If macaroni stood for “wacko”, “nuts”, “insane”, then Italy would surely qualify. Not because of Italian moods and mores (as charming as they might be… I’ve been to Rome twice, and I’d surely go back anytime), but because of politics.
Berlusconi’s won a third term as prime minister. Who’s Berlusconi? The guy who’s cornered the market in Italy, controlling everything from the media to football. Read some very interesting portraits of the guy here and here.
But wait. It gets only worse. Gianni Alemanno is Rome’s new mayor. Continue reading ‘Italy’s going macaroni. Yet again, on migration’
I fail to understand how some people are still claiming that schooling in Romania is going fine. A couple of weeks ago, President Basescu warned that we are discriminating against ourselves with taxpayers’ money because there is no quality education in Romania, hence entire generations of graduates will suffer during their integration on the European labour market. You can read all about his intervention here.
The academia and the Minister of Education (who, highly committed to his mission, decided to renounce his position in favour of running for local elections in Iasi, the largest Romanian city in the South East region) were appalled when the president acknowledged that Romanian universities are nothing but print houses for diplomas; that there is no Romanian university in Top 500 World Universities; and that the whole educational system has been deteriorating since 1990 onwards. Further details here. Continue reading ‘Education = Crisis’
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzcuBbztn-0[/video]
Una din celebrele incercari
Raspuns personal: Nu. Nu poti spune ordona cuiva drept ce sa te stie, inainte ca tu insuti sa stii cine esti. Din punctul meu de vedere, Romania trebuie mai intai sa invete gandirea strategica si sa poata raspunde intrebarii clasice de interviu “Unde te vezi peste 5, 10 si 20 de ani” inainte de a se gandi cum sa se comunice lumii. Strategie, nu branding.
Raspuns Andrei Gheorghe (da, brand-ul Gheorghe): Nevoia de brand de tara e basic. “Cum sa stie lumea cine esti, cand lumea nu stie cum sa te strige?”, “De ce nu ma iubesti, daca eu nu mi te-arat?” Brandul de tara va functiona doar daca este dat pe mana unor particulari. “Sunteti produsul propriilor voastre energii. Nu statul roman v-a adus aici”. Nu statul roman trebuie sa faca branding-ul de tara. Continue reading ‘Are nevoie Romania de branding de tara?’
Sunt la facultate si astept sa dau un partial. In absenta profei contemplu cu entuziasm evenimentul la care voi participa azi. Va tin la curent cum iese. Mai multe despre IAA Romania aici si despre Shashi Tharoor aici.
Tocmai m-am intors din Barcelona si Maastricht. Ceva zile de relaxare in Barcelona (si totusi in medie 2 ore de lucru zilnic, ceea ce nu e tocmai imbucurator pentru ceva ce se vrea a fi vacanta), iar apoi EuroMUN la Maastricht. Inainte de asta, “Vocea unei Generatii”.
Facute:
- raportul final pentru Fundatia Soros pentru proiectul “Together for Social Change. Antreprenoriat social si parteneriate intercomunitare” (un proiect de suflet al meu care va fi lansat cat de curand)
- speech in fata tuturor participantilor la MUN (si erau cateva sute) despre cum poti sa faci o diferenta in comunitatea ta si despre programul “Delegat de tineret la ONU”… lobby pentru institutionalizarea programului in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia si Pakistan
- cumparat marshmallow, stropwaffle si liquorice 
… si Flowerbomb de la Viktor and Rolf (nu m-am putut abtine, stiu, sunt o rasfatata)
To do (incepand de maine prima ora)
- comunicare intensa pentru inscrierile la “Delegat de tineret la ONU” … guys, e un proiect foarte tare: go for it!
- licenta (grrrr!)
- detalii finale pentru “Together for Social Change”
- ORICUM planning and business
- revazut multi prieteni!
Am zis!
Asa arata stropwaffle… creeaza dependenta! 
I am writing this post from the Graduate School of Governance of Maastricht University. I have discovered yet another country, and another institutions respectively, for which education matters. The University of Maastricht takes its role seriously. They are supporting the event that I am here for – that is the European Model United Nations. They are financing some brilliant studying facilities and their student body is composed out of international students. At least 2/3 of them.
At the opening session of EuroMUN, I listened to a speech delivered by the rector of the university. He spoke about the new role universities have in our world. That of delivering something more than knowledge. Of delivering education for sustainability. Of teaching attitudes and lifestyles. Once again, I realized the tremendous challenge that lies ahead Romania’s educational system. I suppose sooner or later Romanian universities will realize that more than one third of the best prospective students that are now in their last years of high-school will choose a university abroad rather than a Romanian one.
