Moldovan Orphan Art Exhibit in USA
by Zach Hoag

New Moon Cafe is hosting an exhibit of the artwork of Moldovan orphans from November 14th – December 5th, 2011.
Moldova, a former Soviet Republic, is today the poorest country in Europe. Following the collapse of Communism the economic and social infrastructure of the country crumbled, and the resulting vacuum was filled with corruption, lawlessness and despair. In the ensuing years 25% of the population left the country seeking work. Many thousands of children were left behind, either with other family members who could not provide for them or they were simply abandoned. These kids find themselves on the street, or dumped into government run orphanages.
Total funding for the orphanages is the equivalent of about $1 per child per day. As a result, programs and services are severely limited and conditions are marginal at best.

The fate that awaits these children when they reach the age of 16 is horrific. At 16, they must leave the orphanages and often fall prey to traffickers who sell them as sex slaves.
ARS DOR under the direction of Ghenadie Sontu, is an organization that regularly visits the orphanages providing art classes as a vehicle for the children to express what is in their hearts ~ the rejection, abandonment and loss they have experienced. In the process of exercising newly found creative gifts, the orphans begin to discover their identity, as precious and valued.
Art therapy is a respected and effective method for dealing with childhood trauma. In the creative environment of art classes, leaders assess the psychological state of the children and work to build a sense of identity as well as hope and a future.
An exuberant display of the artwork of these children is on display at New Moon. 150 Cherry Street Inc. is sponsoring this awareness and fundraising event for the benefit of ARS DOR and the orphans of Moldova. If you are interested to learn more about this program please contact michaelbeer@150cherryst.org.

European Culture Congress in Wroclaw

The Congress opened with a lecture delivered by Professor Zygmunt Bauman, who discussed the future of Europe as a community, in the political, geographic, and cultural sense. Among the guests of the inaugural ceremonies were Polish President Bronisław Komorowski, Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski, and Wrocław Mayor Rafał Dutkiewicz.

Quoting the words of Gadamer, “To live with the Other, as the Other of the Other, is the basic human task,” Professor Bauman emphasized Europe’s particularly rich — yet often difficult — experience with the Other. He remarked that in contemporary Europe, it is often our next-door neighbor who is the Other, and whom we must engage in dialog. The political future of Europe, a mosaic of diasporas, depends on the fate of culture, the philosopher explained. From a bird’s eye view, the contemporary world appears to be an archipelago of diasporas, a multi-layered reality woven from various identities, experiences, and traditions. Hence it is all the more crucial that we redefine the identity of Europe and open ourselves up to its liquidity. Zygmunt Bauman concluded his lecture with the observation: “The time has come for us to consider whether the geographical past of Central Europe could in fact be the future of European culture.”

Professor Zygmunt Bauman participated in preparations for the Congress from its earliest stages. On the initiative of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Professor Bauman wrote a book about the birth and development of culture as a concept and its prospects for future evolution. Culture in a Liquid Modern World was published in the spring as a part of the National Cultural Program of the 2011 Presidency.
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Moldova’s First Cultural Congress 2009 – Reform gathers pace

On December 12th 2009, 1000 people entered Moldova’s parliament for the nation’s first cultural congress. Supported by Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Matra programme, the event was organised as part of a larger lobbying and advocacy campaign that sought to give voice to the needs of Moldova’s cultural sectors.

As ECF’s European Neighbourhood Programme manager Philipp Dietachmair observed: ‘This congress and the entire movement behind it, is very impressive. We have never had comparable support from such high-level politicians and such a large number of professionals, media and artists in such a short time in any other country we have worked.’

With Moldova’s President, Mihai Gimpu on hand to speak in favor of cultural reform, the lobby has made important steps towards realising a Moldovan Cultural Fund — a new mechanism in financing culture that is currently being widely applied across Europe. Also in partnership with Centre for Cultural Policy (Chisinau), Soros Foundation – Moldova and The National Association of Creation Unions (ANUC).

