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Within 18-22 January this year a volunteer of Millennium Centre Association in Arad (Romania), Florentina Tinc attended a training course in democracy and active citizenship (GRU-09-MOF-122-AR-ES), developed by a non-profit organization DEMÁ (Department d’Estudis dels Medis Actuals) in Barcelona, with financial support from the European Union granted by the Adult Education Program – GRUNDTVIG. Along with her, other participants were present from Spain, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Sweden.

The course was aimed at improving the training for staff in starting activities for adult training and those involved in organization of voluntary activities in the local community designed to strengthen participatory democracy among members of the community through collaborative learning. Also intended to increase the understanding of the mechanisms by which local community members can access in order to enhance decision-making influence by network governance model in the local community, a model of local government which has proven effective and really help to solve the problems, at the local community level.

Among others, the courses were presented models of current international best practice in active citizenship in international structures and meetings with representatives of the municipality of Barcelona, in order to motivate participants to conduct similar activities in the communities of origin.

As a result of the movement, participants could share different views and perspectives on the process of democratization and socio-economic rights based on personal experience, have acquired the necessary skills to facilitate negotiations in a decision process at local community level and have accumulated knowledge of the decision triangle at the local, regional and European awareness how the mechanisms at each level influence each other.

Democracy is a concept closely related to that of active citizenship, as to “govern” it is necessary for people to participate in a continuous process of negotiation – even locally – governance “by … and for the people” (Daniel Webster, 1830) the first right guaranteed by democracy and its feature. Too often, democracy is confused and human rights too often are known by the population. A recent study shows that a tiny number of people were able to define human rights, most rights, be they socio-economic or political, is not known. The same is true when it comes to personal rights.

Governance practice network proved miraculous for both the political class and the population in several countries such as Denmark and may be a welcome tool in the Romanian society, while maturation of both the political class and civil society, involving among others the increment of the voluntary actions aimed at strengthening the citizenship spirit and sense of belonging among community members, as whole.

Opportunities like the one offered by the EU Adult Education Programme and other educational routes are open to any member of the local community willing to become an active member and participate in transnational exchanges in various fields, by means of formal and non formal education.

The present material is meant to be a call for those who dear undertaking serious issues emerging in the Romanian society and engage them within a fair and inclusive negotiation toward finding solutions and increase the sense of belonging among the local community members.

Florentina TINC

February 2010

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The present material is produced with the European Union financial support and highlight only the view of the author and thus, the European Commission is not responsibility for any of the information contained within the present material

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Millennium Center Association is developing nowadays a new project in the framework of the “Youth in action” program, Action 1.2 – Youth Initiatives, named “Puppets’ Stories”. This project has started in November 2008 and will end in January 2009 and it was implemented in collaboration with the “Children’s and Pupils’ Palace” Arad, section of the Puppets’ Theater.

This project has been written and is coordinated by Michal Piatek, member of Millennium Center Association, together with a group of initiative, a group of youngsters who, besides the help offered to the coordinator of this project they also act in some plays, give a helping hand at the creation and organization of the scenery and also write other plays.  These youngsters are: Andra Vişan, Roberta Radac, Bogdan Dance and Alina Racoviţă, member of Millennium Center Association.

The project would like to propose the creation of 10 puppet and shadow plays on different themes: 4 plays about Romanian history, 3 plays about Romanian culture, one play about the Polish history and culture, one play about xenophobia  and anti-racism and a play about the “Youth in Action” program.  The last activity will consist in a different play, realized in the “Curcubeu” Center, play that will be represented by the Rroma minority from the above mentioned center.

In the present, 3 of the plays are in the process of development under the supervision of  Mihaela  Săuliac – Andrei, teacher at the Puppets and Shadows Circle from the “Children’s and pupils’ Palace” in Arad. Two of these plays will be presented in some festivals that take place in Iaşi and Sighişoara. To be more specific, the plays mentioned before are: „The Story Goes On” (play that wishes to reproduce in an original way the traditional Romanian wedding) in the “Pantomime” Festival in Iaşi and also the play – „Vodă” (historical play describing some moments from the Romanian history. This second place will appear in the “Medieval” Festival in Sighişoara. The third play, entitled “Dacia”, combines somehow the the Romanian culture and history.  The main character of this play will be a Dacia car, which will travel throughout Romania and will discover all those beautiful things that can be found in our country.

