Romania

PATRIR Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania
Str. Eremia Grigorescu 86, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Tel. (40) (64) 185 088,
E-mail: patrir@codec.ro,
Web-site: www.patrir.ro (Under construction)

The Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania (PATRIR), is both an institute, organisation, training centre and network, linking together scholars, grassroots activists, and critical thinkers throughout Romania. Its aim is to address the core challenges facing Romania and the countries of south and eastern Europe, to strengthen and empower grassroots organisations and citizens® action, to mobilise people for active peace work and peaceful conflict transformation, and to address the structural causes of poverty, human rights violations and economic and social injustice.

PATRIR is an institute and an organisation for research and active peace work. The four methods of PATRIR work are based upon Action, Research, Training and Dissemination.º PATRIR is a force for creative and constructive research and analysis, for the empowerment of civil society and promotion of active democracy, self-determination, sustainable development, and peaceful conflict transformation.

PATRIR: AN INSTITUTE, TRAINING CENTRE, AND NETWORK

PATRIR is built upon three complementary pillars: (i) the PATRIR Network made up of scholars and critical thinkers throughout Romania dealing with issues related to peace and conflict, development, globalisation, poverty, structural violence, gender, human rights, and ecology; (ii) cooperation (currently under development) with Babes-Bolyai University (Cluj), Black Sea University (Bucharest), Valahia University (Targoviste), and the A. I. Cuza University (Iasi), with courses in peace and development studies to be offered at each of the universities, and; (iii) the PATRIR Centre in Cluj-Napoca, the coordinating nucleus for PATRIR as an organisation, and the main PATRIR Institute, Training and Peace Action Centre in Romania.

PATRIR AS AN ORGANISATION

The core method of all PATRIR work is praxis, combining research and critique with active peace work and peaceful conflict transformation. PATRIR as an organisation works together with citizens® groups and peoples movements in Romania, Eastern Europe, and internationally to strengthen grassroots democracies and the empowerment of local communities. PATRIR cooperates with researchers, students, individuals, governments, and civil society groups to address the structural transformations brought about in Eastern Europe through the adhesion of Eastern European countries to the global market and processes of capitalisation and globalisation.º

PATRIR as an organisation, institute and network is dedicated to strengthening human rights and the rights of the people of Romania and eastern Europe to self-determination, to promoting global solidarity and democracy, and to addressing the core challenges of globalisation and free-marketisation. PATRIR is committed to promoting democratic structures and citizens participation both within Romania and globally. To this end, PATRIR works to strengthen cooperation between groups and organisations within Romania, and to strengthen cooperation with similar solidarity and peoples based organisations throughout eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Western Europe and North America.

PATRIR AS A RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND NETWORK OF SCHOLARS

The PATRIR model combines a network of researchers and scholars throughout Romania with the PATRIR Institute in Cluj-Napoca. PATRIR researchers are individuals, scholars and professors working throughout Romania addressing core issues of peace and conflict, development, globalisation, poverty, structural violence, gender, human rights, and ecology.º PATRIR research is based upon the method of Diagnosis-Prognosis-Therapy, combining clear and powerful critique with creative therapy and suggestions for what can be done.

The PATRIR Institute in Cluj-Napoca works to coordinate all PATRIR research programmes and the publication of PATRIR Research Papers and Books. The six core programmes of PATRIR research are:

- Peacebuiding and Conflict Transformation
- Nonviolence and Peace Strategies
- Politics and Governanceº
- Globalisation, Human Rights, and Social and Economic Development
- Alternative Defence and Security
- Ecological Sustainability Social, economic and political transformations resulting from the events following the collapse of the Berlin Wall and continuing transformations in Romania and throughout Eastern Europe are amongst the core research foci of the Institute and Network.

These are placed within a context of globalisation, capitalisation, and the spread of Ífree-market® democracy, together with a search for viable and creative alternatives challenging the negative and destructive effects of current economic and political maldevelopments.º People®s movements, nonviolent action, democratic participation, and peaceful conflict transformation are at the heart of the search for alternatives, influencing both PATRIR®s research and action.

