About Us

The Green Squad is a unique non-political, independent, non-governmental and non-profit veterans’ association established with the purpose of fighting for Croatia’s natural environment and resources.

We conduct field investigations and collect, analyze and publish documents proving the illegalities, irregularities and non-transparency of institutions responsible for management of Croatian natural resources.

We work with competent institutions on pursuing legal actions against the individuals and organizations responsible for the ecocides, and we organize public actions to bring visibility to the issue and pressure the decision-makers to act in the common interest.
The Green Squad is the recipient of the 2020 Sozial Marie award for social innovation

History

The Green Squad developed as a section of Veterans’ Association VIDRA – Veterans and Social Action.

VIDRA was founded on September the 13th 2017 on the initiative of veterans of the Homeland War, anti-fascists and other citizens who wanted to contribute to building the Republic of Croatia in which all free-thinking citizens can find their place in.

Our comprehensive and continuous fight against the growing, ruthless deforestation in the Republic of Croatia began with the Initiative for the Salvation of Mt. Medvednica, which aimed at stopping the brutal devastation of the forest of Medvednica Mountain near Zagreb.

After the first few days of publishing activities on social networks and in the media, many activists from all over the Republic of Croatia approached us with information about the appallingly extreme extent of deforestation in literally all forest areas in Croatia, including urban parks as well as strictly protected areas.

At the beginning of 2018, the Initiative for the Salvation of Medvednica grew into the Green Squad and our fight against criminal deforestation extended to the entire Republic of Croatia.

We began to organize numerous tours of devastated terrains and in situ collected evidence of the committed ecocide, as well as consistent public actions demanding that the responsible institutions act on the collected evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Structure

Since 2018, Green Squad has been working in an organized and intensive way to prove and stop criminal activities of organized devastation of Croatian forests.

Our structure consists of 10 members of the Operational Team, 60 active members and more than 200 activists from all walks of life.

Extensive in-depth investigations of criminal devastation and exploitation of natural resources are conducted, and relevant documentation and evidence of misconduct and legal violations are provided to the public and the responsible authorities.

A Rapid Response Team is in place to respond to whistleblowers’ and citizens’ alerts to Eco Patrol Green Number and immediately goes into the field to record and publish criminal deforestation activities in real time.

A Media Task Force is established to combat misinformation and spins spread by various actors, including some institutions.

Operational Team

Vesna Grgić

President of VIDRA and coordinator of Green Squad.

She graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, majoring in mechanical engineering. Former employee at the Ruđer Bošković Institute, a veteran of the Homeland War with 1066 days in the combat sector, retired officer of the Croatian Army. Founder, leader and spokeswoman of VIDRA and Green Squad.

Zorislav Šubarić

Vice President of VIDRA.

Bachelor of Science in Physics, Department of Geophysics with Meteorology at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. From 1974 to 2010 in the State Hydrometeorological Institute as a forecaster, CEO / head of informatics of SHI, deputy director of SHI and senior expert advisor/meteorologist in the Department of Hail Suppression of SHI.

Lidija Runko Luttenberger

Head of the Green Squad's Rijeka branch (Region of Primorsko-goranska).

Full professor in environmental engineering at the School of Polytechnics of the University of Rijeka. Worked in shipbuilding industry as design engineer, sales manager and management board member, in municipal utilities company as department manager, and also as the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection. She authored the book Water and Waste Management and more than 100 scientific and professional papers in the field of environmental protection.

Mirjana Sagar Muškinja

Financial Officer and Treasurer at VIDRA/Green Squad.

Almost 40 years of work experience in a private sector as a financial officer and finance manager.

Denis Šarić

WEB/Graphics designer and IT/communications at the Green Squad.

Experience and knowledge in the field of IT/system administration, WEB design and graphic preparation for printing; network and audio installations; studio work, mixing, mastering. Flight operator and private pilot license holder. Telecommunications technician. Professional knowledge of computer hardware and use of software applications.

Igor Bogdanović

Video producer, director, screenwriter, camera operator, post-production at Vidra/Green Squad.

Master of Aeronautical Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb..

Željan Jurlin

Head of the Split branch (SD County) of the Green Squad.

Retired Croatian Army officer. Long-tenured athlete, sports worker and professional coach, worker, entrepreneur, professional soldier, sailor, a member of the Committee for Environmental Protection. Member of the environmental alliance Javno Je Dobro, president and vice-president of the Kaštela's Eko krizni stožer (KEKS). One of the initiators of the activist movement for the protection and preservation of the Cetina and Jadro rivers.

Edin Ajanović

Field coordinator for ecological waste management at the Green Squad.

Mason/carpenter with twenty years of experience, owner of a construction company. Founder and president of the first Rijeka humanitarian association "krepat ma ne molat Rijeka". He has been a human rights activist for more than 20 years and for the last 10 years he has been actively involved in the civil struggle against state-imposed County Waste Management Centers, i.e. advocating the transition to sustainable and ecological waste management. Organizer of many protests, rallies and projects.

Željko Ilić

Head of the Green Squad's Pula branch (Region of Istria).

Electrical/IT technician, long-tenured Martial Arts athlete and active member of sports associations. Business entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in leading teams and projects. Organizer of numerous humanitarian actions and cultural projects intended for young people, owner/director of the legendary Rock Club Uljanik of Pula for twenty years.

Faris El-Shaer

Science and Informatics at Vidra/Green Squad.

Production of visual elements and graphics. Bachelor of Physics at the University of Pisa, Italy.

Funding

FINANCING ACTIVITIES/FUNDRAISING

Although all our work so far has been exclusively voluntary, our organizational and investigative practice meets the strictest professional standards.

Apart from the initial one-time funding of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs in 2017 in the amount of 700 euros and the SozialMarie Award from the Unruhe Foundation in the amount of 2,000.00 euros, all costs of our activities were covered by our personal funds.

The previous multi-year self-financing covered all activities: legal support, expert analysis, office supplies, communication, and more. Scientists, officers, veterans, and various professionals have volunteered with us.

Today, alongside our continued fight against alarming deforestation, our “strike” team is fully prepared to take on the responsibility of leading another highly demanding project – combating illegal waste management in the Republic of Croatia.

Although the spirit of activism remains the driving force behind the top-tier management of the association and the execution of increasingly demanding and extensive tasks ahead of us, due to a significant increase in overall costs and the hindered continuous progress of our work, we do not hesitate to seek assistance in the form of donations and sponsorship from individuals, organizations, institutions, foundations, and companies both from Croatia and from Europe and around the world.