The Green Patrol is the voice of citizens, from local communities, who are fighting for environmental protection. It has been filmed since 2010, based on reports sent by CSOs, environmental activists and citizens about environmental threats in local communities. In order to solve or prevent environmental problems, it is necessary to make the problems visible through the media. The aim of the project is to make the problem visible in order to put pressure on decision makers.
Cross-border/international
Serbia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Member State(s), Western Balkans and other countries: Croatia
Member State(s), Western Balkans and other countries: Slovenia
Member State(s), Western Balkans and other countries: Montenegro
Member State(s), Western Balkans and other countries: Greece
Member State(s), Western Balkans and other countries: Romania
Pirot, Nova Varos, Prijepolje, Backa Topola, Bela Crkva, Beograd, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Subotica, Kragujevac, Vrbas, Zrenjanin, Backa Palanka, Becej, Subotica, Kosjeric, Becej, Loznica, Apatin, Vrsac, Srbobran, Kikinda, Arilje, Prahovo, Sjenica, Indjija, Sremski Karlovci, Smederevo, Backa Palanka, Sombor, Kula, Kovin, Priboj, Ub, Valjevo, Kraljevo, UB, Lajkovac, Stara Pazova, Smederevska Palanka. There is practically no municipality in Serbia where we haven't filmed or a had the series broadcast on local television.
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
IPA : Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance
Program: Parliament as the basis of the rule of law, implemented by CRTA, 2021.
No
Yes
2021-12-21
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Green Initiative of Vojvodina Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Dino Last name of representative: Mujanovic Gender: Male Nationality: Serbia Function: Associate journalist and translator. Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Janka Cmelika 60/1 Town: Novi Sad Postal code: 21000 Country: Serbia Direct Tel:+381 63 8226808 E-mail:dnmujanovic@gmail.com Website:http://www.vojvodjanskazelenainicijativa.org.rs/
The Green Patrol is the voice of citizens, from local communities, who are fighting for environmental protection. The series has been filmed since 2010, based on reports sent by CSOs, environmental activists and citizens about environmental threats in local communities. In order to solve environmental problems or prevent their occurrence, it is necessary to make the problems visible to the public through the media. The aim of the project is to make the problem visible in order to put pressure on the decision makers to respect the Laws, procedures and standards in accordance with the EU standards. The target group and users are: the public, the media, CSOs and activists, decision makers. Activities: recording and broadcast of episodes on television, internet media, electronic media, social networks. The task of the series is to change the thinking, behavior and attitudes of decision makers, the professional public and citizens when it comes to responsibility for environmental protection and adaptation to climate change. The result of the project is more than 150 half-hour episodes on various environmental topics: sustainable development; climate changes; biodiversity; pollution of water, soil, air; circular economy; renewable energy sources, energy efficiency. During the previous period, more than 150 local environmental CSOs and informal initiatives were supported through the recording and broadcast. The broadcasts of the series was seen by several million citizens in Serbia and the region. Also, it is important to point out the fact that the recorded topics are followed up even after the episode is aired on television, the Green Patrol team remains media support for environmental activists and CSOs until the final solution to the problem. The program is updated from time to time with new facts from the field. The series is translated into English and Hungarian and it has received the most significant media awards and awards for documentary film and reportage.
environment
climate change
sustainable development
accessibility
local communities
Key objectives: raise the level of public awareness of the importance of environmental protection, sustainable development, circular economy and adaptation to climate change, through information on the ecological aspects of investments and projects; to make visible the consequences of not solving environmental problems for nature, climate and the health of the inhabitants, through the broadcast of the series in Serbia and the region; encourage decision-makers to create an enabling environment for investing in the circular economy, sustainable development and energy efficiency, through the promotion of the rule of law and compliance with EU legislation. The series has been filmed since 2010 and so far 160 half-hour shows have been recorded. The sustainability of the results is ensured through monitoring and recording of the changes in the field, from year to year, until there is a final solution of the problem. The public and the media can monitor, through the broadcast of updated episodes how the coverage of the Green Patrol team influenced decision-makers and investors to respect the Laws of the Republic of Serbia and EU legislation. The sustainability of the project and the results of the project is achieved through: timely, complete and objective reporting, then through the broadcast of series continuously on a large number of televisions, through the dissemination of information sourced from the Green Patrol in other media, through the media support of the Green Patrol team to environmental CSOs and citizens, through winning media and film awards, etc. The sustainability of the project is based on the areas it covers: environmental protection, media, freedom of expression, rule of law. The project can serve as an example of long-term action in the field of environmental protection and free media reporting.
