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„Carbon footprint” Lab at
Gheorghe Lazăr National College in Bucharest
Our association held a practical lab within „People & Planet: a Common Destiny” project (CSO-LA/2019/416-705) at „Gheorghe Lazăr” National College on May 4th 2023. 28 high school students attended.
Titled „Carbon footprint – I too want clean air!”the lab aims to contribute to the training of young people with an emphasis on sustainability. These types of actions strive to enhance mobilisation on climate change issues, helping participants to be more active and involved in their communities.
Our visiting professors – Prof. Dr Dana Constantin from The Faculty of Geography of The University of Bucharest and PhD student professor Raul Ilea from Doctoral School ''Simion Mehedinti” of The Faculty of Geography (University of Bucharest) – used participatory methodologies to actively and consciously involve students in the process of their own training. The professors gradually immersed participants in the fascinating world of the atmosphere and explained the impact of their daily actions on the environment.
Prof. Dr Dana Constantin and PhD student professor Raul Ilea ingeniously mixed geography, history, chemistry and economics to explain the subtle connections between people’s actions and various meteorological events. One such connection led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 which caused over 4000 deaths. The deadly smog was the result of a combination of industrial pollution and high-pressure weather conditions. Tonnes of sulphur dioxide and other pollutants led to the tragic consequences. The smog prompted Parliament to pass the Clean Air Act four years later, which marked a turning point in the history of environmentalism.
Starting from the carbon footprint definition, the students learned about pollution indicators, the main greenhouse gases and other relevant information. After conquering the realm of theory, the students had fun with an online calculator - economiecirculara.eu/co2, discovering how big their carbon footprint was.
And then came the realm of practice – near the college, in Cismigiu Parc and Queen Elisabeth Blvd and Schitu Magureanu Blvd cross road, the professors helped students make their own air quality measurements. Thus, learning just how big the difference is between heavy traffic areas and green areas air. Upon returning in class, the students reached a few conclusions and ideas for sustainable behaviours, such as:
- Taking showers instead of bath;
- Using less electronic gadgets – phones, tabs, TV etc.;
- Using electric cars;
- Riding bikes, electric or kick scooters more often;
- Using mostly local / seasonal food and reducing the consumption of products with many food miles.
The overall objective of "People & Planet: a Common Destiny" project is to promote inclusive sustainable development policies at a glocal level and ensure youth citizens active engagement, as change drivers and mobilization for Climate Action and SDGs achievement through the promotion of sustainable lifestyles, behaviours, and practices.
The project is implemented in Romania by Association Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 and Brasov County Council and is co-financed by The European Commission's Development Education and Awareness Raising Programme, DEAR.
Download the article here |
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Bucharest, September 23rd, 2021
The voice of children with visual and hearing impairments matters
Press release
The Association Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21 announces the launch of the project "Our voice counts ". This is implemented in partnership with The National Association of Librarians and Public Libraries in Romania, the Association Startlight Petra and Norsensus Mediaforum Norway, with the financial support of the Active Citizens Fund Romania, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The aim of the project is to change the mentality and attitude of the citizens of Bucharest, Buzău and Râmnicu Sărat through information and advocacy activities, promoting human and children rights, designed to combat stereotypes, prejudices and practices of exclusion and marginalization that affect children and young people with hearing and vision impairments, and their families.
Children and young people with visual and hearing disabilities have a low capacity to know and claim their rights, experiencing difficulties in social integration and integration into the labor market. The project proposes a series of educational sessions, information campaigns, street events and meetings with local authorities, meant to contribute to raising awareness about the rights of people with disabilities and their integration into the community.
"Our voice counts!" is implemented between August 1, 2021 - September 30, 2022, in Bucharest and Buzau County, in 7 special schools and 7 schools in mainstream education, and is addressed mainly to children and young people with hearing and vision impairments, aged between 11 and 26 years.
The "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities "explicitly recognizes disability as a human rights issue and mentions barriers to attitudes and the environment that prevent their full and effective participation in society." Through the awareness and advocacy activities that the project proposes, children and young people will have the opportunity to make their voices heard and ask the authorities for the necessary measures for their full social integration", said Nina Cugler, president of the Association for Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21.
For additional information, contact person Nina Cugler, president of the Association for Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21, e-mail ninacugler@agenda21.org.ro, Ștefania Stănică, Project Coordinator - National Association of Librarians and Public Libraries in Romania, e -mail anbpr_ro@yahoo.com
„ About Active Citizens Fund Romania
The Active Citizens Fund Romania programme is funded through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The overall objective of the Grants is to reduce economic and social disparities, and to strengthen bilateral relations between 15 beneficiary countries and the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). The programme is administered by a consortium composed of Civil Society Development Foundation, Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation, Resource Center for Roma Communities, PACT Foundation and Frivillighet Norge, acting as Fund Operator designated by FMO – Financial Mechanism Office of the EEA and Norway Grants. The objectives of the Active Citizens Fund Romania are to strengthen civil society and active citizenship and to empower vulnerable groups. With a total allocation of 46,000,000 euro, the programme pursues a long-term development of the civil society sector sustainability and capacity, stepping up its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights, while strengthening bilateral relations with organizations from the Donor States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. For more information about the Active Citizens Fund in Romania, please go to www.activecitizensfund.ro. For more information about the EEA and Norway Grants, go to www.eeagrants.org.”
„Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe”
Download the press release here |
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Manifesto SDG 16 of young Europeans
Within the International Summer School of the Walk the Global Walk project, students from Romania and 10 other European countries adopted a joint manifesto related to the Sustainable Development Goal - 16 Peace, Justice and Efficient Institutions. The young people worked with local authorities in the participating countries, representatives of the European institutions and experts. The meeting took place between June 17th and 18th, 2021, online, in the form of a hackathon. Designed to involve participants in a co-design and training experience that brought students, from different European countries, on a path of design activism focused on several specific goals of SDG 16 of the 2030 Agenda - Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies oriented towards sustainable development, guaranteeing access to justice for all and building efficient, responsible and inclusive institutions at all levels.
The event was part of the Walk the (Global) Walk project: mobilizing young Europeans to promote the Sustainable Development Goals, funded by the European Commission through the DEAR LA-Ref EuropeAid / 151103 / ACT / MULTI-4 funding line, which aims to stimulate partnership and collaboration between Local Public Administrations and NGOs, actively engaged in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the 2030 Agenda by the Member States of the United Nations, creating an innovative educational model in the field of pre-university education on the objectives of development, promoting civic engagement and raising the awareness of citizens, with a priority for young people, on the responsibility of those who return globally.
The project enjoys a wide international participation, consisting of a consortium of 19 partners from 11 European countries (Italy, France, Croatia, Cyprus, Wales, Scotland, Portugal, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Bulgaria and Romania).
The manifesto can be read here. |
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Walk the Global Walk - SDG 16 Week
The WGW SDG 16 Week was full of activities: between 24th -28th of May 2021: online and offline activities of 12 schools: videos with students testimonials, contests of photos and posters, knowledge contest on SDG 16, debate and webinar with relevant stakeholders, articles on SDG 16 for school newspaper, magazine dedicate to SDG 16, arythmograf for SDG16, paintings on SDG 16.
SDG 16 WEEK - part 2 - 14th - 20th of June 2021: dissemination of materials on SDG 16, as well as setting up an information corner dedicated to WGW in each library of all 12 schools involved in the project and/or in special set up places at the entry point in the school. A total of 39 activities took place for SDG 16 Week – information and awareness in schools, with a total number of 9.566 participants and beneficiaries for SDG 16 Week 1 and 11.800 beneficiaries for SDG 16 week 2
Global WALK SDG 16 - This year, given the conditions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we planned the Global WALK March for SDG 16 in two parts, one in a "virtual" format, and one for offline action. For the virtual part we have collected 337 messages from students from all 12 schools in the project. The messages were compiled into a video, which was projected for 5 days on an LED screen of 15 square meters at one of the main entrances of the Youth Park from Bucharest. In addition, all messages sent by students went into a contest. As for the offline activity, within the Global Walk March for SDG 16, 300 students, teachers and local authorities had the opportunity to learn from specialized about efficient institutions right in the municipal wastewater treatment plant.
Moreover, to increase the level of awareness of the public, 3 buses of public transportation were fully covered on the outside with posters displaying the project for 2 weeks. |
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February 24th, 2021
People & Planet: A Common Destiny
The launch conference of People & Planet: A Common Destiny was held online today. The overall objective of the project is to promote inclusive sustainable development policies at a glocal level and ensure youth citizens active engagement, as change drivers and mobilization for Climate Action and SDGs achievement through the promotion of sustainable lifestyles, behaviours and practices.
The project started in November 2020 and will run for a period of 4 years in 8 EU member states (Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain) and Cape Verde. In Romania, the project is implemented by Association Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 and Brasov County Council.
Project activities will improve the environment giving people the opportunity to survive and thrive in a world free of extreme poverty. The Action aims at achieving progress on development policies at a glocal level and ensuring youth citizens active engagement, as change drivers and mobilization for Climate Action and SDGs achievement through the promotion of sustainable lifestyles, behaviors and practices.
The main activities are structured in 2 directions. One of them is a high visibility pan-European awareness campaign which includes street actions involving schools and universities, global green labs, a video on water scarcity, young citizen work groups to draft a guide with proposals for actions and sustainable lifestyles that their local authority can follow and a video challenge. The second direction aims at capacity building, networking and partnership building through workshops, national trainings, best practice exchange, sharing of common goods and round tables joining municipalities and other relevant actor for development, around sustainable development, climate changes and water scarcity themes.
The Target groups is represented by 59 Million youth citizens (15-34 years old) in 8 EU countries informed by the Pan-European Campaign, 94.200 (15 – 34 years old) youth citizens reached by LAs SDGstreet campaigns, 49.200 young multipliers engaged and mobilized to act for Climate Action and 3.099 decision makers and civil servants at EU, national and local level advocated towards Climate Action.
The project is co-financed by the European Union through the DEAR programme (Development Education and Awareness Raising). |
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The project ”We are the others” takes place between 4th-8th September 2018 and it is co-financed by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union. It gathers 50 participants, from 7 European countries (Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany and Romania) for a youth exchange, organized as a simulation in Buzău-Romania).
The final day of our youth exchange brought to our attention the topic of extremism with the help of a very interesting game and many balloons. The team of facilitators adapted ”The Island” simulation from the All Different, All Equal Education Pack in order to show that differences should be first acknowledged and then accepted, that tolerance and adaptability are key skills and that diversity should be celebrated.
Split into two different tribes, both worshiping balloons the participants took their roles seriously and started looking for a very rare type of balloon which could only be found with a special map. Of course each tribe possessed only half of the map and only by coming together and mending the two halves could the tribes find the balloons. The negotiations were tough and the members of the tribes had to learn the other's culture in order to be able to communicate with them.
In the debriefing part they talked about how important it had been to stay open and to adapt to the situation by learning the language of the other tribe, sharing their habits and not using violent methods. They discussed about culture, what makes it important and about what brings the cultures into conflict. They reflected on who gains and who loses from a conflict and about the negative and positive consequences of opening up towards other cultures. Next, the tribes prepared the photo-messages with their most important conclusion.
The day ended with a long evaluation and follow-up session, in which the participants reflected on their learning, filled-in their youth passes and discovered what competences they had developed throughout the week. They also made plans for hosting the travelling exhibition and found out who their secret friend had been.
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We are the others
Gender inequalities were at the core of the fourth day which brought participants face to face with some of the realities of the labour market and of domestic violence. After an energetic start of the morning, the participants watched a short movie about gender and split in four groups deciding on weather some adjectives described male or female features or positive and negative features. The activity was adapted from the "Gender Matters" manual and it introduced the participants into gender stereotyping.
Next, it was time for them to work and get paid. They were assigned a role with information about their sex, age and experience and they had to go through five work stations where they performed different tasks (arranging small balls on piles of the same colour, preparing bread dough or scoring with a basket ball). At the end of the game they made a long row and received their payment which, of course, took into account their performance but also their sex and their age. In the debriefing part, they discussed about the inequalities on the labour market between genders and how unjust the system is with huge pay gaps in some countries.
The next game brought them face to face with real cases of domestic violence of all types which they discussed in national groups and then presented their conclusion to the rest of the participants. The fact that they were split on national groups really helped with showing the different approaches the countries represented have towards gender violence, the laws that apply and the feeling of the community towards the victims and the perpetrators.
The day ended with the creation of the photo-messages which were very creative and provoking.
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The project ”We are the others” takes place between 4th-8th September 2018 and it is co-financed by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union. It gathers 50 participants, from 7 European countries (Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany and Romania) for a youth exchange, organized as a simulation in Buzău-Romania).
The third day was full of strong feelings, tears and tense moments as the participants experienced an impactful simulation on the topic of migration. The facilitators adapted the United Nations simulation game ”Passages” and tried to make it as vivid as possibe in order to make the participants experience a tiny bit of what it would be like to be forced to flee your home and head into the unknown.
It all started out very enthusiastically, with everybody smiling and fooling around. Split on families, the participants had to assign names and roles to each member of the family and create their family story. Next they were blinfolded and following a bomb attack on their home town they had to find their family members through the smoke that did not allow them to see anything. The simulation took them through different experiences such as deciding which objects to take in their suitcases, spending the night (around 8 minutes) in a shelter, filling in forms in a language they were not familiar with, being rejected at the border without any explanation, crossing the border illegally, facing the harsh conditions of a refugee camp and finally pleading their case with the authorities to get asylum.
The debriefing phase revealed how powerful the exercise was and many participants spoke about the intensity of the feelings they had, the impact it made on them and the amazement of how little they knew about the experiences some of the refugees go through.
The photos they created stand proof for the powerful messages they felt inside, as they are deep, thought-provoking and trully inspiring.
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The project ”We are the others” takes place between 4th-8th September 2018 and it is co-financed by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union. It gathers 50 participants, from 7 European countries (Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany and Romania) for a youth exchange, organized as a simulation in Buzău-Romania).
