I don’t usually have regrets. But now I have one. Let me talk to you about it, maybe you could help me, or you might be interested in joining me to get this done. Here in Paris I’ve developped a thirst for mixing cultures. You’ll say this is crazy, because Paris is already the centre of mixed cultures from all around the world. I am not thinking about that. A couple of moths ago, a friend of mine told me “There is this project of cultural exchange, we might get funding for it if it’s good enough, are you in?”. I definetely said YES, everything seemed great! We thought about bringing together the French and the Romanians, which have been similar in some points of view for a long time. Except that there were only 2 people interested in organising the project and we had 2 months to go before the deadline. The deadline was May, 1st, but I will not give up to this project. I am looking for motivated people who want to do a project like this one.
My ideas for the Romanian-French cultural exchange programme are:
1 week in France
1 week in Romania
events to know our cultures better and to realise how many things we have in commmon and how many things still differentiate one country from the other: cuisine, architecture, language, traditional dancing, costumes, religion, local practices, events
movies/documentaries typical for the country
very well known persons from the 2 countries who lived in the other and their stories
an European context: European integration, what the 2 countries came with in the EU, their values, and what they have got until now from this partnership
How French people live in Romania and how Romanians live in France.
If any of you are interested in mounting such a project, please leave me your e-mail adress! :)
I know that there is a rather small community of French people here in Cluj where I live, they’re mostly students at the Faculty of Medicine of visiting the French Cultural Centre here.
On the other hand, there are surely many Romanian students, not just in Paris, not just Erasmus students, they are people looking to settle.
I’d gladly help with this project, as long as there are people like you having a clear idea on what it takes. Are you thinking to look for other funding opportunities? I don’t think we’re talking large sums, because basically what you’d need is a network of people willing to share and host one another…
How official would you want this to be?
Maybe it’s better, if not so many people here on Edgeryders seem interested, to take the discussion via emailing. noemi.salantiu@gmail.com is my address
I’m in Paris 17th-25 by the way… my favorite city in the world as I know it so far.
Also, how come only French and Romanians? you could go wild
I am very glad to hear that someone is interested in my idea of project!!
Originally, the project was to send to the European Commision to be approved (if so), it was the “Jeunesse en action” programme- Action 1.1 Echange de jeunes, and me and my French friend were thinking of doing a bilateral experience, as we don’t have any other contacts abroad, except Romania. but, if there are people who are interested in doing a multinational exchange, I would be happy to be part of it! The more we are, the crazier it will be, right?
My inital idea was to make the Romanian students come here and discover the French culture and to make the French go to Romania to get the feedback. Or vice-versa! But I repeat, I am open to other ideas, as long as there is an exchange and a great experience!
I will e-mail you tomorrow to ask you a few things about your ideas! By the way, if you want to see each other to discuss about this or maybe just drink a coffee in my favourite city (too!), just tell me, I would be glad to meet you!
P.S.: about the funding: The European Commission could offer 70% out of the total sum needed for expenses such as: living, transport, food, other material we need, and 100% funding for a trip of the organizers in order to plannify the project
Do think it would make sense to maybe reach the Romanians who are in France and French people in Romania and connect them online somehow? This way you would’t have additional expenses and could do an exchange anyway…what do you think?
An interesting idea, but I think we wouldn’t be able to make the people really feel the connexion and make the exchange. I took part to many online conferences and it is simply difficult in matters of time&connexion&place. Just storytelling is not enough I guess for the scale of the issue, but some sort of online platform while looking for the right people and everything would help, I think… Thank you for your idea, it is very helpful!
remember to keep us in the loop. If you and Noemi go ahead with this, we would be delighted to let the world know - and perhaps we could even find a way to collaborate, somehow.
I think that your project is very interesting and in a certain sense original. I am from Italy and I lived 4 months in Bucharest so I had the chance to get to know a bit of Romania and Romanian people. In Italy we have many migrants coming form Romania and they are an important part of our society and our economy. Unfortunately Italian people still have many prejudices toward Romanian people and often there are cases of racist acts and discriminations.
I think that your idea is a good starting point to fight against prejudices and ignorance (that is what produces prejudices) through mutual knowledge and understanding between French people and Romanian people.
I wish you all the best and I am sure that your project will be very useful.
There are, indeed, many things to be said in order to break the stereotypes…Very few people know that Eiffel Tower metal items were made at Resita (Ro) or that sculptor Brancusi, whose workshop is next to Georges Pompidou Museum is Romanian, and not French (as I’ve recently read on an invitation to an exposition). The situation is better in Italy, I think, much better, here in France is awful so after having been disgusted, I gradually became motivated to do something.
By the way, have you ever heard of Badea Cartan? He was a shepherd who went from Cartisoara (Ro) to Rome in order to see Trajan’s column with his own eyes. Apparently, he fell asleep next to the column and people, seeing him there, said that a Dacian fell off it.
