By Martin Petrov, Sofia, Bulgaria

“friends are like the stars, you may not see them all the time, but you always know that they are there waiting for and you for them”

For me volunteering is more than just a working place, it’s a way of life. Even though I have a lot of experience in different volunteer activities in different places, and not only voluntary ones, the best experience I have ever had in my life was in one small town located on the Danube coast, in Romania called Oltenita. And here is where my story begins …

When I was applying to participate in a project called “Involved in my community” which I saw in Facebook and this is a very interesting story.

When I saw the opportunity I needed only 5 seconds to tell to myself “Ok you’re going, send your CV”. I did it as I said and on the next day the person who was responsible for accepting application – Maya Doneva from „Idea NGO” Bulgaria call me and said you are accepted. But the most interesting thing was that there was already a chosen volunteer but he broke his leg month before the start of the project and this was a sign for me, saying “this is your chance of a lifetime” and this is how it was. But let me continue with my story…

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I will begin with the Targ.Balci.Fest . This is the period of the year when everybody are in their home town and the luna-parc comes to the town. We used this period to interact with the people in the town of Oltenita, we organized a lot of interesting things like Cinema evening in the office, Poetry day, Guitar night, Archaeological day when we visited the oldest skeleton in the area, and Karaoke night. That was the most artistic week ever, but on the last day I had to prepare my suitcase, because I was accepted to participate in the European Youth Congress held in Slovenia, Germany, Belgium and England, and I would never visit them without Dunare.EDU support another big thanks especially to Ana. We had the opportunity to participate in lobby and advocacy training, in 64th annual UN meeting in Bonn, meet with DG Development and Mr. Potochnik Commissioner of Environment and last but not least to participate in a meeting in London with some local NGO’s.

We also had the opportunity to help the community and especially this part of the community which no one thinks of – kids with disabilities and old people. Even though our interaction with them I believe we succeed in making brighter the days when we were there and this was one truly inspiration because then I realize the meaning of life and it’s about helping about giving your love without asking to taka, to be good and to give happiness to the people, because we are all the same and the thing that make use the same is the fact that we are different.

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I won’t tell you all the things that I did because I don’t have much time but you can always check what me and the whole team of Dunare.EDU were doing the last year working on the “Involved in my community” project at this page:

http://life-in-romania.weebly.com  – I am sure that you will enjoy it!

And at last but not least as I like to say I will summarize what the participating in this project meant for me:

Being a part of this extraordinary team of Danube.EDU, working with all those young and highly motivated people, made me a better person, helped me developing my good qualities and also improving my bad ones. I learned how to live on my own, how to behave with different people, how to work as teammate in different teams with different people in different situations. But EVS and this project was not only about learning and gaining experience but it was about feeling, living, seeing, traveling, being, having and loving. Feeling the beauty of life, living through the unexpected things that were happening all the time, living the life to its limits, seeing the unseen, traveling and receiving more and more opportunities for traveling, being loved, having the best friend and loving them till the end of my life.

There one more thing, one question that may be many of you are asking now, will I ever be back to this beautiful town and my answer is YES I will. I know that the future is unpredictable and I am not making plans, but I know for sure that I will be back someday and until one day I will follow the phrase “friends are like the stars, you may not see them all the time, but you always know that they are there waiting for and you for them” .

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Be brave, be a volunteer, Make the difference, because you are the difference, you are the only one who can change the world. JUST DO IT!

   This is the true story of a volunteer! This is my story! Waiting to hear your story!

—–The END—–

NOTE:  ”MULTUMESC” for the involvement & enthusiasm  from Dunare.EDU team

WWF- Romania lanseaza Competitia pentru Capitala Earth Hour Romania, o intrecere intre orasele din Romania, organizata in contextul evenimentului Earth Hour 2012. Programat pentru 31 martie, in intervalul 20.30 – 21.30, Earth Hour (Ora Pamantului), cea mai mare manifestare de mediu din istorie, continua traditia deja binecunoscuta a stingerii luminilor in mod simbolic, dar vine si cu un element nou: Earth Hour 2012 este editia provocarilor!

