ALUMNUS
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Interview with Dr. Daniela Popescu President of the European and North American Federation of UNESCO Clubs Conducted by Albert Gianatan How did you first get involved with EFUCA? Why did you join? The European Federation for UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations (EFUCA) is an international body committed to the principles and ideals of the United […]

Interview with Dr. Daniela Popescu
President of the European and North American Federation of UNESCO Clubs

Conducted by Albert Gianatan

How did you first get involved with EFUCA? Why did you join?

The European Federation for UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations (EFUCA) is an international body committed to the principles and ideals of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Romania was the country which proposed the establishment of the European Federation by the Constitution Appeal presented during the International Conference in Florence, Italy in 1998. During that period there were an African Federation, an Arab region Federation and an Asian Federation, all branches of the World Federation, but there was no Federation for Europe and North America. From 1998-2001 a Working Group formed by 7 countries prepared the Statutes of this new organization. The Constitutive Assembly took place in 2001 in Busteni, Romania with the following founding members are: Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain.

In what ways has the UNESCO Club movement changed you as a person?

I am an Expert of the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO starting in 1994 when I created the first UNESCO organization in Romania: Club Romania UNESCO. In a few years along with lawyer Mrs. Paula Iacob and Dr. Mihaela Varga we succeed in creating the Romanian Federation of the UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations, participating actively at the UNESCO Clubs movement from the whole world, becoming in December 2012 the first elected woman president of the European Federation for UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations from Europe and North America region at the 3rd EFUCA General Assembly organized in Bucharest, Romania.

I could count your interview as a celebration of 20 years spent in this big family from the whole world, the UNESCO family.
For me working along with UNESCO represented a discovery of my own self, being permanently an ideas architect for a better world where the human values may triumph. In a word I could say A Life Dedicated to UNESCO.

Tell us a little bit about the EFUCA Conference that will take place in March before the WFUCA Conference. What are some of the highlights?

During 6-8 March 2014 in New York, the Executive Board of the European Federation for UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations will take place.
Except for the working agenda that includes the current issues of the organization, I would like to mention three other important events.

– The launch of the first issue of AZURE magazine, the magazine of the European Federation for UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations.
The title of the magazine, suggested by Dr. Mihaela Varga (Vice President of Alumnus Club for UNESCO) invites us to meditation, calm, trust in what we want to accomplish. Above all, this light blue, which appears also on the UNESCO flag, represents the color of peace, of the intellect opened to the blue that forms the sky.

Our magazine represents optimism, quietude, and faith in what we are proposing to do in our future actions, gathering in this temple, identities that unify with the thought that we are part of the UNESCO constellation of this millennium.

– At the same time the members of the EFUCA Executive Board will participate to the other events that are organized under the aegis of the World Federation. With the occasion of the international conference that has as central idea the Global Ethics, the European Federation through Alumnus Club for UNESCO will hand to all the participants the „Passport for Global Ethics” an innovative document.

This document takes part from the worldwide project „Global Ethics – Save the Planet Earth”, initiated by the World Federation for UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations, aims to promote peace advocacy, communication and global understanding by establishing ethical values and strengthening global networking for better management of cultural, social, economic, and environmental transformations. This program aims to create a global transnational and intergovernmental forum on ethical, social and environmental issues; mobilizing academics, professionals, people interested in government and non-government sector in developing networks which can facilitate information exchange; perspectives and experiences to encourage non-governmental organizations and international political institutions to support new ways of globally sustainable development. Romanian Federation UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations through Alumnus Club in collaboration with Spandugino Foundation aims to bring the Romanian contribution to the GLOBAL ETHICS program through MAGELLAN MOMENT project. The pilot event of this project was the invitation in Romania of the Nobel laureate for Medicine, Professor Luc Montagnier, to enter into a scientific and cultural dialogue with Academician Solomon Marcus, meeting which was held under the auspice of MAGELLAN MOMENT of Medicine. This dialogue was designed as a bridge between all the elements which make up human nature.

– The members of EFUCA and WFUCA will be received on 11th March 2014 at the UN headquarters by Her Excellency Ambassador Simona Miculescu, Permanent Representative of Romania at the United Nations.

Why is the UNESCO Club movement so important to the building of peaceful relations around the world? What do you see in the future of the UNESCO Club movement in Europe and North America? Around the world?

The 3rd millennium offers us a scientific revolution with no precedent but at the same a political instability in many geographical areas. What should be our preoccupation, the people who are involved in the UNESCO movement, would be at the first place the education with focus on the young generation, along with the protection of the heritage and environment, having as focal point the human rights. In our projects we have as target mainly the intercultural dialogue and the creation of a competitive background for the new generation.

The European Federation for UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations for Europe and North America as branch of the World Federation, represents for us a permanent network of discussions opened to the UNESCO Civil Society having as purpose the identification and definition of a new strategy in a new era filled with desire of living in this temple of peace.

CE ESTE 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 20 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 a fost fondat in anul 2000 si este format din tineri de pe cuprinsul a 10 tari.
Clubul Alumnus face parte din Federatia Romana a Asociatiilor si Cluburilor pentru UNESCO.
Clubul doreste sa ofere membrilor sai oportunitati de a se implica in proiecte educationale, stiintifice, culturale si de comunicare.
ALUMNUS Club isi propune sa ii pregateasca pe tineri intr-un spirit multicultural si sa ii implice in activitati ce le vin in ajutorul dezvoltarii personale si profesionale.