Press Release
The Novapolis Association – Center of Analysis and Initiatives for Development and “AUR” – The National Association of Human Resources Specialists (A.N.S.R.U) implemented, from June 2016 to March 2017, the “GlobalCool! Raising awareness and active involvement of young people with regard to development issues of the modern world” project.
The GlobalCool project was aimed at implementing an information and awareness-raising campaign in regard to global development issues, targeting high school students, aged between 14 and 19, from Bucharest and from the counties of Bacău, Buzău and Vrancea.
The main topics addressed the Post-2015 Development Agenda, focussing on aspects such as eradicating extreme poverty, gender equality, fair and inclusive education, decent work, migration and development.Through the activities organized within the schools, the education for development seminars and respectively the thematic seminars led by experts within the Novapolis Association and “AUR”- A.N.S.R.U, students in Bucharest and in the counties of Bacău, Buzău and Vrancea were informed about the efforts already made globally and discussed the Millennium Development Goals, the Sustainable Development Goals and also actions which can effectively contribute to attaining those goals. Within the practical activities, the students prepared dedicated materials and delivered presentations, thus making use of the concepts of international cooperation for development.
Through its activities, the GlobalCool project succeded in informing and making the youngsters in Bucharest and in the counties of Bacău, Buzău and Vrancea aware in regard to the values and concepts of international cooperation for development, in helping them see the importance of efforts made both internationally and nationally and in determining them to become actively involved.
Six high schools in Romania took part in the GlobalCool project, while the 14 workshops organized brought together aproximately 600 students and teachers from the “Valeriu D. Cotea” Technical College and the “Spiru Haret” Vocational School in Focșani, the “Iolanda Balaș Soter” School for sports in Buzău and the “Gheorghe Vrănceanu” National College in Bacău, and from the Libyan School and the “Ion Creangă” National College in Bucharest. 8 partnership agreements were signed within the project with the County School Inspectorates and with the high schools in Bucharest and in the counties aimed for implementing the project, while 15 teachers actively participated within the seminars thus organized.
“AUR” – The National Association of Human Resources Specialists (A.N.S.R.U) and the Novapolis Association – Center of Analysis and Initiatives for Development further organized a series of events in Bucharest February 15th to February 19th2017, which included an Academic Tour, a Winter School and a Workshop promoting Gender Equality. The students were thus informed about the academic studies and the professional experience required to build a career in the field by numerous trainers and representatives of the Faculty of Political Science (University of Bucharest), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNDP, UNICEF Romania and FOND.
The 25 participants (students and teachers alike) took part in study visits at the Faculty of Political Science within the University of Bucharest and at the UN House, where they interacted with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNDP and UNICEF Romania,thus gaining a more in-depth perspective of the knowledge acquired during the seminars. More than that, they found out new and important information about the role and the activities of the institutions visited, and also about Romania’s role as a donor state, which contributed to their becoming much more aware of the global situation.
The thematic seminars within the Winter School and the Workshop promoting Gender Equality were led by “AUR”- A.N.S.R.U national experts, together with international expert Maik Pflaum (Christliche Initiative Romero/ Germany) and representatives of A.R.T. Fusion. The participants were very responsive to this mix of perspectives and educational instruments and were highly interactive, the final part of the Gender Equality Workshop focussing on an exchange of experiences with Cristea Maria Francesca (Online and Business Development Officer V.I.P., Global Research Summer School organizer).
Within the project, the participants could further interact on global education platformmonda.eu, and also on the GlobalCool Facebook group, thus finding out relevant information on international cooperation for development, the values and practices of international development and the academic and professional opportunities available.
The participants were extremely responsive to the initiatives and activities within the project, further expressing their being interested and also available to take part in similar activities in the future.
Among the most significant results of the project, we would mention exceeding the initial objectives- partnership agreements, workshops organized, teachers participating within the activities-, reaching a number of 158 members on the Facebook group dedicated to the project, quadrupling the number of participants within the activities, and also creating a network of multipliers, the students and teachers participating in the project raising awareness about the current situation and about the actions taken at a global level.
The “GlobalCool! Raising awareness and active involvement of young people with regard to development issues of the modern world” project was funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Romania’s Development Cooperation Programme (RoAid) and was implemented with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Regional Centre for Europe and Central Asia.
For more information, please contact: Narcisa Alexe, Project Responsible– Novapolis Association – Center of Analysis and Initiatives for Development, tel. 0766 304 610, asociatianovapolis@gmail.com or Raluca Mănăilă, Project Coordinator – “AUR” – The National Association of Human Resources Specialists, tel. 0723 326 084, raluca.manaila@resurseumane-aur.ro.
