Csíki Foundation
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Human Rights Promotion | Youth Exchange | NGO Development
Human Rights Promotion
- HRE International Seminars
Our first and most significant educational project has been initiated by the Martin Luther King Organization from Hungary in 1995. In the framework of this project the Csíki Foundation organized its first "International Seminar on Tolerance" in Miercurea-Ciuc, Romania. The aim of the seminar was to introduce our human rights educational method and to adopt it to the Romanian circumstances, taking in consideration the experiences accumulated by other different NGOs from South-East Europe too.
Under the name of "Tolerance and human rights education" the Csíki Foundation organized in 15-22 October, 2000 the "International seminar on Tolerance" program. Therefore, we invited representatives of human right organizations and institutions that teach this curricula from Bosnia-Herzegovina (Human Rights Office, Tuzla), Hungary (Martin Luther King Organization), Russia (Samara State University ) and Romania.
The target group and the participants of the conference were NGOs from Romania,
representatives of ethnic minorities, teachers, students, decision makers and
representatives of media. The Seminar was very much appreciated in Romania,
because everybody accepts tolerance that can become the modality of interethnic
peace building. The Open Society Foundation East-East program financed the
seminar. The Foundation received financial support for this program from
Foundation for Development of Democratic Rights Hungary, the Foundation
for Transylvanian Youth and the Pro Print Press House from Miercurea-Ciuc.
"Tolerance without Borders" - October 25-28, 2001
International Seminar from Miercurea-Ciuc has reunited again the Csíki
Foundation's international partners (from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and
Montenegro, Hungary and Russia), the teachers and students and representatives
of local NGOs that work in the field of human rights and tolerance education.
The aim of the seminar was to create a network between different South-East
European and Russian organizations, institutions and trainers that work in the
same field. This seminar offered an excellent opportunity for sharing
experiences and creating new partnerships. The program was financed by the Open
Society Foundation, East East Program.
In December of 2000 we started a one-year advocacy project named "Campaign
for Tolerance" a program for Transylvanian volunteer teachers and students
financed by the Ethno-cultural Diversity Resource Center, Romania. During
this year we have organized three "Tolerance and Understanding" courses
for different nationality volunteer trainers. After the courses, they visited
schools in several Transylvanian cities (Miercurea-Ciuc, Sfântu-Gheorghe, Braşov
and Târgu-Mureş) to discuss with children about tolerance, nonviolent
interethnic conflict resolution and basic human rights. These activities were
popular in Romania, because tolerance thinking and behaving can be easily
acquired by Young people. The program was financed by the Open Society
Foundation, Cluj Napoca and by the Ethnocultural Diversity Resource Center.
"World, House of Every Nation" - October 20, 2000 "Competition and Exposition on Human Rights" - December 10,
2003 Materials from the exhibition
"Youth Competition on Human Rights" - 2003
They participated in online courses during summer
holiday and in workshops at the beginning of school.On November 16 2003,
with the occasion of International Day of Tolerance they organized
different extracurricular activities in their schools (Reformed High
School, Odorheiu Secuiesc, "Salamon Ernő" High School, Gheorgheni, "Zeyk
Domokos" High School, Cristuru Secuiesc, "Tivai Nagy Imre" High
School, Sanmartin, "Márton Áron" High School, Miercurea
Ciuc )connected with human rights, interethnic
tolerance, elimination of racist discrimination and violence. The foto
nearby was taken with the occasion of an activity organized in a high
school with wearing different nationalities clothes, an activity
presenting diversity. On
December 7- 2003, students participated in a written exam on human rights
and they were evaluated on their activities and programs in their school.
At the end of the program, there was an awards event and we opened an
exhibition on the students work, different materials created during their
activity: photos, drawings, films, posters etc. The exhibition was open to
visitors for one week.
" Tolerance Campaign" 2000 - 2001
Drawing and Draft Competitions:
"The Image of a Better World" - June 4, 2001 The
winners of the drawing competition
Training
courses and awareness raising activities
- Civic education
"High-schools Competition on Promoting Civic Education" 2003 - 2004
Seeing the effectiveness of our educational method, at the end of 2003 we started a national program in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Education and Research in Romania, and financed by the European Union, through Phare - Civic Education Program. The project period was 9 month (1 December 2003 - 30 August 2004) and the place of project was Miercurea Ciuc. The project objective was to promote civic education by training and supporting students of different nationality and their schools to initiate different activities and events related to civic knowledge, activities by which these high schools were in competition.The target group were 48 students with different nationalities between 15- 20 year and 24 teachers from 12 high- schools in Romania: Târgu Mureş, Bucureşti, Sighetu-Marmaţiei, Medgidia, Timişoara, Nădlac, Sibiu, Miercurea Ciuc, Sfântu Gheorghe, Oradea, Craiova). Indirect target group: approximately 6.000 students and 120 teachers from 12 schools (60.000 inhabitants from the 12 cities.