The rain tried to be the star of the second day but we managed to keep the focus on climate change, the topic of our simulation. The secret location was revealed first thing in the morning when the participants gathered next to the bus that was going to take us to the Mud Volcanoes.
Unfortunately, we were able to visit the site for only 5 minutes until the rain started. It was a real thunder storm, but we continued to work divided on teams taking shelter and focusing on our learning objectives. The simulation on climate change was inspired by the game "Pacha Mama" and adapted to the context of climate change. The participants were divided in five teams, each representing a certain imaginary country, each of which had some advantages and some disadvantages. The citizens of Vital, Rassas, Activ, Cocoon and Scrib prepared their country's identity (flag, map, how their life is) on a flip chart and introduced themselves to each other.
Then it was time for the Climate Change Olympic Games when they had to go through five games, in which they could use their advantages or see what it feels like to have less chances than the others. It was a very funny activity which challenged everybody to do their part and help their country become the victor of the games.
The next phase was very important, as it invited the participants to debrief the experience they had. This session revealed the injustice of climate change as the countries which contribute the less to the carbon dioxide emissions will be the ones most affected. It also helped the participants reflect on the different scenarios of climate change and the probabilities of each of those happening. They then connected these potential consequences to the state of global peace, realizing the strain the changes in climate would impose on countries which were already overburdened by issues such as poverty, political instability or lack of access to resources.
Finally, the participants gave a visual form to their reflections as they created photo-messages to send to young people living in the present in order to motivate them to take action so that the worst scenarios would never become reality.
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Between 4th - 8th September 2018, APSD-Agenda 21 is hosting a youth exchange on peace and conflict. The project is called "Messages from the future" and it is part of our annual work plan on 2018 "We are the others". The youth exchange is co-financed by the ERASMUS+ Programme, a programme of the European Union.
Our youth exchange has just started and we could not be more excited. Yesterday we have welcomed the delegations here in Buzau and they already started sharing and interacting. The atmosphere was great and they were all eager to get to know each other. Therefore, the first session in the morning got them all together in a big circle in the back yard of our venue where they learnt five ways to greet each other that alien civilizations use (don't forget that for this youth exchange we traveled forward in time in 2068 where we met aliens of course). Then we played some self-regulation games to help the group pay attention and get used to the way the facilitators give instructions. There were a lot of team building games and games to find out more about each other which really helped with building a nice group atmosphere and helped each participant interact with the other 49 people.
Once inside the facilitators introduced the project and what its aim was and helped the participant explore the ERASMUS+ Programme and the opportunities the European Union programmes offer for young people. We did this interactively of course: voting with our feet, watching videos or taking group quizzes.
Next, it wa time for everybody to reflect on what had brought them there and what they wanted to get from the experience, so hundreds of quotes about learning were laid out on the floor in order to inspire the participants about what learning meant to them. Each of them chose one or two and shared their reasons in small buzz groups, then set their own learning objectives. They also explored the learning process of the Youth Pass and the key competences for life long learning.
Since they had spent too much time inside, we took them out for a clue-game around the city but not before exploring the exhibition of the town museum and reflecting about the history of peace and the European culture. The clue game was not easy and the participants had to run around the city, discovering interesting place such as an open air-exhibition or a 400 year old building.
Back at venue, we got into small reflection groups and together reflected on our vision of the world 50 years from now and what to do in the present in order to have sustainable peace then.
Tomorrow will bring the first simulation of the exchange: the one climate change, which takes place in a secret location (can you imagine where we will take them?).
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The 25th of November
“Do you want another?” European Campaign
Association Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 implements this autumn the European Campaign “Do you want another?”, on the topic of climate changes. The campaign is realized at European level with the support of MIJARC Europe, umbrella organization for APDD – Agenda 21, and is co-funded by Council of Europe through The European Youth Foundation. Currently, the campaign is implemented in states such as Portugal, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Armenia, Malta and Macedonia.
“Do you want another?” European Campaign was created at the end of this summer, in August, during the “Rising Temperatures, Rising Voices” Summer Camp, organized by MIJARC Europe. APDD – Agenda 21 was represented by two volunteers – Raluca Tătaru and Mihaela Ioniță – and Andreea Tătaru, European Coordinator for Romania within MIJARC Europe and trainer within the event. The mission of the three participants was to come back to Romania and develop in Romania the campaign both in online and offline environments.
Recently, the campaign reached two scholar institutions – “George Călinescu” Theoretical High School from Bucharest and “N. I. Jilinschi” Secondary School from Vernești, Buzău County where pupils and students aged between 11 and 16 attended the workshops on the topic of responsible consumption.
From today on, our association will promote the campaign in the online environment. The first surprise is the launch of the the guide addressed to all of us - ”Tips and Tricks for a Resposible Life” (only in Romanian). Feel free to read and share it to your friends or use it, if needed, in educational activities. It can be downloaded here and it can be found on the webpage dedicated to our publications.
Do not miss the following news of the campaign and do not forget to follow us on Facebook! Also, do not hesitate to visit the website of the European Campaign: http://risingtemperaturesrisingvoices.net.
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INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE – CLOSURE CONFERNCE
The closure conference of the project “Inclusive Governance” was held Thursday, on the 23rd of June 2016, at the headquarters of the European Commission Representation in Romania. The project was implemented by the association “Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21” in partnership with the National Agency of Civil Servants.
The event was attended by representatives of the partner institutions and public authorities, experts with competences in the domain of social inclusion within the institutions and public authorities, representatives of academia and non-governmental organizations, volunteers involved in the project’s activities, journalists.
The conference made possible the presentation of the outcomes and the impact of the activities. Moreover, the participants were given the opportunity to debate important aspects on the topic of social inclusion and share examples of good practices with concrete outcomes. There were disseminated activities realized by the local public authorities as well as non-governmental organizations which managed to contribute to the decrease of exclusion risk of vulnerable groups. Some of the examples with a high potential of replication are the following: the activity of the Center of Social Inclusion of DASM Cluj-Napoca, the counseling activity offered by the Local Agency for Employment from Oltenița, the steps carried out in Buzău County in order to facilitate the access to the ”The second chance” Programme. Also, representatives of non-governmental organizations presented initiatives in the domain of social inclusion, highlighting the importance of the public-private partnership in initiating and developing such projects.
Present at the event, the President of the National Agency of Civil Servants, József Birtalan, mentioned the following aspects: “I encourage the responsible institutions in this domain to make all the efforts in order to answer better the needs of the disadvantaged groups, although, sometimes, problems might be encountered.
Also, the event was an opportunity to launch the toolkit elaborated within the project, toolkit that contains useful information for the experts in the domain (examples of local action plans, social inclusion strategies).
The project “Inclusive Governance” targeted initiatives meant to answer the issues that disadvantaged groups encounter. Thus, the project proposed coherent measures, able to contribute to the decrease of social exclusion of vulnerable groups from Buzău, Călărași, Cluj, Dolj and Mureș countries through the collabortion of public authorities and civil society.
The project “Inclusive Governance” was implemented with the financial support of RO10-CORAI Programme, funded by 2009 – 2014 EEA Grants and managed by the Romanian Social Development Fund. The total value of the project was 720,180.02 RON, of which 550,937.70 RON was co-financed by EEA grants and public co-funding was 97,224.30 RON.
The news can be downloaded here.
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Global How? Facilitating Global Learning – A Trainer‘s Manual
The trainer’s manual „Global How?“ is the result of the European project „Facilitating Global Learning – Key Competences of Members from European CSOs”, which is carried out in Germany, Portugal and Romania in response to the evident need for quality training for Global Learning facilitators working in the context of Civil Society Organizations.
The manual aims at supporting trainers in making people fit for facilitating Global Learning processes in various contexts. Quite in the spirit of Global Learning it refrains from presenting ready-made recipes and instead provides spaces for exploring different aspects of Global Learning trainings, leaving it to the user to develop their own context-specific training conceptions. The title „Global How?” relates to a baseline study entitled „Global What? A Study on Facts and Needs of Global Learning in Germany, Portugal and Romania”, which was conducted at an earlier stage of the project. The manual is strongly based on the project partners’ expertise in training facilitators as well as their experience from conducting test training courses in three different European countries.
Project partners of „Facilitating Global Learning“ in Germany, Portugal and Romania are Dachverband Entwicklungspolitik Baden-Württemberg – DEAB, Entwicklungspädagogisches Informationszentrum im Arbeitskreis Eine Welt Reutlingen – EPiZ Reutlingen, forum for international development + planning – finep, Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr – IMVF, Acção e Integração para o Desenvolvimento Global – AIDGLOBAL and the Association Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21.
This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union, in Germany of the Ministry of State Baden-Württemberg and in Portugal of the Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the funding institutions.
More information on www.global-how.de and www.agenda21.org.ro
Download: Global How? Facilitating Global Learning - A trainer's manual
Download: Global What? A Study on Facts and Needs of Global Learning |
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Global How? Facilitating Global Learning – A Trainer‘s Manual
In March 2016, a new manual for trainings in Global Learning will be launched, marking the last project phase of the European project “Facilitating Global Learning”.
At the core of the project, a pilot training course in Global Learning has been developed, implemented and thoroughly evaluated by the participating organisations from Germany, Portugal and Romania.
Drawing on experiences made and knowledge gained throughout the course of the project, Global How? has been created to help trainers of Global Learning, Development Education, Global Citizenship Education and other related fields develop state-of-the-art educational events for training multipliers and facilitators.
Main features include chapters on overarching issues concerning the planning, implementation and evaluation of Global Learning training courses such as an outline of important aspects of Global Learning, relevant (generic) topics, texts on Adult and Blended Learning as well as principles of training.
Enriched by examples of good practice and hands-on experience from the respective partner countries and the project as a whole, this manual will present an essential and comprehensive tool for all interested in passing on the practice of Global Learning.
 This project is co-financed by the European Union. The contents of the publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.
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European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
On the 18th of November the Council of Europe marked the first edition of the European Day on The Protection of Children against Sexual abuse and exploitation promoting a new movie in order to raise awareness on this issue. In Romania, our association promoted this event using its channels, but also with the support of the high schools which have always been trusty partners in the good development of our projects. Teachers and pupils answered promptly to our call.
Many thanks to the following high schools: “Mihai Eminescu” National College (Buzău), ”Ioan Petruș” High school (Otopeni), “Grigore Moisil” National College (Bucharest), “Matei Basarab” National College (Bucharest) and “Viaceslav Harnaj” Technical College (Bucharest).
”Mihai Eminescu” National College marked the day by organizing a caravan in 12 schools from Buzău County, 3 schools from Vrancea County and Bucharest. 1500 pupils and 30 teachers were informed about the “1 in 5” Campaign of the Council of Europe and shared the materials and videos. The campaign was organized by 25 pupils who collaborated with other colleagues, students’ ombudsmen from partner schools in this event.
„Viaceslav Harnaj” Technical College promoted this initiative by organizing an interactive workshop on the topic of children abuse which was attended by 30 people and 10 teachers. The activity was focused on comprehending the concept of sexual abuse on children and ways to avoid being a victim, signs indicating such a fact and people/institutions that can offer aid in combating and overcoming this kind of events. A workshop on the same topic was organized at ”Ioan Petruș” High school from Otopeni too. Young people were informed about this global issue by watching the last video launched by the Council of Europe on this topic. Eventually, they debated the images and created a range of posters with key messages in order to combat sexual exploitation. At “Matei Basarab” National College, 63 young people were involved in a debate on the topic of children trafficking in sex industry. The aim of this event was to prevent these problems by raising awareness on its causes and ways to attract the victims in such facts without even noticing. Also, the young participants discussed about the laws that should be applied in order to minimalize the negative effects of human trafficking.
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Press Release - Educational Exhibition FOOD
From December 2nd till December 4th 2015, Association "Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21" alongside "Virgil Madgearu" Economical College Ploiesti (Prahova County), are organizing the educational exhibition FOOD. A cloud of words, objects and concepts, displaying installation, print and projection.
The exhibition in Ploiesti is paralleled by the 2015 "Virgil Madgearu" College Celebration Days. As part of the project "EAThink2015.Global Learning for Change in EYD2015 and Beyond: European Youth Engagement from School Gardens to Sustainable Food Systems", co-financed by the European Union, the educational show represents the adaptation of "Food Cloud " Exhibition's concept, as it was displayed in Milan EXPO 2015, in Italy.
We invite you to discover a cloud of words, objects and concepts, all telling stories on food from different points of view, to stimulate a reflection on what is behind and inside what we eat.
The educational space aims to show some of the most significant and surprising interactions and transformations of food. The goal is to amaze and make us reflect on the consequences of the aggregate purchase choices and consumption, environmental impacts, social consequences and the challenges to be met to support sustainable food systems and small-scale agriculture.
As art form, installation art was chosen, made of boxes and objects linking two concepts each, highlighting the differences between them, such as food and food miles.
The exhibition revolves around 24 keywords, each word being represented by an object, a display or abstraction that represents a point of view, alongside a short text that begins to explain, through definitions and data, connections and relationships, all in a simple but attractive manner. The words together are one of the possible indicators of a research on agriculture and food today, from local to global.
The keywords are: water, food miles, carbon, fuel, pollution, packaging, biodiversity, traditions, market, seasons, soil, insects, farmers, seeds, health, forests, migration, sovereignty, pesticides, cocoa, wallet, waste, goods, information.
Alongside the installation, a short presentation of the winners of the European primary and secondary schools photo competition "Food and alternative food systems " will be projected. The competition ran in all 12 countries participating in the project. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muwFm1bRNN8 )
The opening of the exhibition will be held Thursday, December 3rd 2015, 13:00 AM, at "Virgil Madgearu" Economical College Ploiesti (24 Rudului St, Ploiesti).
Organizers: Association "Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21"
"Virgil Madgearu" Economical College Ploiesti
Curator: Alexandra Radulescu
Partner: Ministry of Education and Scientific Research Romania
The press release can be downloaded from here. |
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International exchange workshop for teachers (EYD2015)
An international exchange workshop for teachers took place at Cascina Triulza, the space dedicated to civil society at Expo2015. A delegation of 5 Romanian teachers together with the Educational tutor for EAThink2015 project attended the 3 day workshop, between the 16th and the 18th of October.
