“One of the problems of the young people from Moldova is apathy. Apathy and indifference towards everything around them.” These words spoken by Vlad, 25yrs old, share an opinion on Moldovan youth that is commonly presented in a movie “Being Young in Moldova – Youth concerns”. Is this situation so worrying? Is the local youth not interested in actions, especially these ones which aim to bridge the gap between Chisinau and Tiraspol?
Moldova-Transnistria, author: Adrian Browarczyk, source: Eastbook.eu
Watch the film: “Being Young in Moldova – Youth concerns”.
I had a great possibility to interview a group of young people from both sides of Dniester who prove that it’s possible to be enthusiastic and active! AEGEE-Chisinau and NGO Information Resource Center “Common Home” Tiraspol will serve as the examples.
MOLDOVA: AEGEE-Chisinau was established on 4th June 1999 as one of the Eastern antennae of European Students’ Forum AEGEE. A group of youth had been keen to bring the European spirit in that post-Soviet capital. During ages it developed into one of the most recognizable youth organizations in there. In 2009 they became a member of National Youth Council of Moldova (mld. CNTM). Nowadays, nineteen active members of AEGEE–Chisinau try to positively impact the local community in cooperation with other NGOs (Local BEST Group Chisinau for instance).
As I was curious how the relations between AEGEEans from Chisinau and Tiraspol youth can look like, I asked Olesea Tudose and Lucia Gori, the representatives of AEGEE-Chisinau, to explain this matter. They told me that A-Chisinau has already got in touch with one of the Transnistrian NGOs – NGO Information Resource Center “Common Home” Tiraspol. Their efforts to forge links with an organization from that breakaway region and a great will to do so from Tiraspol side call for a recognition. And even if they haven’t organized a joint project yet, they attempt to organize annually a trip to Tiraspol for participants of AEGEE Summer University. Anyway, to prove that a cooperation could not be as successful as we imagine, I’d like to evoke that travellers’ experience confirms that having a passport does not mean you’ll be able to get to Tiraspol. You can be easily stopped on the border without any reason.
TRANSNISTRIA: NGO Information Resource Center “Common Home” Tiraspol, founded in 2003 by a group of students (remark: 13 years passed since the Transnistria has claimed its independence), is receptive to all political, economic, social and cultural trends in civil society. As a part of IRC “Common Home” settled in Moldova it supports a close cooperation between people from that region in the field of economic, social, cultural, educational, health as well as in the areas of human rights, gender, peace and disarmament. Dmitri Gavrilov, director of IRC “Common Home” Tiraspol affirms that this friendly relationship allows us to think that several projects will be held in common in near future. As an AEGEE member interested in conflict resolution issue I decided to ask Dmitri about AEGEE itself as one of the solutions that could bring Europeans closer to Transnistrian matter. His answer gave a green light to that idea: Great!, he said, we would like to consider the opening of AEGEE in Tiraspol. He added that regardless of the possible governmental objections he’ll do his best while setting AEGEE there.
Excited and willing to open a new chapter in reconciliation process, Dmitri Gavrilov proves that Transnistrian youth is seeking for more Europe and West in there like the Moldavians people actually do for a long time. For us, young Europeans, it must be a sign that something is changing. In conclusion I’d say that evidently there’s a great need of youth cooperation in the region. Courage, motivation and friendship should be the values that will encourage those active ones to build a new society.
Find out more about Transnistria issue: Chisinau vs. Tiraspol – who can solve the Transnistrian conflict?