The goal of the project is to raise the standards of reporting in the field of environmental protection and investigative journalism, but also to push the boundaries in the cultural and artistic approach. We believe that it is important for the topics we report on and for the citizens we support to attract and retain the public's attention. Apart from the reliability, verifiability, timeliness and objectivity of the reporting, the attractiveness and exclusivity of the reporting is important, which is achieved through the engaged and activist approach of the Green Patrol team. Media awards for reporting in the field of environmental protection and investigative journalism, as well as awards for documentary film and reportage, speak of this approach. Information needs to be "packed" in an artistic concept (documentary film) so that its effect is more long-lasting and suggestive. One should not stop at just reporting on a topic. The theme needs to be given elements of humanity, which is achieved through the emotionality that the film approach enables. The "life" of information in a sea of information is short. The life of the episode, which was filmed as a documentary film, does not end with its broadcast on television, it is translated into English and sent to media contests, as well as documentaries and reportage festivals in Serbia and the world. This is an opportunity for the world public to become familiar with topics coming from Serbia and the region. Awards and recognitions bring the topic and actors back into the public's focus! So, in this way, a "longer" life of the topic in the public is ensured, which is one of the goals of the project. The high media standard that the series meets allows the series to be broadcast on a large number of televisions. That makes the problem visible to a wider public. When the problem is visible to the public, then the decision makers have to to solve it. When the problem is solved, it benefits the environment.
The goal of the project is to ensure access to the media and the public, for representatives of CSOs, activists and citizens from local communities that are far from media centers, through the recording of half-hour episodes on topics that are important for the local community regarding environmental protection and the quality of life of citizens. The series is broadcast throughout the territory of the Republic of Serbia and abroad (Macedonia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Germany, etc.) Each episode is based on an application from citizens from local communities who do not have access to the media. Therefore, the documentary TV series "Green Patrol in Action" enables citizens, who live in local communities far from the centers of power and media houses, to reach the public, television and other media. The Green Patrol, as a highly mobile team, often reaches the most remote places in Serbia and the region before other media, in order to report on the consequences of endangering the environment. One of the goals is to make the series visible in the entire territory of Serbia, because apart from the informative aspect, the series is also educational. The Hungarian minority lives on the territory of the Republic of Serbia. For the purposes of information and inclusion of the Hungarian minority in the information space of Serbia, the series is translated into Hungarian and broadcast on RTV Panonn from Subotica. In this way, the series is accessible for understanding and viewing by all citizens in Serbia and the region. In order to reach younger generations, we record teasers and publish them on social networks.
The goal of the project is to encourage citizens, who fight for environmental protection and quality of life, to persevere until the problem is solved through long-term media support from the Green Patrol team. We invite citizens to report problems to our email address and on our Facebook page. So far, citizens have reported more than 1,500 problems. The criteria by which the Green Patrol team chooses which topic to film: the extent of the consequences of not solving the problem for nature and the health of citizens, how long have the citizens been fighting for a solution to the problem and whether they have exhausted all legal options, whether they are ready to cooperate in filming in sense of host on the field and making statements, the urgency of solving the problem, the variety of problems compared to the previously filmed, the variety of locations where filming is crucial. When we make a decision about which topic we will film, there is an agreement with representatives of local CSOs or activists about what we will film in the field. Given the fact that we support citizens who have been fighting for a basic human right for a long time, we largely adopt their suggestions on what to film in an endangered location, who to interview from citizens, activists, experts, decision makers, investors, etc. The Green Patrol team has been working as a same group of people for 13 years and has enormous experience and knowledge. Experience has shown us that we can rely on representatives of local CSOs and citizens when it comes to the selection of filming locations, then the selection of interlocutors and relevant documentation. For the concept of the show, we also consult with citizen in order to emphasize the aspect of the problem that is a priority for solving. We started filming the series in order to enable citizens to receive a show that fully examines the problem of endangering nature and proposes a solution that suits the citizens.