27-28 October 2009 Fabrica de Pensule, Cluj

Forum Cluj is a platform for cooperation between civil society and decision-makers that aims to gain a new understanding of regional and urban development, one that includes and makes use of its cultural dimension.

The forum brings together representatives of the EU Institutions, national government and local authorities, as well as experts and civil society representatives from different European countries to identify means to build on this cultural dimension for the benefit of cities and regions.

They are invited to share practical knowledge on how to use cultural resources, and lay emphasis on the potential of contemporary culture and civil society initiatives to effectively impact on democratization processes, social and economic development, education, foreign affairs and community development (see the programme).

By this, the event contributes to the action sought for by the European Parliament through its resolution on the Role of culture in the development of European regions (April 2009).

Forum Cluj – Culture and Urban Development is organised by A Soul for Europe Initiative and AltArt Foundation. The Forum Cluj is based on the experience of previous forums in Belgrade(March 2007, October 2008), Pécs (November 2007), Skopje (April 2008), Lyon (October 2008) and Sofia (2009).

The Forum takes place inside Fabrica de Pensule / the Paintbrush Factory, a new independent space for contemporary arts initated by a group of 40 artists, curators, cultural managers and producers in Cluj.

Organisers

Alt Art Foundation Cluj in co-operation with the “A Soul for Europe” Initiative.

Partners
German Cultural Centre Cluj, Foundation for Urban Projects and Research, Fabrica de Pensule, www.madeincluj.org

Supported by

Agency for Governmental Strategies Romania AFCN – Administration of the National Cultural Fund Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe Soros Foundation Romania in the framework of East-East: Partnership Beyond Borders Program

Contact
Rarita Zbranca, Director of the AltArt Foundation and member of the “A Soul for Europe”Strategy Group

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Berlin Conference “A Soul for Europe”, 14/15 November 2008

On 14 and 15 November 2008, high-ranking representatives from European politics and the economy, cultural representatives and young players in European civil society will come together for the third Berlin Conference to discuss the role of culture in the future organisation of Europe with regard to politics, the economy and civil society. The opening speakers are Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament; Norbert Lammert, President of the German Bundestag; and Richard von Weizsäcker, Former Federal President of Germany. Under the motto “What Europe needs now”, deficits as well as opportunities will be discussed; strategies on increased involvement, particularly on the part of young citizens, as well as the role of European institutions will be deliberated. With: among others, Ján Figel’, EU Commissioner; Dessy Gavrilova, The Red House Centre, Sofia; Miklos Marschall, Transparency International; Frans Timmermans, Minister of European Affairs, The Netherlands; and Dejan Ubović, Kulturni Front, Belgrade.

The significance of European culture and the interactions between politics, culture and the economy in a globalised world will be touched upon as main issues by, among others, Erhard Busek, South-Eastern European Cooperative Initiative; Meglena Kuneva, EU Commissioner; John C. Kornblum, Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany; Catherine Mühlemann, Media Manager; Louis Schweitzer, Renault S.A.; and Farid Tabarki, Coolpolitics, Amsterdam. On the second day of the conference, the panel “A Europe for European Citizens” will discuss the options for creating a European public and introduce specific projects. Participants include: Mark Beundermann, NRC Handelsblad Rotterdam; Elmar Brok, MEP; Rarita Szakáts, AltArt Foundation; Nevenka Koprivsek, Power Station/Bunker Ljubljana; Thomas Krüger, Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung). Strategies for the increased recognition and utilisation of the potential of culture for European integration will be formulated by, among others, Dario Disegni, Compagnia di San Paolo; Xavier Troussard, EU Commission; Luc van den Brande, Committee of the Regions, Brussels. The initiative “A Soul for Europe” and the Berlin Conference will be supported by Stiftung Zukunft Berlin, Compagnia di San Paolo, Fundaçao Calouste Gulbenkian, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond and the Robert Bosch Stiftung. Starting in 2009, the initiative founded in Berlin in 2004 will also operate from Amsterdam, Porto, Belgrade and Brussels. An international network of around 40 young players from culture, education, politics and the media will then support the initiative and develop strategies for action.