Activities during the project were the following: a series of training sessions and workshops on civic education issues: human rights, relation between human rights and responsibilities, common responsibility for eliminating social exclusion, marginalization, intolerance and violence, importance of diversity and interculturality, interethnic and religious tolerance, ethics in society, campaigns against racial discrimination, protection of environment and development of democratic school structure. The training sessions were followed by high-schools competition, which consisted of planning and organizing different extracurricular activities related to international events (International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, International Day of Roma, International Day of Women's Rights, International Day of Refugees, International Day of Earth and International Day of Human Rights).
The students organized different activities like:
debates among students and specialists, competitions and exhibitions,
different entertainment, role plays, performance, cultural and sport
events related to the event, games, simulation games, planning and
creating student councils, organizing elections, planning media campaigns
or creating their school radio or other publication, different charity
programs for the community and marginalized children who live in
unfavorable conditions. At the end of the project there was an awarding
event in Miercurea Ciuc and it has been created an exhibition on the
students' work and materials created during their activity. Pictures
from the exhibition
See the detailed report of the program here!
"Eco-education for young women" 2007 - 2008
In cooperation with the Bocs Foundation from Székesfehérvár (Hungary) and with the Szent Ferenc Foundation from Deva, the Csiki Foundation organized a serial of training courses for young women from Hungary and Romania (students, doctors, journalists, professors, priests, members of NGOs and political parties, artists, leaders and decision makers) about the possibilities of supporting the rights, health and access to education of the girls and young women in the third countries.
The goal of the training courses are to raise awareness in the Romanian and Hungarian society about the sustainable development issues in the application of international development and global educational projects.
Youth Exchange
"Youth for Europe"This program was financed by the European Commission through Youth 2000-2006 Program. The participant youth are from the member states and the candidate states. The aim of the program is to draw their attention to the common European values and national values and to facilitate youth exchange for better understanding and knowledge of each other. The activities of the program are realized with educational methods (experimental learning, out-door exercises etc.) elaborated by the Youth Center from the Council of Europe Office situated in Budapest. The main activity is a one-week study visit each year to the partner's countries: United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, Hungary and Romania and it is organized in different topics as Tolerance and Human Rights, the Values of Democracy, European Identity etc.
During 2003, a group of youngsters from Romania participated at the VI. Edition of this program in Kecskemét, Hungary with the following topic: "European Identity - A Better Knowledge of Difference and National Values, Identification of Common European Values and Debates on the Future of Europe"
"Look where I live, there is the place" - 2003
International program initiated, planned and
organized by the volunteers of the Csíki Foundation. During the program a
group of students from three countries (Serbia and Montenegro, Hungary and
Romania) participated in a one-week study visit in each of the three
countries. They visited the high schools of their partners, the NGOs and
the most significant places from that region of the host country. The aim
of the project was the experience exchange, especially regarding the
educational system from the three countries, creating new partnerships and
networking. The program was financed by the Open Society Foundation,
Bucharest, through the East East program. The website of the program was
also created by the volunteers:
"Young Human Rights Activists' International Exchange Project" - 2007-2008
In cooperation with the Martin Luther King Foundation from Budapest, the Csiki Foundation organized an international youth exchange project for young activists with similar interests and the same age, for those young people who are devoted for human rights promotion and protection in Hungary and Romania. The goal of the project is that young activists to meet each other, to change experience and initiate different joined activities together. The participants of the projects are young students, who took part int he former training courses organized by the partner organizations and already organized some human rights awareness raising program sin their schools or within their community. During the project eight students came from different high schools of Budapest and eight students from Romania, from the „Berde Mozes” Industrial High School from Miercurea Ciuc. We organized together with the youngsters several round table discussions, presentations, a debate about a documentary film, we visited local institutions, but also some entertaining activities took part and excursions.
The project was financed by the National Civic Fund, International Civic Relation and European Integration Colleague from Hungary.
NGO Development
"Democracy's Gold Reserves Training Program"
Between May 14-21, 2001, in cooperation with the Hungarian Századvég School of Politics Organization we organized a study tour program called "Democracy's Gold Reserves Training Program" for 15 leaders of civil organizations from Romania. The theoretical lectures provided the participants with the rudiments of the financial management of civil organizations and strategic planning. The participants were able to meet representatives of Hungarian organizations, foundations and multi-national companies likely to be of importance to them. This program was financed by the Foundation for Developing of Democratic Rights (Hungary) and the Freedom House.