1990-2001
To help the needy - "Help me help you!"
The project aimed at bringing back hope, joy, smile, and faith in the homes of the ones in need, through:
1. Support offered to poor families - clothes, medicines
2. Assistance for young mothers and mothers with many children
3. Provision of qualified personnel for taking care of children, elderly and sick people


1990-1992
We, the Women
Ten issues of the "We, The Women'' Magazine.

Organisation of the activity of Women's Association of Romania in the country

Development of 20 branches

1993
Ten Scholarships offered to meritorious students

Centre for professional job orientation and reconversion, with the following activities:
- Organisation of training courses for women in view of providing efficient methods for the identification of job vacancies for unemployed women
- Establishment of a database
- Specialized assistance and counselling in job market issues

Club for single people under the slogan: "Let us learn to listen to the others. Together we can find the best solutions. Let us not be alone anymore!''

Socio-cultural and tourism activities INTEX - FEMINA

1994 - The International Year of Family
The Program "Parents' school''
The Program "Our Family"

Business Women Club

The purpose of this Program was to promote and protect the economic and social interests of small businesses owned by women, with the following activities:
- Consulting - legal and economic advice offered by specialized personnel, in areas like: starting a new business, developing business, identifying and working with foreign and local business partners
- Accessing information from areas of finance, banking, commercial, fiscal, customs, legal, managerial.
- Participating to domestic and foreign exhibitions and fairs

Establishment of the Preparatory Committee of Women's NGOs for participating at the 4th World Women Conference, in Beijing, 1995

German - Romanian Seminar (Dresden, Germany) in partnership with the Organization ,,Beratungstelle fur Frauen''
A.F.R. The Association had lead a delegation of 11 opinion leaders from women's movement in this interesting exchange of experience.

1995
Secretariat of women from NGOs
Training courses on basic issues and resources related to the activity of NGOs

Women Consumers' Club
Information project on rights of women consumers- an efficient protection of their rights and awareness raising on consumer rights.
Activities:
- Training for the club members as consumers
- Establishment of an office for claims and counselling for housekeepers
- Contacts with other movements of women consumers from the entire world

1996
Centre of training and development of women owning small and medium size enterprises

The following training courses were organized:
- Management
- Marketing
- Human resources
- Finance
- Accounting
- Business English

"Change and transition in civil society" Symposium - 7 years of AFR existence
The theme was:
- NGOs after 7 years of transition
- Successes, failures, and hidden barriers in the evolution of the society
- Partnerships among domestic NGOs and between them and international bodies
. 

1997
Support Centre for elderly
Home assistance, through qualified staff, for old persons with scarce living resources. Activities:
- Mobilization of groups of young people for home visits providing medical and social assistance
- Emergency support for the elderly
- Weekend activities, such as trips, shows

"The Necessity of women participating to the political life in Romania" Symposium

"For an equal Democracy" AFR Program, under the slogan: "The more women in the Parliament, Government, Local Administration, the better administered will the country be!"
The Program militated for installing an equal democracy in Romania, where both genders are equally represented in the legislative and decision bodies.

A.F.R. initiated two Training Programs for unemployed women:

- Training Program for social agents - counsellors
- Training Program for educational counsellors
 

1998
-Counselling and Protection Centre for citizens in difficulty
Services offered consisted in training of social agents -counsellors, and providing counselling, assistance and social protection for citizens in difficulty

-Office of NGO Specialists on International Relations
The purpose of this training has been:
- Promotion of a real image of Romania in international communities, through supporting interests of the Romanian people in the framework of international cooperation under the influence and scope of activity of civil society
- International promotion of peace and human rights
- Formation of persons working in the non-governmental sector who are willing and able to undertake such activities

-Participation to the National Campaign for Women's Health

-Translation, editing, and distribution in Romania of the Action Platform - Beijing, 1995, of the fourth World Women Conference

1999 - UNESCO International Year of Peace and Non-violence
-"NGO Management and Design of Projects for Funding" - Romanian-Swiss Seminar organized by A.F.R. in partnership with "Ecumenical European Forum of Christian Women" EFECW -Switzerland
The aim of the seminar was that women leaders from the civil society become stronger, more united and powerful. The information and distance education electronic network FEMINET was established , addressing to people who promote an appropriate status of women in Romania and who wish to be connected to domestic and international news relevant for the development of civil society.

