Eco-Ethics International Union: Reports

I have written something about the situation of EEIU Qingdao Chapter. When on April 23rd I met with Ms. Helga Witt from Inter-Research, we talked about this topic, too. In order to make sure that those opinions are based on investigation rather than imagination, I searched some information on the internet. The following is an introduction about Chinese environmental NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations). The plight of these environmental NGOs will be the same for the EEIU.

There were no environmental NGOs in China before 1994. When Beijing applied for the Olympic Games for the first time in 1993, our delegate did not know how to answer the question whether there were non-governmental environmental protection organizations in China.

On March 31st, 1994, the first environmental NGO, Friends of Nature, came into being. Mr. Congjie Liang, son of Academician Sicheng Liang and grandson of famous Mr. Qichao Liang, became director of Friends of Nature. Around 1996, Beijing Earth Village and Green Homeland established to join the efforts of Friends of Nature. As released by the cooperation forum of the Sino-US environmental NGOs in November 2001, there were more than 2000 environmental NGOs in China. NGO members carry out activities such as observing birds, planting trees, preserving endangered wild life, creating green communities, etc. They are volunteers of environmental protection. They contribute their time and money while asking for no pay.

When Beijing applied for the Olympic Games for the second time in 2001, Mr. Liang and other 2 individuals were appointed as the environmental protection advisor of the Olympic Games Applying Committee.

Environmental NGOs, as well as others, face great difficulties. The most prominent issue is registration. In China, each NGO needs a governing unit to register in the Civil Administration Bureau. Because the governing unit should undertake responsibility for the NGO, no unit wishes to be the governing unit. The second difficulty is the shortage of funds. This might be in part due to the incomplete tax system. The third problem is that environmental NGOs are too weak to influence governmental policy making, even locally. In China, activities erring from environmental protection have a strong background. (Extract, Nanfangzhoumo, Jan 18, 2002)

On April 15th, 2003, the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Science, gave a report named 'Development of NGOs in China and related research'. The reporter, Prof. Ming Wang, is director of an NGO research center, vice dean of the College of Commonality Management, Qinghua University, and committeeman of the National Political Consultant Committee. In his report, Prof. Wang pointed out that the shortage of donations from common people and shortage of trust and governmental support was a weakness accompanying NGOs from the beginning. Two serious characteristics of NGOs make them lose their attraction for common people: (1) as nonprofit organizations, they show up to be profitable; (2) as non-governmental organizations, they show up to be with strong governmental backgrounds. (Extract, http://www.cass.net.cn/webnew/file/200304286311.html)

Many people realized the embarrassing plight of environmental NGOs and began to turn their eyes to developed countries. Some environmental NGOs sent members to visit NGOs in Europe. Some individuals tried to find the cure by comparing environmental NGOs in developed countries to those in China. Prof. Ji Zou from the College of Environment, Renmin University of China, said that NGOs in western countries have more influence due to their higher specialty. NGOs such as Foundation of Cranes, International River Organizations, etc, focus their efforts in a specified field and can fulfill their goals more extensively. Another aspect of specialty is that of manpower. These NGOs have attracted many specialists to work in their combined efforts. Western NGOs make great efforts to influence the governmental policy making process. For example, eight US environmental protection organizations sued the US Pentagon because NMD experiments on the western coast might destroy the environment. (Extract, Nanfangzhoumo, Jan 18, 2002)

The Chinese government has realized the role of environmental NGOs in the country. The government will support the development of the NGOs and get them well organized. The following is the attitude of the Chinese Government about environmental protection organizations (Last updated 10 December 2003).

China to establish network for non-governmental environmental protection organizations

China will give full play to the role of non-governmental organizations for environmental protection to push forward the healthy development of environment conservation. This is learned from the Seminar on Environment Culture and Public Participation held on December 8 in Beijing.

Pan Yue, vice-minister of the State Environmental Protection Administration pointed out at the seminar that to bring the function of non-governmental organizations for environment protection into full play is an important, and also a direct, way of advancing environmental protection, and for public participation in social affairs.

Sources say that China will, hopefully in two years, establish a nationwide cooperation network for environmental protection including all legal non-governmental organizations and volunteers for environmental protection. With this network, non-governmental environmental protection organizations and volunteers will receive every year periodic business training and specialized directives in batches. China will ensure the success of the Green China Forum and make the forum as often as possible, standardized and internationalized. The network will promote the brand of 'Green China' and introduce environmental ideas and environment culture to the society via this platform. In addition, non-governmental organizations and volunteers for environmental protection will be organized to accumulate environment information and hand in constructive proposals to governmental departments concerned.

Front page, People's Daily Overseas Edition, December 9, written by He Yong and translated by PD Online staff member Gao Lanrong.

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The following is my opinion.

1. Volunteers, and the organization of volunteers (NGOs) appeared only when economics developed to a specific level. It is normal for NGOs to appear in China later than in western developed countries. And it is also normal that NGOs in China are located mostly in large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen where the economy is comparatively developed. Environmental NGOs will only be elite organizations until China's economy becomes fully developed. Only when the common people get rich, can they get in touch with the internet and therefore get the voice of the NGOs which is usually on the web instead of in newspapers.

2. Environmental NGOs in China have some serious shortcomings. One of them is, as stated above, that their propaganda is limited. Common people cannot get informed. Secondly, unless these NGOs become independent from their governmental background, and shake off the (possibly misapprehensive) impression of profit, they will not attract the help of the common people. Thirdly, environmental NGOs in China have not made any import contributions toward environmental protection. They have not influenced the policy-making process. Most of the activities are bird observing, tree planting and some educational work. In the public eye (at least to me), those activities are more like recreation for NGO members than environmental protection.

