Moldova Invest, in dialogue with Gheorghe CÂRCIU, Secretary of State in the Department for Romanians Everywhere (DRP)

The Department for Romanians Everywhere (DRP) is responsible for formulating and implementing the government’s strategy regarding relations with Romanians settled outside the country’s borders, in accordance with Romania’s major foreign policy directions and the Governance Program.

Gheorghe Cârciu has been serving as Secretary of State within the DRP since January 5, 2022. He is a successful entrepreneur in France, where he has demonstrated remarkable abilities in coordinating his business, managing various aspects such as project development, administration, technical matters, fi nancial management, and personnel management.

In recent years, Romanian associations abroad have had to adapt to a challenging context, and the DRP has closely collaborated with them to identify and implement relevant programs. Regarding the relationship with the diaspora and the promotion of the interests of Romanians abroad in 2024, the DRP aims to continue and expand existing programs with the goal of strengthening the ties between Romanians worldwide and supporting their communities.

The Department for Romanians Everywhere (DRP) implements programs and actions aimed at strengthening ties with Romanians worldwide, supporting and promoting ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity, preserving cultural heritage and maintaining traditions and customs among individuals belonging to communities beyond the borders. From this perspective, how would you characterize the year 2023?

From the perspective of the activities of the Department for Romanians Everywhere (DRP), the year 2023 was extremely challenging, with significant projects aimed at bringing as many Romanians from beyond the country’s borders closer to Romania.

Through the Non-Repayable Funding Session, we managed the largest budget ever allocated to DRP, dedicated to non-repayable funding programs, handled the highest number of project applications (over 1000), and supported Romanian communities in 35 countries. This component of our activity engaged the entire DRP team in all its steps: from community outreach, almost weekly online meetings with representatives of the associative environment beyond the country’s borders, continuous guidance, dossier verifi cation, activities and funding.

“We aim to continue the longstanding programs and actions of the DRP, to unite Romanians everywhere, and for Romania to become a single place for all those who share the same values.”

We endeavored to do more for Romanians in the diaspora and historical communities, and I believe we succeeded in identifying relevant projects and collaborating with Romanian associations and churches abroad that can make signifi cant changes in the areas where they live. Last year, we also resumed a traditional program for DRP, the Day of Romanians Everywhere, which was marked from May 25th to May 28th, 2023, in Bucharest, through a series of events dedicated to Romanians from beyond the country’s borders within the “Here-There” Festival. Held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, in partnership with the Union of Plastic Artists from Romania, the festival enjoyed the participation of over 400 Romanians from the diaspora and historical communities.

Another milestone of the year 2023 was the ARC Camp Program, through which 5000 participants, students, and accompanying teachers from the Romanian diaspora and historical communities, from 24 countries around the world, had the opportunity to visit Romania, practice their Romanian language skills and deepen their knowledge of Romanian culture and civilization alongside teachers and volunteers from here.

Additionally, we continued the program to support education in the Romanian language in Ukraine and 15,302 students, teachers and students benefited from financial support from the Romanian state in 2023.

How have Romanian associations adapted in the context of the diffi cult periods experienced in the last 3 years?

Depending on the regions they live in, Romanians beyond the country’s borders face diff erent problems that require tailored programs. The most dramatic situation is, of course, in Ukraine, where associations of ethnic Romanians have had to operate under very diffi cult conditions and become much more active in accessing support programs off ered by Romania to cover a wider range of needs.

For Romanians in the diaspora, the period of the pandemic and the associated economic changes has had a major impact on their way of life, from changing jobs to changing countries of residence. These transformations have generated expectations related to a deeper understanding of the legislation in the countries where they live, the possibility of returning and reintegrating into the labor market in Romania and the ability to organize themselves into strong associations to access relevant information and support.

In my two years in offi ce, I have constantly been in contact with representatives of these communities, either online or during organized working visits and we have tried to defi ne together a series of programs to meet their needs. I was pleased to see that mature associations have formed within the diaspora, implementing projects with an impact on the community. Technology has facilitated the transfer of information and best practices, leading to organizations that transcend the boundaries of a single country.

