DAY 2: Debates & traditional workshops

AER SUMMER ACADEMY

MARAMUES, ROMANIA

WEDNESDAY 8TH OF AUGUST DAY 2

Suior Resort, an amazing place to stay for a visit in Maramures. A ski resort during wintertime with the best down hills in Maramures and a beautiful jungle-isch place during the summer. Surrounded by a small lake and beautiful  flowers. You’ll get there by using the ski lift, a ride for 15 minuets, to the night of 1000 meters. The ride during the day offers an amazing view and during the night a starlight sky. This is where we had our stay.

Riding the lift created time for conversations. In conversation in particularly was about the nature, economic growth and daily lift the the Romanian people. They have such an amazing nature, but are not preserving it. They cut down the woods and do not plant any new trees, so they are slowly loose more and more of this beautiful nature.

    

Since the economic growth is declining and debt increasing, the government I selling of land that are being exploiting for the wood, gold, silver and petrol. Also the people of Romania is in general farmers, balancing several choirs and works, so they don’t have the time nor the money to explore the adventures and outdoor life that Romania has to offer.

SEMINARS & UKM (UNG KULTUR MÖTS)

Creative Start, by Ramona

It’s about supporting small creativity businesses that are stated by young people.

In this project, which started in the beginning of 2018, will have 600 young people undergoing training and then 75 of these will receive a grant for €35000 and support during the first two years. One of the criteria for receiving this grant and support is that the business at least employ two persons. The project will be ongoing for 4 years.

This seminar was ended by a really  great performance by two youngsters from Norway wihtin the UKM.

       

Comana Paper Mill and Craft Village Complex, by Ion

A museum dedicated to book-related crafts, which started as an idea in 2009 and was inaugurated in 2011.  They work with crafts as a part of cultural heritage and as a part of a creative and green industry.

They hire locals whose never had a job to work with the crafts. Crafts are relevant today and an excellent alternative to getting more money for ones family.

Summer school is also offered tin focuses on the traditional crafts and Romanian people from Moldavia, Hungary, and Ukraine travel to this place to take part in this. The craft they are working with is creating books by using historic book-binding equipment with real painting as a cover. Where ever they produce in these workshops they get to keep.

They see this as a social enterprise and both in their employment strategies but also since they apply for funds so they can cover the costs for children in poverty so they also have the opportunity to participate in this summer school, because in many ways it’s more important for the participate but also it’s important for children with more opportunities to participate because they are also the ones falling far away from the traditions and spending more time in front of the screens. They are not used to work with their hands, so the project is a huge win for both group of children.

You can read more about the project on www.moatadehartie.ro

DEBATE

Follow you’ll read some conclusions from the debate between the Director of European Heritage Volunteers, Erasmus Student Network (ESN) and the Federation of Youth NGOs.

How can a region be attractive through heritage?

First of all it’s important to domestically show and teach what our heritage is, then we need to share it with others by create a curiosity around it and putting value into it. By doing so we are attractive to our inhabitants about also can attract tourists. It’s all about roots and identity.  

Where is the line drawn between preserving culture and exploiting culture for economic growth?

There’s no reason to exploit culture for economical gain, but it is necessary to have communication between the policy makers and the locals on how we in best way can use our culture and tradition and in a healthy way connect it to tourism. We need to have a sustainable development regarding the culture (and everything else) and we need to create a green economy, and for that culture and traditions such as crafts etc has an important role. It is possible to go forward by “going backwards” and using the old thing sod doing things in a new way.

What makes a region attractive?

Even though materialistic things as buildings and so are important we can not forget that communities, culture and traditions are people; the ones that have lived before us, and those who are still here. How do we live? It’s important to really see the people, the actions, cultures and events in order to really understand the community as a whole. If people can’t tell about the buildings, because they don’t know their own background, the buildings are not worth anything.

Is there anything negative about being an attractive region? Some regions is really good at reserving their heritage but do not have an economic growth and therefore there’s some negative effects on the regions. What do they need to do to change this?