The international workshop had the following goals:
(1) to share a common methodology for working with their classes;
(2) to create a common glossary on food and sustainable agriculture (teachers taking part in the international workshop will have the task to develop in their national language a short teachers' guide for their colleagues, describing a common methodology and including a glossary on food which will be published on the web-platform);
(3) to strengthen teachers' competences in Global Learning and development issues;
(4) to share teacher's previous experience on the subject. Moreover, during the International exchange workshop common guidelines and criteria for the best practice collection were defined.
Testimonies
Teacher Catalina Neagu, „Ioan Petrus” General High school, Otopeni, Ilfov County
„«Milano Expo» was, for me, more than a «discovery trip» through the countries which were present; here, we did interesting activities during the project, we met new people, we worked within teams, we were happy seeing our names on the displays showing the photo reportages competition, and here, more than anywhere else, «we felt and thought global».”
Teacher Madalina Filipoiu, Economic High school „Virgil Madgearu”, Ploiesti, Prahova County
"Participating at this event represented for me a novel experience, both due to the location in which it took place and the way it was organized. In my opinion, Expo Milan 2015 successfully managed an interethnic and intercultural approach of a major nowadays problem, food. The facts that during the workshop we were organized in groups with members from different countries, and that we approached mutual interest problems, were overall a very interesting experience. I met people who have the same concerns as I do, think like me, but belong to other cultural spaces. I realized that more things can be done through education, for our future, and this project creates the necessary framework.
Teacher Elena Lucia Balan, Higher Commercial School "Nicolae Kretzulescu", Bucharest
"Participating at EAThink2015 project organized by “APSD - Agenda 21” Association, offered me a unique opportunity to make a correct perspective regarding the difficulties raised by the global long term development and healthy nutrition.
At the workshop, there were teams of professors participating from 12 countries over Europe and Africa, teams who have made presentations of the most important activities within this project. There were interesting presentations, which enabled a real exchange of experience, regarding educational systems and the way in which there were integrated in different countries curricula, subject matters which have as main purpose the education for global long term development and healthy nutrition.
Undoubtedly, a professional gain was the participation at the debates organized in groups, constituted from teachers from different countries, having different educational experiences. I was part of a French speaking group, with 8 teachers from France, Portugal, Romania and Senegal, group which truly impressed me due to the involvement of participants, based on very different experiences, for a debate regarding “biodiversity”.
In the end, I appreciated the high academic level of the presentation sustained by the Italian teacher Massimiliano Lepratti (ACRA-CCS) over the aspects related to “Global learning”, who brought into discussion the numerous implementation difficulties of creating lessons based on new curricula, in an entire new perspective. "
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MEETING GLOBAL LEARNING MULTIPLIERS
Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 organized on July 13th, 2015, a working meeting with the participants in the global learning multipliers training that took place on October 2014 and March 2015. The aim of the meeting was to identify which were the best experiences of the participants during the training, as well as after, in the practice phase, when they multiplied the global learning activities within their own organizations. The training reunited 16 NGOs and aimed at forming their representatives as global learning multipliers.
The conclusions of the meeting will be used in the elaboration of the first chapters for Romania of the Global Learning Multiplier Manual, a publication that will be developed based on the experience of the global learning multiplier trainings realized in Germany, Portugal and Romania.
The meeting is part of the project Facilitating global learning – key competences of members of European CSOs, implemented by a consortium of organizations from Germany, Portugal and Romania: the main applicant DachverbandEntwicklungspolitik Baden-Württemberg (DEAB) – Germany; partners: Forum for international development + planning (FINEP) – Germany, EntwicklungspädagogischesInformationszentrumEPiZimArbeitskreisEine Welt Reutlingen e.V. – Germany, InstitutoMarquês de Valle Flôr – Portugal, AIDGLOBAL - Acção e Integração para o Desenvolvimento Global – Portugal, Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 – Romania.
The project is financed by the European Commission through the Program Non-state actors and local authorities in Development. Raising public awareness of development issues and promoting development education in the European Union.
For more details, ninacugler@agenda21.org.ro or at phone number 021 311 40 76. |
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APSD - Agenda 21 attends the European Youth Conference “Let’s take care of the planet”
APSD - Agenda 21 team is glad to announce that 6 high school students from "Matei Basarab" National College and Buzau Technical College will attend the 2nd European Youth Conference « Let’s Take Care of the Planet ». The event will take place from May 20 to 22, 2015, in Brussels at the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, gathering 80 youngsters representing thousands of youth from 14 European countries.
Also, Florina Potirniche (projects' coordinator) and Andreea Tataru (volunteers' coordinator) will join the facilitators and trainers' team.
We'll keep you in touch and, of course, we'll publish photos during the event!
The Young Europeans Let’s Take Care of the Planet project aims to encourage dialogue between young Europeans on sustainable development issues and to enhance their capacity for action and commitment in order to move towards sustainable societies. This project is in line with the objectives of education for sustainable development and for international citizenship. By giving young people the means to take into consideration the entirety of a situation, it prepares them to debate socially important issues in such a way that they can take a stance in an enlightened way and implement considered actions.
General objectives:
- In Europe, to reinforce the socially responsible impetus and commitment of the young citizens on the issues related to a sustainable development
- To give concrete continuity to the international process initiated by the Brazilian Ministry of Education, by contributing to diffuse, open debate and implement the international Youth Charter - Let’s Take Care of the Planet - that was jointly written by youth from 47 countries, in Brasilia in 2010
- To allow the European young people to express their ideas to political and economic local actors, and to international authorities
- To Bring a contribution of the youth to Rio+20 event
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Bucharest, the 1st of April 2015
PRESS RELEASE
TRANSPARENCE AND QUALITY IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 in partnership with National Agency of Civil Servants invite you to the monitoring at the capital level workshop, within the project “Transparence and quality in public administration through social media”, financed by EEA 2009-2014 grants, within NGO Fund in Romania, event which will take place on April 2nd 2015, 10:00 a.m., at the Prefect of Bucharest’s headquarters, from Piata Presei Libere 1, B body, 3rd floor.
The event will consist in both presenting the internal monitoring reports realized by the four partner public institutions (Bucharest Prefecture, Sector 6 Town Hall, Bucharest Town Hall, Sector 6 General Direction for Social Assistance and Child Protection), and the external monitoring reports realized by the local volunteer team involved in the project.
The workshop is organized with the purpose of evaluating the implementation of social media type instruments by the four public institutions involved in the project from Bucharest. The project “Transparence and quality in public administration through social media” carries between May 1st 2015 and April 30th 2015 and it aims to increase the role of civil society in promoting the principles of good governing and citizens participation in the process of elaborating local policies and promoting the fundamental right of citizens to participate in public matters, through creating efficient communication and consultation channels between the citizens and the 20 public institutions/authorities involved in the project.
The main results aimed in the project refer to creating efficient communication and consultation channels between the citizens and public institutions/authorities, increasing the level of transparency and good governing of 20 institutions and their capacity of attracting the citizens in decision-making processes through using social media networks, supporting volunteering for community benefit, involving the civil servants on a volunteering base in the process of implementing the project, promoting the No Hate Speech campaign, multiplying and extending good practices in other 10 counties.
The total value of the project is 82.684,50 euro, of which 70.648,50 Euro is co-financed by EEA grants.
Please send the confirmation of attendance at the event via email at office@agenda21.org.ro or andreea.tataru@agenda21.org.ro. Person of contact is Andreea Tătaru, assistant manager.
Nina Cugler
Executive president, APSD – Agenda 21
The press release can be downloaded from here. |
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EAThink2015.
Global Learning for Change in EYD2015 and Beyond: European
Youth Engagement from School Gardens to Sustainable Food
Systems
The project “Global learning for Change in EYD2015 and Beyond: European Youth Engagement from School Gardens to Sustainable Food Systems” started in January 2015. APSD – Agenda 21 is one of the 14 co-applicants from Italy, Portugal, Poland, Malta, Cyprus, Hungary, France, Slovenia, and Romania. The main applicant is Fondazione ACRA-CCS from Italy.
The overall objective of the project is to contribute to increasing EU youth awareness of, and engagement in, post-2015 public debate and the contribution of EU development cooperation policies to global sustainable development.
4.200 Primary and secondary school teachers (42.000 beneficiaries), 42.000 Students (390.000 beneficiaries), 140 Migrants/young volunteers, Local Authorities, Civil Society Organizations, Foundations will be among the target groups.
The objectives will be reached through the achievement of four expected results, based on four key steps:
1. Enhancement of teachers’ knowledge, skills and attitudes in relation to Global Leaning methods;
2. Increase, among students, in the level of knowledge of global issues and commitment to sustainable development;
3. Active mobilization of European students for alternative food systems, the right to food and sustainable agriculture;
4. Selection and dissemination of tools and methodologies at EU level.
We estimate that, by the end of the project (in 2017), students will have had access to several educational resources and initiatives addressing sustainable food systems, global interdependencies, and the right to food through different methods, all aimed at enhancing their critical understanding of global phenomena and fostering a change in their attitudes towards a more active commitment to justice, fighting against poverty and sustainable development for all. The proposed activities will strengthen civic and social competencies (critical learning, planning, communication, cooperation, autonomy) aimed at nurturing responsible citizens.
The project is co-financed by European Commission through the Program Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development. Raising public awareness of development issues and promoting development education in the European Union.
For more info click here. |
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The 20th of December 2014
Press release
Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21, in partnership with National Agency of Civil Servants, organized the second part of the training course for volunteers within the project “Transparency and quality in public administration through social media”, financed thorough EEA 2009 – 2014 Grants, within NGO Fund in Romania. The event took place in Bucharest, between the 30th and the 31st of October at the Romanian-American Foundation.
The projects aims to increase the role of civil society in promoting principles of good governance and citizen participation in the policy making process at the local level and promote the fundamental right of citizens to participate in public affairs. The total value of the project is 82,684.50 euro, of which 70,648.50 Euro – is co-financed by the EEA grants.
The aim of the event was to design the activities dedicated to the No Hate Speech Campaign which will be organized between the 3rd and the 12th of December in every county involved in the project. Another objective of this event was to set the monitoring procedures for the 60 events that will be organized by the public institutions through social media channels. 24 people attended the training course: volunteers and representatives of partner NGOs (Act Integration, Association NIKE, UN Youth Association in Romania, Center for Studies in Political Ideas, Association Valori Dobrogene, Doriana Foundation, Peace Action Training and Research Institute of Romania) from Cluj, Mehedinți, Tulcea, Suceava counties and Bucharest, partners’ representatives and experts in communication and in monitoring procedures of public institutions.
Virginia Mateș, member of PATRIR, the coordinator of volunteers in Cluj county considers that ”attending this training course for volunteers from Bucharest, in the project ’’Transparency and quality in public adminitration through social media”, was a wonderful experience because it offered the opportunity to share experiences with participants from other counties, acquire knowledge and learning new methods in order to realize a campaign and develop new monitoring methods”.
“The training course for volunteers offered a better understanding of the specific of No Hate Speech campaign and the way that volunteers and partners NGOs will realize monitoring activities for the public institutions involved in the project. Creativity, competence, making the most of the specific expertize of each participant, communication and interactivity are the key words which define the whole training course” declared Nina Cugler, the project manager.
Nina Cugler
Executive president, APSD – Agenda 21
The press release can be downloaded from here. |
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The 8th of December 2014
INTOLERANCE AFFECTS YOU TOO!
Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 organizes between the 3rd and the 12th of December the public campaign against hate speech: Intolerance affects you too! The campaign will take place in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Drobeta Turnu Severin, Gura Humorului, Suceava, Tulcea, Turda and will be realized by civil servants in 20 public institutions and by volunteers of 8 NGOs from Bucharest and Cluj county, Mehedinți county, Suceava County, Tulcea county, involved in the project as local partners.
The activity is part of the project ,,Transparency and quality in public administration through social media” financed through EEA 2009 – 2014 Grants, within the NGO Fund in Romania, coordinated by the association ,,Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21” in partnership with National Agency of Civil Servants.
The campaign is realized taking into account the continuously recording of cases of violation of fundamental human rights which manifest thorough verbal and physical attacks on minority groups, immigrants or on organizations which defend the human rights in Europe. The campaign wants to raise the awareness on the consequences of hate speech which associate to phenomena such as: intolerance, discrimination, social exclusion and incite the propagation of negative stereotypes addressed to individuals or groups. In order to counterattack these aspects, EEA and Norway Grants gathered their forces to the Council of Europe in order to support the No Hate Speech Movement (campaign designed against the hate speech) initiated by Council of Europe. The hate speech represents a cross priority of NGO Fund in Romania, financed by EEA Grants.
The camapign’s materials realized by partner public institutions and NGOs: stikers (APSD-Agenda 21), movies realized by partner NGOs (CeSIP and Urbaniac in Bucharest, PATRIR in Cluj-Napoca, ANDA and Art Integration in Mehedinți, Doriana Foundation in Turda and APSD – Agenda 21), posters (APSD – Agenda 21, Turda Town Hall and Tulcea Prefecture in partnership with the associations Valori Dobrogene and Drumuri Dobrogene, Gura Humorului Town Hall and Cluj Prefecture), leaflets (CeSIP Association and volunteers from Bucharest), flyers (Tulcea Prefecture in partnership with the associations Valori Dobrogene and Drumuri Dobrogene), leaflets, calendars (Bucharest Prefecture) will be published on the websites and Facebook pages of partner institutions and associations. Several dedicated events will be organized: debates, stradal activities, contests, theatre plays.
About 5000 citizens, politicians, civil servants, students will be involved in the campaign as promoters or beneficiaries.
Nina Cugler – project manager, e-mail: ninacugler@agenda21.org.ro
The press release can be downloaded from here. |
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RADIO SHOW – FACILITATING GLOBAL LEARNING
On November 10th, 2014, Mrs Nina Cugler, executive president of the association, participated in Planet Radio – Bruxelles Connection radio show in Radio Romania Cultural. The main theme of the show was the project Facilitating Global Learning – Key competences of members of European CSOs, with focus on the training on global learning dedicated to multipliers from Romanian NGOs. Other debated topics were: the agenda post 2015 and European Year of Development – 2015, feedback and perspective of participants in the training.
