Save Rosia Montana Campaign brings together every year at FanFest activists across the country. For this year, we intend to go a step further and unite all these discussions, interactions and calls for action in a social forum. Thus the Rosia Montana Activism Social Forum’s first edition will take place at FanFest, from the 16th to the 19th of August.
Sections description:
1. Action GUIDE Social and environmental activists in Romania and around Europe interactively present solutions and critical visions and call for action all citizens who want to take an active role in their communities.
2. Campaigns and social movements Fighting for a cause means often meeting inspiring experiences and challenges. Together with experienced activists and campaigners around Europe, we will explore how to act as a local and international force and fight back the increasingly aggressive pressure of corporate governance. The rushes for natural resources, large infrastructure projects which destroy communities are some of the main topics.
3. Media Activism How can activists make their message and actions visible using alternative means without mainstream media support? How do we act in a society where communication instruments are used to manipulate and companies buy through publicity contracts not just space for publicity, but also the integrity of journalists?
4. Art and social activism Activism can take many forms. Art is one of them. Few are the ones who can practice it, but the mobilizing force of art with social messages can be overwhelming. Artists face to face with activists, in a colorful and unpredictable section, that’s what you will meet within this section.
5. Access to justice and environmental information More than ever before, we are witnessing corporate governance violating universal rights of citizens. How can we earn our right to justice and understand how the authorization process of a project like Roşia Montană Gold Corporation follows through? Find out about special focus on the process of environmental and social assessment of industrial projects.
6. Fundraising and ethical funding Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR – is the method used by corporations to clean their image. Is it important that pollutants pay environmental NGOs? How do we know where to cross the line between ethical funding and green washing? How do we take a stance against CSR?
7.Conferences.Arguments&Alternatives Strong economic and cultural patrimony arguments, supporting the Save Rosia Montana campaign in it’s struggle against gold mining. The vision of the Save Rosia Montana Campaign on building the future of Rosia Montana.
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I. Section Guide for Action
Plenary Environmental and social problems – indignation, vision, interaction
Guests: Claudiu Crăciun – University Square Bucharest, Mihnea Blidariu – Save Rosia Montana, NO TAV, Transition Heathrow
Atelier Direct actions: beginner’s guide
For those with little experience in direct actions, but not only, get familiarized with motivations, worries and first ways to act.
Guests: Raluca Dan – Re.Generation , Bogdan Buta – Save Rosia Montana
Atelier What really happened? Experiences behind and during protests
If certain direct actions seemed interesting for you, come find out how they happened, how can you apply them for a good cause?
Guests: Andrei Mocanu, Raluca Dan – Re.Generation , Mihnea Blidariu – Save Rosia Montana
Workshop Citizen’s rights
How well do you know your rights and responsibilities as a citizen? Mini-kit for civil disobedience
Guests: Ramona Duminicioiu, Roxana Pencea, Tudor Bradatan – Save Rosia Montana
Atelier Memories from the Police van
Being an activist implies sometimes the risk of interaction with the police. Guests who have been through this experience will share it with you. Movie projections will be included.
Guests: Paul Socol – Save Rosia Montana, Vlad Ioachimescu
Workshop DIY action kit – Banners, stencils, posters and online mobilization methods
These are only a few of instruments that could help a small group of people with minimal resources to prepare a direct action. This workshop will take place during the entire forum, in a special location.
Guest: Catinca Moldovan – Re.Generation
Workshop Playing for change
Often, protests accompanied by special music can do a lot more in promoting a message or for mobilizing new people. 3-days-training of protest music and choreography for everyone. Guests: Brain on drums
Atelier Alternative Library
Decision making in activist groups can be difficult. But not if you apply consensus. The social center Biblioteca Alternativa talks about their community space and initiate us in consensus decision making.
Guests: Victor Vozian, Simina Guga – Biblioteca Alternativă
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II. Section Campaigns and social movements
Plenary Campaigns and social movements around Europe: what do we have in common, what do we cherish?
Guests: Eugen David – Save Rosia Montana, Ramona Duminicioiu – InfOMG, Aliki Ampatsidou – Anti Gold Greece, Malte – Reclaim the Fields, Miruna Ralea, Charlotte Grace – Transition Heathrow, Nemo – NO TAV
Atelier Save Rosia Montana Campaign – local community initiative
The most significant environmental and social movement in the country, opposing since more that 10 years, the gold mining project and the corporate governance.
