Nine PAPIs invited to develop the concept “Bucovina – Region of Learning”

06.12.2011

KEP communities in Bucovina came together during a workshop aiming to shape the coordinates of a common development strategy in the field of education. The strategy was proposed by the founding members of the Institute for Social Partnership in Bucovina.

 The initiative of organising the “Durable education in KEP communities” workshop, which took place at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Suceava, belongs to Petru Vasile Gafiuc, president of the Regional Lifelong Learning Regional Association and an expert in the potential of KEP communities in his quality of local coordinator of the Knowledge-Based Economy Project.

 The Institute for Social Partnership in Bucovina was founded in 2011 and aims to support the sustainable development of communities in Romania’s north and north-east, by signing partnerships for education, organising and implementing professional training and lifelong learning programmes. Its founding members include Die Querdenker (Austria), The Regional Lifelong Learning Association Cernăuţi (AREAC), The Regional Lifelong Learning of the Upper Prut (AREAP), The Regional Lifelong Learning Association Suceava (AREAS) and KULT-ART.

 A new concept at a national level

 Besides countless specialists, the workshop included representatives of nine KEP communities: the manager of RECL Grămeşti, Valentin Ignat; the manager of RECL Calafindeşti, Rodica Leuciuc; the IT administrator from Calafindeşti, Vasile Lauric; the manager of RECL Berchiseşti, Vasile Ştefaroi; the manager of RECL Frumosu, Victor Daniel Negură; the IT administrator from Valea Moldovei, Mihaela Ivanovici; the manager of RECL Iaslovăţ, Elena Repeziş; deputy mayor of Cândeşti, Gheorghe Cremene; the manager of RECL Cândeşti, Ionuţ Ungureanu; the manager of RECL Arbore, Valentin Ursan; Ştefan Negrea, systems engineer at Şaru Dornei. Part of this workshop, AREAS president Petru Vasile Gafiuc presented a good practice model in the relationship with KEP communities in the field of education, as well as the cultural project “Exploring crafts in Bucovina”, implemented by AREAS. The secretary of the project, Carmen Chirap, presented the film created during the implementation of the project.

 „The concept of «region of learning» is totally new a national level and represents an initiative of Mr Petru Vasile Gafiuc as the president of AREAS and project manager, an initiative supported by the founding members of the Institute for Social Partnership in Bucovina. It initiated the “Durable education in KEP communities” workshop, inviting all KEP communities in the county. The purpose was to shape the coordinates of a strategy the founding members have proposed, a development strategy regarding education”, Iaslovăț RECL manager Elena Repeziş says.

 Proposal for PAPI to cooperate with the Bucovina Institute

 The PR manager of AREAS, Alina Stredie, reviewed the workshop’s objectives – developing lifelong learning centres in the countryside and discovering the most urgent priorities of KEP communities represented at the conference. In this context, debates focused on topics like the future of PAPI, identifying activities initiated by these centres, as well as issues facing PAPI communities.

 Another topic of debate was to have PAPI representatives identify the conditions they would consider necessary to sign the partnership. AREAS executive director Nicoleta Robciuc also proposed a partnership between PAPI and the Institute for Social Partnership in Bucovina. It would help centres get support / consultancy in writing projects, creating local development strategies adapted to real local needs, getting volunteers through the EVS programme, mentorship for trainers, partnerships for transforming Bucovina into a region of learning, sending financing lines to working groups and founding, in partnership with the Institute for Social Partnership in Bucovina, training schools which could correspond to the needs of the community – courses which could be accredited by the CNFPA.

 In regard with organisation, Nicoleta Robciuc spoke about more effective network communications by using an online group and identified, in each community, volunteers to support PAPI activities. A partnership agreement was drafted and should be finalised until December 20th, 2011.

Online resources:

 PAPI Talpa helped create the local development strategy