Focus on conservation, education and additional impact. Use the sites as a tool and and a reason to educate and that will bring attractiveness.

There can be fears about a region that are too attractive and therefore bring too much tourism so that the own population cannot longer value and experience their own heritage. How should we work with this on a national regional and local level? Is there any strategies for this?

There should be a common strategy that’s coherent. The inhabitants must be involved and preferably also experts within the area. The decision should be made on local or regional level, as close the inhabitants as possible.

Why should we think these kind of things are interesting and important? How do a regions create and take advantage of most of the possibilities when it come to cultural heritage?  

It’s about identity and real experiences. To have a heritage site is more valuable and relevant for ons regions and inhabitants than having a drilling site. A drilling site only has the economical aspect. But it also appeals to the individuals, e.g most of us are curious about how our grand parents lived etc.

Who decides what is worth preserving for the future and how do we produce new heritage for us to leave behind?

Usually it’s said that the distance in time is about 50 years (two generations) to define a heritage. So really our grandchildren will decide what heritage we’ve left behind.  

QUESTIONS FROM THE YOUTH PARTICIPANTS TO THE PANEL

How do we engage young people in heritage and digitalisation? How do we engage different generations to speak about heritage in a digital environment or other kind of interactions?

Young people search for everything online. Make the heritage online so that the young pele can fins it, because after that they will go and check it out.

How do we engage the private sector on the municipal level to take part in the heritage?

All communities have to find their own ways to work and involve people and sectors in this. UrbanisationAs many thing a lot depends on the individualists and enthusiasts pushing for these kind of things. Urbanisation is a negative force for preserving the heritage in the rural areas since young people need to move in order to study or find jobs etc.

How do we ensure accessibility for he cultural heritage? It shouldn’t matter if your disabled, poor, live in the rural areas, lack the knowledge or feel unable to because of too much tourism (which makes you to not take part and to lesser value it), all people should have access.

Well, first it needs to start with the formal education. We need to make sure that everybody knows about their heritage so they also want to and can demand to take part in it. The. We have to make sure that everybody has the possibility to take part. Also enable apply for funds for projects involving youth to that they could cover costs for less fortunate youth. We also need to involve our youth more in the decision making  processes. We need to be they and encourage youth to make their voice heard and really hear them.

VILLAGE MUSEUM: TRADITIONAL  CRAFTS WORKSHOPS

After a great morning with an interesting seminar and great panel it was time to head to Village Museum to participate in traditional workshops conducted by traditional craftsmen from Maramures.

It’s the perfect balance of theoretical knowledge and sharing of best practises in the policy and decision making processes to later share knowledges in the practical way.  These are exactly some of the heritage that we need to preserve, and all regions has their speciality.

Weaving workshop.

The lady, an incredible crafts(wo)man, showed her work, shared the history of the craft and invited the participants to try it on.

In the picture she is holding up a sweater that is 130 years old, and right before one that was 100 years old and finishing of with a towel with 150

years on its neck. How amazing isn’t that?!

She talked about how weaving is good for your sole, the great quality of it and her fear of everything being done by the push of a button.

Pottery workshop.

Truly amazing craft and super difficult. How can it look so simple?!

It’s not only impressive to witness a vase being made in 2 minutes but we also enjoyed watching them teach us. And there’s nothing simple about being a craftsman. To work throughout the weekdays and then spend the weekends at a fair just to make ends meet.  

This is absolutely a very important part in their and their families life.

It’s was also awesome the we could keep the work of art (it’s truly art) that we made.

Beside those two workshops there was tradition food and drinks, word carving and embroidery, all of these at the Village Museum.

The afternoon ended at a very beautiful place called Alex Trout Farm. With big wooden houses, cabanas, a waterfall and waters full of trout it was an amazing evening where we were served... well guess... trout! And it was so tasty! And nevertheless amazing live music.

// Rebecca and Emil