Stakeholders: public, media, citizens, decision makers, experts. An example on how are they all engaged - citizens and representatives of CSOs launch an initiative to prevent the destruction of biodiversity due to the cutting of pine forest in a protected natural asset. Decision-makers (Public Company Vojvodinasume (Vojvodina forests)) talk about the motives that led to the cutting. Experts from the Faculty of Science talk about the importance of protecting authentic habitats and, as a result of the irresponsible management of protected natural resources, television broadcasts a half-hour episode that fully and truthfully reports on the endangerment of biodiversity, which enables the public to be timely and accurately informed. The added value of this approach is that the public, which is timely, truthful and fully informed, can participate in decision-making processes of public importance. Link to the episode: https://vimeo.com/695336759
VERY IMPORTANT: None of the interested parties ever had an objection to the credibility of the information or to the approach to the topic, even though 160 half-hour episodes were recorded.
Disciplines/fields of knowledge: collection of financial resources for the implementation of the project from state institutions and donors; management of the project and the resources available to the Green Patrol team; management of project results; the skill of creating team spirit; television journalism; environmental protection; public relations; film creativity; social networks; translation into English, translation into Hungarian, self-motivation; self-control; etc. The added value of this project comes from the fact that members of the Green Patrol team are involved in each of the episodes multiple times! The Green Patrol team is small and therefore flexible and mobile. That saves time and money! The mobility and coordination of the team members made it possible to record the best episodes. The Green Patrol team has been the same for the last 10 years. The added value of this project comes from the team spirit, the mutual commitment of the team members, the family business culture fostered by the Green Patrol team. This made it possible to record the series even in situations where there were not enough financial resources for salaries and fees! Awareness of the importance of the existence of the Green Patrol and its irreplaceability in the field of promoting environmental protection and supporting local communities, in Serbia and the region, has kept the Green Patrol team together all these years. The stability of the team made it possible to assume the obligations of broadcasting series on a weekly basis, according to the Agreement on broadcasting series with televisions. Long-term joint work made it possible to persevere on the original media concept of the series, which implies information and education through a cinematic approach to the topics.
The results of the project are: 160 half-hour episodes were recorded on the topics of: biodiversity, climate change, sustainable development, recycling, mini hydro powered plants, construction, air, soil and water pollution, etc. The series was seen by several million people in Serbia and the region. Media supported at least 160 CSOs and their representatives, activists, citizens, experts, decision-makers, investors from all over Serbia. After the recording of the episodes, some issues have been solved (10%), some started to be solved (30%), the situation has not changed (50%), the situation has worsened (10%). The impact of the project is realized through broadcasting on local televisions. Watching the Green Patrol in Action, which promotes the struggle of ordinary citizens for the right to a healthy environment, citizens from the local areas have encouraged and do not tolerate the destruction of the environment and the deterioration of the quality of life. At the moment, in Serbia, at least 30 localities are rebelling against the brutal illegal exploitation of natural resources by Chinese companies. When we started filming the series, there were no such rebellions in which entire villages guard and defend resources. We believe that the continuity of reporting established by the Green Patrol contributed to citizens understanding the importance of environmental protection. Citizens are now determined to stand up to corruption. In addition, Green Patrol has made environmental topics exclusive and attractive, so the media reports on them much more than it was in 2010, when the filming of the series began.
Also, there are more and more authentic informal local environmental initiatives that have arisen as a result of distrust in formal CSOs that deal with "salon" ecology.