In 2011, WWF a pus la dispozitia sustinatorilor Earth Hour platforma 60+ sau „Beyond the Hour” (Mai mult decat o ora pentru Planeta), care indeplinea o dubla functie: invita oamenii din toata lumea sa-si spuna povestile si ideile intr-un spatiu dedicat, incurajand, in acelasi timp, initiativele „verzi” mai ambitioase. In acelasi spirit, WWF- Romania invita acum orasele din Romania, indiferent de marime sau de localizare, sa se inscrie in Competitia pentru Capitala Earth Hour si sa demonstreze ca pot construi strategii pe termen mediu si lung, in beneficiul cetatenilor si al naturii.

Capitala Earth Hour Romania, 2012

Anul 2012 este anul provocarilor, momentul in care spiritul civic si spiritul ecologist trebuie puse in functiune, astfel incat oamenii sa castige nu numai satisfactia ca au participat la o actiune de mediu de anvergura internationala, dar si mandria ca locuiesc intr-un oras curat, exemplar.

Concret, primariile care doresc sa participe la concurs in numele comunitatilor lor vor trebui sa realizeze  un dosar in care sa detalieze atat proiectele si initiativele din domeniul protectiei mediului inconjurator derulate in anii trecuti, cat si pe cele ce urmeaza a fi implementate in viitorul apropiat, inclusiv planurile pentru organizarea Earth Hour 2012. Domeniile avute in vedere sunt: infrastructura de mediu, economisirea energiei si investitii in surse de energie regenerabila, gestionarea si extinderea spatiilor verzi, educatie si comunicare in acest domeniu, imbunatatirea/dezvoltarea retelei de transport in comun, conservarea biodiversitatii si aplicarea bunelor practici de mediu la sediul primariei.

Formularul de inscriere, regulamentul si alte detalii legate de competitie sunt disponibile pe website-ul campaniei: www.ora-pamantului.ro.

Earth Hour este un eveniment pentru fiecare dintre noi, un prilej de a ne arata atentia fata de problemele de mediu care ne afecteaza in mod direct, din ce in ce mai mult. Earth Hour inseamna, de asemenea, vointa si bucuria de a transmite mesajul mai departe si de a-i indemna pe cei din jur sa se alature campaniei.

Provocarile li se adreseaza nu numai oraselor, ci si publicului larg, companiilor si celebritatilor, ca mecanism de raspandire a mesajului si de responsabilizare in ceea ce priveste modul in care ne raportam la mediu si la resursele naturale. „I Will If You Will”, noua platforma globala a campaniei, are scopul de a ilustra faptul ca oricare dintre noi, indiferent de functie, domeniul de activitate sau statut social, are puterea de a schimba ceva in lumea sau in anturajul in care traieste.

Ideea campaniei de anul acesta este de a-i impulsiona pe oameni sa creeze provocari dupa propriul plac si din imaginatie proprie, provocari care sa fie adresate rudelor, prietenilor, fanilor/simpatizantilor (in cazul persoanelor publice) prin intermediul retelelor sociale – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, dar si email. In acest sens, WWF a construit si o aplicatie cu acelasi nume – „I Will If You Will”, accesibila la www.youtube.com/earthhour, unde pot fi postate aceste provocari sau unde se pot gasi sugestii de provocari.

De la an la an, miscarea Earth Hour, initiata si coordonata la nivel global de WWF, capata proportii din ce in ce mai mari, cucerind sute de milioane de oameni si, totodata, inducand un sentiment de apartenenta la o comunitate, in randul celor care sarbatoresc Earth Hour de fiecare data. Evolutia spectaculoasa pe care a cunoscut-o miscarea, de la prima editie din 2007 cu un singur oras participant (Sydney) si pana in prezent, cu o participare de peste 5200 de orase din 135 de tari, a demonstrat ca 1.8 miliarde de oameni din intreaga lume isi doresc sa faca ceva concret pentru mediul inconjurator. Mai mult, de-a lungul timpului, ei si-au impartasit in mod voluntar povestile, ideile si planurile de actiune in beneficiul naturii, aratand ca le pasa si ca vor sa se dedice mai mult acestei cauze. Astfel, Earth Hour a devenit un simbol important al unui angajament mult mai complex decat ceea ce presupunea evenimentul la inceput – stingerea luminilor pentru o ora.

