Hnutí DUHA
Encyclopedia
Hnutí DUHA is an environmental movement
in the Czech Republic
, the most prominent in the country . The movement has been a member of the Friends of the Earth International for the Czech Republic since 1994.
Hnutí DUHA was founded in 1989 by a group of students from Brno
, Czechoslovakia
shortly before the fall of the communist party from power
and officially registered as a non-government organization on September 28, 1990 under the name Hnutí Duha - Přátelé Země Česká republika (The Rainbow Movement - Friends of the Earth Czech Republic). Since then it has grown into a large organization, eclipsing the other environmental movements (such as Greenpeace
) in the country. Among the most well-known members are Vojtěch Kotecký and two of the founders: Jan Beránek
and Jakub Patočka. Several members of Hnutí DUHA have become prominent members of the Green Party
of the Czech Republic but the movement is nominally independent of political parties.
the organisation employs around 30 people in the centre in Brno and a smaller number in Prague
. Ten branches were established throughout the country (the first one in Olomouc
in 1991). Large numbers of volunteers, usually students, participate in the activities of Hnutí DUHA. The movement rejects formal hierarchical structure and prefers to work in task-oriented semi-independent groups. The 2005 budget was less than 11 million CZK
(in the past few years this number has steadily decreased). About 60% of funding comes from foundations (like the Heinrich Böll Foundation
), and about 15% from grants by the Czech state. The remainder consists of individual contributions and profit from the organisation's web-based publishing house. Starting in 2001, the movement issues a bi-monthly journal Sedmá generace (The Seventh Generation).
The movement organizes protest campaigns (e.g. a long campaign against the Temelín Nuclear Power Station
during the 1990s), provides environmental impact estimates for assessment processes and for new legislative acts, offers ecological services for individuals and municipalities and promotes the use of renewable technologies. It helped to stop or to delay several large construction projects (e.g. a new highway to southern Bohemia
, and expansion of lignite
mining in northern Bohemia).
Hnutí DUHA is part of the 30 national organisations that Friends of the Earth Europe
represents and unites at the European level.
Environmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, the most prominent in the country . The movement has been a member of the Friends of the Earth International for the Czech Republic since 1994.
Hnutí DUHA was founded in 1989 by a group of students from Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
shortly before the fall of the communist party from power
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
and officially registered as a non-government organization on September 28, 1990 under the name Hnutí Duha - Přátelé Země Česká republika (The Rainbow Movement - Friends of the Earth Czech Republic). Since then it has grown into a large organization, eclipsing the other environmental movements (such as Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
) in the country. Among the most well-known members are Vojtěch Kotecký and two of the founders: Jan Beránek
Jan Beránek
Jan Beránek was born on November 11, 1970. He is a Czech ecological activist, politician, employee of Greenpeace and member and former chairmain of Czech Green Party. He focuses on fight against nuclear energy....
and Jakub Patočka. Several members of Hnutí DUHA have become prominent members of the Green Party
Green Party (Czech Republic)
The Green Party is a political party in the Czech Republic.The party was founded in February 1990 but for a long time it struggled to obtain significant influence in Czech politics. In the 2002 legislative election the party received 2.4% of the vote...
of the Czech Republic but the movement is nominally independent of political parties.
the organisation employs around 30 people in the centre in Brno and a smaller number in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Ten branches were established throughout the country (the first one in Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
in 1991). Large numbers of volunteers, usually students, participate in the activities of Hnutí DUHA. The movement rejects formal hierarchical structure and prefers to work in task-oriented semi-independent groups. The 2005 budget was less than 11 million CZK
Czech koruna
The Czech koruna or Czech crown has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 8 February 1993 when, together with its Slovak counterpart, it replaced the Czechoslovak koruna at par....
(in the past few years this number has steadily decreased). About 60% of funding comes from foundations (like the Heinrich Böll Foundation
Heinrich Böll Foundation
The Heinrich Böll Foundation is a German, legally independent political foundation. Affiliated with the German Green Party, it was originally founded in 1987 and rebuilt in 1997...
), and about 15% from grants by the Czech state. The remainder consists of individual contributions and profit from the organisation's web-based publishing house. Starting in 2001, the movement issues a bi-monthly journal Sedmá generace (The Seventh Generation).
The movement organizes protest campaigns (e.g. a long campaign against the Temelín Nuclear Power Station
Temelín Nuclear Power Station
Temelín Nuclear Power Station is located near Temelín, a small village in the Czech Republic. Temelín NPP is owned by ČEZ Group, which employs 1000 workers at this site. The adjacent castle Vysoký Hrádek serves as an information centre.-History:...
during the 1990s), provides environmental impact estimates for assessment processes and for new legislative acts, offers ecological services for individuals and municipalities and promotes the use of renewable technologies. It helped to stop or to delay several large construction projects (e.g. a new highway to southern Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, and expansion of lignite
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
mining in northern Bohemia).
Hnutí DUHA is part of the 30 national organisations that Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth Europe is the European branch of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International . It includes 30 national organisations and thousands of local groups....
represents and unites at the European level.
External links
- Short overview in English
- Hnutí DUHA website (only in Czech)
- Environmental protests in the Czech Republic in the 1990s (PDF, English)
- Overviews of environmental movements in the Czech Republic: http://vsjak.cunas.cz/vsjak.cunas.cz/doc/soc/05.doc, http://proatom.luksoft.cz/rservice.php?akce=tisk&cisloclanku=2007032901 (in Czech)
- Friends of the Earth Europe Website