Together with Mrs. Nina Cugler, the following were guests at the show: Adriana Zaharia, Communication Coordinator – FOND Romania, Diana Velica – founder member of ASAP (Academics Stand against Poverty Romania) and member of ARCADIA – participant in the training and Anamaria Suciu, Volunteers Coordinator – Contraceptive and Sexual Education Society.
The project Facilitating global learning – key competences of members of European CSOs is implemented by a consortium of organizations from Germany, Portugal and Romania: the main applicant DachverbandEntwicklungspolitik Baden-Württemberg (DEAB) – Germany; partners: Forum for international development + planning (FINEP) – Germany, EntwicklungspädagogischesInformationszentrumEPiZimArbeitskreisEine Welt Reutlingen e.V. – Germany, InstitutoMarquês de Valle Flôr – Portugal, AIDGLOBAL - Acção e Integração para o Desenvolvimento Global – Portugal, Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 – Romania.
The project is financed by the European Commission through the Program Non-state actors and local authorities in Development. Raising public awareness of development issues and promoting development education in the European Union.
The radio show can be listened in here.
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Bucharest, November 5th, 2014
Press Release
Public Administration closer to the citizen through Social Media
Association “ Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development-Agenda 21”, in partnership with National Agency Of Civil Servants, has organized the training course for civil servants within the project “Transparency and quality in public administration through Social Media”, funded by SEE 2009-2014 grants, within the NGO Fund in Romania. The event took place between the 20th and the 22nd of October, at Lev Or Hotel, no. 25, Occident Street, Bucharest.
The projects aims to increase the role of civil society in promoting principles of good governance and citizen participation in the policy making process at the local level and promote the fundamental right of citizens to participate in public affairs. The total value of the project is 82,684.50 euro, of which 70,648.50 Euro – is co-financed by the EEA grants.
The purpose of the event was the training of 40 civil servants from 20 public partner institutions in the project, from Cluj, Mehedinti, Tulcea, Suceava Counties and Bucharest in the topics of social media in public administration. The course introduced participants in the complex field of social media channels and the way public administration can use them and included an exchange of experience in how to use social media in public administration and a component dedicated to fighting the hate speech. Participants have designed activities and posts for the 10th of December, a day dedicated to the project, promoting the No Hate Speech Campaign in partnership with local NGOs and with the support of volunteers involved in the project. There have been identified in the course h procedures for monitoring the 60 events that will be organized by public institutions through social media channels.
Attending the opening of the course, Mr. Birtalan József, ANFP president, emphasized the importance that social media have in the modernization of public administration, guidance stipulated by all European and national strategic documents in the broader context of e-government management.
"The course has a significant potential to move public administration toward the citizen, a change of attitude of civil servants in relation to citizens, promoting in all the institutions’ activities involved in the project non-discriminatory practices and increasing tolerance in intra and extra institutional relationships." said Nina Cugler project manager.
Nina Cugler
Executive President, APSD-Agenda 21
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Bucharest, October 24th, 2014
PRESS RELEASE
TRAINING FOR GLOBAL LEARNING MULTIPLIERS
Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 organized the first part of the Facilitating Global Learning training, addressed to members of non-governmental organizations from Romania. The training took place in Bucharest, during October 15th – 18th, 2014.
The training aims at developing the key competences of the participants in the field of global learning, at continuously increasing the number of multipliers that work in the field of global learning, at improving the quality of multipliers’ activities, as well as at motivating and preparing the participants for getting involved in actions of and for facilitating events in the field of global learning.
16 non-governmental organizations from Romania participated in the first part of the training. In March 2015 the second part will take place. In between, the participants will apply the knowledge and competences they gained, by organizing and implementing at the level of their organization and local community global learning activities addressed to the organization’s target groups.
“This training is based on the results of a research study realized by us at the end of 2013. The results for Romania showed that “there are different interpretations and understandings of Global Learning among the non-governmental organizations” and that “Global Learning is only partially understood or limited to the NGOs own experience.” Thus, the training modules were designed considering the needs in the field expressed by the NGOs members themselves. We want to contribute to increase the number of multipliers active in Global Learning in Romania”, said Nina Cugler, executive president of the association.
The training is part of the project Facilitating global learning – key competences of members of European CSOs, implemented by a consortium of organizations from Germany, Portugal and Romania: the main applicant DachverbandEntwicklungspolitik Baden-Württemberg (DEAB) – Germany; partners: Forum for international development + planning (FINEP) – Germany, EntwicklungspädagogischesInformationszentrumEPiZimArbeitskreisEine Welt Reutlingen e.V. – Germany, InstitutoMarquês de Valle Flôr – Portugal, AIDGLOBAL - Acção e Integração para o Desenvolvimento Global – Portugal, Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 – Romania.
The project is financed by the European Commission through the Program Non-state actors and local authorities in Development. Raising public awareness of development issues and promoting development education in the European Union.
For more details, you may contact us at monica.cugler@agenda21.org.ro or at phone number 021 311 40 76.
www.agenda21.org.ro
the press release can be downloaded from here. |
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The first curriculum on Global Learning in Romania addressed to members of non-governmental organizations
APSD – Agenda 21 announces the publication in electronic format of the Global Learning curriculum, elaborated within the project Facilitating Global Learning – key competences of members from European CSOs. The curriculum is addressed to the staff from the non-governmental organizations which are or want to be involved in the design and organization of global earning events and it was developed as support material for the test course on Global Learning that will take place within the project.
There are five types of general competences approached by the curriculum: to analyze globalization: the phenomenon history and glocal interrelations (Learning to know), to develop and practice global learning paradigm/patterns (Learning to learn), to design and implement global learning activities meant to generate positive change (Learning to do),
to build personal perspective and to accept multiple social perspective (Learning to be),
to manifest a constructive pro-social behavior open to dialogue (Learning to live together).
The Global Learning Curriculum is part of the project Facilitating Global Learning – Key competences of Members from European CSOs, implemented by a consortium formed by 5 organizations, the leader being DEAB Germany, and APSD – Agenda 21 is the national partner in Romania. The project is addressed to member of NGOs and it aims at improving the quality of global learning and at training members of NGOs that are involved in global learning projects or that are interested to develop projects in the field.
The project is co-financed by the European Commission through the Program Non-state actors and local authorities in Development. Raising public awareness of development issues and promoting development education in the European Union
For more information you can contact us at e-mail monica.cugler@agenda21.org.ro
The Curriculum on Global Learning can be downloaded from here.
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Bucharest, 20th of August 2014
Notice of termination of the project
Association "Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21", located in Bucharest, Bd. Queen Elizabeth, no. 32, Sector 5, code 050 012, has completed the project entitled "Optimization of broadband access and IT infrastructure at APSD - Agenda 21 Association ", No. SMIS 41235, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ministry for Informational Society.
The total of the project was 32745.92 RON, of which financial assistance grant is 25087.60 lei.
The project aimed to improve the IT infrastructure (including internet connection) of Association "Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21" by purchasing computers, peripherals and other modern equipment as well as connecting the entire infrastructure of the Internet to a better quality provider than the existing one.
Project activities started on the 6th of June 2014, following the signing of the contract on the 6th of March 2014 with the Ministry for Informational Society - Information Society Promotion IB.
The project was implemented in the area of Bucharest, Str. Mircea Vulcănescu, no. 2-4, 2nd floor, ap. 7, District 1, for a period of three (3) months.
Further details can be obtained from the Association "Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21".
Contact: Nina Cugler, Legal Representative.
Tel. 0737062713, Fax. 0213114076, email: ninacugler@agenda21.org.ro
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FACILITATING GLOBAL LEARNING – INTRODUCTORY COURSE
Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 invites you to participate in the introductory course on the theme of global learning that will take place on September 18th, 2014, in Bucharest and it is addressed to CSOs’ representatives that work or are interested in working in the field of global learning and adult education.
The agenda of the course will include: knowing the participants, presentation of the project, presentation of the conclusions of the study “Global What – Study on Facts and Needs of Global Learning in Germany, Portugal and Romania”, informing the participants on the test course in global learning (which will have four modules organized during October 2014 – April 2015), identification of the training needs of the participants in the field approached by the course and establishing the selection criteria for the participants in the test course.
The selection process of the CSOs’ representatives that will be motivated and interested in participating in the 4 modules will take place after the introductory course (16 participants / one person / organization).
The introductory course is part of the project Facilitating Global Learning – Key competences of Members from European CSOs, implemented by a consortium formed by 5 organizations, the leader being DEAB Germany, and APSD – Agenda 21 is the national partner in Romania. The project is addressed to member of NGOs and it aims at improving the quality of global learning and at training members of NGOs that are involved in global learning projects or that are interested to develop projects in the field.
We ask the interested NGOs to send us their confirmation of participation along with the name and contact details of their representative at e-mail monica.cugler@agenda21.org.ro by September 12th, 2014.
The location of the event will be announced. The organizers will provide lunch and coffee breaks. The transport expenses can be covered by the organizers.
You can download the electronic format here. |
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APSD – Agenda 21 volunteers attended the MIJARC Summer Camp 2014 – Better together – we care about rural areas
6 Romanian young people represented APSD – Agenda 21 in the MIJARC Summer Camp – ’’Better together – we care abour rural areas”, between the 24th and the 31st of August, which was held in Passau,Germany. They enjoyed the summer camp with other young delegates who came from Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, Malta and Belgium.
The aim of the summer camp was the promotion of the rural areas’ development among the young people from Europe, achieving the following goals:
- to analyse and exchange the realities in the communities and best practices on the topic;
- to experience intercultural learning by exchanging realities, opinions and values with other rural young people from Europe;
- to raise awareness about realities in rural areas in Europe and rural development;
- to empower young people to take an active role in the development of rural areas;
- to raise awareness about differences and similarities in rural areas in Europe;
- to increase the involvement of young people in the social life in local communities and develop projects, based on an intercultural approach.
MIJARC Europe is a non-governmental organisation for rural youth, by rural youth. We promote sustainable agricultural, rural and international development, European citizenship, youth policies, gender equality, environmental protection, interculturality and human rights which has more than 15000 members in Europe
For more information and photos you can access our official Facebook page and the official MIJARC website.
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Press release
Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21, in partnership with National Agency of Civil Servants, invites you to the official launch of the project “Transparency and quality in public administration through social media”, financed thorough EEA 2009 – 2014 Grants, within NGO Fund in Romania. The event will take place on the 3rd of July, at the Romanian-American Foundation (Gina Patrichi Street, no. 6, District 1, Bucharest) starting with 10.30 a.m.
The aim of the event is to present the project, its objectives and activities as well as establishing the implementation strategy and the responsibilities for the partner institutions – the 20 local authorities and institutions from Cluj County, Tulcea County, Mehedinți County, Suceava County and Bucharest. The project will be developed between the 1st of May 2014 and the 30th of April 2015. The projects aims to increase the role of civil society in the promotion of principles of good governance and citizens’ participation in the policy making process at the local level and promote the fundamental right of citizens to participate in public affairs through efficient communication channels between them and the 20 institutions/public authorities involved in the project.
“The project was thought in order to contribute to the implementation of policies and strategies of EU and Romanian Government in the domain of e-government according to the provisions of the Europe 2020 Strategy which gives a fundamental role to the information technology, the essential component of a competitive Europe, based on a knowledge economy” said the project manager, Nina Cugler, executive president of APSD – Agenda 21.
Introducing and/or multiplying at least 2 social media tools by the 20 institutions/public authorities (Facebook pages, Twitter account, Flickr account, blogs, podcasts, Youtube) chosen in order to answer to the needs of the citizens in terms of involving in the process of making decision at local level and strengthening the dialogue with them, offers an important innovative aspect to the project.
The main expected results refer to the establishment of efficient communication and consultation social media channels between citizens and institutions/public authorities, raising the transparency and good governance level of 20 institutions and their capacity to attract the citizens in the decision making process through social media networks, encouraging volunteering in the benefit of the community, involving the civil servants voluntarily in the implementation of the project, promoting the No Hate Speech Campaign, multiplying and extending good practices in other 10 counties. The total value of the project is 82,684.50 euro, of which 70,648.50 Euro – is co-financed by the EEA grants.
Nina Cugler
Executive President, APSD – Agenda 21
The press release can be downloaded from here. |
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Transparency and quality in public administration through social media
The project “Transparency and quality in public administration through social media” started in May 2014, through the SEE 2009 – 2014 grants, initiated by Assistance and Programmes for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21, in partnership with the National Agency of Civil Servants. The project will take place between May 2014 and April 2015.
20 institutions/public authorities from the 5 locations aforementioned, 3200 citizens and 1000 civil servants, 30 volunteers, usually, members of local NGOs will be involved in the project.
The general objective of the project is raising the role of the civil society in the promotion of the principles of good governance and citizens’ participation in the process of elaborating the policies at local level, aims at promoting the fundamental rights of the citizens to be involved in the public matters through the creation of efficient communication and citizens’ consultation channels within the 20 institutions/public authorities from Bucharest and Cluj county, Mehedinți county, Suceava county and Tulcea county.
The main activities are the following: selecting 20 institutions and public authorities, elaborating the promotional materials of the project, training 30 volunteers and 40 civil servants, realizing a research report regarding the monitoring of the activities in the 20 institutions and public authorities regarding the rate of transparency and promotion of democratic procedures of attracting the citizens in the governance act, organizing 60 events of informing and public consultation online on social media channels, meant to improve the public utilities at local level, 5 radio shows realized in partnership with the Romanian Radio Society, organizing 5 workshop in order to monitor and evaluate at local level the implementation of the project, organizing the “No hate speech” campaign aiming to promote the tolerance and non-discriminatory attitude towards the minorities, realizing 5 movies for the campaign, involving the local mass-media channels in order to support the project and promote its accomplishments.