Taking into account the fact that the school year 2008-2009 is about to end, the initiative group, the coordinator and the team from the puppets’ theater is organizing, apart from those plays, a theatrical micro stage. This will take place on the 6th of June, starting from 17 PM in the festivity hall of the Children’s and Pupils’ Palace in Arad. All those interested to know the results of the efforts made by those who have been working on this project are expected to take part to the event. The entrance is going to be free.

About 40 pupils from several high-schools from Arad were present at Şoimoş fortress taking part to an action organized by Millennium Center and Mircea Galea – the local facilitator. The event took place on the 22nd of April 2009 on the day celebrating „Earth’s Day”. Together with the Association’s volunteers, they painted on old T-Shirts messages about their feelings regarding nature and afterwards they cleaned the fortress and its surroundings. It was an activity enjoyed by all the persons present as they painted, took advantage of the fresh air and of the beauty of the surroundings and left behind a cleaner fortress, gathering an important quantity of garbage. Hoping that the action was not in vain, the youngsters are asking all those who visit the fortress, and not only, to learn to enjoy nature’s charm without leaving evidence of their passing by. The care and respect for the nature is the way through which we can all give thanks for the peace and quite that nature brings to our everyday life.

The action took place with the help of Lipova City Hall and the Agency for the Protection of Environment, Arad as well as with the help of students and pupils coming from: “CFR” High-school Arad, „Moise Nicoară” National College, „Vasile Goldiş” Theoretical High-school, Economical College Arad, „Adam Muller Guttembrun” Theoretical High-school, “Iuliu Maniu” Industrial High-school, Arad.

„Cultural Clusters – To be Discovered” is an EVS project created by Millennium Center Associationin collaboration with other 33 organizations and volunteers from 21 European and neighbouring states. The activities started in December 2007 and will continue until May 2009, allowing to host 52 foreign volunteers during all stages of the project. The stages were of different length, from 2 – 10 months.

The project is realized with the support of the European Commission, through the European Voluntary Service in the framework of the “Youth in Action” program. The project has been nominalized as being one of the good practice projects at the 2008 “Youth in Action” level. So far, the partners of the project are: Arad City Hall, Arad County Council, „Lunca Mureşului” Natural Park, Covăsânţ City Hall, Sintea Mare City Hall, Suplacu de Barcău City Hall, The Youth County Institution Arad, CERT Apuseni, „Iniţiativa Tinerilor” Association and Arad Children’s Palace.

The activities from „Cultural Clusters – To be Discovered” have been implemented in communities from the following counties: Arad (Sintea Mare, Covăsânţ, Arad), Alba (Abrud and Roşia Montana), Bihor (Suplacu de Barcău) and Galaţi (Schela). All of them are close to finalization, taking into consideration the date that marks the end of the project. The whole number of volunteers that participated to the project in Arad is 26, from which 5 of them are still being present.

An event organized by Millenniun Center Association, Mircea Galea – the local coordinator and the five volunteers who are still in Arad: Kakha Phashurishvili, Danuta Janska, Anita Ladisic, Maxim Baibus and Kaire Tekku, took place Tuesday evening in club Flex. This event is also part of „Cultural Clusters – To be Discovered” project and it is about an intercultural evening where food and other products from Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Croatia, Poland and Estonia were presented. The five volunteers also held short presentations about their country’s traditions and history.

It represented as well a good opportunity for volunteers and for Millennium Center to share with those present experenices and knowledge – gained throughout the entire project and also to present the advantages of participating into an EVS stage.

A number of about 80 persons took part to the intercultural evening. They were either friends of Millennium Center Association, but also persons that knew nothing about voluntary service and what it stands for. They all got to know people from different cultures and found out more about traditions, superstitions, cuisine, beverages and about all the other things that give a sense of uniquness to those particular countries.