The European Commission declared the year 2011 “ The European Year of Volunteering” Petroşani municipality wanted to be actively involved in promoting the volunteering activities, along with its partners By participating to this project we desired to also improve the relations of cooperation between the twinned towns and their civil societies’

The three ideas included in the project’s title :Why “Twinning-Voluntary-Cooperation”

Aplicant : Petroşani municipalityRomaniaParteners:

Short summary of the project: Bansko municipality, Bulgary Varpalota city, Hungary Ponte nellle Alpi city, Italy Wolfsberg city, Austria

Period of the project : August 1, 2011 – August 1, 2012The budget of the project: 49.994,41 Euro

This project was financed by the European Commission, through the Executive Agency for Culture, Education and Audiovisual through “Europe for Citizens” Programme, Action 1 - Active Citizens for Europe, Measure 1.2 – Network of twinned towns

Project’s Aim:To promote and to raise the volunteering activities and of best practices, by: encouraging the interactions between citizens, in order to strengthen the relations between twinned towns implementing practical volunteering activities

Project’s Objectives: Attracting volunteers from the civil society and from the local public administrationSpecific objectives developing a long term thematic relation between towns creating an informal network between towns and the organizations of civil society interested in developing such future relations.This informal network offers contact data, human resources and knowledge, bringing together professional individuals from different professional fields.

Means to accomplish the aim and objectives of the project 5 conferences, having Volunteering as main theme: The Opening Conference, Petroşani, August 24-26, 2011 Medical Conference “Medicine and şi Volunteering”, Petroşani, October 27-28, 2011 Study visit “ Volunteering activites in the fields of medicine , civil protection and emergency services”, Ponte nelle Alpi, November 24 – 26 ,2011 Conference “Youth and Volunteering”, Bansko, March 21 – 23, 2012 Closing Conference, “Civil Society and Volunteering”Varpalota, May10 – 12, 2012

2 charity events Santa Claus Factory, Petroşani, December 5 – 14, 2011 Santa Claus Factory, Wolfsebrg, December 5 – 14, 2011 2 common meetings of Petroşani and Varpalota Local Councils

The Project’s Opening Conference ,Petroşani, August 24 – 26 , 2011

The main themes approached : Importance of civil society’s involvement in the volunteering work Presentation of the activities of the main NGOs from Petroşani municipality that rely on volunteering work The importance of a good collaboration between local public administration and local NGOs that rely on volunteering Ways of increasing the number of volunteers among the citizens from the local community

Participants: 80 local participants -representatives of local public administration and of volunteering associations

40 international participants -representatives of local public administration from the project partners towns and of volunteering associationsParticipating NGOs: National Society of Red Cross – Petroşani Subsidiary Caritas Association Pollicino House Pro-Parâng Association Petro-Aqua Association The Supreme Military Order of the Jerusalem Temple, Matei

Corvin Commandeer, from Petroşani

An example of the volunteering work in Petroşani

Obtained Results Raising among the citizens the degree of visibility of the volunteering work done by the NGOs Starting new relations of collaboration between the NGOs from the cities involved in the project Improving the relation of collaboration between the local public administration and the NGOs that rely on volunteering work

The common meeting of Petroşani and Varpalota Local Councils Petroşani, August 24,2011

About the meeting: The organization of this meeting between the two Local Councils represented a premiere in the European Union The Local Council Decisions adopted at the meeting became mandatory for both cities

Local Council Decisions adopted at the common meeting Decision no.248/24.08.2011 Setting up a common commission Petroşani – Varpalota, to help improve the twinning relations between the two communities. Main attributions: Identification of collaboration opportunities Making proposals regarding annually common programmes and submitting them to the approval of Local Councils Identification of new financial resources needed for covering the expenses of the established actions, by setting up a special fund from their own budgets Collaboration with the departments from the two City Halls in order to elaborate and submit community European projects

Decision no.249/24.08.2011 Elaboration of a common programme which would promote economic relations, cultural, sporting and cooperation relations between the organizations belonging to the civil society of the two cities. Decision no.250/24.08.2011 Elaboration of a common exchange programme between the public servants and the personnel from the public institutions from the two cities Decision no.251/24.08.2011 Setting up a Department for Youth, within Petroşani City Hall , having as main attributions the following : organizing information and promotion campaigns regarding volunteering, having as main objectives offering information about the Volunteering Law and attracting volunteers from the administrative structures. organizing courses and workshops in the fields of communication, of active citizenship and of ecological projects management for the youth from Petroşani and Jiu Valley