We estimate that the impact of the project will appear at different levels: the proper information regarding the aspects of common interest for the target group, the rate of information of public opinion in Romania regarding the aspects related to the reform of public administration, the improvement of the interaction and communication between different actors of civil society: citizens, NGOs, mass-media, local authorities and civil servants.
For more information click here.
The content of this website does not necessarily represent the official position of the EEA Grants 2009-2014. The entire responsibility for the accuracy and consistency of the information belongs to the website initiators;
For official information about the EEA and Norway grants access www.eeagrants.org;
Project financed by the EEA Grants 2009 - 2014, under the NGO Found in Romania;
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GLOBAL WHAT? A study on facts and needs of global learning in Germany, Portugal and Romania
Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21 announces the results of the study GLOBAL WHAT? A study on facts and needs of global learning in Germany, Portugal and Romania
The research is realized within the project Facilitating Global Learning - Key competences of members from European CSOs and it sets out to outline a common ground for all project partners on which to base our future work together in the field of Global Learning (GL). In addition, it analyses crucial requirements for the further development of our project activities. Furthermore, it is intended as a contribution to the general debate on GL.
The study shows that the situation of GL is remarkably different in each of the partner countries. Regarding visions of GL, results from all three countries show a great diversity of different concepts as well as different issues implicit in the answers given. While in the summary of the German results, there was mention of an “absence of one consistent or commonly known and accepted set of key aspects of what GL means or can mean” as well as “a relatively high familiarity with and receptiveness towards certain competencies and potential neglect of others” , the summary on Romania noted “various interpretations and understandings of GL among Romanian NGOs” and concluded that “GL is only partially understood or is limited to the NGOs own experience and interpretations of the term”. The summary on Portugal reported that “31 CSOs did not answer the question or do not have a vision” and, in relation to GL competencies and skills, considered it “very surprising” that “among 100 participants, only three specifically mentioned Human Rights and only four Social Justice”. Despite all their diversity, these statements hint at deficits in knowledge of the theories and concepts underlying GL in all three countries.
For more results please consult the study here.
The project is implemented by a consortium of organizations from Germany, Portugal and Romania: leading project partner is DEAB (Dachverband Entwicklungspolitik Baden-Württemberg), partners: finep (Forum für internationale Entwicklung und Planung), EPiZ (Entwicklungspädagogisches Informationszentrum im Arbeitskreis Eine Welt Reutlingen), IMVF (Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr), AIDGLOBAL (Acção e Integração para o Desenvolvimento Global), APSD-Agenda 21 (Asociatia de Asistenta si Programe pentru Dezvoltare Durabila).
Co-financed by: The European Commission through the Program Non-state actors and local authorities in Development. Raising public awareness of development issues and promoting development education in the European Union.
For further details please contact us at monica.cugler@agenda21.org.ro. |
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APSD – Agenda 21 takes part in the first meeting for the creation of O.R.A. Network – Oybin, Germany
Between the 15th – the 20th of February, Andreea Tătaru and Georgian Mirea, two members of the association, will attend the first meeting regarding the creation of a European NGO – O.R.A. – (Observe – Rethink – Act).
O.R.A. Network represents a partnership among a few NGOs from Europa aiming at the creation platform for discussion and exchange of good practice and approaches in the field of sustainable development and inclusion of young people among different NGOs and Youth Centers coming from EU and SEE countries.
The European NGO "ORA" sets itself the goal to improve and professionalise the cooperation of member organizations. They organize joint youth exchanges, organize trainings for employees of youth work to raise awareness for sustainability, inclusion and active citizenship and to develop methods which are suitable to implement them with youth.
In this first meeting, the representatives of the NGOs involved in this cooperation will work in three workshops – Administration, Communication and Promotion, Values and Contents – at the strategy of the establishment of the NGO.
Also, the two young people will present the experience of the organization related to the sustainable development projects and will present the homeland with the occasion of the International Evening.
Another meeting will be held in Banja Luka, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in July 2014.
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National Congress on Global Learning and Education for sustainable development - Stuttgart January 2014
Between the 16th and the 18th of January, Nina Cugler, the CEO of APSD – Agenda 21 attended the National Congress on Global Learning and education for sustainable development. This event took place in Stuttgart and gathered 250 European multipliers – teachers, students and people involved in similar activities. The main topics debated were the following: migration, global learning, global changes and development education.
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APSD Agenda 21 at the International Conference Challenges of the Knowledge Society – CKS 2013
APSD – Agenda 21’ project “Millennium Development Goals Achievement. Involving high school students and educators in development education programmes and project” was presented during the 7th edition of the International Conference “Challenges of the Knowledge Society – CKS 2013”, organized by “Nicolae Titulescu” University of Bucharest, between 17th and 18th May 2013. Ms. Elena Nedelcu, Associated Professor, PhD, “Nicolae Titulescu” University of Bucharest and member of the national coordination team of the above mentioned project, analysed the results of the project as a case study for her scientific article “Cooperation and Education for Sustainable Development in the Globalization Era” (ISSN 2068-7796). The article explores the topic of sustainable development seen as a fundamental objective of the millennium. The first part of the article offers a theoretical analysis of three main variables and the connection between them: globalization, democratization and development. The second part of the article focuses on the importance and the practice of sustainable development during the globalization era. This second part analyses the case of APSD-Agenda 21 as an example of the involvement of civil society in education for sustainable development in Romania, focusing on the activities and the results of the project.
This project is co-financed by the European Commission through the program Non State Actors and Local Authorities in Development. Public Awareness and education for development in Europe
The full text of the article can be downloaded following the link: http://cks.univnt.ro/cks_2013.html
Contact person: Nina Cugler, executive president APSD-Agenda 21, office@agenda21.org.ro
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APSD - Agenda 21 is participating in the SNSPA Internship Fair. We are expecting you!
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TRAINING ON NON FORMAL AND INFORMAL METHODS
Integrating non-formal methods in formal settings will become a common practice for the 30 teachers involved in the „Non-formal and informal methods” training course, which took place between 28th and 30th March, at „Ioan Petruş” High School in Otopeni. The training course is one of the activities of a larger project entitled „Non-formal and informal education through ICT”, developed by Otopeni Local Council together with „Ioan Petruş” High School from Otopeni, the Association Assistance and Programmes for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 and five school units in Malta.
The training course was structured on three working days and it aimed at developing the teachers’ competences on adapting and integrating non-formal methods and ICT-based tools in their lessons, covering all the curricular areas. The teachers received information on non-formal education and the European context regarding this type of education, they took part to dynamic and interactive activities which used a variety of non-formal methods, they shared their experience with their colleagues and they tested different ICT-based resources, which they can use during their lessons. For the project’s next phase, all 30 participants will apply this knowledge and will conduct their lessons using non-formal and ICT-based methods.
The project started in November 2012 and will run for a period of 2 years. It aims to develop the teachers’ competences on adapting and using non-formal methods and learning strategies associated with ICT in an intercultural context. The project also offers the opportunity to work with other teachers in the partner country in order to identify the best methods and techniques used for non-formal and informal learning associated with ICT and to foster intercultural exchanges and to strengthen the collaboration with educational stakeholders in the partner country. The project includes training programs, basic and advanced use of ICT which will increase the use of educational software in planning and delivering classes. The project will also contribute to the creation of digital educational materials, will we be available on a bilingual website and it will enhance the exchange of good practices between the two countries.
The project „Non-formal and information education through ICT” is financed by the European Commission through the Life-Long Learning Programme, Comenius Regio Partnerships.
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National camp in Bulgaria
The national camp organized in Bulgaria within the project Millennium Development
Goals Realization will take place during June 23rd – 27th, 2012 in Primorsko.
The objectives of the camp are:
- Presentation of the school projects realized by Bulgarian students and educators
- Establishment of contact and elaboration of joint projects on MDG realization by the participants
from Bulgaria, Romania, Italy and South Africa
- Preparation of the Youth Summit on Realization of MDG in Africa
The camp is addressed to students and educators from Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, and South Africa.
Romania is represented, through APSD – Agenda 21, by a delegation of 10 students and 2 teachers.
The agenda of the camp includes topics like presentation of the millennium development goals,
young people and global problems, presentation of the European and African school projects, exploring
opportunities for elaboration of international projects with African partners, debate “Young people could
change the world?”.
For more information you can contact us at email ninacugler@agenda21.org.ro, phone +40213114076,
contact person Nina Cugler. |
Human Rights Olympic Games 2012
The 2012 edition of the already traditional Human Rights Olympic Games of Open
Education Center Bulgaria will take place during June 19th – 23rd, 2012 in Primorsko.
The objectives of the Human Rights Olympic Games are:
- Understanding Millennium Development goals in their connection with Human Rights
- Exploring the realization of MDG Goals in Africa (especially decrease of child
mortality, improvement of maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases)
- Analyzing and discussion on Reproductive health as a Human Right and its realization in
Africa and in Europe
- Development of Reproductive Health Youth Projects in Africa
The Olympic Games are addressed to students and educators from Italy, Romania,
Bulgaria, and South Africa. Romania is represented, through APSD – Agenda 21,
by a delegation of 10 students and 2 teachers.
The agenda includes topics like global citizens – exploring the globalization,
human rights and our world, presentation of the millennium development goals,
debate “The realization of the right to reproductive health is a general responsibility
of all of us or only of the states and national societies”, individual Olympic
competition – case studies and a short speech on reproductive health.
For more information you can contact us at phone +40213114076, email,
contact person Nina Cugler. |
Steering meeting 21.03.2012
The national Romanian steering committee of the project Millennium Development Goals.
Involving students and teachers from high schools in development education projects
and programs had a meeting in Bucharest in March 21st, 2012. The objectives of the
meeting were: the elaboration of the national curriculum, the development education
classes for the university level, as well as the projects of the students and the
involvement of 11 news schools in the project. During the meeting, the structure
of the national curriculum was decided, which will include the school curriculum
for development education, the classes developed by the teachers from the participant
schools – classes focused on the MDG theme and with study cases from Sub-Saharan
Africa, the optional classes and the materials that will be elaborated for the classes
that will be held at university level. The national curriculum will be realized
in both printed and electronic format. Also, the strategy for the implementation
of the project at university level has been elaborated, meaning the inclusion of
specific development education modules within the classes of Public relations, Basis
of econometrics, Success and failure in business and Economic journalism from the
Economical Studies Academy, as well as within the class Sociology of international
relations from Nicolae Titulescu University. Other discussions aimed at the methodology
for selecting the students’ projects that will receive financial support within
the project, the participation of students and teachers in this year’s edition of
Human Rights Olympic Games, as well as in the National students’ camp in Izvorul
Muresului and in the National camp in Bulgaria. For more information contact person
Nina Cugler, e-mail office@agenda21.org.ro, phone +4021 311 40 76. |
Final conference – project “Strengthening the Environmental Governance
in Bucharest”
 On 13th December 2010 the Association Assistance
and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21, marked the end of the
project “Strengthening the Environmental Governance in Bucharest”, through
the final evaluation conference “Partnership for a new quality of the environment
in Bucharest”, which took place at Cercul Militar National.
The conference benefited from the presence of a Norwegian delegation, led by Mr.
Trygve Westgard, mayor of Askim Municipality, a partner institution within the project.
For developing a real interaction between experts from Norway and experts from Romania,
representatives of the Bucharest City Hall, Bucharest Sector Halls, Bucharest Environmental
Agency were also invited together with representatives of Innovation Norway Programme,
who presented financing and networking opportunities in the field of sustainable
development and economic cooperation between Romania and Norway.
During the conference the results of the project “Strengthening the environmental
governance in Bucharest” were evaluated. Referring to the results of the project,
Nina Cugler – project manager and Executive President of APSD-Agenda 21 declared:
“Strengthening the environmental governance in Bucharest gathered in a single
project a large diversity of human and institutional resources, actors from all
social fields who play an important role in the development of environmental policies:
NGOs, public administration bodies, central and local public institutions, academic
institutions, school units, teachers, young people, private companies, associated
structures from Romania and Norway, media representatives and public figures. The
public-private partnership created within the project contributed to a more efficient
use of the resources for achieving a common goal - finding solution/answers to the
problems of the local community - it contributed to improving the citizens level
of trust in public bodies, generating significant results and a major impact with
minimal funds.”
“Strengthening the Environmental Governance in Bucharest” is a project
developed by APSD-Agenda 21, in partnership with Askim Municipality Norway, Bucharest
City Hall and the School Inspectorate of Bucharest, financed through founds given
by the Norwegian Government through the Norwegian Cooperation Programme for economic
growth and sustainable development in Romania.
Projects catalogue “Eco-volunteers for Bucharest”
 The new projects catalogue “Eco-volunteers
for Bucharest” was launched. The catalogue contains 12 environmental projects
developed by the teams of eco-volunteers from the 12 high-schools involved in the
project “Strengthening the Environmental Governance in Bucharest”. The
projects appeared as a result of the 4 training sessions developed for students
and teachers, during which the participants learnt about sustainable development,
environmental issues and project writing and management. The 12 projects meet the
environmental needs identified in their communities by the team of eco-volunteers
and have, thus, a local dimension. Among the initiatives presented by the students
there are actions aimed at cleaning green areas and parks, at improving the quality
of the green areas of high-schools, informing and educational actions and also recycling
and selective collection of waste.
The presentation of the 12 projects included in the catalogue “Eco-volunteers
for Bucharest” took place on 30th October 2010, at National College “Gheorghe
Sincai”, in front of representatives of private companies such as: Eco-X,
Remat Holding and Carpatcement, companies that answered our invitation to support
young people and their actions for a healthier environment. The projects also benefit
from the support of local public authorities, partners in the 12 projects. |
Training session for facilitators – “A different gender, an equal opportunity”
 The
training course for facilitators, planned for the project “A different gender,
an equal opportunity”, took place between 24th and 28th January. 24 young
volunteers, representing the General Directorates of Social Assistance and Child
Protection from sectors 1, 3, 4, and 6 from Bucharest as well as GDSACP –
Ilfov county, were involved for 5 days in a training course on addressing topics
such as: human rights, human rights education, gender equality and discrimination
and specific issues on gender such as domestic violence and abuse. During the course
a non-formal educational mix was used which included rich theoretical input but
foremost interactive activities such as: simulations, case studies, games and exchange
of good practices. The main working tools of the training course were the manuals
designed and published by the Council of Europe: Compass and Gender Matters, educational
tools that will be also used in the activities that will be developed by the participants
in the following period. The training course contributed to acquiring more in-depth
knowledge on human rights and human rights education, on the Council of Europe and
its activity in the youth field, on the specific issues concerning gender, on the
working tools offered by the Council of Europe as well as on the principles of non-formal
education and experiential learning.