Partenerii care s-au alaturat, pana acum, campaniei Earth Hour, sunt: ANTENA 3, EUROPA FM, Think Outside the Box si Romania Green Building Council.

Mai multe detalii despre campanie puteti citi pe site-ul oficial Earth Hour Romania: www.ora-pamantului.ro.

Pentru a afla noutati despre campania internationala accesati pagina www.earthhour.org.

The report, entitled ‘Key Data on Education in Europe 2012′, was presented to EU Education Ministers at their meeting in Brussels this morning. It shows that the number of graduates specialising in education is falling at a time when many current teachers are approaching retirement age. But it also highlights encouraging signs: funding for education is stable in most Member States and it underlines that higher education remains the best insurance policy against unemployment, with graduates more likely to find a job faster than non-graduates.

“This report is an invaluable resource for policy-makers and provides important guidance for future decisions. The professional development of teachers is a key factor in ensuring high quality education for our students. That’s why Erasmus for All [the Commission's proposed new programme for education, training and youth] aims to strengthen the professional development of teaching staff while at the same time modernising education systems,” commented Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.

The report finds that targeted training for teachers, such as mentoring, guidance for assessment and classroom observation, is now more widespread across Europe. However, these measures have not been sufficient to increase the attractiveness of teaching. The Commission wants to contribute to the attractiveness and quality of the profession by providing 1 million teachers with opportunities to gain teaching and training experience abroad as part of its proposed Erasmus for All programme.

The report finds that the share of the population with a tertiary qualification has risen and that graduates find jobs twice as quickly as people with lower qualifications (5 months compared to 9.8 months). This finding shows that the European Union’s 2020 target for a 40% level of higher education attainment is supported by solid evidence; however it is also clear that graduates are increasingly over-qualified for their jobs and that some professions offer better employment perspectives than others; the choice of course is therefore increasingly important. Background The ‘Key Data on Education 2012′ report was presented to EU Education Ministers alongside a joint Council-Commission report entitled ‘Education and Training in a smart, sustainable and inclusive Europe’ .

The report is produced jointly by the Eurydice network and Eurostat. It traces the main developments in European education systems over the past decade. combining statistical data with qualitative information to describe the organisation, management and functioning of 37 European education systems, from pre-primary to higher education.

The data is collected through the national units of the Eurydice network, Eurostat, and the 2009 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) international survey compiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The previous Key Data on Education report was published in 2009. The publication covers priority areas for European cooperation in education and training and the broader European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The 95 indicators in the report cover areas such as demographic context, educational structures, participation, resources, teachers and management staff, educational processes and qualification levels and transition to employment. The Eurydice network provides information on and analyses of European education systems and policies. It consists of 37 national units based in all 33 countries participating in the EU’s Lifelong Learning programme (EU Member States, EFTA countries, Croatia and Turkey). It is co-ordinated and managed by the EU Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency in Brussels.

For more information: Highlights of the report Key Data on Education in Europe 2012: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/key_data_series/134EN_HI.pdf

News : The report found that young people are most worried about the lack of job opportunities, insufficient government investment, and the quality and relevance of their education. They feel that some higher education is “overly theoretical” rather than giving them practical skills that are vital to getting hired in the work force. Young people also often feel that they are the last to be hired, and the first to be dismissed creating many instabilities in the workplace. Not all of the report is as pessimistic. The world’s youth are hopeful that new technologies, the “green” industry, and entrepreneurship will provide opportunities for jobs in the future. “ Today we have the largest generation of young people the world has ever known,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the report’s introduction. “We need to pull the UN system together like never before to support a new social contract of job-rich economic growth. Let us start with young people.

