayor, MPs and youth. We did not organise a
study visit in the country where we do not currently have a member organisation
and are underrepresented in our network – we moved it to 2024.

We also increased CDN’s engagement with other stakeholders with whom we share
basic values. Secretary General took part in the Consultative Meeting of Council
of Europe and in the two Ulex training.

Executive Committee Work

All of the activities that are explained in the document are enabled by the work
of the Executive Committee and office. Throughout the year we organised 4 live
EC Meetings during which the EC decided on their responsibilities and tasks;
discuss upcoming and asses past activities; map and establish the topical
priorities for the next year's projects; share takeaways from the regional calls
and feedback from the members; make other relevant decisions.

As mentioned in the strategy document, we want to strengthen the position of
Treasurer within the EC. Based on the inputs of the 2022 treasurer meeting, we
implemented the recommendations such as a financial overview during the EC
meetings by the treasurer, closer communication between the treasurer and
Secretary General; higher involvement of the treasurer in decision-making
regarding the budgets. Treasurer visit took place attached to the second
Executive Committee Meeting in May.

We adopted the important documents regulating the work of EC, namely the Task
Delegation and Communication Strategy.

Digital Activities

Throughout the year CDN published 9 statements, disseminated the resolutions
voted on 2023 GA, promoted young green candidates in elections in Poland and
Serbia and hosted two episodes of ElectionVisions on Turkey and Poland as well
as scheduled the next episode on Serbia in January 2024. We continued the open
space for others to suggest online activity that resulted in organisation of
webinar on the relevant political issues ("Increasing russian influence in
Georgia while waiting for EU candidate status" in August).

CDN started creation of social media campaign focusing on sanctions on companies
still operating in Russia. The videos being part of the campaign were recorded
during the study session and the campaign was scheduled for January and February
2024.