Guests: Eugen David and Calin Capros – Alburnus Maior Association, Rosia Montana
Atelier Piaţa Universităţii 2012
Stories and experiences right from the massive winter/spring 2012 protests from Bucharest. Guests: Claudiu Craciun, Elena Borras – University Square Bucharest
Atelier Mining Watch – Campaigns against mining exploitations in S-E Europe
Campaigners and activists from Romania, Bulgaria and Greece are sharing their experiences.
Guests: Stefania Simion, Roxana Pencea – Save Rosia Montana, Csongor Kovacs – Green Transylvania, Aliki Ampatsidou – Anti Gold Greece
Atelier Civic initiatives against shale gas
Either we talk about Bârlad or Dobrogea in Romania or areas in Bulgaria, you find the same determination to protect local communities against pollution
Guests: Paul Dumitru, Miruna Ralea
Atelier Peasant farming and the importance of saving traditional seeds
Peasant farming is slowly rediscovered, together with the corporate threats that surround it. What can we do to save the patrimony of traditional seeds?
Guests: Attila Szocs and Willy Schuster – Eco Ruralis
Atelier Genetically Modified Organisms
Risks on the environment and the human health. The cultivation situation in Romania and the lack of control on the market.
Guests: Ramona Duminicioiu and Bogdan Buta – InfOMG
Atelier NO TAV – Italy
‘Sarà dura ma vinceremo’ – ‘It will be hard, but we will win’ is the inspiring slogan of the most spectacular resistance campaign in Italy. Val di Susa locals, with the support of citizens around Italy, fight since more than 10 years against a high speed train that could destroy the entire valley.
Guest: Nemo – NO TAV
Atelier Transition Heathrow
A group of activists, with the support of the local community of Sipson village (UK) occupied a large agricultural plot and turned it into a dynamic community center. They resist since 3 years the construction of a 3rd runway for the Heathrow Airport and use access to justice and creative actions to remain there.
Guests: Charlotte Grace, Lucy Mellor – Transition Heathrow
Atelier A vision for Bucharest – Problems, solutions, change, getting involved for your town
Guest: Nicusor Dan – Save Bucharest
Atelier Larzac – farmers’ fight for justice and freedom
How a group of 106 farmers families from Larzac, France, managed to successfully fight the decision of the French Government to extend a military base on their land. The campaign who contributed to the anti-capitalist movement in France
Guest: 1 guest from Confederation Paysanne
Atelier Animals Protection
Homeless animal’s presence in the public space is an unwanted problem by the majority of the population. What are the human solutions? Why there isn’t a political will to solve this problem?
Guests: Alina Banu, Iuliana Zuber – NUCA Animal Welfare
Atelier The Ultras Phenomenon
How the energy from the football stadiums burst on streets in support of massive protests Guest: David Cristian – Romanian Supporters Association
Atelier Who are and what these Angry Youth want?
The winter/spring 2012 protests in Romania gave birth to a few social platforms. Coagulated into an informal group, the Cluj Napoca based Angry Youth group works in a horizontal structure and acts as a watch dog on local city issues and in solidarity with other national and international networks. The story of a bottom-up process.
Guests: Marius Bucea, Alex Boşnea – The Angry Youth
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III. Section Media Activism
Plenary Social Journalism – niche journalism or assuming your own conscience?
Guests: Vlad Ursulean – The Journalist’s House, Teodora Zăbavă – Active Watch – The National Agency for Press Monitoring, Dan Mercea – Hague University, Cornel Vâlcu – Babes-Bolyai University, Robert Tiderle – Papaya Advertising
Atelier NewMedia and social communication in activist groups. Social and environmental campaigns – Basic training
Results from researches on applying new media technologies for protest mobilizations. Specific examples on Anti-ACTA protests from the Netherlands.
Guests: Luminita Dejeu – Save Rosia Montana, Dan Mercea – Hague University
Atelier School of Courage
Practical techniques for citizens to make video reportages which surprise authorities’ violations of the law. Methods to encourage the respect for human rights.
Guests: Oleg Brega and Ghenadie Brega – Curaj TV, Hyde Park Association, Republic of Moldova
Atelier A man worth more than the gold he wears. So a country
Save Rosia Montana social ad campaign
Guest: Robert Tiderle – Papaya Advertising
Atelier 11 for Romania present: FRF, the cyanide and the money.