The conference will take place at Dresdner Bank, Pariser Platz 6, and is open to the press. The pressconference will take place on 14 November at 12:00 p.m. With: Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament; Verena Knaus, European Stability Initiative as well as Nele Hertling and VolkerHassemer, “A Soul for Europe” initiative.

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Training “Experienţa Letoniei în procesul de integrare europeană – o lecţie pentru Republica Moldova”

ARS DOR a luat parte la trainingurile organizate de catre Institutul pentru Dezvoltare şi Iniţiative Sociale (IDIS Viitorul) in perioada 11 – 13 şi 19 – 20 aprilie pe tema integrarii europene in baza experientei Letoniei.

În cadrul a două seminare, participanţii au avut posibilitatea să se informeze despre experienţa Letoniei în procesul de integrare în Uniunea Europeană, ca un exemplu de urmat pentru Republica Moldova.

Lectorii Andris Spruds, Renars Danelsons etc., experţi din Letonia s-au axat pe mai multe aspecte: etapele de negocieri dintre Letonia şi UE, impactul relaţiilor dintre Letonia  şi Rusia în procesul de integrare europeană, securitatea energetică etc. Trainingurile respective au fost destinate reprezentanţilor ONG, studenţilor şi tuturor tinerilor interesaţi de fenomenul integrării europeane şi anume de experienţa Letoniei în procesul de integrare în Uniunea Europeană.  Proiectul s-a desfăşurat cu suportul Balkan Trust for Democracy şi a Fundaţiei Soros Moldova.

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Gulliver Connect

A mobility programme through work placements for young and up-coming artists, art managers and cultural operators in Europe.

Gulliver Connect is a longest established and most flexible mobility and work placement programme in Europe. It promotes international co-operation among arts and cultural professionals from Europe. It is inspired by Günter Grass’s idea ‘to overcome borders of incomplete contact and knowledge of each other’.

Gulliver Connect is for young professionals who have 2 or 3 years working experience in the field of performing and visual arts, new media, project co-ordination and arts development or management.

Thanks to a large network of cultural organisations throughout Europe, Gulliver Connect offers hands-on work experience. It’s unique ability is to use such an extensive range of hosts to match the individual talents of young people. And it enables the hosting organisations to find valuable working partners for the future. Participants discover working environments so different from their own. For example, Gulliver Connect has created matches between Cluj and London, Zagreb and Krasnoyarsk, Sofia and Almaty, Graz and Istanbul, and Ljubljana and Avignon.

Each year the programme sends out calls for applications for young professionals and hosting organisations. Bursaries are available to cover international travel and accommodation costs, and a small per diem for the visitor.

The work placements develop professional skills and establish new forms of international co-operation. Both the young visitor and the hosting organisation benefit from each other’s working practices. They share information, experiences and ideas, and establish far reaching professional contacts.

In the beginning Gulliver Connect concentrated on the needs of Eastern European artists and art professionals. Its focus, from 1997, was the exchange of young cultural operators in countries undergoing social and cultural transition. Later the programme was opened up to allow cultural operators from Middle and East Europe to visit a Western European organisation and vice versa.

By creating a dynamic network Gulliver Connect adds a new dimension to the social, artistic and cultural development of Europe – a stepping stone for the future of European co-operation in the arts.

Information: http://www.gulliverconnect.org/

The Informal Working Body Gulliver started in 1987, aiming at the creation of a European, non-governmental, informal and independent working group as a platform for the exchange of ideas between European artists and intellectuals on essential issues for the future of European culture.

Gulliver was established as a pan-European working group that wanted to initiate ideas and projects, which promote the spirit of free cooperation between artists and intellectuals throughout Europe. Gulliver organised a number of meetings which have eventually opened up new prospects for further cooperation as a result of the need felt by the participants to devise new patterns for cultural action beyond borders.

