Euroactive NGO

Despite an increasingly globalized and interdependent world, people everywhere are at risk of being marginalized and alienated from the forces that influence even the details of their daily lives. Although in terms of communication and information, the world seems closer than ever in its history, cultural, economic, and social differences still keep us apart. The more we look at the society in which we live, the more we notice the distance between the social groups that make it up. Unfortunately, the presence of “different” people in a country can lead to disinterest and indifference, if not discrimination and intolerance.

Aim: Promote respect for the cultural diversity of all individuals and contribute more actively towards inclusion and tolerance.  

Activities we carried out to achieve this objective:

• Scapegoat – a youth exchange aimed at reducing the level of intolerance and discrimination among young people by deepening our experiences and relationships with those who are different from us. Those who have a different set of values ​​than ours due to factors such as nationality, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, education, etc. A key factor in the process of cultural exchange is meeting, confronting, exploring, appreciating, and ultimately respecting differences. During this process of discovery, we hold a mirror up to ourselves and learn as much about our own identity and culture as we do about those we encounter, learning to appreciate them as complementary entities. The project results can be consulted here.
• Radical (-1) or how can a problem be Real and Complex at the same time – The goal of this youth exchange project was to reduce radicalism and extremism among young people by understanding the difference between radicals and reformers, and by emphasizing the importance of moderate opinions. We aimed to achieve a deeper understanding of sensitive issues facing society and to distinguish between the concepts of radicalism, equality, and privilege. Our objective was to cultivate objective, moderate, and critical thinking based on reality, instead of promoting extremist opinions that can be easily accessed through digital radicalism. The project results can be consulted here.
• Act for Inclusion – (under implementation) – The general objective of the project is to increase the level of social integration of disadvantaged young people from rural and small urban areas who come to Sibiu for study or work. The idea for the project arose during the pandemic when many students found themselves isolated in a new environment, unable to interact with others and participate in social activities. The project facilitates human connection and social inclusion for young people by implementing a variety of social activities, including education workshops, hiking, and movie nights.
• ALLUSION – inclUSION is not an illUSION – say NO to exclUSION! – (under implementation) –  Equality, inclusion and diversity are values that many youth organizations incorporate into their daily operations, projects and activities with young people. While it is common sense that these values should be at the heart of any youth work, there is still a strong need for youth workers, educators and trainers to deliver quality and inclusive youth work that provides the necessary support for young people at risk of exclusion and marginalization. The overall objective of the project is to create a more inclusive and diverse environment in organizations and youth work, by developing 32 youth workers’ skills on equity, diversity and inclusion and equipping them with practical youth inclusion tools and methods to use in their daily work with disadvantaged youth.

One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is ensuring that human rights are accessible to everyone. Human rights are a reflection of basic human needs and provide the minimum standards necessary for people to live with dignity. They encompass concepts of equality, dignity, respect, freedom, and justice. Examples of human rights include freedom from discrimination, the right to life, freedom of expression, the right to marry and start a family, and the right to education. Human rights are held equally, universally, and permanently by all individuals. However, without knowledge of these rights, it is difficult for people to use and defend them.

Aim: Promote the respect of the human rights of all individuals and contribute more positively towards mutual peace and prosperity. 

Activities we carried out to achieve this objective:

• Escape for Human Rights – Through this project, we aimed to raise awareness about the importance of human rights in youth education. Our goal was to use gaming methodology, specifically an escape room, to voluntarily engage young people in the educational process. In an escape room, a team of players must solve puzzles and find a way out of the room, following a story. Our rooms promote human rights by illustrating examples of violations revealed at every step the players take towards their escape. After the youth group “escapes,” a reflection session takes place in which the young people can analyze the story behind the room and connect it to their daily realities. In the context of the pandemic, we created three digital rooms, which were played in a organized manner in six schools in Argeș County. However, they are also available for free to anyone who wants to access them. The rooms have three levels of difficulty (10-13 years, 14-16 years, and 16+). The results of the project can be found here. 

Climate change is the defining issue of our time and we are at a defining moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly.

Aim: Promote environmental actions at every level of society in order to protect our planet and our health. 

Activities we have implemented to achieve this objective:

