Over 80 of participants from different European countries turned the meeting organized by the Federation of Associations and Clubs from Moldova with the support of UNESCO into an event full of energy, dialogue and effervescence – as I think a real event dedicated to young people should look like.
In the intervention of the president of the club, Daniela Popescu, the role of young people in promoting gender equality was discussed and two directions for Europe were proposed:
a UNESCO European Youth Observatory, created by young people from UNESCO clubs and associations, aimed at identifying challenges related to stereotypes, equality and educational opportunities, developing and disseminating, ALSO, concrete solutions from our countries. Its activity could materialize in an annual European map of equality among young people, which reflect both the challenges, as well as good practices.
Secondly, an initiative entitled "UNESCO - Equality in Action", through which, annual, young people from a certain country would propose and test a concrete solution to promote equality at the level of a local community. Successful ideas could later be taken up, adapted and put into practice by young people from other countries, thus creating a European circuit of solutions developed and tested by young people themselves.
He introduced himself, Alumnus Club activity for UNESCO, youth organization, as well as the projects of the Romanian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO dedicated to children and young people, including the international project "Spring begins in the mother's heart" and the Bucharest-Odesa Artistic Duplex "Everything Begins in Mother's Heart", of 1 July 2026, all this in this anniversary year: Romania 70 de ani in UNESCO.
It is a joy that the Alumnus Club is an active presence in these international dialogues and that this experience can be shared with young people in Europe.
Alumnus Club joins Elite Art Association as a partner of the 23rd edition of the Balchik Art Residency project, thus continuing to support initiatives dedicated to art, culture and the promotion of the Romanian artistic heritage.
Balchik Art Residency Exhibition #23 will be presented at Elite Art Gallery, during 31 august – 8 October 2026, bringing together the works of the eight invited artists in this edition: Coon One, Carla Schoppel, Ciprian Antoci, Elena-Daniela Acatrinai, XELE, Leo Oleg Dolghier, Mariana Hultoana and the Square Cat.
The project continues the tradition of Today's Painters in Balcic, initiated by the Elite Art Association over two decades ago, and proposes a new meeting of contemporary artists with Balcicul - a place with a strong charge in the history of Romanian art.
Through the partnership with Elite Art, The Alumnus Club reaffirms its commitment to support cultural projects that bring heritage into dialogue, contemporary creation and new generations of artists, contributing to the preservation of cultural memory and the promotion of Romanian art.
The opening will take place on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, from the hour 18:30, la Elite Art Gallery. Curator of the exhibition:Carla Schoppel
During July 25–26 2026 the conference took place 2026 Secondary School Model UNESCO Conference on the Ethics of Neurotechnology în Hong Kong, China. The eveniment to participat 60 of young people, having representatives from states and regions such as: Cambodia, China, Philippines, Hong Kong, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Poland and Romania.
The conference consisted of four MUN-specific parts: In the first part, there were presentations of the development strategies of each country, during which the participants presented their vision on the current situation in each state. In the second part, topics of interest to society were debated, on the ethics of neurotechnology, framework in which the participants expressed their constructive opinions. In the third part, participants were able to discuss freely to find common ground and harmonize previously expressed views. In the fourth part, they consulted with a view to adoption, by vote, of a final resolution of the event.
Personalities such as: Professor Karen Cheung (President of the Unesco Hong Kong Association and Director of the Hong Kong Institute for Education for Sustainable Development), Counselor Wang Jian (Director General of the International Department of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), Dr. Geoffrey Mok (Neuropsychologist Clinician, Therapy Partners Limited), Dr. Wu Dandan (Co-director, Center for Psychosocial Health, Hong Kong University of Education) and Mr. Bernard Lee (Member of the Council, Committee on Innovation and Technology, Hong Kong Association for UNESCO).
The conference was organized by the Hong Kong Association for UNESCO (RISK), member of the Chinese National Federation of Clubs, UNESCO Centers and Associations (CNFUCA) and by the Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (HiESD). This gave them the opportunity to analyze the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to promote international cooperation through education, science, culture and dissemination of information, empowering young leaders to develop critical competencies for sustainable development: systemic thinking, collaboration, strategy, critical thinking and integrated problem solving. The conference activity will contribute to the paper "Youth Prospect on the Ethical Development and Application of Neurotechnology in the Greater Bay Area".
The representatives of the Romanian Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO through the Alumnus Club, Andrei Ioana-Odette and Sister Ingrid-Maria were present at this fundamental conference.
La data de 24 July 2026, at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, a avut loc „Asian Youth Capacity Building Workshop – Culture Performance Programme”, event dedicated to children and young participants in cultural and artistic programs.
The event gave young Asian artists the opportunity to present, through music, dance and other forms of artistic expression, representative elements of their cultures, in a symbolic space for international dialogue, education, culture and peace.
The participation of these children and young people in an event held at the UNESCO headquarters was not only an artistic experience, but also an experience of intercultural dialogue, friendship and closeness between generations and peoples.
In the opening message and in the letter addressed to the young people, I emphasized the emotion that the meeting with these "little artists" caused me, as well as their joy at being on the UNESCO stage. Through music, dance and art, they conveyed universal values such as friendship, respect, solidarity and the joy of being together.
A particularly emotional moment was meeting the young people after the show, when several of them came to offer small token gifts, especially panda figurines. For me, these gifts had a deeply affective value, representing the symbol of a meeting between the hearts of the children of Asia and the European space that welcomed them warmly.
I am confident that their generation will be able to contribute, through culture, education and art, to building a more peaceful and closer world. I encouraged them to keep their curiosity, goodness, creativity and the ability to build bridges between people.
Also ,thanks were also addressed to the teachers, parents and all those who supported and prepared them for this experience, emphasizing that in the talent and success of each child is found the work, the love and encouragement of those around.
The event at UNESCO Paris thus represented a beautiful example of the role that culture and art can have in bringing young people from different countries and promoting UNESCO values.
During July 8–16 2026, The president of the association, Daniela Popescu, paid a visit to the People's Republic of China, at the invitation of Gansu UNESCO Association, with trips to Beijing and Lanzhou, Gansu province, as well as cultural heritage sites.
The main objective of the visit was to participate in the Preparatory Seminar for the Dunhuang International Art Week "Ode to Peace" edition, as well as making exchanges of experience and contacts in the field of cultural heritage and international cultural cooperation.
The meetings and discussions provided the framework for presenting and analyzing the future directions of the international event, as well as for the development of contacts and forms of cooperation between participants interested in the promotion of culture, Arts, heritage and international dialogue.
The "Ode to Peace" concept is part of a peace promotion perspective, intercultural dialogue and cooperation between peoples through art and culture.
Another important objective of the trip was to participate in visits to relevant cultural heritage sites in China.
These visits allowed a better knowledge of the historical and cultural heritage of the region and created the possibility of discussions on how heritage can be an instrument of international cooperation, cultural education and rapprochement between communities and countries.
In particular, the inclusion of Gansu province in the program is significant due to its historical and cultural importance and the connection of this region with the heritage of Dunhuang, one of the reference cultural spaces of the Silk Road.
The contacts made within the program provided the opportunity to identify future directions of collaboration in the field of culture, Heritage, cultural education and the promotion of universal values of peace and dialogue between civilizations.
Visit to China from July 8-16 2026 it represented an important experience of cultural and institutional exchange, bringing together participation in an international seminar, visits to heritage sites and contacts regarding the development of future forms of cooperation.
Newsletter
WHAT IS ALUMNUS ?
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.