UNITED STATES EMBASSY BUCHAREST

DEMOCRACY COMMISSION SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

# LIST OF FUNDED ORGANIZATIONS AND PROJECTS

**[2006-2007]{.underline}**

**Association for the Implementation of Democracy (AID)** \-- *"National
Parliamentary Transparency Initiative (NETI)"* The project expands a
successful pilot project that has opened communication between MPs and
their constituencies and contributed to parliamentarians' accountability
in seven counties. A practice of regular communication between
parliamentarians and civil society will be created in seven more
counties through activities of working groups composed of MPs, local
NGOs, media, local businessmen and industries, and by monitoring
parliamentarians' activities related to local agenda and publicizing
results (projects implemented with co-funding from Embassy of Germany
and Embassy of UK).

**The Romanian Center for Economic Education (CREE)** \--*"In-Country
Train-the-Trainers Program to Seed Economic Education Delivery
Network".* The Center for Economic Education implemented a successful
pilot project of economic education in 2004, training primary school
teachers of several counties. This project will target middle school and
high school teachers in 10 cities throughout Romania. Grant will cover
costs of one seminar; the US National Council of Economic Education
(NCEE) funds other seminars as well.

**Foundation "Help the Children" Romania** \-- *"Collateral Effects of
the Institutional Environment".* Children especially those coming of age
in orphanages are in great need of education for life in society. Upon
leaving the orphanage, they face exclusion and especially girls become
targets of human trafficking. The project aims at providing education
and awareness of public institutions in Cluj of the rights and
obligations to orphan girls who come of age and leave the placement
centers (orphanages) for their social inclusion. The target group is 18
year old girls in a placement center in Cluj who will participate in
training sessions and educational activities.

**Freedom House** *\-- "A More Powerful Local Media"* Freedom of the
press is still a problem in Romania, especially for the local press.
Media is still not professional, and newspaper distribution is still
very low. The purpose is to help local press become more professional
and expand audience. The target audience is made up of media editors who
will be involved in interactive trainings (on layout, marketing,
editorial policies). Other project activities include the preparation
and publication of a guide for press managers on press analysis and
monitoring.

**YMCA** *\-- "Baia Mare Community Youth Activity Center"* **.** YMCA
Baia Mare intends to involve youth in the remote city of Baia Mare, in
partnership with local authorities, other NGOs, and high schools.
Through this project, a civic center will be created to host activities
for youth. The project is based on the results of a YMCA debate on the
topic "Youth \-- problem in society or unused resource" in March 2005.
The results showed that the young people lack education to be part of
teams, and that there aren't opportunities for youth to participate in
the life of their communities and of the city. The project aims at
establishing partnership with the local administration and various other
public institutions in Baia Mare.

**Femina 2000 Association** *\-- "Human Trafic = Slavery. Informing
Campaign Regarding Human Trafficking for Teenagers"* . Youth are more at
risk to become victims of human trafficking and educational activities
for the prevention of TIP are very much needed in Romania, especially in
Moldavia (NE) which is an area of higher risk. The purpose of the
project is to raise awareness of TIP among students 13 to 19 years old
especially in the rural areas of Neamt County through an educational
campaign, forum, workshop and media campaign.

**Anti-Aids Romanian Association (ARAS) Contanta** *\-- "It Is Time to
Speak About Your Rights!"* . Anti-AIDS Association ARAS Constanta
intends to empower HIV positive adolescents in Bucharest and 6 other
counties to advocate for the rights of HIV positive youth in Romania
through meetings and other educational/informative activities and by
facilitating their participation at a national conference (Phare grant)

**Life Foundation**\-- *"Creating Safe Communities"* **.** There is a
need for education to prevent juvenile violence. The project targets
young workers, teachers, police officers in 10 communities of Oradea and
Bihor county (NW) that will be involved in training courses. A network
will be created in the project and partnerships with local institutions
active in violence prevention which will continue to act locally after
the initial investment of this project

**Pro Democracy** \-- *"High School Students and Public Institutions".*
Pro-Democracy Bucharest has been carrying out on its own a project that
tried to get high school students interested in the activities of the
Chamber of Deputies. This project plans to expand and use the experience
accumulated so far, with the purpose to promote civic awareness among
high school youth. The target audience is 17-year old students of 11
high schools in Bucharest, Ploiesti, Alexandria, Tandarei and Zimnicea
that will be involved in a training of volunteers, a campaign and a
summer school. The NGO intends to start a tradition in the high-schools
involved in the project as source of volunteers and youth to be involved
in its future programs, and even aims at spreading this kind of
activities to other high schools in Romania.

