COMMON GROUND CONSULTING LLC

Reaching A Bend in the Road: Sustaining Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Programs

“Programs which are able to convey a clear sense of purpose when communicating with the public, program stakeholders, current and potential funders, and policy makers, will be the ones best prepared to weather tough times, surviving shifting priorities or reduced funding streams. These programs will last because they have taken the steps necessary to build a strong foundation...”

So begins a recent publication that I helped to develop with Belinda Basca for the California Governor's Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program. You can download the entire brief below.

Can I Have 5 Minutes?

Recently, I've heard from several clients asking if I have brochures that describe our work at Common Ground Consulting LLC. As you can imagine, probably close to 85% of our growing client base comes from word of mouth referrals; and many of our existing clients want to recommend our efforts to their colleagues and friends.

I'm really interested in developing a simple brochure that I can provide to people who are looking for the type of paradigm-shifting, social profit work that we do.

I would love to hear from you about the kinds of information you would expect and want to see in this brochure. When you have just a few minutes, could you please give it some thought and send me a quick email at: [email protected]?

Thanks in advance for your thoughtfulness! Craig

Grassroots & Nonprofit Leadership . . . Now Available Online in English!

I have known George Lakey since graduating from Miami University and moving to West Philadelphia in 1990. He is well-known in Philly and many of my first real post-college friends looked to George for leadership, wisdom, insight, and inspiration. George quickly became a mentor for me, too, helping me to hone my training skills and influencing how I think about and act on my social justice values. I learned about how privilege operates in the world from George; and he and I developed the kind of friendship that allows us to go for long stretches without seeing each other, but then we do, to fall right back into powerful and supportive conversations.

Last year, Youth of JAZAS, the convening organization for the International Summer School was looking for a book authored by someone from the United States that could be translated into Serbian and would be useful in the country's efforts to develop youth leadership and more democratic institutions. I recommended George's book, Grassroots and Non-Profit Leadership: A Guide for Organizations in Changing Times, because it is so relevant to the development issues that Serbia is facing presently. They agreed, and with leadership from Dragana Stojanovic, the first Serbian printing of the book occurred with much fanfare earlier this summer. There was an official U.S. Embassy/Youth of JAZAS ceremony at the Port of Belgrade in August and then 1,500 copies of the book were made available throughout Serbia.

Many of you have asked abut how to get the book in English. Unfortunately, it is no longer in print, though I can occasionally find copies online at Amazon.Com. The GREAT news today, however, is that George has had the book electronically scanned into a PDF file that you can download on the primary Common Ground website. Click below (register for the site if you haven't already) and then you can download the PDF which is located in the “Sustainability” folder in the Resources Library!

Grassroots and Non-Profit Leadership: A Guide for Organizations in Changing (in English)

An electronic version of the Serbian text is available on the JAZAS website here:

Grassroots and Non-Profit Leadership: A Guide for Organizations in Changing (in Serbian)

Fast Track Touring: Part II

One of my all-time favorite things to do in a new city is to find the farmers' market. I believe that there is so much you can learn about the culture and people of a town through how business gets done in these (usually) open-air marketplaces.

Here in Zagreb, I found three markets to enjoy, all near each other—the produce market, the flower market, and the famous Zagreb fish market. I spent a couple of hours just walking around, sampling new delicacies, and learning about new varieties of fruits and vegetables I'd never seen before. It started raining while I was there, which added to the whole experience.

Dolac is the city's main market and is also known locally as “the belly of Zagreb.”

Fast Track Touring: Part I

As the flight from Skopje was less than an hour, I was checked into my hotel by 9am. An hour later, I grabbed a map from the concierge and set out to explore Zagreb. I walked first to the Main Railway Station to get my bearings and came across some great little vendors selling homemade everything. I found some wonderful blueberry jam and the woman's smile convinced me I needed it.

Another local woman who overheard me struggling to communicate a bit in Serbian (not sure this was a good idea), grabbed my arm and pulled me over to where the jam maker's family was sampling delicious pancakes. As I had purchased a jar, they handed me a pancake just off the griddle. Hot and dripping with slowly melting blueberry jam. Incredible. What a great start to a great day!

From there I started walking, coming first to a statue of KIng Tomislav, the first king of the medieval state of Croatia. This beautiful square is named for the king (Trg Kralja Tomislava) and is flanked by the long Main Railway Station (designed by the architect Pfaff at the end of the 19th century) on its southern side; and by the Art Pavilion (seen in the back of the photo on the left below).

Walking north, we pass three parks, known in Zagreb by one name—Zrinjevac. Each of these parks was filled with history: statues, monuments, memorials to fallen heroes. The parks, indeed the city itself, is strikingly beautiful. Its one of the most immaculate cities I've visited anywhere in the world; and the people are incredibly friendly.

The next stop on our tour is the city's center square, Ban J. Jelačić, built in the 17th century. The square has been at the center of the city's development and some believe that Zagreb was named because of a chance meeting at this square between a viceroy calling out to a young girl standing by a well. That well is now the Manduševac Fountain, a now famous “wishing well.”