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February and May, the participants will conduct 4 workshops each, involving young
people and children from disadvantaged areas, with a high risk of gender discrimination:
young people with high risk of being abandoned, young people and children from day
time centres and placement centres, and young people who are offered social assistance
services. Activities from Compass, Gender Matters and Compasito will be used during
the workshops.
“A different gender, an equal opportunity” is a pilot project on human
rights education, financed by the Council of Europe through the European Youth Foundation.
The project aims at reducing gender-based discrimination and promoting gender equality
by involving young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods in HRE activities, using
Gender Matters and Compass. |
A different gender, an equal opportunity
In
October, 2010, Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda
21 launched a new project entitled “A different gender, an equal opportunity”.
The project is a pilot project which includes a training course on gender equality
through HRE, followed by workshops. “A different gender, an equal opportunity”
is financed by the Council of Europe, through the European Youth Foundation.
The project aims at reducing gender-based discrimination and promoting gender equality
by involving young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods in HRE activities, using
COE’s Manuals: Gender Matters and Compass.
The training course is addressed to young volunteers and youth workers from disadvantaged
neighbourhoods in Bucharest, working with groups facing the risk of gender-based
discrimination and domestic violence. The participants to the training course will
act as multipliers, facilitating workshop with children and young people affected
by gender inequality and discrimination.
The project is developed in partnership with the Directorate of Social Assistance
and Child Protection from sectors 1, 3, 4, 6 in Bucharest and DSACP – Ilfov.
Within the project, two of the preparatory meetings have already taken place. The
training course is planned to take place at the end of January, between 24th-28th
January and a total number of 24 participants is expected. |
Experience Exchange in Norway
Between 19th-24th September a delegation including Nina Cugler, Executive President,
project manager, Dana Stănculescu, superior councillor, Directorate for Education,
Bucharest City Hall and Costel Nedelcu, general councillor, Bucharest City Hall
conducted a study visit in Norway.
The agenda of the delegation’s visit included meetings with: Innovation Norway
(Central headquarters in Oslo), Oslo City Hall, Askim City Hall, the Association
of Local and Regional Authorities from Norway (KS) and Ostfold Region, visiting
a garbage recycling centre in the town of Moss. |
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20th September – Innovation Norway
The implementation stages together with the results achieved until then within the
project „Strengthening the Environmental Governance in Bucharest”
were presented. Mr. Tore Lasse By, general manager of the
Innovation Norway Programme for Bulgaria and Romania, presented the new financing
opportunities from the EEA Grants and Innovation Norway.
Discussion with Mr. Tore Lasse By, general manager of the innovation Norway Programme
for Bulgaria and Romania. |
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21st September 2010 – Oslo City Hall
The project „Strengthening the Environmental Governance in
Bucharest” was presented together with the results achieved
so. An exchange of experience occurred related to the administrative structure of
the two cities and the cooperation opportunities in fields of mutual interest crated
through projects.
Oslo City Hall
Discussion with Mrl. Theis Juell Theisen
and Mr. Bjarne Johannessen |
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21st September 2010 – Association of Local and Regional Authorities from
Norway (KS)
Ms. Elita Cakule, manager for international project, presented
the structure and the way of functioning of the local and regional local public
administration authorities from Norway and the Strategy for International Projects.
Ms. Gunnbjorg Naavik, special consultant, presented the programmes
and projects developed by KS at international level. |
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22nd September 2010, Askim City Hall
Meetings with Mr. Trygve Westgard, mayor of Askim city. Discussing
the opportunities of continuing the partnership and extending the project in cooperation
with new partners from Ostfold region. The climate network from Ostfold region was
presented by Mr. Alf S. Johansen
Mr. Trygve Westgard, mayor of Askim and vice-mayor of Askim presenting to the Romanian
delegation one of the largest infrastructure - works. |
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22nd September 2010, Moss Region
Ms. Mariana Oberti, representative of the country council and representatives of
MOVAR Company which ensures the garbage management in Moss Region. Presentation
of some procedures regarding the collection, sorting and reuse of garbage.
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The Conference of the Climate Network from Ostfold Region. Dialogue and exchange
of experience for identifying new partnership opportunities on projects of mutual
interest. |
Strengthening the Environmental Governance in Bucharest
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Another step was made in the development of the project “Strengthening the
Environmental Governance in Bucharest”. This time the focus was on civil servants
working in institutions and departments in charge with the environmental situation
of Bucharest. 40 civil servants having environmental responsibilities within Bucharest
City Hall, Bucharest Sector Halls, Bucharest Agency for Environment Project took
part in a four days training course held between 14th and 17th June. The participants
at the training course benefited from the experience and input of four Norwegian
experts who focused on ensuring an exchange of good practices, experiences and solutions
regarding the environmental problems in Bucharest. |
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The training course was centered on strategic issues regarding the integration of
environmental problems and sustainable development issues in strategic planning
at local and national level, environmental issues such as climate changes, clean
energy and natural resources management, educating citizens for protecting the environment
and case studies on global environmental problems and solutions regarding transport
and traffic, building management, waste management and citizens’ participation.
The training course was also focused on facilitating the connection of Bucharest
Municipality to the Climate Network in Norway and also on the steps and measures
necessary for the creation of a national Climate Network in Romania.
Come with us to Clear the Air in Bucharest!
Come with us to Clear the Air in Bucharest! On Saturday, 5th June, at 10:00, we
meet at Piata Presei Libere in order to start the campaign CLEAR THE AIR IN BUCHAREST,
with a march of the eco-volunteers for Bucharest. At 17:00 we meet again in Herastrau
Park, Summer Garden for an eco-show in which pupils from 12 school units from Bucharest
will perform live together with their guests. CLEAR THE AIR IN BUCHAREST is a public
information and raising awareness campaign regarding the environment issues of Bucharest.
The campaign is part of a more complex project “Strengthening the Environmental
Governance in Bucharest”, a project developed by APSD-Agenda 21, in partnership
with Askim Municipality Norway, Bucharest City Hall and the School Inspectorate
of Bucharest, financed through founds given by the Norwegian Government through
the Norwegian Cooperation Programme for economic growth and sustainable development
in Romania.
For further details please visit www.aerisestebucurestiul.ro
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Training session for pupils – Strengthening the Environmental Governance
in Bucharest
On Saturday, 13th February, in Amfiteatru Hall of „Gheorghe Lazar” National
College, APSD- Agenda 21 held the first training session for pupils and educational
staff representing 12 school units from. It was the first training session out of
a series of 4 such session and it gathered the project teams, which included 2 pupils
and one teacher from each school unit, teams which will work together with one of
the 12 trained volunteers from the group of Eco-volunteers for Bucharest in order
to organise the environment campaign „Clear the Air in Bucharest!” and
in order to create projects on topics relevant to environment protection. The school
units involved in the project are the following: Liceul Teoretic “C-tin Brâncoveanu”,
Colegiul Tehnic Media, Şcoala Superioară Comercială "N. Kretzulescu,
Colegiul National "Grigore Moisil" , Colegiul Naţional “Emil Racoviţă”, Colegiul Naţional
“Matei Basarab”, Liceul Bilingv DECEBAL, Colegiul Naţional „Gheorghe
Lazăr”, Colegiul Tehnic de Industrie Alimentară “Dumitru Moţoc”,
Liceului Teoretic "Mihail Sadoveanu", Colegiul Naţional “Gheorghe
Şincai”, Liceul Teoretic „Ion Neculce”. |
News regarding the project Strengthening the Environmental governance in Bucharest
On 9th February APSD-Agenda 21 organised a meeting of the extended team for the
implementation of the project Strengthening Environmental Governance in Bucharest,
a project developed in partnership with APSD-Agenda21, Askim Municipality –
Norway, City Hall of Bucharest and the School Inspectorate of Bucharest and financed
by the Norwegian Government through the Norwegian Programme of Cooperation for economic
growth and sustainable development in Romania.
The meeting focused on discussing the proposed topics for the two training sessions
conducted by 5 Norwegian experts for 40 civil servants who conduct their activity
in the field of environment protection and eco-civic education in Bucharest. The
objectives of the training sessions will be to help the participants understand
„the global aspects concerning the environment” and to develop their
competences for introducing these aspects in the local planning for environment.
The sessions will also provide the opportunity for an exchange of experience between
Norwegian and Romanian experts.
The participants also received information on the structure and the components of
the environment campaign „Clear the Air in Bucharest”, organised during
the upcoming phase of the project. The team decided to launch the campaign
on 5th June – World Environment Day. The team also issued recommendations
regarding the activities that will be held during the campaign and chose the visual
identity elements of the campaign: poster, flyer and other promotional materials.
The extended team for the implementation of the project strengthening the Environmental
Governance in Bucharest includes civil servants from the City Hall of Bucharest,
Directorate for the protection of the environment and eco-civic education, Directorate
for Education, from Sector Halls, from the Agency for the Environment Protection
in Bucharest and from the School Inspectorate of Bucharest. |
ABCD... Multipliers for Human Rights
The
Association Assistance and Programmes for Sustainable Development – Agenda
21 is organising a training for trainers that will be held between 26th and 30th
January with the participation of 20 multipliers – youth workers, volunteers,
youth leaders, trainers, educators or facilitators – representing youth organisations
from Bucharest and neighbouring areas. The training of trainers is part of the project
ABCD... Multipliers for Human Rights, developed by APSD-Agenda
21 with support from the Council of Europe through the European Youth Foundation.
Starting October 2009 and ending August 2010, the project aims at improving the
quality of local projects and practices on human rights education with children
and youth by exploring and improving competences of multipliers.
Among the key objectives of the project we list the following:
- To familiarize participants with the key concepts, approaches, challenges of human
rights education and the main priorities of youth work at European and local level;
- To introduce some tools for educators, especially, Compasito and Compass as
a starting point for developing non-formal activities and initiatives with children
and young people at local and/or international level, but nevertheless with a European
dimension
- To support the elaboration and development of multiplying projects on HRE with children;
- To inform participants about the potential of European youth programmes in youth
work on citizenship, participation and human rights and explore the potential of
future European projects
Study visit in Norway
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Between 4th and 8th November 2009, two Romanian experts, Monica Nazare
– Executive Director – Directorate for Environment Protection and Eco-civic
education and Daniela Stănculescu– councillor- Directorate
for Education, conducted a study visit to Askim Municipality – Norway and
to the Association of Local and Regional Authorities of Norway. The study visit
was part of the project „Strengthening Environmental Governance in Bucharest”,
a project developed by Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development –
Agenda 21 in partnership with Askim Municipality, Bucharest City hall and the School
Inspectorate of Bucharest.
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During the visit the two Romanian experts met the Mayor of Askim and Norwegian experts.
The discussions were focused on common strategies in the field of sustainable development
with an impact on green house gases reduction in the atmosphere and on other pollutants
affecting the quality of air, soil and water. The visit was also a good opportunity
for an exchange of experience and good practices in the field of environment protection
and for the preparation of a Climate Network that will include municipalities from
Norway and Bucharest.
The experts appreciated the visit as highly beneficial for the activity they are
conducting within their institutions, for the implementation of the Development
Strategy for Bucharest and for the education on sustainable development. During
the next implementation phase training sessions for young people and civil servants
active in the environmental field will be conducted.
Press conference for the launch of the opinion survey: „The quality of the
environment in Bucharest in the citizens’ opinion”
On 14th October the press conference for the launch of the study “The
quality of the environment in Bucharest in the citizens’ opinion
” was held. The event is part of the project Strengthening Environmental Governance
in Bucharest, a project developed in partnership by APSD-Agenda 21, Askim
City Hall – Norway, Bucharest City Hall and the School Inspectorate of Bucharest,
financed by the Norwegian Government through the Norwegian Cooperation Programme
for economic growth and sustainable development in Romania.
Among the participants there were Ms. Anne Lise Rognlidalen, commercial councilor
within the Norwegian Cooperation Programme – Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest,
Mr. Mădălin Dumitru, director of the Directorate for Infrastructure and
Public Services – Bucharest City Hall, Ms. Simona Mocănescu, superior
councilor of the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Costel Nedelcu, director of the
Agency for Environment Protection – Bucharest, as well as representatives
of the Bucharest City Hall, of Sector Town Halls, representatives of the media and
environment non-governmental organizations, students and educational staff from
Bucharest school units.
The study was conducted by IRSOP on a representative sample and it tackles the citizens’
perception in what concerns Bucharest environmental problems, identifies solutions
suggested by the citizens themselves for improving the quality of the environment
and implicitly the life-quality of Bucharest inhabitants. The survey contains also
a component of self-assessment which highlights the degree of civic responsibility
towards maintaining a healthy environment and also the ecological behavior of the
citizens. The results of the study were presented by Mr. Petre Datculescu, director
of IRSOP and they are available in electronic format on the website of APSD-Agenda
21.
DOWNLOAD
REPORT
Young people involvement in civil rights promotion
In July 2009 APDD-Agenda 21 finalised the project „Young people involvement
in civil rights promotion”, a project financed by the Council of Europe through
the European Youth Foundation and developed under the sub-category D-HRE as a pilot
project with focus on human rights education. The project involved a training for
trainers course, followed by workshops, finalised with a Companion type publication.