‘European Artists Forum’, 1987 in the framework of Amsterdam Cultural Capital
“We were looking for a name. The word Europe is so misused that we thought it would be helpful for us and others to look for a name which is able to express our visions, our hopes”.
Günter Grass, 1987

‘Europa, Europa’, Gulliver Amsterdam 1989
Intellectuals and artists came together to discuss the political and cultural changes in Eastern Europe and their consequences and influences on Europe: “We now see the first gap in the Iron Curtain, the barbed wire is being rolled away.”
György Konrad, 1989

‘The Role of the Cities in Building Europe’, Leningrad, 1990
For the first time after the October Revolution a non-official, foreign body was able to invite Russians and individuals from all over Europe to gather for an intercultural dialogue in Leningrad:

“A conference in Leningrad will give us the feeling that we are not alone, and that you are not alone. Petersburg is the best example of being Europe, losing Europe and maintaining Europe.”
Andrei Bitov, 1990

‘Disintegration and Individualisation, Hysteria and Composure’, Sinaïa/ Bucharest 1991
Gulliver members met in Romania to talk about the construction of the European Union and the duties of a possible European cultural policy.

“The last two years have been of great historical troubles leading to intolerance and the lack of words to describe what is really happening. How can we find those words? And how can we find the right terms to describe this process of decay and regeneration?”
Karl Schlögel, 1991

‘The reflection comes to an end; the future belongs to art’, Amsterdam 1992
Dedicated to “Philosophy and Art” a Gulliver meeting was held in Amsterdam. With a discussion on the implementation of the theoretical dimension of cultural co-operation in Europe it tied up to the essence of Gulliver gatherings:

“Europe is moving. The 90ties could progress into a period in which the theories lay behind the actual happenings.”
Steve Austen, 1992

“Deutschland in Europa in Duitsland” marked an event that concentrated on Germany’s role within European unification. The East-German playwright Heiner Müller exemplified the situation of an artist who found himself in the middle of political transformation: “The reflection comes to an end; the future belongs to art.”
Heiner Müller, 1992

‘Multiculturalism’, Istanbul 1993
Gulliver members refreshed their Declaration from 1987:

“Gulliver members believe that artists and intellectuals have to be provided with space necessary for them to create freely without the limits imposed by bureaucracy and institutionalisation.”

‘European Cultural Politics: The Diversity in Unity’,Vienna 1994
To discuss the cultural paragraph of the Maastricht Treaty:

“Culture is neither regarded as an instrument or a goal within the network of political processes, nor as a unifying force for Europe, not even as the field where integrating movements can play their role.”
Melchior de Wolff, 1994

‘Curtain Up? From the Berlin Wall to New Walls: 10 Years of Gulliver’, Bucharest, 1997:

“An empire that seemed eternal has collapsed and the spiritual curtains, the movement of ideas, the obsessions of the European world have changed. The iron curtain has disappeared, but there are other curtains that we are particularly aware of.”
Augustin Buzura, 1997

