“It all started so quickly, nobody expected that a war would occur right in the heart of Europe. And yet, here we are, silently watching the news feed reporting on the horrors of an ongoing war in Ukraine. It was a very strange feeling. I was thinking about all those friends and colleagues of mine […]
ROUA Community Center is a safe space with integrated services and activities co-created by a Coalition made by Asociatia DEIS, YMCA Romania, City Makers, ASNV, Fundația de Voluntari Somaschi, YMCA Baia Mare, Rotaract Baia Mare, Rotaract T.E.A.M. Baia Mare, ASNV, together with Ukrainian refugees with the support of Action Aid, funded by Disaster Emergency Committee […]
While the terrifying sound of sirens from the other side of the border was freezing the blood in people’s veins, the air got filled with the beautiful voice of a young girl singing about love. Lina, a 24 years old artist from Kharkiv, had just crossed the bridge and was sitting in the middle of […]
Maria is an ethnic Romanian, born and raised in Ukraine, in a small bordering town between Romania and Ukraine called Apsha de Jos/ Nizhna Apsha. She was an art teacher at the local school, meanwhile contributing to her community as an ambassador of the organisation Colors of Peace/I Colori Per la Pace, living an active […]
A know-how toolkit of The Roots project, Peacework Guidebook has been published as YMCA celebrated its 175th anniversary. Subtitled “Peace Roots: From Seeds to Fruits”, the resource was always intended to be available and easy to use for a wider public, therefore we decided to translate it into one of the local languages chiefly used […]
There were many turning points in the history of mankind that inspired hope that the worst was left behind and the times of irreversible progress, coexistence and peace have finally arrived.. Yet, every time and unfortunately rather soon, these hopes were dashed and relinquished… And if to single out one such occasion, the aftermath of […]
But how can something that is meant to divide people, become the connector? While speaking about solidarity and unity, the last location that might occur in one’s mind is the border post, as since the inception of times, borders were administrative units that served the purpose of separating, not connecting; however, this story tells how […]
“My story in Roots started seven years ago. In 2015, I attended a ProFest which still is one of my most beloved YMCA memories. In 2017, I got the honor to join Peace Work Institute, and since then I have been actively involved in different projects and activities within the Roots. There are things we […]
The first of the Roots Peace Work Institute Tandem Projects in 2022 has already been completed – YMCA Prime (Barnaul, Russia) implemented a study session for teenagers aged 12-16 during Spring Camp Programme on March 28 – April 03, 2022. Aiming at empowering the young people with appropriate conflict-solving skills, the organizers ensured to create […]
There are some components of the Roots that attract impressive geographical coverage and engagement and probably get more spotlight too – Peace Work Institute and Program Festivals (ProFests) are the ones that first come to mind, but if to stress on one bit of Roots that has the closest touch and impact with grassroots beneficiaries, […]