Training " Culture of Peace and Non-violence'' in partnership with the International Fellowship of Reconciliation -IFOR, Netherlands, and the Alliance for Peace ROMANIA

The training represented the first initiative of Romanian women in preparation of "The International Year for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence 2000" and the decade of 2001-2010, declared by the United Nations as "The International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World"

One of the successes of A.F.R. was the establishment of The Coalition for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence - CCPNR, which had its first action in December of the same year, simultaneously in 15 Romanian counties, under the slogan: "Peace is in our hands."

The Launch of "2000 Manifest - For the Culture of Peace and Non-violence" in partnership with International Fellowship of Reconciliation -The Netherlands

The General Assembly of the United Nations declared year 2000 as "The International Year for the Culture of Peace", with UNESCO being the focal point and, as a response to a request signed by all laureates of the Nobel Peace Prize, declared the first decade of the new Millennium (2001-2010) as "The International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World."

The text of the Manifest is as follows:
Year 2000 should be a new beginning for all of us, an opportunity for transforming the culture of war and violence in a culture of Peace and Non-violence. (1) This transformation needs the participation of all of us, and must offer to youth and future generations the values that would help them build a world of dignity and harmony, a world more fair, more united, free and prosperous for us all. The Culture of Peace makes possible sustainable development, the protection of environment, and the personal fulfilment of each human being.

Being aware of my share of responsibility for the future of mankind, especially for today's and tomorrow's children, I assume - in my daily life, in my family, at my workplace, in my community, in my country and my region, the responsibility to:

1. Respect the life and dignity of all people, without discrimination and prejudice
2. Actively plead for non-violence, reject any kind of violence in any forms: physical, sexual, psychological, economic and social, especially targeted against the most vulnerable, such as children and youth
3. Allocate part of my time and material for generous purposes like fighting injustice, exclusion, political and economic oppression
4. Promote responsible behaviour and development of activities that respect all life forms and keep the natural balance of Earth
5. Contribute to the development of my community, with the important participation of women and obeisance of democratic principles to create new forms of solidarity

"Young women facing the third Millennium" Seminar - Management, Communication, Design of Projects for Funding (Partner: The Romanian Ministry for Youth and Sports)

 2000
Counselling and Social Assistance Centre for citizens in difficulty
This centre is open to all women in difficulty, both for those requiring support directly and for those coming through other organizations. The staff of the Centre is formed of A.F.R. volunteers and other NGOs.
Training courses have been held, with the following purposes:
- Information on legislation related to preventing and combating domestic violence
- Identification of the best methods to improve the condition of victims suffering from consequences of domestic violence
- Promotion of optimal human relations in order to avoid conflicts generating violence

Training "Women build Peace in the House, in the Country, and in the World"
Mamaia, August 2000
Organized in partnership with the Alliance for Peace - Romania, the "International Fellowship of Reconciliation" (I.F.O.R.) - Netherlands and Norwegian Church Aid, this training had as objective to promote amongst participants the necessary knowledge, motivation and desire to solve conflicts in a non-violent manner, in order to prevent and diminish violence in communities.
In a transition society, such as Romania, it is very important to identify answers to questions like: How can conflicts be prevented? What are the instruments and practices that can be used? Trainers were: Vesna Terselic (Centre of Peace, Zagreb, Croatia), Anne Goodman Adelson (Canadian Voice of Women for Peace.). Participants were members of The Coalition for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence in Romania (NGOs and other institutions from Bucharest, Timisoara, Suceava, Adjud, Piatra Neamt, Resita, Zalau, and Buzau).

2001
Help me help you!
Romanian Legislation stipulates that young girls from orphanages should leave the institution when they reach 18 years of age. Most of them do not have a place to live or to work and nobody takes care of this problem. Therefore, many of them are tempted by prostitution, drugs, or vagrancy.
A.F.R. wishes to organize a Training Program for 25 girls, graduates of minimum 8 grades, coming from orphanages and from disorganized families under the poverty threshold.
After an 8-weeks training program, the girls will be able to work as caretakers for old people, at their homes(about 75 old people that we have in our records). Thus, two important problems will be solved: the socialization of young girls with no family, and the assistance provided to old people in need. The objectives of this Program are:
- Qualification of young girls coming from orphanages and disorganized families
- Identification of a working place for them
- Assistance to old persons in need
The impact of this Program will be significant, both at the level of young girls who come from orphanages and for the entire Romanian society, which will get awareness on the situation of young girls having to leave orphanages and old people in need.
The Project was organized in Bucharest, between March 15 and September 15, 2001. The girls' training started on June 1, 2001, for 15 hours/week, 8 weeks. The curriculum included:
1. Notions of general psychology and geriatrics
2. Notions of professional ethics and legislation
3. Notions of gerontology and geriatrics
4. Notions of housekeeping: cleaning, cooking, sewing
5. Gerontologic and geriatric nursing
The training sessions were held by specialists, and the practice was undertaken in appropriate specialised units.
Romanian partners of this program:
- The Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity
- Local Authorities of Sector 1, Bucharest
- St. Luca Hospital
- St. Ciprian Foundation
- Foundation for the Protection of Young Girls