Obtained Results The Local Council Decisions adopted at the meeting from August 24, 2011, came into effect The common collaboration commission was set up Two experience exchange programmes took place, between the public servants from Petrosani and Varpalota New opportunities of collaboration between Petrosani ad Varpalota, benefic for both communities, were created through this Local Council Decisions

Medical Conference “Medicine and VolunteeringPetroşani, October 27-28, 2011

Approached subjects: Ways of increasing the number of volunteers in the medical field Presentation of the activities of volunteers from the medical field Presenting the main problems faced by the volunteers and identifying solutions to these problems Practical presentation of an emergency situation, made byThe Emergency Situations Committee and volunteering association

38 local participants, representatives of local public administration, of Petroşani Emergency Hospital and of volunteering associations. 10 international participants , representatives of local public administration of the cities involved in the project and of volunteering associations

Participants

Participants

Knowing best practices from the project partners, that have a tradition regarding medical volunteering

Starting new relations of collaboration between the NGOs involved in the project

Obtained Results

Study visit “Volunteering activities in the medical f ield, of civil protection and emergency servicesPonte nelle Alpi , November 24 – 26, 2011

Presenting the NGOs that work in the medical field, civil protection and civil rescue from Ponte nelle Alpi Ways of raising the number of volunteers among the youth and the elderly

Main subjects approached:

21 local participants, representatives of local public administration and of volunteering association 20 international participants , representatives of local public administration of the cities involved in the project and of volunteering association

Participants:

The Associations that presented their activities are: Accanto all’Anziano (Besides the Senior) CSV (Center for Volunteer Service) VV.FF (Fire Department) and Soccorso Alpino (Mountain Rescue) – Belluno Filò Sant’Andrea (Association for Social Promotion) Civil Protection” Circolo “Astra

Participants:

Exchange of best practices between the local and foreign NGOs

Improving the relations of collaboration between the NGOs from the project partner towns Improving the relations of collaboration between local public administration and the NGOs that rely on volunteering work

Obtained Results:

Santa Claus FactoryPetroşani, December 5 – 14 , 2011

Increasing the involvement of citizens in the community’s life and offering a direct and real help to more than 500 poor families and institutions that have in their care such families, from Petroşani Giving the citizens of the community the chance to be actively involved in promoting the volunteering activities Offering to the young generation the opportunity to help the less fortunate from their community

Objectives:

Participants: Volunteering Associations: National Society of Red

Cross – Petroşani Subsidiary Petro Aqua Pro Parâng Caritas O. S.M.T.H.

Students from the education institutions from Petroşani

Sponsors: Pluss Supermarket, INSEMEX, VISA

Media partners: KapitalTV, Kapital FM Afaceri în Valea Jiului Jurnalul Văii Jiului Mesagerul Văii Jiului www.companiadepr.ro, Mondo TV, Mondo FM, TvParâng Ziarul Văii JiuluI Cronica Văii Jiului gazeta de Dimineaţă

Volunteers helping to collect packages for the persons with severe social and financial problems

The Mayor of Petroşani promoting Santa Claus Factory

Volunteers sorting packages

Distributing packages to the Day Cares for Children with social problems

Obtained Results

Under the slogan“Your small donation means the world for them” (original in Romanian:“Dă din puţinul tău, puţin!”)in this helping campaign: More than 1.000 volunteers, from Petroşani and from the project partner towns got involved Over 500 families and institutions that have in their care families with severe social problems were helped 500 packages were collected

Santa Claus FactoryWolfsberg, December 5 – 14 ,2011Objectives:

Increasing the involvement of citizens in the community’s life and offering a direct and real help to more than 400 families with severe social and finacial problems from Petroşani and Varpalota Giving the citizens of the community the chance to be actively involved in promoting the volunteering activities Offering to the young generation the opportunity to help the less fortunate from their community

Participants: Representatives of volunteering associations from the project partner towns Citizens of Wolfsberg More than 400 poor families and orphan children from the Day Care Centers from Petroşani and Varpalota received help 400 packages were collectedResults:

Conference “Youth and Volunteering”Bansko, March 21– 23, 2012

Subjects approached: Importance of civil society’s involvement in the volunteering work Presentation of the main organizations from Bansko municipality that rely on volunteering work Importance of maintaining a good relation of collaboration between the local public administration and the local NGOs that work with volunteers Ways of raising the involvement of citizens in volunteering work