**Center for Development and Innovation in Education TEHNE**: *\"Quality
Assurance of Education for Democratic Citizenship\"*. Freedom needs to
be practiced both by teachers and students, the project aims at helping
teachers of civic education in 6 schools in Dambovita county learn new
quality education methods, school development planning, and
self-assessment. (based on tool developed by the Council of Europe).
Activities include seminars, workshops, and planning and implementation
of activities by partner schools

**Civic Education Project and Academic Development Foundation**:
\"*Romanian Mass Media: Understanding Democratization Processes in the
Black Sea Region\"*. The purpose of the project is to inform journalists
about democratization in the Black Sea region, and educate them for more
accurate reporting of news from neighbor countries. The project will
target 10 journalists working in Romania. Activities will include:
prepare curricula, select journalists, training, workshop on
democratization in Black Sea Region, virtual forum, monitoring trained
journalists. A virtual forum will continue the work at the end of the
project.

**Romanian Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking (RWCT)**: *\"Youth
for Democracy: What Does it Take to Be an Active Citizen?\"* . High
school students need to learn to get involved in solving school
community problems. Targeting students of 3 high schools in 3 counties
(Mures, Bistrita and Cluj) as well as teachers, the project aims at
developing skills and motivation of high school youth to participate in
community projects. Activities will include human rights training for
students (4 modules) and critical thinking training (1 module) for
teachers, a web site for results dissemination, and the publication of a
guidebook also for further use in the work with students. It is expected
that the students and teachers will continue to use the skills
accumulated during the project in school and in their life.

**Media Monitoring Agency (MMA)**: *\"FreeEx - The Ethics of TV News\".*
Media, as guardian of democracy, needs to keep a balance between its
economic demands for sustainability and its social responsibility of
accurate reporting and informing citizens. The project will address 9 TV
stations in Romania with the purpose of identifying the manner in which
TV stations in Romania observe journalistic ethical standards and
obligation to act in the public interest. Activities will include TV
stations monitoring and research activities (setting agenda, main
categories of information, ethics analysis)

**[2005 - 2006]{.underline}**

**Social Alternatives Association Iasi** \-- *"Promoting democracy
through actions against child labor and trafficking in children"*
(promote democracy through activities meant to defend the right to
education, to combat trafficking in persons, and to reduce vulnerability
towards trafficking through vocational guidance for students in high
school.)

**Disputa Transylvanian Association (Oradea) & ARDOR \--** "*Romanian
Youth Versus Corruption"* A series of public debates across Romania
about the role of youth in fighting corruption*"* (with the purpose to
build an anti-corruption mentality among the young generation, to
stimulate the development of young opinion leaders, to raise awareness
and responsibility among parents and teachers for the creation of a
sounder environment for youth)

**FAMNET Federation** \-- "*"Child, fight against vulnerability by
getting informed!"* (prevent human trafficking by educating students in
middle school and high-school about this phenomenon both during
activities held in schools and during a summer camp to include sessions
on the topic.)

Panaghia Assoc. for Community Development (Calopar commune, Dolj) \--
*"Partners for Dialog"* (stimulate citizens participation at the
decision making process through the dialog between community and Local
Council in the commune Calopar, Dolj County.)