The report can be downloaded at this address : http://unworldyouthreport.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&layout=category&task=category&id=1&Itemid=67

Yesterady was Valentine’s Day and it is also one day of the week for Children of alcoholics (CoA). The awareness week for CoA serves to raise attention for the situation and feelings of the affected, and it serves to make sure the fate of millions of young Europeans is not forgotten and doesn’t remain invisible. There are 9 Million children and young people in the EU alone who grow up with at least one parent being alcohol addicted. These children suffer neglect, feelings of shame and self-blame for their parents’ alcohol addiction.

VIDEO

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They suffer from continuous conflicts in their home and many have to witness and endure violence. “The problem is big and despite some good and useful steps into the right direction, more can and must be done to prevent destroyed childhoods,” says Andrea Lavesson, President of Active – sobriety, friendship and peace. “Valentine’s Day offers the best opportunity to extent our hearts to embrace the pain and suffering of 9 million innocent children and young people.” Europe is the heaviest alcohol consuming region in the world, where alcohol is a causal factor in 16% of child abuse and neglect cases. Studies show that CoA are much more exposed to other health risks, to negative influences on their intellectual capacity and their mental health. Research also shows that one third of CoA will become alcohol addicted themselves. “Children and young people with alcohol addicted parents often live in both emotional and material poverty,” says Andrea Lavesson from Active. “It is a moral, economic and social imperative to prevent harm, invest into the present of children and young people, into their hopes and dreams. We need a new EU alcohol strategy, evidence-based alcohol policies in the countries; municipalities need to invest in support structures for CoA; schools need effective alcohol policies; teachers need know-how in how to identify children and youth; journalists need to help breaking the taboo that still exists around this issue. And as society we need to make sure that children of alcohol addicted parents feel that they too can have a better life one day.”

For RO https://www.facebook.com/ChildrenofAlcoholics.Romania?sk=notes

Danube.EDU team  will run a project on this issue in 2012!

About your place in society when you’re 60, 70 or 80? There is a lot to life after 60 — and society is coming increasingly to appreciate the contribution older people can make.

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That’s what active ageing is about — getting more out of life as you grow older, not less, whether at work, at home or in the community. And this can help not just you as an individual but society as a whole Worried about growing older? About your place in society when you’re 60, 70 or 80? There is a lot to life after 60 — and society is coming increasingly to appreciate the contribution older people can make. That’s what active ageing is about — getting more out of life as you grow older, not less, whether at work, at home or in the community. And this can help not just you as an individual but society as a whole.

Get involved YOU and your parents/grandparents : http://europa.eu/ey2012/ey2012main.jsp?catId=979&langId=en

Danube.EDu team recommendation to follow : http://europa.eu/ey2012/

Be informed, Danube.EDU team

Este vorba despre un studiu de caz fictiv care are loc în cadrul unui joc de rol, care permite tinerilor din diferite grupe de vârstă să joace rolul unui deputat în Parlamentul European timp de câteva ore.

Jocul se poate desfășura cu 16 până la 32 de participanți. Aceștia sunt împărțiți în patru grupuri politice imaginare (Solidaritate, Ecologie, Libertate și Tradiție) și lucrează pe două studii de caz – o directivă privind solidaritatea în domeniul apei și una privind identificarea personală.

Jocul permite tinerilor să învețe într-un mod practic și inovativ modul în care Parlamentul European studiază, modifică și, în final, adoptă acte legislative care influențează viața cotidiană a milioane de cetățeni ai Uniunii Europene. Dorota Pinczuk, profesor al unui grup de elevi polonezi care au participat la acest joc, a lăudat valoarea sa educațională. „Pe parcursul jocului, elevii pot să înțeleagă cum se formează alianțe, cum se negociază cu alte instituții și cum se comunică cu mass-media”, a declarat aceasta. „Participanții”, a adăugat ea, „învață, de asemenea, că nu pot acționa doar conform propriilor opinii, ci că trebuie să țină seama și de opiniile celorlalți pentru a ajunge la un rezultat satisfăcător.”

