The NGDO Platform
- Statute -
Preamble
The international development cooperation and international solidarity were key elements for Romanian society’s development after 1989. Once Romania accessed the European Union, the time has came for the Romanian civil society to pay back part of the support it benefited of all these years and to actively involve in supporting the poorer countries of the world.
After 1989, during the transition period Romania benefited of international solidarity. International donors and NGOs strongly involved in supporting the process of finding solution for the economic and social problems Romania has faced.
Starting with 2007, Romania will become European Union Member State, thus it will increasingly become exposed to globalisation effects: the problems faced by the poorest countries from the global South will become more visible in Romania also and the Romanian citizens will have to become more aware of the tight connection between their life and the reality of the rest of the world. Romania will probably be no more emigration country, but adoption country for thousand people from the poor global South. The commercial policies and external relations of the European Union affecting those poor countries development will be part of the national Romanian policies. In the same time, as a Member State, Romania will have to assume and actively participate in the external action of the European Union. The international solidarity will be strongly connected with the other Member States’ efforts toward resolving the global problems: removing the endemic poverty, promoting a durable development of environment protection, combating the HIV/AIDS at world level. Consequently, after being net beneficiary of international support until 2007, after accession the European Union Romania will assume the role of international donor.
In this context, the Romanian civil society is called to assume an avant-garde role in promoting the values of global solidarity and international development cooperation. The Romanian NGOs may effectively contribute to the international effort to combat poverty and promote development at global level.
The experience of operating in a medium characterised by difficult political, economic and social transition is an advantage for the Romanian NGOs willing to assume this new mission. Meanwhile, as beneficiaries of international support and international donors, it is important for us to ensure that the Romanian Government, as well as the European institutions involved in the international development cooperation policies, will not repeat certain errors in the relationship with international support beneficiaries. The international development cooperation and humanitarian aid must consider primarily its beneficiaries interest and must serve their exclusive benefit. The essential beneficiary of the efforts for international cooperation must be the individual enriched with human dignity and the fundamental right to not live in poverty.
Our collective experience came from the period before 1989, as citizens of totalitarian state represents a supplementary motivation for our actions to seek promotion of respecting the human dignity and freedom.
Our historic experience as citizens of a country often placed in zones affected by conflicts dictated by the great empires and powers’ interests must also be a reason to observe respect of the international law, of the international multilateral action and peaceful resolving of conflicts.
Together, we the Romanian NGOs engage ourselves as members of the Romanian NGDOs Platform (FOND Romania) to act towards promotion of the international cooperation for development and humanitarian aid, in the spirit of international humanitarian solidarity.
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