LADO Cluj-Napoca \-- *"Conduct Guidelines for City Hall Employees"*
(introduce Conduct Guidelines to the employees of Cluj City Hall, and
raise citizen awareness about the right for decent treatment from state
employees)

Phoenix Hope Association (Medias) \-- *"Mobile office of information and
consultancy"* (inform and educate marginalized disabled people in Medias
area about their rights and responsibilities as members of their
communities and citizens of Romania, raise awareness in those
communities and create a network of community leaders educated in the
spirit of democracy)

Cluj-Napoca Volunteer Center -- *"Cluj Napoca Volunteer Center"*
(develop volunteerism in Cluj-Napoca and increase the number of
organizations and institutions which involve volunteers in their work)

**Hope and Homes for Children (Baia-Mare)** -- *"Anti Discrimination
Campaign: Special Olympics Baia Mare"* (promote equal chances for people
with special needs by providing an event which gives the chance for
community involvement with disabled people: a one day Special Olympics
event in Maramures county)

**Association "A Step to the Future" (Un Pas Spre Viitor UPSV) \--**
*"Youth for youth -- always together"* (inform and educate the orphans
in placement centers on their democratic rights and obligations as
rightful members of society, inform employees of townhalls, public
administration, ministry of labor and social protection, ministry of
education, police, and other relevant authorities on the legal
provisions concerning young orphans leaving placement centers in order
to work out solutions to common problems that these young people
encounter, and to hold informative activities on the topic for
communities in Brasov and Prahova counties)

**Sun Valley Association (Targu-Mures) -- "***We did elect them! Do they
work for our environment?"* (lobby for the adoption of new regulations
on the decision-making process concerning the environment at local
administration level that should involve civic society in Targu-Mures)

**Romanian Foundation for Accident Victims Assistance FRAVA
(Timisoara)** \-- "*Victims, Damages, Consumer Rights, and Unaccountable
Law"* (build the non-existing practice of defending consumers and
victims of accidents by informing and training the judiciary on
practices in western democracies and by raising awareness among citizens
on their democratic rights as consumers)

**Center for the Training of Journalists (CTJ)** \-- *"The Community
Convergence Project CCP -- Building citizen participation in drafting
laws and making decisions in 9 communities in Tulcea and Galati
counties"* (encourage civic participation and initiative, to initiate
local partnerships with public administration, to help citizens and
local administration work together in identifying the best solutions for
development)

**CRISDU-AREOPAGUS** \-- *"Leaders of Tomorrow, Voters of Tomorrow:
Together for Better Politics"* (bring together students, experts and
civic NGOs representatives with representatives of youth organizations
of political parties, and local administration in Timisoara and Iasi to
exchange information and discuss expectations)

**Romanian Association for Community Development (RACD)** \-- "*Working
Together for a Better Community"* **(**encourage more citizen
involvement in the community life through community based organizations.
The target audience consists in 32 representatives of 16 community-based
organizations, registered or informal groups, in Arges, Olt, Teleorman
counties)

**PAEM Foundation (Alba)** \-- *"Conflict Resolution for Roma Minorities
in Romanian Classrooms"* (train Alba County educators to address their
own discriminatory attitudes towards Roma students, and the classroom
tensions between Romanian and Roma students, to teach them ways to deal
with ethnic tensions)

**Institute for Public Policies (IPP)** \-- "*The Nominal Voting
Procedure (Roll Call) in the Romanian Parliament - a decisive step
towards increasing the accountability of the Romanian MPS and
strengthening their relation with voters in between elections"*
(increase the political accountability of public elected officials in
Romania and the transparency of the deliberative process in all its
stages)

**[2004]{.underline}**

**Academic Foundation for Rural Progress "Terra Nostra"** **(Iasi)** \--
*"Property basis: the basis of liberal democracy"* (awareness of
property rights and respect for private property)

**Agency for Information and Development of NGOS (AID-ONG) Timisoara**
**\--** "*Building a coalition for a better legal framework for NGOs"*
(cooperation between NGOs for more effective laws concerning NGOs)

**Association for Socio-Economic Development (ADES)** Curtea de Arges
\-- "*Campaign to improve citizens rights to knowledge"* (awareness of
democratic/human rights and citizen-government communication in Curtea
de Arges)

**League of Young Romanians from Everywhere \--** "*News to know:
introducing democratic media to poor schools in Galati and Tulcea"*
(introduce media to middle school students in rural areas in Galati and
Tulcea)

**Romanian Association of Debate, Oratory and Rhetoric (ARDOR)** **\--**
*"Young decision makers"* (legislative debate as a tool of civic
education, preparing students for a life of active community
participation)