Jocul de rol este doar unul dintre diversele instrumente interactive multimedia care pot fi găsite la recent inauguratul Parlamentarium – Centrul pentru vizitatori al Parlamentului European. Primul centru de acest fel care este integral accesibil în toate cele 23 de limbi oficiale ale UE, Parlamentarium oferă vizitatorului o imagine asupra funcționării și istoriei Parlamentului European și ale celorlalte instituții ale UE. Vizitatorii pot participa la jocul de rol și, printre altele, pot avea plăcuta ocazie de a viziona imagini proiectate din Hemiciclu pe un imens ecran digital circular. Vizitatorii pot, de asemenea, să asiste la dezbateri, să urmărească procesul de votare și să afle cum se derulează procesul legislativ al UE. Centrul, situat în inima cartierului european de la Bruxelles, în clădirea Willy Brandt a Parlamentului European, este deschis tuturor cetățenilor, gratuit, șapte zile pe săptămână. Centrul este deschis deopotrivă pentru persoane individuale, familii și grupuri, iar dotările au fost concepute într-un mod pe deplin accesibil celor cu nevoi speciale. Pentru vizitatorii cu mobilitate redusă, de exemplu, centrul oferă acces în toate spațiile pentru cărucioarele cu rotile. Pentru persoanele cu deficiențe de văz, se pun la dispoziție ghiduri media cu fișiere audio speciale. Sunt disponibile și hărți tactile Braille, iar accesul câinilor însoțitori este permis. Pentru persoanele cu deficiențe de auz, ghidurile media dispun de fișiere video în limbajul semnelor. Parlamentarium a înregistrat un succes rapid la public. În primele trei luni de la deschidere (de la mijlocul lui octombrie 2011 la mijlocul lui ianuarie 2012), Parlamentarium a atras circa 62 000 de vizitatori.

Pentru mai multe informații, vizitați: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/visiting/ro/homepage.html

Fundatia Serviciilor Sociale Bethany lanseaza blogul tematic Parinti, la scoala!, dedicat in exclusivitate parintilor si viitorilor parinti.

Blogul va contine informatii valoroase pentru toti parintii interesati de o mai buna relatie cu copiii lor. Acestia vor avea ocazia sa invete care sunt nevoile copiilor, cum sa creeze un cadru emotional sanatos, cum sa creeze si sa mentina in familie un mediu armonios. In paginile site-ului veti regasi sfaturi, sugestii si recomandari oferite de specialistii nostri. Mai mult decat atat, ei vor fi prezenti pentru voi, raspunzandu-va la intrebarile pe care va incurajam sa le adresati prin intermediul comentariilor.

Dorinta noastra este de a pune la dispozitia publicului interesat informatiile dobandite in decursul experientei de peste 16 ani in lucrul cu familiile si copiii pentru a contribui la imbunatatirea vietii de familie si a relatiilor parinte-copil, care, in mod special in contextul economic si in ritmul de viata actual au deseori de suferit. Acum, mai mult decat oricand, adultii au nevoie sa invete meseria de parinti si sa isi dedice atat timpul cat si resursele emotionale in favoarea familiei. In acest sens, am lansat deja din toamna anului trecut un program integrat de imbunatatire a abilitatilor parentale si dezvoltare personala pentru copii si tineri.

Pentru detalii va rugam sa contactati Fundatia Serviciilor Sociale Bethany la tel/fax 0232 278 535, 0232 279 856, persoana de contact Georgiana Vieru, coordonator PR si Fundraising: georgiana.vieru@bethany.ro.

www.parintilascoala.com

Stiri de la parteneri,echipa Dunare.EDU

Studiul ce urmeaza a fi lansat masoara nivelul culturii protestului si a implicarii civice a tinerilor din Romania si a fost realizat de catre IMAS Marketing si Sondaje in perioada octombrie-decembrie 2011. In cadrul conferintei se vor prezenta principalele concluzii ale cercetarii si vor avea loc discutii pe tema culturii protestului si a activismului in randul tinerilor. Moderatorul discutiilor va fi domnul Mircea Toma, presedinte Active Watch.

La eveniment vor participa reprezentanti ai ONG-urilor active in domeniul implicarii civice, reprezentanti ai clasei politice, studenti si profesori universitari.

Va rugam sa confirmati participarea la conferinta pana la data de 12 februarie 2012.

RSVP: Lavinia Chiburte/militiaspirituala@gmail.com/0727 823 483