Civil Society Development Foundation launched the 5th edition of the National Festival of Romanian NGOs under the motto “200 NGOs, 200 reasons to be there!” NGOFest brought together highly representative Romanian NGOs in the city center of Bucharest between May, 7 – 9, 2010. The event was meant to ensure a non-formal environment of connection between the citizens and the third sector, by choosing an easy to reach park, right in downtown Bucharest.
During the three day event, approximately 30,000 visitors met the volunteers and members of NGOs ready to offer information about the nongovernmental sector and to present the specific activities of each NGO participant: social services, formal and non-formal educational initiatives, international volunteering programs, tree planting programs, animal adoption and many other illustrative actions and services for the communities’ life.
Promotion of 2% Mechanism was the central theme of this year edition of NGOFest, and in this respect all citizens were informed about their right and possibility to redirect 2% of their income tax to one of the non-profit entities in Romania. According to CSDF, the host of this event, this was one of the few occasions allowing so numerous NGOs to meet in person the citizens in a public space and determine them to join their cause.
Visitors and participants all together enjoyed a lively and dense artistic and cultural agenda performed by NGOs beneficiaries themselves or their supporters, with a twofold goal, to entertain and also to educate the public by promoting the nongovernmental sector. Amongst the most attractive cultural and artistic performances, the street theatre plays, book and magazine releases, the “ciclopromenade” on the streets of Bucharest, art and photography exhibitions, 14 seminars and public debates, concerts and traditional dances performed by the beneficiaries of the participant NGOs (persons with disabilities, children from orphanages, persons suffering from psychic illnesses) should be mentioned. The NGO mark was present all over the event, all artistic and cultural products and even the music bands performing on the stage being formed by NGOs staff, beneficiaries and promoters.
The role of the NGOFest as a dialogue platform with the citizens was recognized by the public sector, notably the Bucharest Cityhall by supporting directly the organization of the event. Public authorities and institutions representatives visited the NGOs thus creating new opportunities for further contacts and partnerships. NGOFest 2010 managed to draw attention of many public figures, the Romanian Parliament being represented at its highest level by both the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Mrs. Roberta Anastase and of the Senate, Mr. Mircea Geoana.
NGOFest thus played multiple roles in connecting the citizens to the associative sector, proving once again the meaning and benefits of the NGOs interventions, raising awareness on the NGOs role in society as public goods and services providers for the community, and encouraging the citizens to become active and involved.
During the three day event, approximately 30,000 visitors met the volunteers and members of NGOs ready to offer information about the nongovernmental sector and to present the specific activities of each NGO participant: social services, formal and non-formal educational initiatives, international volunteering programs, tree planting programs, animal adoption and many other illustrative actions and services for the communities’ life.
Promotion of 2% Mechanism was the central theme of this year edition of NGOFest, and in this respect all citizens were informed about their right and possibility to redirect 2% of their income tax to one of the non-profit entities in Romania. According to CSDF, the host of this event, this was one of the few occasions allowing so numerous NGOs to meet in person the citizens in a public space and determine them to join their cause.
Visitors and participants all together enjoyed a lively and dense artistic and cultural agenda performed by NGOs beneficiaries themselves or their supporters, with a twofold goal, to entertain and also to educate the public by promoting the nongovernmental sector. Amongst the most attractive cultural and artistic performances, the street theatre plays, book and magazine releases, the “ciclopromenade” on the streets of Bucharest, art and photography exhibitions, 14 seminars and public debates, concerts and traditional dances performed by the beneficiaries of the participant NGOs (persons with disabilities, children from orphanages, persons suffering from psychic illnesses) should be mentioned. The NGO mark was present all over the event, all artistic and cultural products and even the music bands performing on the stage being formed by NGOs staff, beneficiaries and promoters.
The role of the NGOFest as a dialogue platform with the citizens was recognized by the public sector, notably the Bucharest Cityhall by supporting directly the organization of the event. Public authorities and institutions representatives visited the NGOs thus creating new opportunities for further contacts and partnerships. NGOFest 2010 managed to draw attention of many public figures, the Romanian Parliament being represented at its highest level by both the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Mrs. Roberta Anastase and of the Senate, Mr. Mircea Geoana.
NGOFest thus played multiple roles in connecting the citizens to the associative sector, proving once again the meaning and benefits of the NGOs interventions, raising awareness on the NGOs role in society as public goods and services providers for the community, and encouraging the citizens to become active and involved.