How activists convinced by the fact that the truth must be revealed at any risk set up the first Yes Men type of action ever in Romania.
Guests: Mihai Gotiu – freelance journalist, Attila Ban – freelance director
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IV. Section Art and Social Activism
Atelier Mindbomb: We want evolution, not revolution
The story of an undisclosed group of artists, journalists and architects who bring social messages in the public space through posters and graffiti works in the name of social change.
Guests: Lala Panait – ColectivA, Dan Mercea – Hague University
Atelier DanPerjovschi.Postmodern,ex-comunist
Perjovschi’s drawings comment on the current political, social and cultural issues, playing an active role in the development of the civil society of Romania and stimulating exchange between Romanian and international contemporary artistic scenes.
Guest: Dan Perjovschi – visual artist
Exhibition Protest Art
Opened during the entire forum, the exhibition presents works of Laurentiu Ridiche, a Cluj based activist and visual artist.
Atelier The blessed ones from the dump
A social-cultural project coordinated by Solitude Projects about the reality of a 76 family-group from the Coastei Street in Cluj Napoca expropriated near the Pata-Rât dump.
Guests: Mihaela Mihailov – cultural journalist,Tania Cucoreanu – VeiozaArte
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V.Section Access to justice
Atelier Public participation and the access to justice
What are the necessary steps in monitoring and ensuring that environmental and administrative decisions are taken in favor of the local communities? Court cases won by Save Bucharest Association.
Guest: Nicusor Dan – SaveBucharest
Atelier Howtoidentify,supportandpromotethelocalcommunitywithinthestruggleagainstpollutingprojects?
Local opposition, access to information and justice against projects with significant impact on the environment. Court cases won by Alburnus Maior Association and the Independent Centre for Development of Environmental Resources (ICDER) against major projects with great negative impact on the environment.
Guest: Stefania Simion – Save Rosia Montana
Atelier NGO’s role in monitoring polluting projects and in supporting local communities to efficiently oppose
Court cases won by Green Transylvania Association against major projects with great negative impact on the environment.
Guest: Csongor Kovacs – Green Transylvania
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VI. Section Fundraising and Ethical Funding
Plenary Ethical financing – vision, principles to ensure the independence of civic actions, good practice examples
Guests: Dan Craioveanu – Ecological Club Transylvania, Cristiana Bobârnac – Reper21, Sorana Olari Zăinescu – Save Roşia Montană, Tudor Brădăţan – Save Roşia Montană
Atelier What is Corporate Social Responsibility and how should we avoid if? Who funds us?
Examples of bad practices in Corporate Social Responsibility programs. How to choose funders to make sure we don’t contribute to green washing agenda of corporations?
Guests: Cristiana Bobârnac – Reper21, Tudor Brădăţan – Save Rosia Montana
Atelier The truly responsible company
Useful instruments to identify ethical funding or economic initiatives which push for real efforts, beyond their public image. Ethical funding – vision, principles, independence, examples of good practice.
Guest: Sorana Olaru – Save Rosia Montana)
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VII. Conferences. Arguments & Alternatives.
Conference AneconomicargumentagainstthegoldexploitationfromRosiaMontana
Guest: Marcel Heroiu – TheWorldBank
Conference RosiaMontanainUNESCO
Guest: Serban Sturdza – ProPatrimonio, Irina Iamandescu – IndustrialArcheology Association (AIR)
Conference Editorial event for the surveys folder “Rosia Montana – architecture documents (II)”
Guests: Stefan Bâlici, Virgil Apostol – Architecture.Restoration.Archaeology Association
Conference Adopt a home in Rosia Montana – Patrimony houses restoration project
Guest: Stefania Simion – Alburnus Maior, Claudia Apostol – Architecture.Restoration.Archaeology Association
Exhibition Rosia Montana surveys documents (II) – Permanent exhibition, by Architecture.Restoration.Archaeology Association
Exhibition Noble residential extra-urban houses from Banat, Crisana, Maramures, Transylvania – Permanent exhibition, by Forgotten Monuments
Exhibition Roşia Montană’s patrimony in images – Permanent exhibition
An inventory of all important elements that constitute the cultural landscape of Roşia Montană, by Alburnus Maior
Re.Generation 