Terra Mileniul III \-- *"Whom do we vote for a sustainable
development?"* (monitor environmental policies promoted by political
parties, citizen debates on parties' environmental policies)

Health Messengers Association \-- *"My first vote -- civic multimedia
education for teenagers"* (civic education of the young voters)

IKON Foundation (Galati) \-- *"My first vote for democracy and
progress"* (civic education of first time voters)

Center for Political Studies and Comparative Analysis (CPSCA) \-- *"A
Public agenda for reform in an electoral year -- main issues and how
they are addressed"* **(**put public concerns on politicians' agenda)

Association for the Implementation of Democracy (AID) \-- *"National
electoral transparency"* (citizen awareness of public policies promoted
during the electoral campaign and dialog on public policies)

**Protect Nature and Youth** (Motru) **\--** *"A new beginning for Motru
youth"* (awareness among the youth in Motru of their democratic rights
and obligations)

**Alternative Foundation (Oradea) \--** *"Building citizenship in
Oradea"* (internships for young students with public administration)

**EuroEd Foundation** **(Iasi) \--** *"Next lesson: Democracy"*
(alternative methods for civic education in classrooms)

**League of Romanian Lawyers** **\--** *"Can Justice be more than just
debating reform"* (discussion of reform solutions aimed at a justice
free from politics)

**ALMA-RO Association \--** *"Codes of ethics for local elected
representatives -- an instrument against corruption"* (awareness among
public and elected representatives about the Code of Ethics and share
the experience of other countries in the implementation of the Code)

**Montana Motilor Association** **(Alba Iulia) --** *"Democracy and
intercultural dialog in multiethnic school communities"* (promote
democracy, non-discrimination and equal opportunity in order to prevent
low academic achievement of Roma children)

**Pro Women Foundation** **(Iasi) \--** *"Partners for equality"*
(gender-related information to citizens in Iasi)

Romanian Center for Economic Education (CREE) \-- *"Democracy advanced
through market economy-based education. Training trainers on economic
education in elementary school"* (train schoolteachers to better provide
students with the knowledge and ability to use economic principles of
democratic society in practical and effective manners)

Zone Geographic Initiative "People of Sibiu for Peace" \-- *"Perpetuum
Memoriam -- Information Caravan about Holocaust in Sibiu's county"*
(disseminate information regarding the Holocaust events to the citizens
of Sibiu county)

**Academic Society for Researh of Religions and Ideologies (SACRI)
Cluj** **\--** *"Future leaders, future voters: how can they make a
difference?"* (bring together the future leaders with their future
voters)

**Democratic Union of Roma (Alba Iulia)** **--** *"Electoral education
of Roma in Alba county"* (voter education and encouragement for civic
participation of Roma ethnics in 21 communities in Alba county)

**Youth CeTin Organization (Bistrita)** **\--** *"Know about your
rights. ACT on your responsibilities"* (youth citizenship awareness of
democratic principles and human/child rights)

**African and Oriental Studies Association (Bacau)** **\--** *"Teaching
the Holocaust in the 21^st^ century"* (train 30 high-school teachers to
train colleagues in teaching the history of the Holocaust)

Ramses Foundation -- Foundation for Social Development of the Roma (Dej)
\-- *"People for People"* (human rights education through 2 series of
interactive radio talk shows)

**[2003]{.underline}**

**Manfred Worner Euro-Atlantic Association \--** *"Opening the past:
freedom of information in foreign affairs and military archives"*
(overcome institutional barriers that are blocking access to state
archives)

**Romanian Center for Education and Human Development (CRED)** **\--**
*"Human Rights Education in Reeducation Centers for Minors"* (increase
knowledge, skills and conduct in observance of human rights both in
staff and inmates in prisons for minors)

**Institute for Public Policies (IPP) \--** *"Romanian Constitution
under public debate"* (awareness among young citizens and retired people
(the least informed) about the importance of revising the constitution
and to better inform them about the main issues that are subject to
revision)

**Zalau Volunteer Center \--** *"Zalau volunteer development"*
(encourage volunteering among citizens in the county through campaigns)

**Friends of the library (Zalau) \--** *"Democracy and Human Rights
Education Project"* (informative purpose through seminar, presentations
in schools, human rights day, resource center on democracy and human
rights in the county library, visits to public institutions in
Bucharest)