In almost every tourism marketing photo that you see of this city, the Zagreb Cathedral is almost always pictured with its spires visible from almost anywhere in the city. It is a remarkable building that really does define the Zagreb skyline; and the cathedral itself is quite beautiful.

Continuing our walk, I discovered unexpectedly a great, old funicular railway built in 1891. I had just seen a travel program about this railway technology so I took the ride from Ilica Street, Zagreb's main street. My first trip on one of these happened 22 years ago when I was an exchange student in Switzerland.

At the top of the railway is Zagreb's Upper Town and St. Mark's Church which was built in the 13th century. The coat arms on the roof (left photo) were created during reconstruction in the 19th century. On the left, is the coat of arms representing the Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia. On the right, is the coat of arms for the city of Zagreb.

Also on St. Mark's Square, you'll find the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia on the eastern side; and to the west is Banski dvori (Ban's Court Palace) which used to connect to a palace that served as the seat for Croatian viceroys.

Beginning the walk back, I came to the Kamenita vrata, the Stone Gate, the only remaining one of four former entrances to the city. The last reconstruction of this gate (which is newer that the others) is dated at 1760. In 1731, a fire is said to have consumed all of the wooden elements of the gate, except for a painting of the Blessed Virgin and Child, which was miraculously undamaged. This legend has inspired a belief in the painting's power, and untold thousands have come to worship at it.

24 Hours in Zagreb, Croatia

I left Skopje this morning on an early morning flight to Zagreb, the famous and beautiful capital of Croatia. I'll be spending the day and one night here and I'm committed to seeing all that I can. I'm staying at am amazing hotel that a friend recommended, The Regent Esplanade. Thank goodness for internet rates, because I can't imagine I could afford to stay here if I hadn't managed to find a great deal.

This is a hotel in the center of virtually everything, it has exquisite details, and absolutely impeccable service.

Flying in, I noticed a plaque that said Pope John Paul II flew on the plane I was on (Croatian Air) when he visited Croatia in October 1998. In Balkan Ghosts, which I recommended last week that you read, I remembered a story about the Pope's trip. It told of the controversy surrounding the visit, particularly about the Pope kneeling in prayer before the tomb of Cardinal Stepinac, who remains a controversial Croatian national hero.

The BBC wrote about it this way on Saturday, October 3rd, 1998.

Controversial Cardinal Beatified

Pope John Paul: Controversy has surrounded both his visits to Croatia

The Pope, on a visit to Croatia, has taken a step towards making the controversial wartime leader of the Croatian Catholic Church into a saint.

BBC's Nick Thorpe in Marija Bistrica: “Beatification Rejects Criticism”

Pope John Paul II beatified Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac at a huge open-air service at the shrine of

Marija Bistrica, the most important place of pilgrimage for Catholics in Croatia.

He had already declared the Cardinal, who led the church in Croatia during World War II, a martyr for the faith, but the beatification - the final step before sainthood - has caused controversy.

Some Serbian and international Jewish groups say the cardinal was not outspoken enough about genocide during World War II.

Cardinal Stepinac initially welcomed the independent state of Croatia which was set up with the help of Nazi Germany in 1941.

In a statement issued on the eve of the Pope's visit, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman said the cardinal was a beacon of inspiration for Croatian democrats.

In later life, Cardinal Stepinac condemned the killing of Jews, Serbs, gypsies and Croats who opposed the former fascist Croatian government, but some say that his condemnation was neither strong nor public enough.

The cardinal was later imprisoned under communism and died while under house arrest in 1960 after serving five years of a 15-year prison sentence for alleged collaboration with the fascist government.

The Jewish Simon Wiesenthal Centre recently appealed to the Pope to postpone the beatification “until after the completion of an exhaustive study of Stepinac's wartime record”. The Vatican did not reply publicly to the request.

Appeal for Peace

Pope John Paul II began his visit to Croatia by appealing for lasting peace and justice in the Balkans.

Pope: Called for Peace

Addressing a large crowd in front of Zagreb Cathedral, the Pope expressed the hope that the conflict-torn Balkan region would find “a true and lasting peace, which is always built upon justice, respect for others, and the co-existence of different peoples and cultures”.

The 78-year-old Pope was welcomed in person by President Tudjman.

But his speech also seemed to include gentle criticism of his hosts, when he remarked that “the degree of a nation's civilisation is measured by the compassion it shows for its weakest and most needy members” - an apparent reference to Croatia's Serb minority.

The Pope's first visit, in 1994, was marked by his appeal for reconciliation with Serbs who still occupied parts of Croatia.

During his three-day visit, the Pope will also attend an open-air Mass in the coastal city of Split.

Training the Trainers

At the end of my time here in Macedonia, my last major responsibility has been to provide a two-day training for trainers focusing on sustainability. CIRa put out a call throughout Macedonia looking for experienced trainers interested in learning how to provide the kind of training I conducted (and wrote about here) last week. More than 40 trainers applied and 14 were selected to participate.

