AGORA summer camp for young feminists 2023 edition

Community Safety and Mediation Center Foundation (CMSC) in partnership with Romanian Women’s Lobby Association (RoWL), Hedda Association, Bulgarian Platform of European Women's Lobby, The Network of East-West Women (NEWW) și Magyar Nöi Erdekérvényesitö Szövetség/Hungarian Women’s Lobby:

organizes between 6 to 10 July 2023, in the Iași County

the second AGORA Summer Camp for young feminists within the project

‘GLORIA - feminism and strategic approach of gender equality’

During the 4 days of the camp, we created an inclusive space for women and girls between the ages of 17+ and 30 to exchange experiences, inspire and strengthen knowledge in feminist ABC through practical workshops, and new skill development with the aid from partners and project experts. The program uses innovative participatory methodologies based on a transformative learning process that addresses both personal, individual, organizational/societal and system-level learning. With this summer camp, we, as non-governmental organizations working with women's and girls' issues, aim to better understand the interests, needs and activities of young feminists in Romania who are volunteers or employed in member organizations of the Romanian Women's Lobby Association (RoWL) and to bring them more into the center of our future strategy and actions.

AGORA derives from the Greek word market / forum, implying the opportunity to have discussions on topics that are often considered controversial within the feminist movement, as well as the place where ideas can be developed about how women and girls can stand in solidarity by making a common front. During the feminist camp days, young participants discovered the difference between feminist theory and real-life activism by developing practical and strategic skills.

Participants also gained new perspectives by being part of such a diverse group of women and making lifelong friends and allies.

Workshops were held with experts on selective topics such as: reproductive health; community support in crisis situations; how we can get civically involved and participate in community and political life; how we can get involved in the feminist movement; human rights as women's rights; what it means to be part of an association - from volunteering to fundraising, from multitasking to involvement. The experts present at the camp also contributed with training sessions to the development of strategic planning and the integration of women's rights knowledge into the work of member organisations, showed how to build pro-active, sustainable and regional strategic partnerships.

The project is implemented by Community Safety and Mediation Center Foundation in partnership with the Romanian Women's LOBBY Association, Foreningen HEDDA; Network of East-West Women; Bulgarian Platform of European Women's Lobby; Magyar Női Érdekérvényesítő Szövetség (Hungarian Women's Lobby) and benefits from a 249,943 euros grant from Active Citizens Fund Romania, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants Grants 2014 -2021. The aim of the project is to support the 21 member NGOs in the Romanian Women's Lobby through organizational development, strengthening the role of monitoring and advocacy regarding women's rights, gender equality and combating gender-based violence in order to achieve a strategic approach, strengthening financial resources and organizational and increasing the capacity to raise public awareness of the problems faced by women beneficiaries of NGO services.

‍Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.

Contact:
Irina Simiuc, Project manager
E-mail: irina.simiuc@cmsc.ro