ProActive Rural

We are very pleased to share the news that Association for Innovation and Resources INSERT has successfully applied for financial support from the Active Citizens Fund, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The main goal of the project ProActive Rural – Small Active Rural Communities is to explore the daily problems of small villages in Romania far from communal centers. These underserved localities have increased potential to mobilize local human, social and natural resources, local knowledge and local support so that these communities can solve problems at the local level.

The implementation of the project started on December 17, 2020 and will last eighteen months. The project partners of the INSERT Association are the Odorheiu Secuiesc Community Foundation (SZKA) and the Association for Community Development (KÖFE) in Hungary.

Our goal is to identify local initiative groups that want to act in these small communities of the Odorheiu Secuiesc micro-region and to offer professional help to these communities to take their destiny into their own hands. Within the project we will be able to cooperate more intensively with 5 such small communities. Thus, the first step will be the selection of these 5 small communities, more precisely of some local initiative groups of 3-5 people from the 16 such village communities: Nicolești, Bențid, Chinușu, Firtușu, Cobătești, Mujna, Rareș, Vărșag, Crăciunel, Forțeni, Gyipeș, Morăreni, Mihăileni, Ulcani, Orășeni, Tăietura. The five communities and groups will be selected through a participation offer.

The project will help set up and develop a local action group in the selected communities. They will take part in a series of trainings given by KÖFE experts in cooperation with SZKA. The training will help the local action group to properly identify local problems and aspirations and to mobilize adequate human, economic and natural resources to solve and develop them. In addition to training, small communities also receive ongoing support activity (mentoring). They receive specific help to solve the most important community challenge or problem they have identified.

The project will end with a large community event where communities will have the opportunity to present their journey, their achievements and subsequent goals, the methodology used and other good examples to learn from each other and inspire other communities.

More information: https://eeagrants.org/, https://activecitizensfund.ro/

Contact person: Bernadett Jakab, bernadett@szka.org

About Active Citizens Fund Romania

The Active Citizens Fund Romania programme is funded through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The overall objective of the Grants is to reduce economic and social disparities, and to strengthen bilateral relations between 15 beneficiary countries and the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). The programme is administered by a consortium composed of Civil Society Development Foundation, Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation, Resource Center for Roma Communities, PACT Foundation and Frivillighet Norge, acting as Fund Operator designated by FMO – Financial Mechanism Office of the EEA and Norway Grants. The objectives of the Active Citizens Fund Romania are to strengthen civil society and active citizenship and to empower vulnerable groups. With a total allocation of 46,000,000 euro, the programme pursues a long-term development of the civil society sector sustainability and capacity, stepping up its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights, while strengthening bilateral relations with organizations from the Donor States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. For more information about the Active Citizens Fund in Romania, please go to www.activecitizensfund.ro. For more information about the EEA and Norway Grants, go to www.eeagrants.org.