Certified Baltic Sea NGO's qualify as Civic Society Builders

This message intends to identify like-minded partners in the Baltic Sea region for installing a

Certification of NGO's.

Improving the performance of the these essential tools for reaching autonomous civic society structures is a world-wide and urgent need.

It is prudent to connect the innovation with the reconstruction of civic life in the countries at the Eastern rim of the Baltic Sea and with the process of improving cohesion and convergence, on which the success of the enlarged EU and also the EU neighbourhood relations vitally depend.

The peoples in the Baltic Sea region, since many centuries, practice co-operation and cultural exchange. This encourages to start the challenging certification task right here. Messages of success in this region will soon spread around the world.

The core piece is continuous, exhaustive and in-depth going audit. It examines the persons and institutions behind and within each NGO (the "who") and the quality of their activities (the "how").

The participation will be voluntary because internal affairs are laid open to the controllers. The audit will be in the hands of trustworthy special independent service bodies of NGO associations.

Detected deficiencies will be solved, without delay, where necessary, with the help of the same or other association specialists.

A NGO which meets (at the time of the audit or after corrections) high quality and performance standards can apply for a certificate which (if no unforeseeable or extra-ordinary events take place) will be valid until the subsequent control.

The proposed system would reduce, in a short time-span, the all too often negative consequences of the actually prevailing libertinage in the NGO world. At the same time, it would prevent or buffer official interventions, intromissions (e.g. Russian NGO licensing) and sanctions.

This would help to generate really sustainable social and civic society interest structures, especially in the new Baltic Sea region EU countries, from which this region as a whole, West and East, EU and neighbouring non-EU regions, would benefit.

Ethically oriented practice and, additionally, permanent control of the performance of the practitioners have to to work hand-in-hand. Synenergy is vital to reach the aim: Solid communities which respect and live up to the common European cultural heritage.

Such a modality provides, by far, more comprehensive, profound and detailed insights than ordinary commercial audit.

It includes personal behaviour and professional performance of managers and line personnel of the NGO. There will be a special handling of those using "other people's money", in the form of donations, subsidies, honoraries for services or entrusted money.

The best imaginable practice for such a thorough control would be the methodology of the so-called association audit (= group own but, nevertheless, independent, in-depth going self-controls, executed by entrusted service units, in combination with problems solution help) of the Continental Western European co-operatives and mutual societies.

The know-how holders should be consulted. The writer is willing to volunteer for reaching knowledge and experience sharing agreements. He possesses good connections with the coop's world.

This "control-plus-improvements" modality is the pre-condition for a certification, for NGO's participating in business life (e.g. "credit unions" and other coop' type bodies) and for non-profit institutions, as well.

Certifying NGO's would be a big innovation, not only for the ex-Soviet Baltic Sea Regions but for Europe, as a whole, and world-wide.

NGO's, until to-day, operate widely un-controlled what, frequently, causes irregularities, failures, deceptions and mistrust. This hampers self-help initiatives, especially in Eastern Europe. Efficient self-control would change this situation radically.


The proposed controls would alleviate the supervision burden of the respective public authorities, especially that of the small Baltic State administrations (e.g. NGO projects with EU regional funds). Certified NGO's would be safe partners for official up-rise programmes.

This self-control would be more effective than governmental supervision ever could be.

The Statal supervision organs could restrict themselves to keeping a watching eye on the auditing and certifying units. Direct control of NGO's, nowadays the core of the supervising task, would be delegated.

At first, institutions which, by their nature and ruling principles, are defenders of ethics and morality - e.g. NGO's of the churches or such led by them - should be addressed as pioneers of the innovation because they will be willing to accept it without hesitation or protest.

It can be anticipated that competition in the NGO world will soon lead to a general practice. Dissident NGO's would loose access to donations, public funds, to public programmes, money deposits or other kinds of funding.

A cleansing of the NGO sector would take place. Trust of authorities, contributors, users and the public would be a solid building ground for autonomous and sustainable civic self-help and a more equitable society.

At first, those who fear transparency might protest. This would show that the objectives are at reach. NGO's with good management which deliver social interest results, have nothing to fear. They will use the "certificate" as prove of the high quality of the institution and its work.

Durable institutional and personal West-East ties will increase when the regions at the Eastern Baltic Sea rim demonstrate that they have returned to their good pre-WWII practices. (Until WWII, cooperative "association audits" were exercised in the East, as well.)


Those who adopt the innovation first, will conquer a vanguard position. Especially countries with little weight in the international decision making processes, could profit. The Baltic countries should grasp this unique chance.


The following points, and also the subsequent project suggestions, should be read keeping the above exposed fundamental aspects in mind.