A number of 20 teachers and young volunteers attended the training course, which
was developed on the main topics of human rights education, all of them acting as
multipliers. For the selection of the target group APSD-Agenda 21 benefited from
the help offered by its partner the School Inspectorate of Bucharest. The 6 educational
units selected were: Şcoala cu clasele I-VIII nr. 64 „Ferdinand I”,
Grup Şcolar „Decebal, Şcoala generală nr. 114 „Principesa
Margareta”, Colegiul Naţional „Gheorghe Lazar”, Şcoala
generală nr. 195, Liceul Pedagogic-Buzău. The children, indirect
beneficiaries of the project, which were treated as partners in the testing of activities
from the HRE Manual Compasito, were pupils aged between 6 and 14 years old (grades
I to VI), who worked in groups of approximately 15 pupils.
During the project 18 activities were translated from the HRE Manual – Compasito,
13 of them being adapted by the facilitators during 134 workshops where more than
380 pupils from the 6 selected school units took part. The Companion type publication
was printed in 300 copies and it is also available for download on our website.
Self-assessment report of civil servants "Quality of public services in the
view of civil servants - self-assessment report to local public institutions"
(July 2009)
"Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda21”
completed the self-assessment report of civil servants "The quality of public
services in the view of public servants - self-assessment report to local public
institutions" (July 2009).
The report was prepared within the "Citizens charter” project, financed
through PHARE 2006 - Increasing the role of civil society in the integration process
of Romania conducted by Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development –
Agenda21 in partnership with the National Agency of Public Servants.
The study was conducted during April-May 2009 and consisted in the application of
958 questionnaires in three types of public institutions in each location as follows:
Bucharest City Hall and two district town halls (City Hall District 4 and District
6), Municipality of Cluj-Napoca, Prefect’s Institution of Cluj County and
Directorate of Labor and Social Protection in Cluj, Municipality of Drobeta Turnu-Severin,
Prefect Institution of Mehedinti, County Agency for Work Employment of Mehedinti
county, Municipality of Tulcea, Prefect Institution of Tulcea and County Agency
for Work Employment of Tulcea county, Municipality of Vaslui, Prefect Institution
of Vaslui and County Agency for Work Employment of Vaslui county.
According to the results of this report, public servants have a rather positive
perception on the trust that citizens invest in public institutions (72.7% more
and a lot more), compared with the level of confidence of citizens who are at a
lower level, (53.2% were very much confidence).
Professional training, institution management and staff courtesy are characteristics
which lay in the perception of public servants the first position on the list of
characteristics of institutions / local authorities that provide services of good
quality.
Regarding the management of institutions in providing services there is a positive
perception of those dimensions that constitute the relationship of the citizen with
the institution / public authority: neat of the servants, environment created for
the citizen to feel comfortable when they enter a public institution, courtesy with
which citizens are treated. The flexibility of the program with the public is, in
turn, an important element in the relationship with institutions / public authorities.
In the view of civil servants indicators of perception of quality of public services
are grouped into two large sizes:
- quality of service itself which refers to the following items: the way authorities
take into account issues raised by citizens and the priority they attach to their
problems, timeliness, competence and courtesy with which they offer answers, timeliness
of offering answers, etc., but also some aspects of equipment and the variety of
media for citizens’ information;
- management of institutions in providing services, which was limited to items related
to the context in which the interaction between citizen and public servant: space
planning, a flexible working hours with the citizens or the existence of an organizational
culture.
The research report of the monitors "Quality of public services in the view
of citizens – Citizens’ with the quality of services public authorities
and institutions offer"(July 2009)
Association "Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda21”
completed the monitors’ research report „Quality of public services
in the view of citizens – Citizens’ satisfaction with the quality of
services public authorities and institutions offer "(July 2009).
The report was prepared within "Citizens’ charter” project, financed
through PHARE 2006 - Increasing the role of civil society in the integration process
of Romania, conducted by Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development –
Agenda21 in partnership with the National Agency of Public Servants.
The study was conducted during March-April 2009 with contribution of 30 volunteers
involved in the project which interviewed 1161 people in five locations of the project:
Bucharest, Cluj, Mehedinti, Tulcea, Vaslui.
According to the results of this report, a majority of citizens asked by volunteers
to complete the questionnaire: have been receptive, polite with monitors (63.2%)
and honest to most questions (81.4%). However, the majority of respondents (60%)
had the unique experience or a low frequency interaction with institutions and local
authorities, who influenced the perceptions and expectations regarding the quality
of the services they should receive. Unlike the model developed by EUPAN, which
was the basis of the questionnaire, where the indicators on the characteristics
of services provided by public institutions and local authorities were grouped into
5 large dimensions, in the present instance, indicators of perception on the level
of satisfaction with services provided, have been grouped into two large dimensions
as follows:
- quality of the service itself - the response of authorities to requests and concerns
of citizens - how the authorities take into account issues raised by citizens and
the priority they attach to their problems, timeliness, competence and courtesy
with which they offer answers, timeliness of offering answers, etc.,
- management of institutions in providing services - how institutions create their
image of offering competitive services, the aspects of creating a pleasant and friendly
communication, framework in which the interaction between citizen and civil servant
takes place: variety of media, a flexible program with citizens, modern equipment
held by the institution and appearance of employees.
The Sulina summer school, July 2009
Between 28th of July and 2nd of August was held in Sulina the first edition of the
Summer School "Student’s Ombudsman -promoter of
child’s rights in the scholar ethos", activity of the project
Student’s Ombudsman. There were invited teachers, school managers, representatives
of school inspectorates and pupils. The event, which gathered 60 participants, was
organized in partnership with School Inspectorate of Tulcea County, County Youth
Authority and the high school "Jean Bart" from Sulina. Being in the fourth
year running, "Student’s Ombudsman" asserted as a project able to
help young people to assume responsibilities, militating for asserting their rights,
to help develop young people's participatory behavior. Become themselves bidder’s
education, young people enrolled in the project developed the necessary skills of
their adult life in a democratic society. In this context, the summer school was
meant for sharing experiences and best practices on the functioning of Student’s
Ombudsman in schools. Intended to be made annually, the school gathered during the
4 days 60 students and teachers from schools that developed Student’s Ombudsman
project. During the summer school there were held training sessions on children’s
rights, with the support of trainers, children rights experts and workshops aimed
to propose alternatives to promote children rights in schools. A network of participants
has been created and will be completed annually. The summer school will ensure the
exchange of experiences between the two editions through the publication „Student’s
Ombudsman”, which will include best practices, methodology for solving cases,
initiatives to promote human / children rights in schools, collaboration with teachers
and school managers, with local communities, obstacles and how they were overcome,
etc. First editions of the publication have been completed during the summer school
and are available, yet, on request from organization’s headquarters and will
be published on the website of the organization. The publication will be sent to
participants and the executive office to be disseminated by CNE. Every year, will
be selected / completed the editorial team of the magazine.
Training course for civil servants, Azuga, March-April 2009
Between 30th of March to 1st of April 2009 was held at Azuga, the training course
of civil servants as part of the project "Citizens’ Charter" - PHARE
2006 - increased role of civil society in the integration of Romania. The 30 participants,
civil servants representing the local partner institutions included in the project,
attended the three lectures of British expert Roy Stephenson, Deputy Director Policy
Projects – Government Communications Group at the Cabinet of Prime Minister
of Great Britain. He talked about the British experience in implementing the Citizens’
Charter and provided examples, and ways of making charters for public institutions,
referring to aspects of the concept, creation and implementation.
During the course there were included interactive work sessions for analysis and
completion of the self - assessment questionnaire for each institution.
Based on the discussions there was drafted a timetable for further steps in creating
the Citizens’ Charter in every institution and the organization of the following
visits for support and assistance of the project team.
Training course for volunteers, 6 to 8 March 2009
During 6th - 8th of March took place, at Busteni, the training course for volunteers
within the project "Citizens’ Charter", project financed through
PHARE 2006 - Increased role of civil society in the integration of Romania. The
three days of training included lectures on law and government structures, focusing
on legislation and government structures (assistant: Adriana Circiumaru, legal adviser
at NACS), Law transparency and free access to public information (assistant: Monica
Dimitriu, Head of European integration, international relations and foreign assistance
programs at NACS), underlying a complex of activities included in the project and
a presentation related to the principles and fundamentals of effective communication
(assistant: Paula Mihai, Inspector on educational work at School Inspectorate of
Buzau county.
The most important and instructive lectures for volunteers were supported by the
Dutch expert Frank Faber, Projectleader on Citizens’ Charter in Netherlands,
on how to collect information to substantiate a citizens’ charter and gave
some examples of citizens' charter - European models.
The 31 volunteers took part in interactive activities designed to enhance the information
gained and were encouraged to express ideas, proposals and recommendations for project
activities where they will be involved. There were presented, as well, procedures
and tools they will use in their monitoring activity on perception of citizens about
the quality of the services offered by public institutions and public involvement
in local decision making.
Volunteers had the opportunity to know each other and met the project team, and
were invited to choose one coordinator for each of the five locations of the project.
Volunteers have expressed enthusiasm for participating in the project, even suggesting
alternative procedures, adapted to the particularities of each location, to help
in building a vision as appropriate as they could on the concerned matters.
Citizens’ Charter - a tool for increasing the quality of public services
"Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development – Agenda21”
in partnership with the National Agency of Civil Servants launched on January 27,
2009, 11:00am, at the National Agency of Civil Servants the "Citizens Charter",
project funded by the EU, PHARE 2006/018-147.01.02/02/DEM 21, Increased role of
civil society in the integration of Romania.
The aim of the goal is to increase the role of civil society in promoting the principles
of good governance and citizens’ participation in policy making at local level.
1,200 people, 30 volunteers and 1,000 public servants from the 15 institutions and
local governments from five counties: Cluj, Mehedinti, Tulcea, Vaslui and Bucharest
Municipality will be involved in developing the Citizens’ Charter and building
an awarding system of the best practices in the process of reforming the institutional
and transparent decision making of Romanian public administration.
The approach will be building on and will adapt European models. Within this aim
it will be ensured the transfer of expertise and know-how of the two EU Member States:
England and Netherlands. The experience will be disseminated in other 15 counties
through the National Agency of Civil Servants and through the Association of Municipalities
and Cities in Romania.
The project will be unfolding on a period of over 10 months, December 2008 - October
2009 and will promote, for the first time in Romania, a national awarding system
for good practices of public institutions and authorities in the domain of standards
of quality and of attracting people in the act of decision-making.
The launch of the project, performed in the presence of local partners involved
in the project, representatives of 15 public institutions: town halls, institutions
of the prefect and decentralized institutions from the 5 locations and media representatives,
aimed to assess the timing of activities and responsibilities of local partners.
Eugen Coifan, Vice President of NACS, the associated partner in the project, opened
the meeting by stressing out the importance of the project within the nowadays Romanian
context. Project Manager and Executive President of the association APSD - Agenda
21, Nina Cugler, continued with a summary of the project, focusing on its purpose,
of the innovations it brings and the good collaboration with NACS on projects aimed
to adapt the European communitarian acquis to Romania.
The discussion included topics as: the relationship between citizens and government,
the possibility of assimilating the role of ethic counselor in mediating the
relationship between citizens and client through the so-called "compensation
mechanisms", project’s calendar, recruiting volunteers, potential difficulties
in implementing proposed activities, citizens’ involvement in drafting charters
for institutions. Finally, participants expressed their intention to contribute
actively to the project’s activities and have made their own proposals and
the draft strategy was approved.
Citizen's Days in the Commune of Zam, Hunedoara county
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A new event in the series of Citizens’ Days, component of the PHARE 2005 –
Strengtening Democracy in Romania project “Transparency and Participation
in the Public Administration” took place in the county of Hunedoara, at the
Cultural Home in the Zam Commune, on the 24th of June 2008. Its purpose was to organize
an information campaign for citizens and to launch a dialogue between them and the
local public authorities on the content of the Local Development Strategy for the
Zam Commune 2007-2013.
Together with the executive president of APSD – Agenda 21, Nina Cugler
and the Mayor of the Commune, Gheorghe Sicre , the event
gathered representatives of the institutions in the Hunedoara county involved in
the project (Guran Angela from the Mayoralty of Deva, Teslici Andrei, Ţârlea
Iulia, Henţ Carmen, Horvat Felicia and Magaon Monica |
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from the County Council of Hunedoara, Silaghi Mihaela from the Mayoralty of Călan),
Deiac Viviana from the Economic-Social Development Agency of the County of Hunedoara,
Mariş Andreea from the Association for the Strengthening of Civil Society Valea
Jiului, Petroşani, representatives of the County Council of Students, under
the coordination of the teachers Ion Sterea and Sorin Vlaic and, last but not least,
an important number of citizens living in the commune.
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Among the issues brought to attention by the citizens and discussed by everyone
present were the following: the absence of traffic speed signs and a fixed radar,
the necessity of building a kindergarten and a sports field for the commune school,
the construction of the Church and the need for additional funds for its finalizing,
the paving of roads, the valuing of the tourism potential by disposing the two caves
situated in the vicinity of the commune and the development of other profit making
activities.
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5 Years of Assistance and Programs for Sustainable Development
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I know that the door to progress can only be opened from the inside. That is why,
together with the team of our organization, we look carefully upon every project
we implement. Each accomplishment requires initiative, creativity, courage and perseverance.
We walk down unbeaten paths. We follow our mission and we are not afraid of the
obstacles. We dream to develop our agenda as much as possible. This is us: a team
that moves on under the motto: ‹‹We don’t conquer the mountains,
but ourselves››.
(PhD Alexandru Taşnad, President of the association) |
On the 28th of May 2008, the General Annual Assembly of the association APSD –
Agenda 21 took place at its headquarters, on which occasion five years of activity
were celebrated. Together with the members of the association and some of its active
volunteers, representatives of our main partners took place in the event, partners
without which the most important projects implemented in these five years would
never have become reality. Thus, we would like to thank the following for being
by our side: UNICEF Romania (present at the reunion was Mr. Eugen Crai), the National
Agency for Civil Servants (represented by Monica Dimitriu and Doru Vasilescu), The
School Inspectorate of Bucharest (represented by Mrs. Mihaela Florescu), The County
School Inspectorate of Buzău (represented by Mrs. Paula Mihai), as well as
the other School Inspectorates and high-schools involved in the project “Student’s
Ombudsman”, currently in the fourth year of implementation.
