HOPE for PEACE

18 may 2023 – International Day of Museums.

Our host: Museum “House of Romance” from Targoviste

hosts: Andrei Vasiliu and Alina Mavrodin Vasiliu

to present: The European Federation and the Romanian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO, Alumnus Club, hundreds of students from the Republic of Moldova

Over 200 of students and teachers from the Republic of Moldova from 20 of schools from Fălești District and the town of Sîngerei visited the "Casa Romance" Museum in Târgoviște online, within the National Program "Youth of Romance", held by the "Cetatea Romanței" Cultural Association from Târgoviște, in collaboration with the National Museum Complex "Curtea Domnească" Târgoviște.

The event was dedicated to the celebration of the International Day of Museums and benefited from the special involvement of E.S. to the Consul General of Romania in Balti, Petrisor Dumitrescu, and E.S. Mr. Consul Mihai Tican.

Bessarabian students and teachers discovered, in the elegant halls of the museum, precious information from the history of this musical genre of national cultural heritage, harmoniously combined by museographer Andrei Vasiliu with choruses of famous romances. And the messages sent at the end of the visit remain a living expression of the attachment ingrained in the souls of today's visitors for this unique museum space in Romania and for the cultural values ​​promoted and protected by Romance.

Daniela Popescu also participated in the event, president of the Alumnus Club and the European Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO, under whose patronage the "Casa Romance" Museum in Târgoviște operates, from whose intervention we stand out:

"Congratulations for organizing this special event ! My good thoughts are also with Mr. Consul, who understand that he is doing extraordinary things there. Happy birthday to everyone and especially happy birthday to the museums! Of course, UNESCO could not be absent from this celebration, because he loves museums and world cultural heritage, material, natural and immaterial, also thinking about where you are broadcasting from. Museums are primarily our cultural treasure chests. What can we keep in a dowry chest? Everything is more beautiful, our past, our present, thinking carefully about the future. Only in this way can we build the future. Life has proven that we have a lot of hard things and we have to go through them well , I also think of our brothers in Ukraine. I also greet you on behalf of the Alumnus Club for UNESCO. Since 2009, Under UNESCO auspices, every year we managed to organize the "Youth and Museums" International Conference. Young people mostly go to museums if they are brought from school or by their parents. Our role is to bring them to the museum and to make them loyal. We always had representatives from the Republic of Moldova at the "Youth and Museums" Conference. In 2018, representatives of the European Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO from 20 of countries visited the "Casa Romance" Museum for the first time on the occasion of the "Youth and Museums" International Conference and were so moved, in which they signed an international appeal for the introduction of Romance on the UNESCO world heritage list. I want to congratulate you, what we are doing today is a gift that we offer to the students of Balti and I am glad that we are together".

Approximate 18.000 of children from Ukraine are in Romania with their mothers in refugee centers and other locations, according to the latest official figures communicated at 7 March 2023.

No matter where it is, they are scared, away from home and need safety, affect, Careful, just like any other child.

The week before Easter is called Passion Week, this week everyone must ask for forgiveness from all the people they hurt, and they must grant forgiveness.

Easter presents are brought by the bunny. The bunny along with the Easter eggs are basically the symbols of this important Christian holiday

On this occasion, The Alumnus Club prepared over 50 of food packages for the Ukrainian families he interacted with.

Understanding how hard it is for them to have to leave their country, because of the war and to celebrate Easter away from home, through the initiated action, it was once again wanted to show that they are welcome in Romania and that we will always be close to them.

Alongside us as a partner was the National Federation of UNESCO Associations of Japan .

"Metamorphoses" international project started in the year 2009 care, annual, through the proposed themes, it aims to highlight the notion of creating a virtual meeting space for young people, see different aspects: cultural, etnice, scientific, artistic.

This year's theme of the 15th edition project was : HOPE FOR PEACE.

Over 75 people, Ukrainian children accompanied by their parents, they took part in the event that took place at the end of March 2023 at the Museum of viticulture and fruit growing in Golești, Pitesti, where two creative workshops were held:

• "The chest of memories" - decorating a wooden box
• "Decorated egg" - decoration of two wooden eggs

Thus the children were initiated into the technique of decorating with the help of the napkin by the staff (artist) specialize in decorating wooden objects only with the help of designs on paper napkins.

