Alburnus Maior along with its partners started to work on several projects which have as a goal the long term sustainable development of Rosia Montana and neighboring areas. Below are listed several of this initiatives and their most significant results.
1. FânFest 2004
Status: Implemented
Period: August 27-29, 2004
Budget: € 9,500
Website: www.fanfest.ro
Fân Fest Roșia Montană 2004 was a novel festival targeted both at dynamic and adventure-seeking young people, and at the inhabitants of the Arieș Valley area. The idea was born out of the wish to promote the Roșia Montană area and to assist the locals in finding alternative development methods (cultural tourism, agrotourism, traditional product trade). The participants could hike in the area, visit the Mining Museum, explore the Cârnic Mountain with its dosens of Roman and Dacian galleries, and take part in a musical protest night with popular rock and hip hop bands. The public of the festival was of approximately 4.000 people, mainly Romanian and foreign young people between 15 and 30 years of age, but also locals from the Arieș Valley. Taking into account the fact that the main organisers of the event are non-governmental organisations, FânFest was also a celebration for all volunteers and those preoccupied by the sustainable development of Romanian rural areas. FânFest promotes alternatives, dynamism and a civic spirit!
Location : Roșia Montană, the Jig-Văidoaia plateau, approx. 1,000 m altitude
Fân Fest organisers and partners: The main organiser of the event was the Alburnus Maior Association in co-operation with the Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania, Greenpeace CEE, the “Avram Iancu” Cultural Association, the “Potaissa” Foundation, the Provobis Volunteer Centre, Romanian Scouts, the Student League of the “1 Decembrie” University in Alba Iulia, the “Floarea de Colț” Ecological Association, the "Gata Oricând" Association.
Fân Fest Roșia Montană was massively promoted in the media. Alongside classical promotion, the festival was advertised by the Greenpeace CEE caravan in other events and festivals in the country: the Sighișoara Medieval Art Festival, the Stufstock Concert in Vama Veche etc. The Roșia Montană Solidarity March, which preceded the festival gathered more than 150 participants, who covered the Cluj-Roșia Montană distance (134 km) on foot. The festival was also promoted on the internet by numerous sites and discussion groups. MTV Romania was the main media partner of the festival.
2. The Golden Way of Roșia Montană
Status: Implemented
Period: June 1– September 1, 2005
Budget: € 3,900, financed by the Partnership Foundation in Miercurea Ciuc.
Website: www.drumulaurului.ro
The aim of the project was to create a framework favourable to sustainable development as an alternative to mining in Roșia Montană by including the area on the list of “Green way” initiatives beneficiaries. The project objectives were:
1. Identifying traditional customs related to mining and other aspects of local identity in Roșia Montană and neighbouring villages.
2. Promoting these as assets of the area through a “Golden Way”.
3. Involving the inhabitants in potentially income-generating activities
Target group:
- the inhabitants of Roșia Montană who were directly involved in activities related to the development of the “Golden Way”, at least 300 families.
- the FânFest participants (approximately 8.000 people) who witnessed the launch of the “Golden Way”
The geographical area covered by the project: the villages under the jurisdiction of the Roșia Montană commune (Gura Cornei, Corna, Roșia Montană, Bunta, Ignătești, Gura Roșiei, Balmoșești, Iacobești, Țarina, Blidești, Bucium Sat, Dogărești, Hilesti, Florești, Bisericani, Cărpeniș), as well as the Bucium commune and the town of Abrud.
The implementation of the first stage of the project demonstrated that Roșia Montană is not a monoindustrial area and that there is potential for development alternative to mining which must be exploited. The inhabitants were encouraged to recognise and capitalise on local traditions through small-scale economic initiatives. Stagnation due to the presence of the Canadian investors in the area will end if the first step is taken towards sustainable development.
The following are the concrete and quantified results:
- the identification and inclusion of 20 tourist objectives on the “Golden Way”
- involving a number of 50 locals in identifying and capitalising on tourist objectives
- assisting a number of 3 families in obtaining a producer certificate or licence, for a family business or for encouraging free economic initiative, the creation and registration of new businesses
- placing 30 signs which mark important tourist objectives on the “Golden Way”
- placing three “Golden Way” signs in Gura Roșiei, the Roșia Montană centre, Podul Iancului
- the “Golden Way” presentation at the FânFest Festival
- initiating approval procedures for the tourist trail which links the “Golden Way” objectives to existing tourist trails
- initiating procedures for the opening of an Eco-business club in Roșia Montană
3. FânFest Roșia Montană 2005
Status: Implemented
Period: August 26-28, 2005
Budget: € 26,000
Web site: www.fanfest.ro
FânFest Roșia Montană was a celebration of life and continuity in Roșia Montană. Beyond its protest dimension, the festival proved that the tourist alternative in Roșia Montană is possible. A three-day event, the festival included varied activities and a complex entertainment programme for nature and music lovers. The location of the festival remained the same – the Jig-Văidoaia plateau in Roșia Montană, at an altitude of approximatelyl 1.000 m.
The second FânFest edition included new and innovative experiences for a Romanian festival: hay-jumping and artificial climbing walls, poster and graffitti exhibitions and competitions, ecological film screenings, presentations on topics related to Roșia Montană, a local products fair, the launch of the “Golden Way” tourist project and many excursions in the area with local guides.
4. FânFest Roșia Montană 2006
Status: In the preparation stage
Period:August 25-27, 2006
Estimated budget: € 30,000
FânFest Roșia Montană 2006 is the third edition of the festival, carrying on the message of protest of the past years, but also the message of life and continuity in Roșia Montană. This year’s edition focuses on cultural and environmental activities; not so much on the music concert, but on the alternative activities throughout the three-day period. Combining environmental and cultural activities is innovative for this type of festival in Romania. The two-night concert will feature bands with a social message who believe in the “Save Roșia Montană” Campaign and promote its message. The local products fair will be at the centre of the festival, as before, in order to enable the inhabitants of the area to benefit from the festival. The locals will meet in advance with FânFest co-ordinators in order to prepare and to organise better for the duration of the festival. The audience is estimated at 10,000 participants.
5. Sustainable development in Bucium
Status: Implemented
Period: October 1 2005 – May 31, 2006
Budget: € 2,750, financed by the Partnership Foundation in Miercurea Ciuc.
The aim of the project is the consolidation of the ability of the Bucium commune citizens to capitalise on agrotourist potential as a viable sustainable alternative to the RMGC monoindustrial project.
The inhabitants have started small-scale agrotourist businesses, but these are only at the beginning and have limited promotion possibilities. Moreover, there is a large number of locals who have expressed their wish to invest in agrotourism but who know neither what steps must be taken in this direction, nor the scale of such efforts.
The project aims to consolidate the tourist potential capitalisation capacity through a double process of community awareness-raising and promotion. The project is targeted at locals interested in agrotourism (both those already running a small business and those who have expressed interest in starting one).
The expected results for the eight-month programme are: editing and disseminating a guide on how to start a guest house, facilitating a work exchange programme between people in Bucium and people in Sâncraiu, county Cluj, making tourist signs, creating a website for the commune, disseminating brochures at national level, identifying and supporting new guest house initiatives, promoting the cultural and natural potential of the commune at national level.