However, most associations face issues related to infrastructure, equipment, know-how and funds to support their long-term activities and our role is to support them in the process of consolidating their position in the community.

What are the perspectives and plans of the Department for Romanians Everywhere (DRP) for 2024 regarding the relationship with the diaspora and the promotion of the interests of Romanians abroad?

In 2024, we aim to continue the longstanding programs and actions of the DRP, to unite Romanians everywhere, and for Romania to become a single place for all those who share the same values. We have already launched the Funding Session for the year 2024 and are awaiting project proposals dedicated to Romanian communities beyond the country’s borders. Beyond providing funding, we aim to off er more guidance to associations wishing to access funds, so as to provide the community with a wider range of activities that bring them together.

Education is a priority for Romanians living abroad. In this regard, please evaluate the situation of education-focused projects, indicating their proportion within the total projects.

Indeed, education remains the most accessed program for obtaining non-refundable financing, a sign that Romanians living outside the country wish to maintain their national identity. At the same time, they consider returning and reintegrating into the labor market in Romania or scholarship programs dedicated to Romanian children and young people everywhere.

Thus, last year, out of the 475 approved applications for non-refundable financing, 137 targeted the field of education.

How do you characterize the situation of projects funded by the Department for Romanians Everywhere? What are the main targeted areas that received funding?

Starting from 2023, the Non-Repayable Funding Session targets 6 programs: education, culture, civil society, media, spirituality and tradition, and community. Overall, all of them are important considering the expressed needs of Romanians in the diaspora and historical communities. However, depending on the specifi city, requirements, and resources of each community, certain projects are developed that can improve aspects of their lives, from cultural events, Romanian language courses, reading workshops, places of worship, to mobile applications that aim to involve as many Romanians everywhere in common activities.

In 2023, the majority of approved funding requests were for the education program (137), followed by culture (131), spirituality and tradition (128), media (42), civil society (33), and community (4).

DRP launched at the beginning of 2022 the Grant Program “Supporting Romanian Communities in Ukraine.” What other actions have been taken for Romanian communities in Ukraine?

Supporting education in the Romanian language as a native language in Ukraine is a commitment made at the level of the Romanian Government, and since 2017, this commitment has included providing fi nancial support to families of students, teachers, and the training of new teachers (students).

Through the Department for Romanians Everywhere, both in 2022 and 2023, scholarships were awarded to ethnic Romanian students residing in Ukraine who study in schools with Romanian language instruction or study subjects in Romanian as a native language in the Ukrainian pre-university education system. Financial support in the form of donations was also provided to teachers in Ukraine who teach Romanian language or in Romanian.

In the past year, 15,302 students, teachers and students have benefi ted from this support, as follows:

• 12,640 students in grades I-VIII in schools in Ukraine with instruction in Romanian as a native language or with the teaching of subjects in Romanian (school year 2022-2023) received a scholarship of 2000 lei/student;
• 2,619 teachers who teach Romanian language or in Romanian at all levels of public education in Ukraine (school year 2023-2024) received fi nancial support in the amount of 2,000 lei/teacher;
• 43 students attending courses at Romanian language departments/lectureships at universities/institutes of education in Chernivtsi, Ismail, and Uzhgorod (school year 2022-2023) received a scholarship of 2000 lei/student.

In addition, ethnic Romanians in Ukraine, through representative associations, were able to access non-repayable funding programs, and over 1300 children and young people participated in the 2023 edition of the ARC Camp Program.

In the context of the memorandum issued by the Romanian community in Chernivtsi regarding the restrictions in Romanian-language education and the threat of assimilation, what measures or initiatives have been taken to support and protect the rights and identity of Romanians in Ukraine in this matter? How does the Department for Romanians Everywhere (DRP) evaluate the situation?

At the Department level, based on legal provisions, we support the national, linguistic, cultural, and spiritual identity of ethnic Romanians in Ukraine through the non-repayable funding we provide.

One of our priorities is to maintain access to education in the Romanian language at all levels of education. As previously mentioned, the main actions we undertake involve granting scholarships to ethnic Romanian students in Ukraine and supporting the training of teachers to teach in Romanian in Romanian communities beyond the borders.