The 1 July 2026 the Bucharest-Odesa Artistic Duplex took place - "Everything Begins in Mother's Heart", an international cultural event organized by the Alumnus Club Association for UNESCO – Romania, together with Odessa Artists Club – Ukraine, under the auspices of the Romanian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO (FRACU) and of the European and North American Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO (Enafcan).
Held simultaneously in Bucharest and Odesa, through the Webex platform, the event brought together UNESCO representatives, of the regional and world federations of the club movement for UNESCO, leaders of partner organizations and artists from Romania and Ukraine, in a dialogue dedicated to culture, cooperation and peace.
The event was moderated by Dr. Daniela Popescu, Honorary President of ENAFCAU, Vice President for Europe of the World Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO (WFUCA), President of the Alumnus Club for UNESCO and General Secretary of the Romanian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO.
In the opening message, Dr. Daniela Popescu emphasized that this project represents more than an art exhibition - it is a meeting of souls, of cultures and shared hopes, reaffirming the role of art as a universal language and as a tool of intercultural dialogue and peace building. Simultaneously, highlighted the support given by the Clubs for UNESCO movement to refugee children and mothers in Ukraine and the importance of developing cooperation with the newly established Clubs for UNESCO movement in this country.
The event was attended by distinguished international guests:
* Assee utgevoca, Club Movement Focal Point for UNESCO, UNESCO;
* Olga Ganenko, representative of UNESCO Paris, who addressed the official conclusions of the event;
* John Maronites, President of the European and North American Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO (Enafcan);
* Sunjoo Lee, Vice President of the Asian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO;
* Mokhtar Farhat, Vice-President of the World Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO (WFUCA);
* Alina Mavrodin Vasiliu, President of the Romanian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO (FRACU);
* Iana Statieru, Secretary General to ENAFCAU;
* Muchanit Binner, President of the Association for Dialogue and Universal Values;
* Yurii Onyshchenko, representing the Odessa Artists Club and the artistic community of Odessa.
The theme of the exhibition, „Everything Begins in Mother’s Heart”, continues the international project "Spring begins in the mother's heart", held annually by the Alumnus Club for UNESCO, project that brought together over 250 of children and young people and which was included in the Global Events Plan of the World Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO and its regional structures.
The participants highlighted the importance of art as a universal language of solidarity and peace and appreciated the initiative to create the first international artistic collaboration between Romania and Ukraine within the Clubs for UNESCO movement.
Within the artistic duplex, the twelve participating young artists presented their works and had a dialogue with the public.
3-5 April 2026, 18th edition
(speech at the opening of the conference)
"Youth and Museums" Project, initiated by the Alumnus Club for UNESCO, it already has a solid tradition and international recognition. In 2009, it was designated by UNESCO as "best practice", being presented at the General Conference as an example of successful collaboration between a club for UNESCO and the organization itself. A recognition that honored us, but which made us responsible to continue with the same rigor.
I remember with emotion the first edition of the conference, when we brought together representatives from 15 countries, specialists from the most important museums in Europe, find out then on their first visit to Romania. The conference was honored by the presence of Laurent Lévi-Strauss, the son of the great anthropologist, conferring from the beginning a special symbolic and intellectual dimension to this endeavor.
Over the years, the conference grew, it has diversified and transcended national borders, through editions organized also outside Romania and through the participation of prestigious guests from the cultural environment, academic and institutional.
This year's edition is also special; marks the opening of a new stage of international cooperation – the Tunisia-Romania bilateral partnership, integrated into a larger dialogue between two cultural spaces: Europe and the Arab world, under the auspices of the World Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO.
We have the joy and honor of having distinguished guests with us: His excelence, Mr. Sami Nagga, Ambassador of Tunisia in Bucharest, I am Mr. Valentin Muntean, The Ambassador of Romania in Tunisia, Mrs. Assel Utegenova, focal point for associations and clubs for UNESCO, Mr. Bolat Akchulakov, the president of FMACU, Mr. Ioannis Maronitis, the president of ENAFCAU, as well as the Tunisian delegation, representing the Club for UNESCO in Gafsa, led by Mr. Mohamed Tlili.
Your presence confirms our common desire to build lasting bridges of cultural dialogue, educational and humane.
This year's theme - "Museums as Living Spaces for Future Education" - reflects our deep belief that museums are no longer just spaces for preservation, but they become essential actors in the formation of new generations, in stimulating critical thinking and strengthening intercultural dialogue.
In this context, YOUth and MUSEums is not just a conference. It is a living platform – a meeting space between generations, between cultures, between ideas and visions for the future.
Welcome to the opening of the project "Euro-Arab cultural bridge - education, heritage and UNESCO cooperation", an approach of the soul that brings people together, ideas and values from two rich cultural spaces – Europe and the Arab countries.
Sincere thanks for the generosity and warmth of the entire team of the "Bucovina" Forestry College, as well as the Cygnus Scientific Society for UNESCO, for the constant involvement and co-organization of the event with the Alumnus Club for UNESCO.
At the same time, we express our deep appreciation to the City Hall of Câmpulung Moldovenesc, for opening up and supporting this project, thus contributing to the consolidation of an image of the city as a space of cultural dialogue and international cooperation.