The training was a complicated affair in that I had two primary responsibilities—one dependent upon the other. First, I was presenting a model for NGO sustainability that includes my particular approach to individual investor-based fundraising. Whenever I've conducted fundraising training here in the Balkans, there has been a fair amount of resistance in that this is not a usual practice. Of course, there is resistance to this approach in the U.S. as well, but we have 40 years of data that demonstrates it can work. Assuming we could get people to accept the model and begin to believe in it, the second responsibility was then to train them in how to present and teach the model in their trainings.

I am very satisfied with how the training went and the evaluations were strong. I basically used the same elements of the design from last week's sustainability training, building in a method that would have us alternating between “participant and trainer hats.” There was a lot of focus on how to ask people for their personal financial investments; and a great deal of interest and controversy when it comes to dealing with executive boards and their roles in sustainability.

These trainers seemed to appreciate the logic modeling; and they designed four unique approaches to training that material. I'm looking forward to integrating some of their terrific ideas. They were also a very engaged group and excellent participants. I know that I'm not training, but participating instead, I imagine I can be a little challenging. <smile> That was not the case here at all. They were all great.

I think that there will be a number of the participants who begin to try some of the approaches we discussed in their own organizations; and I'm hopeful that with on-going support, practice, and a little bit of success, this approach will take root here in Macedonia. If it does, the NGO sector will grow stronger.

A Few NGO Challenges to Overcome

Here in Macedonia they have an NGO model (defined by law) that includes familiar structures like a staff and an executive board. Here they also have an “assembly” that is less well-defined, but that loosely includes stakeholders who have the important responsibility of electing executive board members. We see this structure in the U.S. in membership organizations, but here it is required in every NGO and it will complicate some of the efforts and changes I'll be recommending.

Assembly members can be staff or executive board members, volunteers, or other stakeholders. With some people serving as assembly members and staff or staff and executive board members, it gets complicated very quickly. It is also not a particularly transparent structure; and transparency within the sector is a goal of all of the groups with whom I met.

On the individual investor-based fundraising side, the banking system here will present some challenges that we'll have to overcome. For example, only businesses can receive and cash checks. I can't give a personal check to someone and even NGOs can't cash a check from an individual. Electronic banking and credit cards are becoming more available, but most people in the country are still not using these options. Banks have an invoicing system for transferring funds, but it requires you to actually go to the bank. With one group who is ready to begin implementing an individual giving plan, we brainstormed a few creative options. I'm also recommending to ISC that they talk with other development partners in the region to see if solutions can be found.

One other challenge here is the perception that NGOs are somehow corrupt. That money is not spent as it should be or that NGOs exist either to launder money or enrich individuals. I want to say clearly that I have not seen any of this working in Macedonia or in Serbia. Perceptions formed a long time ago and like a stereotype, they take a long time to change. I'm confident, however, that the work these Leader NGOs are doing here in Macedonia is so important and so successful, that perceptions are changing. Many groups are doing external audits now, they are publishing annual reports, and their victories are much higher-profile than ever. All of these things will help.

Down By the River

After a long day, Jeton invited me to enjoy a great dinner with him down by the River Vardan. He suggested that we try one of his favorite meals—frog legs and beer— at an “old school” Macedonia restaurant. Kaj Zhabarot (it translates loosely as “Eat at Frogman's”) is a place that I imagine hasn't changed much very over many years. We sat outside enjoying the wonderful, early fall weather, talking about politics and telling stories—much like the tables full of guys all around us who reminded me of my grandpas. Everyone just talking. Shooting the breeze. All the while enjoying a real delicacy. I think I had frog legs once before, but nothing like this. Delicious.

After dinner, he took me to a place for dessert that will remain in my dreams. Stella is a Greek bakery and a place I will visit every time I come to Skopje for the rest of my life. This place was unbelievable—14 varieties of baklava—every one of them made fresh today; and all kinds of cakes and other treats. Just check out these pictures!

A Little More Consulting

I spent the day meeting with two more NGOs today: 1) the Association for Emancipation, Solidarity, & Equality of Women (ESE) whose strategic program priorities include women’s rights, women and health, women in politics and decision-making structures, and combatting domestic violence; and 2) All for Fair Trials which is a nationwide coalition of 19 NGOs whose mission is monitoring human rights while focusing on the use of international standards for fair trials.

Both of these groups are working hard in the area of human rights and both are at an interesting point in the organizational development. In meeting with ESE, I believe that they have an opportunity to really begin to focus on new development strategies (including the individual investor-based fundraising model I've been teaching here) which will lead to a reserve fund and a sustainable future.

All for Fair Trials has a very successful track record in ensuring a fair judicial system and the rule of law. They manage a number of important legal projects, including a particularly innovative project that is helping to push for the use of alternative sentencing. The Coalition is at an important crossroads and I'm looking forward to working with them as they make important decisions about their future.

With these two groups, I've completed the individual consultations I'll be doing on this visit to Macedonia. I'll meet with the remaining groups when I return; and I'm anxious to do so. All of these groups have a passion and a spirit that is palpable and all are doing critical, life and culture-changing work. I feel privileged to now be a part of it.