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Media

• “    Moldova a lansat 21 de Ambasadori ai eurointegrarii” (Moldova launched 21 Ambassadors of European integration), “Timpul”, An. V, No. 114 (389), supplement Integrare Europeana pas cu pas, No. 6 (24), p.5, June 30, 2006, Silvia Bogdanas
• “   Dumnezeu are un plan aparte cu cei din Basarabia” (God has a special plan for those from Bessarabia), “Jurnal de Chisinau”, An. VII, No. 490, p.17, June 30, 2006, interview with Ghenadie Sontu, Irina Nechit
• “Художники становятся послами евроинтеграции” (Visual artist become Ambassadors), “Кишиневский обозреватель”, No. 24 (548), p.15, June 29, 2006, Natalia Motili
• “В Европу – через искусство” (To Europe – through art) , “Бизнес-Элита”, No. 22 (57), Tue, June 27, 2006, p.5
• “Eurointegration through art” at EuroNews, Agenda of major cultural events across Europe, June 26, 2006 http://www.euronews.net
• Interview with Ghenadie Sontu at “Mon Amur”, “EuroTV”, June 25, 2006, Zinaida Cherkez
• “Культура – единственное, что способно объединить Европу” (Culture – unique chance to unite Europe) , “Столица”, No. 46 (705), Sat, June 24,2006, p.8, Nadina Gheorghita
• “Cultura – unica iluzie care poate uni Europa” (Culture – unique hope that can unite Europe), “Capitala”, No. 46 (708), Sat,June 24, 2006, p.8, Nadina Gheorghita
• “Eurointegrare prin arta” (Eurointegration through art), “Flux”, No. 24 (552), p.7, Friday, June 23, 2006, E. D., Flux
• “Евроинтеграция в шлепанцах” (Eurointegration in sandals), “Экономическое обозрение”, No. 24 (664), June 23, 2006, Tatiana Migulina
• “Ne vom integra prin arta?” (Will we integrate through art?), “Gazeta Libera”, No. 24 (65), Thursday, June 22, 2006, p.14, A.R.
• “Arta devine Ambasadoarea integrarii Europene” (Art becomes Ambassador of European integration), “Timpul”, An.V, No. 107 (382), p.3, June 21, 2006, Silvia Bogdanas
• “Евроинтеграция через искусство” (Eurointegration through art), “Независимая Молдова”, June 21, 2006
• “Eurointegrare prin arta”: expoziţie la Chişinău” (Eurointegration through art: exhibition at Chisinau), radio “Europa Libera”, June 20, 2006, Dumitru Crudu
• “Promotion of intercultural dialogue through art”, Information Office of the Council of Europe in Moldova, June 6, 2006
• “The Artist with Rabby Eyes”, “Open Skies Magazine”, Nr 6(11), December 2005, Inna Zheltova
• “Identity” offers opportunity for personal analysis”, “The UN in Moldova Magazine”, Special Edition, 2005
• “Poslanniki Mira” (Peace Ambassadors), “Kisninevskii obozrevateli”, December 16, 2004, No. 46
• “Sidromul DOR” (Syndrom DOR), “Observator cultural”, No.149-150, January 13, 2003, Bucuresti, Dorina Bohantov
• Fotografie de epoca “Un fragment al intersectiilor accidentale ale istoriei” (Photography of epoch “A fragment of the accidental crossestions of history”), “Flux”, VII 3(991), January 23, 2003, p. 4, Nicoleta Buru
• “Interviu cu presedintele Parlamentului Tinerilor” (Interview with the President of the Youth Parliament), “Interactiunea”, No. 9(15), p. 6, Alina Avram
• “Children’s spontaneity in portraits”, “The Connection”, November 7, 2002, No. 40 (81), Irina Lyakhova
• “Republica Moldova: intre presedinti a doua parlamente” (Republic of Moldova: between Presidents of two Parliaments), “Accente”, No. 63, January 14, 2002
• “Debut pictura – Ghenadie Sontu”, “Atelier”, No.1-2, 2002, p. 36
• “Spatiul Mioritic la Chisinau” (Mioritic spirit in Chisinau), “Perspective”, Bucuresti, an VIII, No. 41, March-April 2002, p.11, Dumitrita Bobina
• “Ghenadie Sontu, un pictor original care a reusit sa descrie sufletul” (Ghenadie Sontu, an original painter, who succeeded to paint soul), “Flux”, VI, No. 116 (967), November 5, 2002, Nicoleta Buru
• “Oamenii curajosi nu sunt niciodata fericiti” (Courageous people are never happy), “Accente”, No. 64, January 21, 2002, p.6 Alina Avram
• “De la arta populara la postmodernism” (From the popular art to postmodernism), “Literatura si Arta”, No. 44 (2932), November 1, 2001, Ghenadie Sontu
• “Lumea vazuta cu ochi intrebatori” (World seen with questioning eyes), “Capitala”, November 14, 2001, p.4, Diana Svitchi