Participants

20 local participants, representatives of local public administration and of volunteering association 20 international participants, representatives of local public administration of the project partner towns and of volunteering associations

Obtained Results Exchange of best practices between the local and international NGOs Improving the relations of collaboration between some NGOs from the project partner towns Improving the relation of collaboration between the local public administration and the NGOs that rely on volunteering work

Closing Conference , ,Civil Society and Volunteering”Varpalota, May 10 – 12 , 2012

Importance of civil society’s involvement in the volunteering work Presentation of the main organizations from Varpalota city that rely on volunteering work Importance of maintaining a good relation of collaboration between the local public administration and the local NGOs that work with volunteers Ways of raising the involvement of citizens in volunteering work

Approached subjects

Participants 30 local participants, representatives of local public administration and of volunteering associations

45 international participants, rrepresentatives of local public administration from the project partner towns and of volunteering associationsNGOs that participated are : Várpalota és Kistérsége Civilek Szövetsége Városszépitő és - Védő Egyesület Pétfürdői Kertbarátkör Egyesület Magyar Vöröskereszt Várpalota Területi Szervezete E.P.E. Egy Mosolyért Közalapitvány Vakok és Gyengénlátok Egyesölete Máltai Szeretetszolgálat Örömhir Alapitvány

Participants

Obtained Results Local Council Decisions were adopted regarding the following: making an evaluation report of the project distribution, on a reciprocity basis, of touristic brochures at the Touristic Information Points, in Petroşani and Varpalota extending the common programme of collaboration between Petroşani şi Varpalota A partnership agreement was signed between “Comitato Pollicino” Association from Ponte nelle Alpi and Örömhir Alapitvány and K.E.S.Z Associations from Varpalota

Common meeting of Petroşani and Varpalota Local Councils Varpalota, May 2012

About the meeting: The second common meeting of the two Local Councils was organized in order to evaluate the results of the project The Local Councils Decisions became mandatory for both cities

the results of the project were evaluated Petroşani – Varpalota common collaboration programme was evaluated the common exchange programme was decided to be extended distribution, on a reciprocity basis, of materials promoting tourism, in Petroşani and Varplaota

At the meeting :

Among the citizens, the degree of visibility of NGOs volunteering work has increased New relations of collaboration between the NGOs from the project partner towns were started (a partnership agreement was signed between two NGOs from Varpalota and one from Ponte nelle Alpi) On local and international level the relations of collaboration between local public administration and NGOs were improved by starting new common projects The number of citizens from the project partner towns who got involved in volunteering activities has increased The involvement degree of citizens in solving some problems of the community, by volunteering was raised An exchange of best practices took place between local and international NGOs

Obtained Results after the implementation of the project

Maintaining the visibility of volunteering work among the citizens from the project partners towns, by organizing seminars and public meetings Maintaining and improving the new relations of collaboration newly started at the meetings organized during the project, between the NGOs from the project partner towns, by organizing meetings between their representatives Maintaining and improving the relations of cooperation between the local public administration and the NGOs that rely on volunteering work , by establishing meetings between their representatives Raising the number of volunteers among the citizens from the project partner towns Raising the involvement of citizens in solving the community ‘s problems, by volunteering work

Follow-up

Before and After each event press conferences were held and press releases were given to the media A web site was created containing all the necessary information about the project DVDs and brochures were made and disseminated

The project’s publicity

AcknowledgementsThe project management team expresses its gratitude to the following people, for their good collaboration Tiberiu Iacob Ridzi – Mayor of Petroşani muncipality• Talaber Marta – Mayor of Varpalota city• Schlagholz Hans-Peter –Mayor of Wolfsberg city• Seifried Gerhard – Former Mayor of Wolfsberg city• Georgy Ikonomov – Mayor of Bansko municipality• Alexander Kravarov - Former Mayor of Bansko municipality• Roger De Menech – Mayor of Ponte nelle Alpi• National Society of Red Cross – Petroşani Subsidiary • Petro Aqua Association • Pro-Parâng Association • Caritas Alba Iulia Association- Petroşani Subsidiary• O.S.M.T.H - Petroşani Commandeer• Mother Mary Association• Mr. Robert Schmid and his project management team from Wolfsberg• Mrs. Morena Pavei and her project management team from Ponte nelle Alpi• Mrs. Borbasne Gazdag Gabriella and her project management team from Varpalota• Mrs. Elena Todeva and her project management team from Bansko municipality• Mrs. Gabriela Nicolau – Consultancy Centre for European Cultural Programmes, Europe for Citizens Point-Bucharest