Nina Cugler, Executive President of the Association, talked about the activity of
the former five years, insisting on the importance of youth participation in programs
for the community, of fruitful partnerships and of the extending the collaboration
with association from other EU member states.
The partners and collaborators of the association emphasized the fact that they
have found in APSD – Agenda 21 a responsible partner with a professional team,
able to identify the problematic issues in the specific fields of activity and come
with viable solutions. The team work together with the partners was appreciated,
as being a key-element for the success of joint projects.
Mr. Eugen Crai highlighted the collaboration of APSD – Agenda 21 with UNICEF
Romania, pointing out three factors which led to its duration and success: the avant-garde
of ideas, the passion put in each activity carried out and the ability to attract
values.
On its 5th anniversary, APSD – Agenda 21 instituted the quality of honor member
of the association. Its president, PhD Alexandru Taşnadi handed out diplomas
to the 16 collaborators, representatives of partner institutions of volunteers,
designated honor members, and thanked them for their support.
Training course for civil servants, Azuga, March 2008
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On the 20th and the 21st of March 2008, there took place in Azuga the training course
for civil servants, a part of the „Transparency and participation in the public
administration” project, in the framework of the PHARE 2005 – Strenghtening
Democracy in Romania program. The 35 participants, civil servants from the public
institutions involved in the project, were given two lectures by the Norwegian expert
Synnove Rambek. These concerned the Norwegian experience in using
the CLEAR methodology and forms of cooperation with the citizens implemented by
the Town Hall of Askim, the institution in which Mrs. Rambek works.
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Training Course for Volunteers
22 – 24 February 2008
Between the 22nd and the 24th of February, in Buşteni, there took place the
training course for the volunteers in the project „Transparency and Ethics
in the Public Administration”, finance through the PHARE 2005 – Strengthening
Democracy in Romania program.
The three days included lectures on legislation and structures of the public administration,
highlighting the Law on transparency and the Code of Conduct for Civil Servants
(trainer: Adriana Cîrciumaru, juridical counselor, NACS), on the C.L.E.A.R.
methodology (trainer: Monica Dimitriu, head of service, European Integration, International
Relations and Programs with External Assistance, NACS), which represents the framework
of the activities included in the project, and also a presentation on principles
and bases of efficient communication (trainer: Paula Mihai, Inspector with the Educative
Work, School Inspectorate of Buzău).
The 31 volunteers took part in interactive activities, meant to consolidate the
received information and were encouraged to express their own ideas, propositions
and recommendations concerning the activities of the project they are to be involved
in. They were also presented the procedures and instruments they will use in the
monitoring process for the evaluation of the citizens’ perception on the degree
of transparency of the public institutions and the population’s involvement
in the decision making at local level.
The volunteers were given the opportunity to get to know each other and to meet
the project team and were also asked to choose, from among themselves, a coordinator
from each of the five locations of the project.
The volunteers expressed their enthusiasm towards the participation in the project
and even suggested alternative procedures, adapted to each location’s special
situation, meant to contribute to the building and accurate vision on the adressed
issues.
„Transparency and Participation in the Public Administration” –
Project Launch
17th of January 2008
The gathering of the representatives of the main participants in the project „Transparency
and Participation in the Public Administration”, financed by PHARE 2005 –
Strenghtening Democracy in Romania, on the 17th of January, marked its official
launch.
Eugen Coifan, vice-president of NACS, the association’s main partner in the
project, opened the reunion by highlighting the importance of the project in the
present Romanian context. The project manager and executive president of the association
APSD – Agenda 21, Nina Cugler, continued with a short presentation of the
project, insisting on the purpose and area of implementation, and Monica Dimitriu,
head of service at NACS, talked about the CLEAR methodology, a primary instrument
in achieving the project’s aims.
An important dimension of the meeting was the clarification of each participant’s
responsibilities in the project, at local level.
Among the participants in the discussion were also Adriana Gorgoneţu from the
Town Hall of Bucharest, Luciana Pascu from the County Council of Bacău, Dorin
Nistor from the Town Hall of Sibiu, Ovidiu Tarnu from the County Council of Hunedoara,
Viorica Ciotîngă from the County Council of Teleorman, Adriana Bodilcu
from the Town Hall of Alexandria. The guests were given the chance to express their
opinions and worries concerning the implementation of the project. The discussion
included issues such as: the relationship between the citizens and the public administration,
the legislation in the area of transparency and citizens’ participation in
the decision making, the project’s calendar, the recruitment of volunteers,
the possible difficulties in the achievement of the proposed activities, informing
the citizens about the existent participation opportunities, etc. At the end, the
participants expressed their intention to become active contributors in the project’s
activities and presented their own propositions concerning these activities. The
project strategy was also approved.
Seminar for dissemination of the results of the "Observer of the Prefect
Institution" project
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For the purpose of multiplying the project in other locations, 15 NGOs from different
regions were identified (from Bucharest and the counties of Constanţa, Gorj,
Brăila, Bacău, Harghita, Mureş, Hunedoara, Bihor, Suceava, Dâmboviţa
and Cluj) which would benefit from the experience gathered during the project and
use it in project developed in their own locations.
The representatives of the selected NGOs (as a whole, 25 persons were reunited)
took part, during 3 days (14th – 16th of September 2007) in a training seminar,
organized by APSD – Agenda 21 in Buşteni. Special attention has been
given to understanding the goal and objectives of the project, the implementation
methodology, the obstacles encountered and the solutions identified for their overcoming.
Also, the participants received basic information concerning the Prefect Institution
and the specific legislation in the field and the public-private partnership. |
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The two reports elaborated on the basis of the monitoring run by the group of volunteers
and the public consultations organized by the association were made available for
the participant NGOs.
The gathering facilitated the foundation of the „Network for the Promotion
of Sustainable Development”, the initiative group being made up of the organizations
present at the seminary. The network wishes to take upon itself the objectives entailed
in the project, its purpose being the creation of a favorable framework for the
constitution of partnerships between the members of the network, for experience
exchange and for providing support and expertise in the fields peculiar to sustainable
development: education for sustainable development, encouragement and support for
national and international partnerships, environmental protection, support for groups
experiencing high risk of marginalization or social exclusion, enhancement of the
creative potential of certain groups – youngsters, researchers, mass-media
representatives, the academic environment; promotion of multiculturalism, public
administration reform, consolidation of the civil society, measure-taking against
actions/ provisions that violate the principles of sustainable development.
Round Table „The Prefect Institution – Comparative Perspective in
Romania and France”
A round table was organized on the 18th of July at the National Agency for Civil
Servants headquarters, in order to benefit from the presence in Romania of Mr.
Jacques Michaut, representative of the Prefect
Institution in Paris. The gathering represents a part of the „Observer
of the Prefect Institution” project, financed by the European Union
through the PHARE 2004 – Civil Society financing line.
The meeting had as purpose the experience exchange concerning specific means of
ensuring local level governing and sharing examples of good practice from the Prefect
Institutions in the two countries, in the fields of crisis situations management,
directing the decentralized civil service and the relations between the Prefect
and the local civil service.
Present at the event was Mr. Victor Paul Dobre, Secretary of State of the Ministry
of Interior and Administration Reform, Mr. József Birtalan, president
of NACS and Secretary of State, Mr. Dănuţ Culeţu, Prefect of Constanta,
Mihai Capră, Prefect of Galati and president of the Association of the Prefects
and Subprefects in Romania, Marinică Cazacu, Prefect of Ialomita, representatives
of our partners and mass-media. The European Commission Representation in
Romania was represented by Monica Loloiu, Assistant Political Speaker and the Embassy
of France in Romania was represented by Aurelie Richard, person in charge with the
decentralized cooperation mission and NGOs.
Mr. Victor Paul Dobre highlighted the role of the prefect as representative
of the government at local level, aspects related to the depolitization of the Prefect
position and underlined the on-going character of the law, the effects of which
are tightly connected to the process of decentralization.
In her presentation, Mrs. Nina Cugler, Executive President of APSD
– Agenda 21, project coordinator, made a summary of the problems encountered
in the process of implementation of the law, problems which were brought to her
attention during the public consultations with Prefects, Subprefects and civil servants
at local level.
Mr. Jacques Michautgave a detailed insight of the attributions
entailed by the Prefect position in France and spoke about examples of good practice
related to crisis management situations and leadership of the deconcentrated public
service. Following his exposition there was a dialogue with the Prefects present
at the reunion.
Round Table „The Prefect Institution – Comparative Perspective in
Romania and Italy”
A round table was organized on the 18th of June at the National Agency for Civil
Servants headquarters, in order to benefit from the presence in Romania of Mr. Antonio Infante, vice-prefect from Rome. The gathering represents a
part of the „Observer of the Prefect Institution
” project, financed by the European Union through the PHARE 2004 –
Civil Society financing line.
The meeting had as purpose the experience exchange concerning specific means of
ensuring local level governing and sharing examples of good practice from the Prefect
Institutions in the two countries, in the fields of crisis situations management,
directing the decentralized civil service and the relations between the Prefect
and the local civil service.
Present at the event was Mr. József Birtalan, president
of NACS and Secretary of State. Also, prefects and sub-prefects of their representatives
from the four locations of the project, but not only, took part in the meeting:
Mioara Mantale, Prefectul of Bucharest, Aurelian Danu,
Prefect of Braşov, Nicolae Jecu, Prefect of Ilfov,
Marinică Cazacu, Prefect of Ialomiţa, Mircea Nistor,
Sub-prefect of Dâmboviţa, Mircea Ioniţă,
Sub-prefect of Prahova, Nicolae Sorescu, Sub-prefect of Teleorman,
Radu Stoian, Head of the Integration Coordination Service, Prefect
Institution of Arad, Marinela Mrejeru, Office Advisor, Prefect
Institution of Constanţa, Cristina Şoneriu, Juridical
Advisor, Prefect Institution of Harghita, Ciprian Luţea ,
European Integration Advisor, Prefect Institution of Iaşi. Other participants
were: representatives of the partners, of the European Commission Representation
in Romania, monitors – volunteers in the project, journalists.
In the four hours dedicated to the meeting, the objectives and results of the project
were presented by Mrs. Nina Cugler, Executive President of APSD
– Agenda 21, the role and prerogatives of the Prefect as high official, in
Romania as in Italy, were discussed and oppinions were exchanged concerning the
shape and efficiency of the legislation in the two countries. Subjects concerning
the crisis situation management and the directing of the decentralized civil service
were also debated. Mr. Antonio Infante shared with the other participants his experience
of 25 years in the Italian civil service and served as a veritable source of information
for the reform of the Romanian civil service.
The survey „How neutral is the public service? What do citizens think, what
public servants say?” has been lauched
The survey has been made by IRSOP as a component of the „Observer of the
Prefect Institution” project, financed by the European Union thru the PHARE
2004 Civil Society program and coordinated by the Association Assistance and Programs
for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 in partnership with the National Agency
of Civil Servants.
The study has been implemented between 4 and 8th of January 2007, been interwied
500 citizens and 32 public servants from all the locations of the project: Arad,
Bucuresti, Constanta, Harghita and Iasi.
The report is available here.
His Excellency Mister Ambasador Jonathan Scheele congratulates Agenda 21
" I would like to congratulate the organization “Assistance and Programs
for Sustainable Development – Agenda 21” for the project run, having
as objective the raising of the quality of the civil service at local level for
satisfying the needs of the citizens and the community."
"Your project is a success, first of all because it responds to the need
of democratic change of the public administration system in Romania and second because
of the impressive number of direct and indirect beneficiaries."
entire speech > >
Observer of the Prefect Institution
On the 7th of November, the gathering of the representatives of the participants
in the Observer of the Prefect Institution project meant its official release. There
was a presentation of the main activities of the project and of the responsibilities
of each partner. The participants were able to ask questions and make suggestions
for a better organization of the activities and for improving the foreseen results.
On the 16th of November, the first meeting with the representatives of the Prefect
Institutions in the five locations allowed them to learn more about their role in
the development of the project. All participants showed their eagerness to contribute
as much as possible to the activities in the project and presented their own propositions.
The eventual difficulties that might come up during the implementation of the project
were also discussed, and the participants suggested possible ways to avoid them.
Each institution designated a contact person, for a better communication with APDD
– Agenda 21.
A New Mentality in the Public Service
The Conference “A New Mentality in the Public Service”, held on the
25th of October, represented the closing of the project ”Transparency and
Ethics in the Public Service”. It reunited representatives of the central
and local public administration, of the monitors who took part in the project and
of our main partners (National Agency of the Public Servants, Romanian Television).
The event was honored by the presence of his Excellency Jonathan Scheele, Head of
the Delegation of the European Commission to Romania and prof. univ. dr. Alexandru
Taşnadi, Pro-dean of the Faculty of General Economics and President of our
association.
The main subjects on the agenda were:
- Aims, taking place and results of the project
- The role of civil society in developing an efficient administration in Romania
- The implication of our main partners, ANFP and TVR in the project
- The local partners and their role in the project
- Transparency and ethics in the public service, opportunities and lessons learned
- The experience of monitoring the public servants
During the debates, public personalities from all over the country and representatives
of the mass-media exposed their opinions concerning the problems that the Romanian
public service has to deal with and came up with solution to these problems.
The activities during the project supported the initiative of modifying the
Law of the Public Servants’ Behavior Code, by inserting an article 20 –
(1) claiming that: “In the purpose of an efficient application of the present
behavior code, the heads of the public authorities and institutions shall name a
public servant, preferably from the human resources compartment, for ethical counseling
and the monitoring of the obeying to the behavior norms”. Other
important results of the project are: the elaboration of the Manual of Procedures
for the Implementation of the Behavior Code, the survey concerning
the Perception of the Citizens of the Public Service, two Reports of
the monitors, 16 TV-reports broadcasted on TVR1
, the organizing of Open Gates Dayin the public institutions of
all four locations of the project and, most of all, the establishment of an efficient public-private partnershipfor providing an effective public
administration. |
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