PATRIR AS A TRAINING CENTRE

The PATRIR Training Centre is one of the main pillars of PATRIR work. Though the Centre itself is based in Cluj-Napoca, PATRIR training can be carried out in any location throughout Romania, or, in cooperation with PATRIR®s partners and cooperating organisations, internationally. PATRIR training is made up of 1 and 2 day(s) modules, 1 and 2 week(s) courses, and a three weeks summer school beginning in the summer of 2001. Like the research programmes, PATRIR training focuses upon peacebuilding and conflict transformation, development, globalisation, poverty, structural violence, gender, human rights, organisational development, strengthening civil society, and ecology.

Training programmes are also developed in: Peace Journalism; Peace Education; Peace and Human Rights; Nonviolent Action and People®s Movements; Mobilisation, Democratisation, Empowerment. Participants in PATRIR training will be mainly: individuals active in citizen®s groups, social movements and civil society organisations in Romania and internationally, students, teachers, human rights activists, social workers, politicians, journalists, lawyers, community leaders, business people, and committed individuals. PATRIR training programmes are both creative and challenging, skills and knowledge intensive, and highly participatory.

PATRIR trainers are drawn from within Romania and internationally. Internationally, PATRIR trainers are drawn primarily from the ICL/Praxis for Peace, TRANSCEND, the Transnational Foundation for Future and Peace Research (TFF), and the International South Group Network (ISGN). PATRIR trainers are all leading trainers, practitioners, researchers, and political activists with experience globally and/or within Romania.

In June, 2001, PATRIR will hold its first Peacebuilding, Conflict Transformation, and Regional Cooperation in South Eastern Europe training programme and people's summit. Participants, primarily national and local level politicians, social workers, NGO staff, grassroots activists, journalists, graduate-level students, and professors are invited from all the countries of South Eastern Europe.
For more information, please write to patrir@codec.ro

PATRIR AS A CENTRE FOR PEACE ACTION

In addition to Research and Training, PATRIR is actively involved in peaceful conflict transformation at the local, national, regional, and international levels. The majority of PATRIR®s involvement in this area, however, is focussed upon conflicts within Romania and South and Eastern Europe. Within Romania, PATRIR works closely with Romanian, Hungarian, and Romani organisations to address the Romanian, Hungarian and Romani conflicts within Romania, and to promote human rights and peaceful conflict transformation for all the people of Romania. PATRIR also works closely with organisations and institutions in neighbouring countries working to address these issues.

PATRIR focuses upon strengthening and cooperating together with citizens groups and civil society organisations in Romania and throughout the region working to address issues of social, economic and political injustice and for the promotion of democratisation and human rights. Given the very dramatic state of environmental destruction in several parts of Romania and throughout South and Eastern Europe,

PATRIR is involved in promoting ecological awareness and environmental sustainability, while working to promote a more holistic and healthy relationship between individuals, communities, and the environment.º PATRIR Action involves work-shops, direct action, dialogues with citizens groups, politicians, community and business leaders, and cooperation with schools and civil society organisations for awareness raising and mobilising people for active involvement in finding solutions to the challenges facing them. PATRIR is a solidarity based organisation, committed to strengthening cooperation and contacts between citizens groups and civil society organisations/movements within Romania and Southern and Eastern Europe. Building these ties around issues on which joint action and programmes can be built is one of the central fields of PATRIR®s work.

PATRIR Peace Library and Resource Centre To support its work as a Research Institute, Training, and Action Centre, PATRIR has developed a Peace Library and Resource Centre, with a wide range of books and materials in the fields of:

- peacebuilding and conflict transformation
- nonviolence
- international relations
- globalisation and world order
- European integration and cooperation
- politics and political theory
- human rights
- gender equality and women®s rights
- environment and ecology
- development
- political economy
- sociology
- psychology
- philosophy
- international law
- Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society Groups
- people®s movements
- international organisations
- World Bank, IMF, WTO - NATO, AMPO, TIAP
- the United Nations
- and particular conflict regions Books and materials are openly and freely available to the public, and will be of particular use for students, professors, researchers, politicians, NGOs, and others active in addressing these issues.

Contributions to the Peace Library and Resource Centre are welcomed and very much appreciated. All such contributions should be sent to:

PATRIR O.P. 1 - C.P. 331 Cluj-Napoca 3400 Romania
For more information, please contact Cristina Dumitru (Assistant Director): cristina.dumitru@email.ro
or
Kai Frithjof Brand-Jacobsen (Director): patrir@codec.ro Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania à
PATRIR Str. Eremia Grigorescu 86, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Tel. (40) (64) 185 088
E-mail: patrir@codec.ro Web-site: www.patrir.ro