High degree of theme exclusivity. Citizens, when it comes to topics from the field of environmental protection, first inform the Green Patrol team. The Green Patrol is recognized by the public as someone who will certainly contribute to the solution of the problem. How? The Green Patrol team either records the episode on the topic or forwards the topic to journalists from other media, with whom it has good cooperation. In the event that the degree of urgency is high, the Green Patrol will record the episode and forward the topic to other media, because one of the goals of the Green Patrol is timely and complete media support for CSOs and activists who fight for environmental protection. It is innovative that we have built the image of the Green Patrol team as qualified for objective and complete reporting, mobile, present on the ground, efficient, morally impeccable, reliable, persistent, professional, courageous. This image opens the door to the public and the media for topics from local communities, which are far from the public eye. The Green Patrol team has a distinctive uniform for different seasons. The Green Patrol team is at the source of information related to threats to nature and the quality of life of citizens. At the end of each episode as well as on the Facebook page Green Patrol in Acton, there is an invitation to CSOs, activists and citizens to report problems from their local areas. This allows the Green Patrol team to have exclusive and first reporting on many environmental topics. Apart from television, which broadcasts the series under the "Green Patrol in Action" broadcast contract, many media (electronic, internet, social networks) download the information obtained by Green Patrol, referring to the source - Green Patrol in Action team.
Combination of reality approach with statements: citizens, activists, experts, decision makers, then documentation with photos, videos, answers of institutions according to the Law on Availability of Information of Public Importance and professional literature. Most important is that each information we provide is true, accurate, complete, verifiable, nicely packaged. In addition to information, the broadcasts also include "drama" from the field as well as the atmosphere that accompanied the filming. In this way, citizens identify themselves with the Green Patrol team. The Green Patrol is the voice of citizens in the media and the public. Examples of problems: Illegal exploitation of sand from the Danube. After the recording of this episode, the public prosecutor filed a criminal complaint against the investor for the attack on the journalist team of the Green Patrol. The court process is ongoing. The last natural oasis of the city of Novi Sad has been attacked by a Chinese company, which is starting work on the construction of a bridge without permits. CSO representatives and environmental activists are organizing "Sodros - survivor camp" in order to prevent illegal works and defend the 200 strictly protected species of flora and fauna. The police deal brutally with environmental activists and arrest them. The camp is still in the same place, along with all the endangered species due to the visibility media created and a strong public voice against the destruction of that habitat.
Green Patrol in Action model: a small team that is efficient and mobile. It can react both reactively and proactively. Local communities need mobile journalist teams, which will prepare complete, true and timely information, respecting the basic media postulates (who, what, where, how, why). This team could use a cell phone for recording and editing to begin with and can send the prepared information to all media! Some media will transmit the information in an integral form, some will reformulate the information (according to whether it is electronic, internet, tabloids, social networks) and refer to the source, and some will send their teams to the location. From the Green Patrol experience, we can say that half an hour after sending the information via email to the media, publication begins. Why is it important to act quickly? Because environmental incidents must be quickly identified to be able to mobilize the community, responsible persons and solve the problem. In order to solve the problem, it must be visible to the public, which will put pressure on decision-makers and responsible persons in companies. These teams could initially work on a voluntary basis until they secure funds through projects to improve their reporting. They would position themselves to the local community as someone who can be trusted and who is effective in reporting. Why is citizen journalism necessary? Because the local media are financed from the local self-government budget and are sponsored by companies, which are the cause of endangering the environment and citizens' health. They were initially prevented from reporting objectively, timely and completely. This problem is overcome by fostering citizen journalism.
There are two biggest challenges facing humanity on the planet: the meaning of humanity's existence and climate change. These two seemingly parallel challenges at this time are intertwined. We believe that in the present time, the meaning of humanity's existence can largely be seen as an attempt to adapt humanity to climate change. In the documentary TV series "Green Patrol in Action", the most diverse consequences of the consumerist and profit-oriented approach to business were recorded on: nature, the environment, the quality of life of citizens and the health of people in local communities. Problems, which result in environmental pollution and climate change, begin in local communities due to a lack of: education, information, responsibility, transparency, rule of law, anti-corruption, democracy, respect for laws, procedures, standards, non-application of examples of good practice, etc. Anything that threatens the local community also threatens the planet. Any solution for adaptation to climate change must start from local communities and remove these disadvantages. The Green Patrol is the first step in solving those problems! It illuminates and makes visible the problem and consequences of pollution and climate change. The Green Patrol is the first voice of citizens in the media and the public! Local solutions will provide an answer to the global challenge both when it comes to the meaning of humanity's existence and when it comes to the response to climate change. The Green Patrol team makes its contribution to climate change adaptation by supporting local communities and promoting local solutions.