• Together for Nature – We implemented a solidarity project aimed at reducing the pollution caused by the illegal dumping of waste in the Făgăraș Mountains. The project involved 60 volunteers in a series of ecological and sanitation actions in the most touristy parts of the mountains. The final result of the project was a plastic monster placed near the Vidraru Dam, to raise awareness about the effects of illegal waste dumping on the environment. You can find the project results here.   
• Sustainability Focus – This project is a follow-up to the “Together for Nature” project and aims to improve ecological education in Curtea de Argeș by offering young people learning opportunities in the field of sustainability and environmental protection. You can find the project results here.   
• Ecotourism Ventures for Youth Environmental Education – This project aimed to give 24 young people from Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece the opportunity to discover ecotourism as a unique opportunity for mutual cultural exchange between local communities and tourists. Ecotourism promotes knowledge of natural and cultural heritage, stimulating understanding and appreciation of nature and local communities. During the project, the participants gained civic involvement skills and spread the values of the European Union, as well as environmental awareness. You can find the project results here.   
• Say NO to Plastic Bottles – An online campaign aimed at reducing the overuse of plastic bottles through a simple action taken by people. The campaign was a follow-up to the “Act for Nature” Erasmus+ Youth Exchange that took place in Estonia in 2019. We encouraged people to buy a reusable bottle and use it instead of ordinary plastic bottles to reduce plastic waste. You can find more information here. 
• Let’s do it! – Of course, we want to be part of the biggest environmental cleanup campaign that has ever existed, so from our first year as an NGO, we have contributed to the planet cleaning with our volunteers. We love nature, so we spent some beautiful days in the Făgăraș Mountains, freeing them of unwanted accessories. Anyhow, the project doesn’t end here, so we will continue to participate in this amazing campaign every year.

Active citizenship means that people become involved in their local communities and participate in democracy at all levels, from towns to cities to nationwide activities. Active citizenship is one of the most crucial steps towards healthy societies, which is why it is of great interest to our association.  

Aim: Build trust and understanding at European level by supporting people to take action on issues they care about in accordance with the European values and beliefs. 

Activities we carry out to achieve this objective:

• Elections are coming – With the European Parliament elections approaching, we organized a project in 2019 aimed at increasing the involvement of young people aged 17 to 20 in the decision-making process at the political level. The project continued during the national presidential and local elections, when we continued to encourage young people to vote and exercise this fundamental right. Using non-formal education methods, we organized workshops on the election process and the political structures at the European and national levels, European and national identities and values, citizenship and the power of the vote, rights and freedoms as European citizens, public speaking, oratory, verbal and non-verbal communication, active listening, the art of debating, the power of belief, tolerance, and self-esteem. Our project page can be consulted here. 

We are working at the local level to educate youth leaders and workers to become entrepreneurs and to help them understand how to utilize their skills and the resources of their region to achieve personal economic sustainability and provide employment and social inclusion opportunities for members of our community.

Aim: Develop young people’s entrepreneurial competencies in order to reduce youth unemployment and contribute the economic development.  

Activities we carried out to achieve this objective:

• Digital Entrepreneurship for Rural Youth – This project aimed to contribute to the development of rural communities by promoting digital entrepreneurship among young people. By digital entrepreneurship, we meant pursuing business opportunities in the online environment. Digital entrepreneurship can be an effective tool for young people in rural areas to develop skills that allow them to enter the labour market without having to migrate to cities, especially as young people are significantly more interested than adults to take risks and try new things. The project aimed to raise awareness among young people in rural areas about the opportunities available in digital entrepreneurship. The project results can be consulted here.

The project (currently underway) aims to raise awareness about the importance of water and organic agriculture, as well as the harms of chemical agriculture. The project is being implemented through small-scale partnerships in youth, on the Key Action –  Partnerships for cooperation and exchanges of practices, and is expected to contribute to the creation of a more sustainable and livable green world. The project involves activities such as presentations, workshops on organic fertilizer and germination, and demonstrations of the importance of forests in water retention. The ultimate goal is to support a sustainable green world and contribute to employment by providing young people with new knowledge and skills.

YAMAG (currently underway) is a 24-month cooperation project among local public institutions and third sector associations from Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Romania. The project’s objective is to encourage and increase young people’s participation in their local communities while enhancing the quality, efficiency, and EU dimension of the services and activities provided by the partners. The project has two main goals: (i) to promote the civic and democratic participation of young people at both local and European levels; (ii) to increase and improve the opportunities available to youth. The target groups of the project are young people aged 18 to 29 years old and municipal officers working in Youth Offices. To achieve its goals, the project will carry out several activities, including: a research on the needs and participation of young people in the civic and democratic life of their communities, staff training on non-formal education and young participation, a young mobility program to develop a “policy paper” for the youth sector, and training and local and international activities for local youth. The project is financed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, through the European Youth Together Action implemented under the Key Action 3 – Support to Policy Development and Cooperation of the Erasmus+ Programme.

The “Be Art Together!” project (currently underway) is a strategic partnership between four organizations from Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Slovenia. The goal of the project is to develop solutions to facilitate artistic and cultural education and adult education through the exchange of experiences between the partners. The project aims to address the challenges faced by amateur artistic groups, particularly those composed of elderly individuals, during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The project will focus on the use of digital tools to reach a wider audience and meet the needs related to the pandemic. As part of the project, a website will be created to provide practical information for amateur artistic groups and CreartWorkshops will be held in all countries to test the solutions developed. The project will result in the development of two intellectual works: Creart Safety webinars and Creart Base good practices, a short training program for workers involved in adult education, and dissemination events in all countries.