Going back the EuroMUN, the main reason why I was invited here was to talk about two lessons I’ve learned in the last couple of years:
1. How to set up an institutionalized framework for youth participation in decision-making through the “UN Youth Delegate” program (more details here)
2. The role of youth in civil society (Romania: A Case Study)
With respect to the latter, “Voice of a Generation” has genuinely taught me a lot… I will blog about lessons learned as soon as I wrap things up here in Maastricht.
I guess I should finish this entry in a less formal manner, by telling you that last night we enjoyed Maastricht night life (which, it turns out, is cheaper and more vivid than in other parts of the Netherlands), Maastricht itself (“the real heart of Europe”), and of course a re-encounter with friends from Europe. Later on today we will hold a workshop on how to set up a UN youth delegates program, and then enjoy a raggae night with Amnesty International.
Podulet peste raul Maas
Salutare dragilor! Imi cer iertare ca nu am mai scris in ultima vreme, mai cu seama avand in vedere faptul ca am invatat multe despre societatea civila din Romania, despre participarea tinerilor in luarea deciziilor, despre educatia tinerilor si despre multe, multe altele o data cu “Vocea unei Generatii”. A fost epuizant si caravana continua! Azi colegii mei pleaca spre Iasi, unde marti avem conferinta si training. Eu sunt in Barcelona, unde am ajuns sambata, la nici cateva ore dupa ce am sosit in Bucuresti de la Timisoara. Devin tot mai entuziasmata de EuroMUN, unde o sa fiu panelist la o dezbatere despre rolul tineretului in societatea civila si o sa conduc un workshop despre ce inseamna sa infiintezi programul “Delegati de tineret la ONU”. EuroMUN se anunta a fi extraordinar, cu peste 15 delegati de tineret din diverse generatii si diversi ani participand, si cu circa 400 de participanti la MUN-ul propriu zis. Intre timp am intrat in linie dreapta si cu proiectul pe care l-am facut ca urmare a bursei oferite de Fundatia Soros… In curand, daca toate lucrurile merg bine cu ultimele aprobari de finantare, vom avea parte de prima scoala de antreprenoriat social din Romania.
Acum sunt in Barcelona, pe acoperisul unui mall (da, ma cam bate vantul) pentru ca e singurul loc unde am gasit net wireless! Portul se vede frumos in zare, si excursia mama-fiica arata deocamdata delicios.
…………..
Hi! Sorry for not writing more about the “Youth Delegate at the United Nations”, about the country-wide caravan that just ended, as well as about my other impressions of Romanian civil society. I’m in Barcelona right now, catching my breath after touring Romania for one weel. On Thursday I’ll get to Maastricht to attend a special session dedicated to youth delegates at the EuroMUN! It sounds exciting!
Andrei Mehedintu (Delegatul de tineret al Romaniei la ONU), Andreea si cu mine suntem in drum spre Cluj, cu ueber proiectul nostru “Vocea unei Generatii”. Ieri am cunoscut cativa tineri foarte interesanti din Constanta, am avut conferinta si training, si am discutat despre felul in care ONG-urile se pot promova mai bine in randul tinerilor. Etapa de la Cluj a caravanei se anunta a fi si mai spectaculoasa.
Suntem in masina, pentru ca am avut o intalnire in Bucuresti cu domnul Peter Kovacs, Presedintele Autoritatii Nationale pentru Tineret. Sunt fericita pentru ca dupe luni buni de lobby, am spart in sfarsit zidul. ANT-ul este alaturi de noi in proiectul “Delegat de tineret la ONU”.
Vodafone mobile rulz, iar noi, cu redbull si apa plata, va salutam de la intrarea in Sinaia! Durdulia rosie (numele de cod al masinii noastre) urmareste vrabiuta plesuva (masina condusa de Dinu de la APD, care a trecut deja de Sighisoara, cu Daria de la CTR si Laura Munteanu, delegatul de tineret al Romaniei la ONU, intr-insa).
So what’s the deal with the Russia-NATO-Ukraine-Georgia puzzle? During the Bucharest Conference and while reading related articles I naturally came to think of this. I also had the chance to witness two off the record, Chatham House rules, panels during the Bucharest Conference that debated this issue in particular. The first one, titled “Guns and Gas: The Role of NATO in Europe’s East”, ended up discussing Georgia and geopolitics (no wonder, since Mr. Saakashvili was one of the panelists), while the other one debated the topic “Does Ukraine care about NATO?”. Continue reading ‘A Russian Affair’
