Motivated by the need to give environmental organisations a single voice, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth and the Malta Organic and Agricultural Movement set up the Terra Firma Collective.

Its launch at the end of March came just days before the spring hunting referendum.

Terra Firma Collective coordinator J. D. Farrugia. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

J. D. Farrugia, project coordinator, admits the launch date was “tricky” but says the timing turned out to be ideal.

“I think at the moment people are talking more about environmental issues. There seems to be some momentum and everyone is looking at NGOs.

“These people need to be given something back. They need to be assured that there are those who will work to tackle certain problems. We probably need to work even harder now, which is great.”

The collective will strive to provide space for more communication, collaboration and sharing of resources in an attempt to give organisations the opportunity to have a stronger impact on society and the environment.

Seven NGOs have already signed up and four other applications are being processed.

Mr Farrugia says the decision to bring together different organisations with similar goals is long overdue. Several of the NGOs involved, he notes, have worked together in the past on a number of environmental projects and officially uniting them was the natural next step.

“The great thing about the field is that there have already been occasions where different NGOs have worked together on different aspects. There was a lot of contact between them already and we felt that it was time to get something a bit more formal in place,” Mr Farrugia says.

Three of the more established environmental NGOs – FAA, Birdlife and Kopin – are already on board.

Terra Firma is also working on attracting smaller organisations.

Mr Farrugia insists that lesser-known organisations, such as Youths for the Environment and Let’s Do It Malta, are just as valuable to the collective. “The different organisations all have very interesting things to talk about and it’s a shame that their message does not get through. Instead of having all these NGOs talking over each other, we can have one strong voice as Terra Firma.

We can’t see ourselves as separate from the environment anymore

“We are encouraging a lot of the newer organisations, especially those which are youth based, to join. We’d also like to see more women getting involved in the environmental sector,” he adds.

Mr Farrugia is quick to add that, for better results in this sector, there needs to be less of a divide between the people and the environment. “We can’t see ourselves as separate from the environment anymore. We are part of the environment and it’s there to be protected by everyone.”

The collective will also be offering members training on a regular basis through consultation sessions, training camps and visits to organisations abroad.

“Offering training will, in turn, make Terra Firma more sustainable as we would be further strengthening the NGOs.”

Mr Farrugia says it is beneficial to have the bigger organisations on board. For instance, he adds, one of the founding members is Friends of The Earth Malta, which means Terra Firma automatically has contacts within Friends of the Earth Europe, a massive organisation in Brussels.

He insists such connections are invaluable to the collective as this allows them to work hand in hand with their European counterparts, which is critical to the collective’s success.

“A lot of the issues we’re dealing with here, be it fisheries or any other issue, are also a European problem.

A lot of laws come from Europe. We have to work with others in Europe-based organisations.

“I must admit, it can be quite a daunting experience, especially if you form part of a smaller NGO. Sometimes you can feel very lost. But I think it’s really important to start off by making enough noise locally so that when the representatives are in Brussels they know that they have backing at home.

“They would know that people care that they’re up there fighting, speaking about an issue. I think that’s crucial.”

While environmental issues are at the forefront of the agenda, Terra Firma is not working exclusively with environmental organisations but hopes to collaborate with other NGOs whose work may indirectly impact the environment.