Harmony in the Balkans

The implementation period: March 15, 2001 - June 15, 2001. Organizer: Women's Association of Romania (A.F.R.), in partnership with the European Cultural Foundation - Netherlands, with the support of The Canadian Embassy in Bucharest. The project also benefited from the local support of CRAIFOR and PATRIR Cluj. The launch of this project was made on May 3, 2001, when A.F.R. also celebrated 11 years of existence.
Training - cultural event in Craiova, Romania, on May 5-7, 2001
Trainers: Kai Frithjof Brand-Jacobsen (director PATRIR - Cluj, and co-director TRANSCEND) and Rodica Bombonica Dudau, director CRAIFOR, Craiova.

Purpose and Objectives of the project:
The purpose of the project is the development of a strong basis for improving the climate of peace, cooperation, and ethnic tolerance, through communication and information, using natural ways of communicating, such as culture and art.
Context/Motivation: The Project "Harmony in the Balkans" aims at being implemented within the framework of world events organised under the UNESCO DECADE 2001-2010 - for a culture of peace and non-violence for the world children. The situation created following conflicts in the Balkans determined us to organize the training session, followed by a cultural event (folkloric show and exhibitions of handicrafts and gastronomy), in order to improve the level of knowledge and interaction between 30 opinion leaders from the civil society of Balkan countries, in the spirit of the culture of peace and non-violence.
The stability that Romania enjoys in the Balkan framework can constitute a starting point for a continuous exchange of educational values, as a first joint step in the process of integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. Short-term objectives:
- Increasing the level of knowledge and abilities of participants in communication and conflicts resolution in multicultural communities
- Supporting Participants to identify the most efficient methods to transfer the newly gained knowledge and abilities into their daily life.

Long-term objectives:
- Promotion of inter-human relations based on mutual respect, tolerance and efficient communication, starting from the respect for culture and traditional values of each community
- Extension of this project to a annual event, which will be held in different regions of the Balkans
This project also provides for the recording of a videotape including a summary of the 3 days of training and cultural events, summary that would cover the most significant moments - so that it could be also used both as training material for other events of this kind and as promotional material for the continuation of this project.

Advertisement/Promotion:
This Project represents a chance for Romania, as well as for everybody involved, to put into practice the fact that stability that Romania enjoys in the Balkan framework can be used as a starting point for a continuous and strong exchange of educational and cultural values, as a first joint step for European Integration, as well as a solid ground for young people from this hot region to involve themselves in the development of a climate of peace in their own communities, and to thus gain their respect.

A NEW COMMON FUTURE

Women's Association of Romania organized in August 6-9, 2001 in Timisoara, Romania, at Hotel 2000, a meeting of women leaders from Romania and F.R. Yugoslavia. This project was started in May, 2001, in partnership with the Serbian organization "Business Women Club" Kikinda, Yugoslavia.
The Project is developed under the framework of the program Regional Partnership for Democracy, financially supported by America's Development Foundation, USAID. The meeting wishes to be a mutual information regarding the adequate status of women from the two neighbouring countries.
Another objective of the project "A new common future" developed by A.F.R., in collaboration with the Euro-regional Centre for Democracy from Timisoara and the Serbian organization "Business Women Club" from Kikinda (FRY), is to create a comprehensive database of Romanian and Yugoslavian women NGOs. The project created, for the benefit of women movements in the two countries, a web site promoting common activities, projects and programs implemented for the benefit of women from both countries.
Through the development of these services, A.F.R.'s project facilitates the improvement of communication between the women movements in the two countries, which would lead to the establishment of new relations between organizations.
A.F.R. invites all women NGOs to participate to this project, which gives the chance for a fluent and fast exchange of information between organisations in Romania and F.R. Yugoslavia and for the creation of new projects in regional partnerships.
Additional information: (01) 315-9859, mobile 094561431, and materials may be faxed at (01) 315-9859, or sent by e-mail: afr@opensys.ro or mail: prioripost Bucharest, O.P.37,C.P.80 sector 2, or at A.F.R. premises in Calea Victoriei 135, et. 3, room 20-21.