Listeners and very skilled, the little ones each decorated a box and two wooden eggs, carefully cutting out various designs on the napkins he received, applying them to the surface of the wood and then embellishing them with beads

All the children were delighted to take home the objects they had made: the wooden box and those 2 eggs, prepared according to their taste and pleasure.

Free time and recreation followed in the wonderful premises of the Golești Museum.

The National Federation of UNESCO Associations from Japan was with us as a partner.

The film of the event can be viewed on the website

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TbhCeRsF9k

The HOPE OR PEACE project organized by the Alumnus Club in close collaboration with the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan, continued in the year 2023, trying to get the children and families of Ukrainian refugees out of the isolation due to the new way of life they had to adopt once they arrived in Romania, trying a minimum of socialization through various activities.

An important didactic tool in relation to the cognitive and affective development of the child that gives him the opportunity to observe, to investigate, to know directly a wide variety of aspects of the natural and cultural environment are the excursions. They facilitate education and the development of the aesthetic sense, instills love for nature and art, respect for their beauty, stimulates children's curiosity and team spirit, they keep in their memory some moments that can be unforgettable for them for the rest of their lives.

Excursions have a purpose:

• developing the spirit of observation, the formation of skills (ground orientation, sketching simple lines by drawing, creating schemes/drawings on certain objects;
• the formation of collecting skills, pack and transport the material;
• the formation of the skills to immortalize geographically and historically significant images on the parents' phone or on one's own phone;
• broadening the didactic horizon;

Thus on the date of 4 March 2023 a trip to Târgoviște was organized, trip attended by over 90 people, children from Ukraine accompanied by their parents.

The first stop was at the Casa Romanței Museum, under the patronage of the European Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO.

The group entered the fairytale atmosphere of the only museum in the world dedicated to Romanian Romance, having the opportunity to know memorable pages from the secular history of this heritage musical genre, well documented and reflected in the elegant halls of the "Casa Romanței" Museum in Târgoviște, through the unique exhibits: original scores, document, photography, MANUSCRIPTS, old musical instruments, show outfits and old romance records. The gingerbread house, model of the "Casa Romanței" Museum, made and donated by Gabriela Raucă from Vienna, enchanted the little visitors, who each received a packet of gingerbread at the end of the visit. Another surprise was the meeting with Alina Mavrodin Vasiliu, the artistic director of the National Romance Festival "Golden Chrysanthemum".

At the end we parted with the well-known greeting: "Romance unites us!”.

The "Royal Court" was then visited. From Mircea the Elder to Constantin Brâncoveanu, almost all voivods who resided here in the citadel of Târgoviște defended these places full of history. The children were enchanted by the legends of the place, but especially by the tower they all climbed.

Dealu Monastery is one of the great old monasteries of our country. It is located in the city of Viforâta, six kilometers to the northwest of Târgoviște, on a hill near the Ialomița course.

Such an emotional moment was when, in the small old church of the monastery, prayers for peace were said in chorus, first in Romanian and then in Ukrainian, with tears streaming down the cheeks of many of our Ukrainian brothers.

Alumnus Club for UNESCO together with the National Federation of UNESCO Associations of Japan and visual artist Nataliia Statkevych organized the HOPE for PEACE competition, a drawing contest dedicated to refugee children from Ukraine.

The competition was held in three age groups :

• 3 up to 7 or ;
• 8 up to 12 ;
• 13 up to 18 or.

The works were made on A3 format paper, using any painting materials: crayons, oil paints, acrylic, coal… etc.

The competition was held in December 2022.

They were awarded 6 premii I, 6 second prizes and 6 III prizes by age category.

The competition jury was formed by Mihaela Varga, art critic, vice president of the Alumnus Club for UNESCO, Natalia Statkevych, artist plastic (Ukraine), Ana Neagoe, exhibition curator, Teodora Mihaela Dașca, copil, 9 or, European School Bucharest and Daniela Popescu, president of the Alumnus Club for UNESCO.

We note that all those 40 of enrolled children received Christmas gifts from the National Federation of UNESCO Associations of Japan and the Alumnus Club for UNESCO.

All the works entered in the competition were grouped in an online catalog prepared by the gallery where the award was held.