Romanian Society for Defending Human Rights (SADOR) Galati \-- *"From
spectator to participant"* (public awareness of human rights through
info center, booklet on public institutions, citizen meetings w/ local
administration, citizen reports to local administration on most frequent
problems and unsolved cases)

**Foundation Biosanta (Bistrita)** \-- *"Human trafficking -- explained
to teenagers"* (create positive attitude among teenagers regarding
trafficking prevention through meetings with high-school students in
Bistrita-Nasaud county during summer camps and school afterclasses)

Foundation for Democratic Change (FDC) \-- *"Developing support for
third-neutral intervention in ethnic conflicts"* (develop a specialized
working group of Roma NGOs representatives to work in prevention and
resolution of conflicts within the Roma community)

CERAS Foundation Ramnicu-Valcea \-- *"Democracy starts with me":* to
involve high-school students in Ramnicu-Valcea in promoting democratic
activities through participation in the Local Youth Council

**CENTRAS Constanta \--** *"Public awareness campaign promoting
volunteerism"*(awareness on the importance of volunteerism through
campaign in the Dobrogea area)

## Alliance for the Unity of the Roma People Braila \-- *"A Day in Life":* to teach understanding and tolerance through experience (multicultural education in classrooms of Braila county)

# Romanian Academic Society (SAR) \-- *"Policy Warning Report: Strengthening Romania's Democracy by Building Independent Sources of Policy Expertise"*(public debate about important public policy issues through the publication of a series of reports based on results of opinion polls and through policy discussions with decision makers and media coverage)

**Center for Urban and Regional Sociology (CURS) \--** *"Understanding
political migration in Romania"*(public education and media debate on
the topic of political migration through research, public dissemination
of results, regional meetings and action plans)

**Save the Children --Arges \--** *"Learn and live in and for society"*
(to complement civic education program in schools of Pitesti for more
powerful impact and engage children in activities in the local
community)

**[2002]{.underline}**

**Foundation for Development through Economic Education and Partnership
(DEEP) \--** *"Community Survey*" (increase citizen participation in the
Jiu Valley area by working with community to identify problems, seek
solutions, lobby before local administration to adopt solutions)

**Ethnocultural Roma Project Organization (OPRE) \--** *"Democracy
training"* (train in democracy young representatives of the Roma
community, initiate communication network with other ethnic NGOs, Gov,
academia)

**Assoc. of Neuromotor Handicapped in Romania (AHNR) \--** *"Towns for
all"* (first public campaign to make buildings and means of transport
accessible to physically handicapped people)

**Foundation for Culture and Human Rights \--** *"Literature in a
conflict environment"* (hold a two-day conference with international
cultural figures to meet, dialog and initiate cooperation projects, and
have conference proceeds published in supplemental issue of "22"
magazine)

**Center for Legal Resources** **\--** *"Combating cybercrime"* (to
bring together experts to draft law on cybercrime)

**Association of European Youth (ATE) \--** *"Public participation in
the local government"* (to stimulate citizens' active participation in
decisions concerning their community in four villages of Olt county)

**Romanian Society for Political Studies (SRSP) \--** *"Invisible
College"*(alternative academic education in the field of political
studies)

**Peasant Museum \--** *"Hungarians in Romania"*(exhibition dedicated to
the life, traditions, culture of Hungarian minority and multimedia
center on the life of this minority)

**Reaching Out** \-- *"Preparation for governmental shelters to victims
of trafficking"* (working model for implementation in shelters when Gov
takes over shelters from NGOs)

**[2001]{.underline}**

**Students' League \--** civic education during children's summer camps

**Peasant Museum \--** Two exhibitions dedicated to the Rroma, Jewish,
and other ethnic minorities. "Together"exhibition is an itinerant
exhibition and focuses more on the Rroma ethnics

**Association of Support for the Physically Handicapped Children
(ASCHFR) \--** *"Give communication a chance*" (three issues of the
Association's magazine, with contributions -- articles and graphics --
by handicapped children)

**Association of Women Entrepreneur and Pro Familia Agency \--**
*"FAM-NET"*(to create virtual community of NGOs dealing with domestic
violence and trafficking