This biregional project, held under the coordination of the World Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO, the European Federation (Enafcan) and the Romanian Federation (FRACU) brings together partners from Tunisia, Romania and Greece in a joint effort to build sustainable bridges between cultures, educational systems and communities.
During the project, we will have the opportunity to attend conferences, workshops, academic meetings and cultural activities, all designed to stimulate intercultural dialogue and to open new perspectives for collaboration. We aim not only to exchange ideas, but also building solid relationships, that will continue beyond this event.
Young people have an essential role, the students, students, teachers involved in the field of education, culture and heritage, which represents the future of these partnerships. Through their involvement, UNESCO values - peace, DIALOGUE, respect for diversity - takes on a vivid and authentic expression.
Welcome to Bucovina at Campulung Moldovenesc! 1-8 April 2026
Today, the first working meeting with representatives of UNESCO clubs in Germany took place in Paris, in an open and constructive framework, dedicated to dialogue and the identification of common directions for collaboration.
The discussions highlighted the diversity and relevance of the activities carried out by these clubs, especially in areas such as: environmental protection, promoting tangible and intangible cultural heritage, conservation of natural heritage, charitable initiatives and the active involvement of young people.
The meeting was an important first step in strengthening relations and exploring the possibilities of integration into a wider European framework of cooperation. The openness to the development of partnerships and cultural-educational exchanges was expressed, aimed at reinforcing the shared values of the UNESCO network.
Also, the invitation to discover the activities of the Alumnus Club was extended, as well as the latest international events organized, as starting points for future collaborations.
The general atmosphere was positive, marked by mutual interest and the desire to continue the dialogue.
The meeting represents a promising start for the development of lasting relationships and for the involvement of German clubs in joint initiatives at European level.
An event dedicated to the celebration of 30 of years of collaboration between the clubs for UNESCO in Romania and those in the Reggio Calabria area (Italy) takes place during 15-17 March 2026.
The event brings together representatives of the club movement, of local authorities and the cultural environment.
event, organized by the Club for UNESCO in Reggio Calabria, in partnership with the Romanian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO, highlights the continuity of a Romanian-Italian partnership built in the spirit of the values promoted by UNESCO: education, culture, patrimony, solidarity and dialogue between communities.
The main event took place in the town of Motta San Giovanni, within the FICLU national project dedicated to geoparks, parks and local communities, under the title "Patrimonio e dialogo interculturale".: continuity, friendship and sharing”.
Daniela Popescu participated in the demonstration, General Secretary of the Romanian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO and Vice-President for Europe of the World Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO, together with representatives of the Italian network of clubs for UNESCO and of the local administration led by the mayor of the town. The hosts of the event were coordinated by the architect Alberto Gioffrè, national advisor of the Italian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO and president of the UNESCO Club of Reggio Calabria.
The program included a series of activities dedicated to the cultural heritage and memory of local communities, including visiting the Miners' Archive of Motta San Giovanni, institution proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO "Memory of the World" program, as well as a cultural itinerary that included the historic area of the town and the Byzantine fortifications at Castello di Santo Niceto, an important landmark of the region's medieval heritage.
One of the important moments of the event was the awarding of a Diploma of Gratitude to the Club for UNESCO in Reggio Calabria, in appreciation for the three decades of dialogue, cooperation and joint projects developed between organizations for UNESCO in Romania and Italy. The diploma emphasizes that, through cultural and educational initiatives, as well as through projects dedicated to young people, the Romanian-Italian partnership demonstrated that UNESCO values can become living bridges between communities, generations and nations.
The event represented, ALSO, an opportunity to reaffirm the shared commitment to further cooperation in areas such as heritage education, intercultural dialogue, sustainable development and youth involvement in UNESCO network activities.
After three decades of collaboration, in a year in which Romania celebrates 70 years of activity in UNESCO, the partnership between the UNESCO clubs in Romania and those in Calabria remains an example of European cooperation built on trust, friendship and shared responsibility, confirming the role of civil society in promoting the values and mission of UNESCO.
Alumnus Club is an organization created in the year 2000, that gathers for more than a decade and a half members from 10 countries.
Alumnus Club is part of the Romanian federation of UNESCO Associations and Clubs, and implicitly of the World and European Federations for UNESCO. The club is formed mainly by young students, and its aim is to offer its members the opportunity to get involved in projects aimed at developing their experience in the selected field of study.
Through its UNESCO affiliation, the Alumnus Club has access to an important network of information regarding the activities developed in domains such as education, science, culture and communication.
The main purpose of the organization is that of training young people in a multicultural manner, through projects that aim at involving them in activities that encourage their personal initiative and experience gaining.
In 25 years of activity, Alumnus Club has offered its members and the participants in its events the occasion to engage in educational, scientific, cultural and communication projects.
Below, you may find a non exhaustive list of annual events: Metamorphoses, Youth and Museums, Art and Civilization in Monastic Spaces, Magellan and the new project developed under the auspices of the Alliance of Civilizations: Bucharest retrieved, the concerts of the National Chamber Choir Madrigal.
ALUMNUS Club was founded in 2000 and consists of young people across the 10 countries.
The Alumnus Club is part of the Romanian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO.
The club wants to offer its members opportunities to become involved in educational projects, Scientific, cultural and communication.
ALUMNUS Club aims to prepare young people in a multicultural spirit and to involve them in activities that help them in personal and professional development.