• The creation of the certification system requires a network of confidentially and closely co-operating local, regional and, above all, cross-border institutions.
  
  
  There are steadily increasing connections between the individual Eastern Baltic Sea rim countries and the West. But cross-border exchanges and effective cooperation, even between the three tiny Baltic countries, unfortunately, is still very underdeveloped. This must not continue, in the own interest of the peoples of these countries. All Europe, EU and beyond, expects more cohesion among the Baltic neighbours.
  
  
• An interaction between modern profitable, but, at the same time, common weal oriented, enterprises and non-profit activities should be undertaken, whereever it is viable.
  
  
  On request, the author could inform interested readers about long-term proven solutions of this kind, from his own professional experience. He would be willing to present, i.a., the work of a very successful, church led South American foundation which heads social and civic support units, but also a powerful and competitive financial sector conglomerate with strong social and civic commitment. In the corrupt environment, where it operates, it is a unique symbol of correctness and respect for ethic values. This model could be useful for Eastern Europe.
  
  
• Respect for and practice of the ethic values of European civilization have been widely discontinued in the regions which for many decades were Soviet governed.
  
  Civic society bodies were a danger for the rulers. Therefore, they were radically eliminated. When Soviet rule ended, there was a structural vacuum. Continuity had already been interrupted, at the beginning of this period. The once flourishing civic self-help systems in the Eastern Baltic Sea region has passed away.
  
  There is one big exception: The established churches. They suffered but they survived. Now, they are the only who are able to close the gap between State and citizen. There are no alternatives.
  
  In my opinion, the established churches - in the East, but in the West, as well - are committed to accept a leading role for the return of structures which are in-line with the common cultural heritage of the Baltic Sea Region.
  
  The argument that they are not prepared for such a huge task, is not convincing. Sharing burdens with their natural partners at the Western rim of the Baltic Sea would enable them. Their Western counterparts should no longer hesitate or hide behind charity. Physical presence on the spot is required.
  
  The challenge is huge but it is also a unique chance for the churches in the East. If they do not accept an active role for their peoples, they will become obsolete.
  
  As committed partners of the struggle for recovery, they will generate social competence. Their mission (Note: The term "mission" should be understood in a double sense) would become adjusted to the burning needs of our times.
  
  
• The institutional options for civic society oriented bodies are cooperatives, mutual societies, corporations, foundations and civic associations, or combinations.
  
  
  If contributors and users among the broad public are sought, coop's or mutuals would be the appropriate solutions. If a structure shall be guided or oriented by a corporation (e.g. a religious order), a foundation could become the head of inter-connected social, civic and economic self-help institutions. The choice depends on the aims and objectives.
  
  
  Projects for a partnership based, actual basic needs addressing co-operation could be:

• The Baltic Sea Region wide NGO certification system itself which should be offered to all non-profit and commercial self-help bodies, their donors and supporters, to forward looking auditors in the Eastern Baltic Sea region and to the supervising authorities.
  
  
  It is advisable to lay the foundations for this system, without delay. The writer of this text is willing to volunteer but like-minded cooperators are required. The best would be to create a task force, right away. The call for co-operation addresses, above all, experienced Western seniors.
  
  Audit experts from the church-close cooperative banks would be very helpful.
  
  
  As already said above, the innovation could foster the acceptance of the small Baltic countries. Therefore, first, local partners should be sought there. It would be advantageous to have partners in several of these countries, from the very beginning on. A project of this kind would be very suitable for a joint West-East-West cross-border activity.
  
  
• As soon as the proposed self-control units operate, practical services for the "grass-root" clientel of economic self-help bodies - low and middle income earners - could be envisaged.
  
  
  Financial assistance would be an option. To reach the needy, it is not necessary, and perhaps not advisable, to found a bank (Note: This might come later). It would be very useful, to centre on offering professional advice for credit seekers and monitoring negotiations with financial market players.
  
  
• A "Baltic Sea Region HIV/AIDS Centre" (see also the mentioned web-sites). A close co-operation with the established churches would be very beneficial. Links with "AIDS Foundation East-West" (www.afew.org) and its Baltic Sea Region counterparts already exist.
  
  This activity has been included because first seizable results have already been reached, among them a church connected initiative group in one of the Baltic countries (for details see one of the below mentioned web-sites).

For the back-ground of the proposals, for a "who-is-who", for connected activities, please, consult the web-sites of "Baltic Sea Foundation for Environmental and Regional Development" and "Support Circle 'Livonian Common Weal and Economic Society' of 1792", www.baltic-sea-foundation.org, or www.ostsee-stiftung.org, or www.livonian-common-weal.org or www.livlaendische-gemeinnuetzige.org. Feed-back, please address to lewerenz.juergen@freenet.de (in English or German).