Informal Capacity Building
Definition and Relevance
Definition
Informal Capacity Building creates structures and networks which allows access to information on and understanding of ICZM to stakeholders who will not seek education or training through formal routes.
These structures and networks also create significant extra capacity for knowledge increase amongst ICZM practitioners themselves.
Informal Capacity Building involves Awareness Raising by incorporating ICZM issues into onsite coastal interpretation
Relevance
Informal capacity building is very improtant because it serves to create a critical mass of understanding amongst stakeholders outside the immediate community of ICZM practitioners. It creates broad access for stakeholders that cannot be achieved through the Formal Capacity Building route
Politicians are driven by a critical mass of opinion (ie. climate change debate)
Practitioners do not receive all information from the formal route (ie. exchange of experieicen, networking, etc).
How to get them to particicpate in the ICZM process?
A critical mass of understanding creates the context for decision-makers to respond to the political will to create change.
Case studies on the effect of Informal Capacity Building
People will not really understand first off what this includes: need for case studies, examples, from Europe and abroad
Best practices examples: Define case studies where ICB has had an impact on the political will
Platforms for discussion
Museums, Aquariums, Exhibitions, Workshops, Campaigns, Coastal Fora
Institutional (demand driven and follow-ups)
GAP: Use of the mass media (TV, etc.), precedence of using this media for other scientific purposes, etc.
Others
Stakeholder involvement
What about attitude changing, trust, etc. ?
Geographical scales? Levels of communities should be explored within the different communities; different types of audiences