3. EEIU, as an environmental NGO, cannot spring over the developmental stage of the more than 2000 environmental NGOs in China. There will be a long period for the public to get to know, judge and get involved in eco-ethics.

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Response, 10 May 2004

Many thanks Wuchang! You raise excellent issues, and I have enjoyed the details about the context of environmental NGO work in China. Each area is so different, and such information is very helpful in thinking and planning how best to approach a new region. You face a great many challenges, and are to be commended for maintaining your determination for change in the face of such adversaries.

It does no good to 'put the cart before the horse', as they say, and each area must deal with whatever local restraints and issues exist, and work at a speed that brings true results, and not simply blunder through, pushing roughly and achieving nothing. So, as you point out, the current activities in your area must focus on raising awareness and overcoming societal hurdles before other activities would become feasible.

If I can help in these efforts in any way, I would be more than happy to do so. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to share these thoughts and your study on the situational context — and am sure many of our Union members will as well. A study of the field or 'market' is always a key step in new ventures, one I would like to encourage all young Chapters to undertake. I hope your efforts will also encourage this.

I look forward to hearing from you!

All the best,

Mary Batson

Report, 12 April 2004 (Chair Dr. Wuchang Zhang)

EEIU Qingdao Chapter Reports

Activities:

2003: We submitted a discussion to HQ and translated the EEIU brochure. However, we failed to put our photos on the EEIU webpage because I have some difficulty to select the suitable photos.

Jan — March 2004: Dr. Zhang participated in a cruise to the South China Sea which lasted one month. The EEIU brochure was distributed to cruise members dominated by master students from Xiamen University. It is a pity that response was not strong.

After the cruise, the Chair received the second package of EEIU brochures, Chinese Edition. Both the large EEIU flag and the table flag arrived.

Letter, April 01, 2003

To: Mary Batson, EEIU Coordinator
From: Dr. Wuchang Zhang, Chair, EEIU Qingdao

Dear Mary,

I am glad to hear that a new chapter was established in Beijing. A letter of congratulations will soon be sent to Dr. Zhu.

I am now still in Hong Kong. As you know, this city is struggling with the notorious SARS. I have visited the headquarters of Animal Asia Foundation and met with the leader, Ms. Jill Robinson. This is the first time for me to experience the work of a non-governmental organisation. And certainly, this visit gave me some hints for thinking.

On 11th April, I will go back to Qingdao. Then I will do some work in the scope of EEIU. First, I have some thoughts about Eco-Ethics, which I want to think over and write as a short correspondence. Second, I want to put some pictures on the Chapter website. Third, would you please send us some brochures (about 100 copies) in English? We can then distribute them to the people who are interested in EEIU.

Sincerely yours,

Wuchang Zhang

To: Prof. Otto Kinne, EEIU President
From: Dr. Wuchang Zhang, Chair, EEIU Qingdao

Dear Sir:

I am glad to form a Local EEIU Chapter in China. I have discussed Eco-Ethics with several of my colleagues, most of them Ph.Ds. The response is positive. After reading the brochures and discussions, our views and plans are as follows:

In China, ethics throughout the 2000 years of civilization has been based on relationships within human societies. Some of the thinkers (Laos and Dao) viewed the harmony between man and nature. But followers were rare, except those exercising some skill, like Qigong.

The deterioration of natural resources and environments call for Eco-Ethics. But we have difficulties spreading the word. The difficulties are:

(1) The rapid increase of the global human population forces us to exploit nature unduly and to expand the human habitat.

(2) The development of modern science and technology costs too much in terms of resources and emits too much waste. We enjoy the convenience and assistance of modern technology and hence are reluctant to give up our modern style of life.

(3) The level of education of most people is too low for them to realize the advancing problems. Most of the people in remote areas do not read newspapers. Advertising the need for Nature Preservation can not reach them. The voices of a few scientists are too powerless to be heard.

(4) The rights of co-existing forms of life should be considered as well as the rights of humanity. When we discussed the protection of birds, someone said, the aim is to let our children or grandchildren have the chance to enjoy the beautiful creatures, their feathers and voices. But people supporting Eco-Ethics (including me) said that we don't have the right to kill species as a whole; they were here on the earth earlier than we.

Although we face many difficulties, we want to do something that will be good for the whole society. So the Local EEIU Chapter in Qingdao was founded. At present, we number less than 10 persons. Our plan is to cooperate with the Ecology Academy in Qingdao, which was founded ca. 2 years ago.

Sincerely yours,

Wuchang Zhang

From: Prof. Otto Kinne, EEIU President
To: Dr. Wuchang Zhang, Chair, EEIU Qingdao

Dear Colleague Zhang,

Yes, it is often very difficult to convince people of the need to develop and to apply eco-ethics, especially where conflicts or competitions prevail with human needs and economical interests.

We must make this clear: all human needs and all economical interests can no longer be met if we permit the growing disequilibrium between nature´s capacity to carry life and the utilisation of nature by humanity to pass a critical level. And to our knowledge this critical level is close or has already been surpassed.

The most recent publication addressing this important issue is the Editorial "Equity, fairness, and the development of a sustainability ethos" by John Cairns, Jr., (ESEP 2001:1-7) which appeared in February this year in the publication organ of the EEIU: "Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics" (www.esep.de).

Kind regards,

Otto Kinne

This page was last updated on 10 May 2004.


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