**Master Forum Association \--** *PAL-TIN - "Youth Participation in
Local Administration"*, meeting of children and youth "councils" and
"mayors"

**CARA Arad \--** To create five clubs, replicas of the American
Toastmasters' to teach democratic principles and promote communication
and leadership training

**National Institute of Magistrates \--** legal training of young
journalists of Bucharest and the country

**[2000]{.underline}**

**Equal chances for women (SEF) -- "***Guideline for work inspectors on
equal opportunities"* **(**to work with Office of Inspectors, Ministry
of Labor to introduce equal opportunities norms and practices in
inspectors\' activity & raise awareness on gender discrimination in
career building)

**Association of Physically Handicapped AHFR Lugoj --** *"The wall is
us: educate us to educate others"* **(**through special classes in
high-schools in Timisoara, to raise awareness of the young generation
and change its mentality on disabled people, and thus to contribute to
the acceptance and integration of this category into society)

### 

**Partners for Change --** *"Communication skills for women in
politics"* (to contribute to the promotion of equal opportunities in
Romania and to help increase the number of women in decision-making
positions in the administration, by teaching communication skills to 20
women-politicians, candidates in the elections)

**Symposium XXI Foundation -- (**electoral education of young voters for
presidential and parliamentary elections of November 2000)

**Romania Literara Foundation \--** to dedicate a section of the
\"Romania Libera\" journal to the publication of U. S. essays on human
rights, civic education, and democracy.

**Roma Women Association \--** to improve communication among NGOs of
Roma through newsletter and homepage

**Civic Society Development Foundation FDSC \--** to organize the annual
NGOs Fair in Bucharest with the purpose to help boost the NGO sector in
Romanian civic society

**Regional Center for Economic and Organizatio-nal Development CREDO
STAR (Cluj) \--** to connect NGOs and local administration in Cluj
county through meetings and live TV interactive debates with the purpose
to get politicians\' attention before elections on major concerns of
NGOs and civic society

**Romanian Business School \--** *\"Guide for Women\'s Associations\"*
(to provide legal info and share from experience in the U.S. adaptable
to the Romanian reality, to help nascent associations in Romania play a
stronger role in civic society)

**League for the Defense of Human Rights LADO \--** *\"Equal
opportunities for men and women\"* (promote a series of principles and
terms to become part of Romanian legislation -- equal opportunities,
gender issues, discrimination, sexual harassment)

**National Organization of Disabled People \--** *\"The Human Rights
Week\"* (establish a connection between pupils and disabled people in
order to make the young generation aware of the barrier that prejudices
of society place before people with disabilities and to fight such
prejudices for equal participation to society life of its members)

**[1999]{.underline}**

**Romanian Forum of Social-Democratic Women \--** to create the first
national database on the condition of women in Romania

**Women-Manager Association \--** to integrate women into the free
market economy, encourage entrepreneurship among women and serve as
lobby for women entrepreneurs through newsletter

**Association of Women Entrepreneurs \--** guidebook to educate social
service working with abused women & seminars to raise public awareness
on domestic violence and to get the government enforce legislation in
the field

**Study Group of the Problems of the Disabled \--** Study on the
implementation status of UN Standard Rules and round table on the
International Day of the Disabled (December 3)

**Association of Neuromotor Handicapped in Romania (AHNR) \--** to draft
proposal of amendments to law on handicapped per UN Standards, and
lobby; seminar on policies for implementation of standards

**H Foundation for Distance Learning \--** to provide access to
education to children w/ disabilities; propose alternative teaching
method and train instructors

**\"Altair\" Foundation \--** develop database of cases of handicapped
children in rural areas left out of government statistics; work with the
government to improve assistance programs for handicapped children

**\"ANA\" (Feminist Analysis Society)** \-- raise awareness among
decision makers and public opinion on need to include gender issues in
policies by publishing special issue of \"Jurnal\" dedicated to outcomes
of 10 years of gendering transition in Romania

**\"Trebuie\" Organization of Children and Adults with Special Needs
\--** to initiate standard models of social integration of disabled
children through series of seminars w/ NGOs in child protection and
Government