RURES
Soros Foundation in partnership with Ford Foundation and the Association Pestalozzi Buzau implemented between July 2010 and July 2013 strategic project "RURES. Rural and social economy in Romania."
RURES project ( www.rures.ro ) is funded by European Social Fund – "Invest in people," Human Resources Development Operational Programme 2007-2013, Contract no. POSDRU/84/6.1/S/55122, Total value of project: 9,874,142.00 lei.
The project objective was to develop specific social economy organizations and enterprises in rural areas, helping disadvantaged people, policy makers and service providers for these social groups to be actively involved in improving the living conditions of disadvantaged groups and communities in which they are developing part.
Multi-regional project, including rural communities in the counties of: Prahova, Calarasi, Buzau, Braila, Alba, Brasov, Botosani and Suceava, and covered areas of development: Muntenia South, Southeast, Central and North-East.
The target group was the population of rural counties in the project, focusing on people who have left school early, people living in isolated communities, people living in the minimum wage, Roma people and families more than 2 children.
The project activities were:
- development of a diagnosis of the current situation on social economic development in rural areas;
- selection of 24 communities where the project will be implemented and identifying resource persons for the construction of initiative groups;
- planning and implementing an information campaign and awareness on the role and importance of the social economy in community development;
- develop and implement a training program in the social economy;
- develop and implement a training program to prepare entrepreneurial activities of social economy;
- implementation of a current use "Information Technology and Communications (ICT)" for disadvantaged groups;
- development of a total of 24 social enterprises (forms of social economy) in selected communities;
- promotion of actions that will lead to neighborhood revitalization and mobilization of disadvantaged groups;
The project was part of the fundamental objectives enshrined in the Lisbon European Council (2000), namely, enhanced competitiveness and full employment of labor, by adapting to globalization and the transition to a knowledge-based economy.
At EU level it is estimated that 10% of European companies belong to the social economy, and 9-10% of the jobs. Social economy sector is made up of cooperatives, mutual societies, foundations, social enterprises and associations that share specific values and is another way of doing business, to produce, consume and provide jobs. These companies operate with capital, but capital.
Among the expected results of the project as:
- project selection and inclusion of the 24 communities;
- achievement of the community initiative groups of 24;
- Raising awareness on the role and importance of social economy achieved by nine community development information and awareness events;
- raising skill levels of persons belonging to the target group;
- creation of 24 social enterprises and thus creating at least 50 jobs in the social economy;
- increasing the number of persons belonging to disadvantaged groups who are active in the labor market by supporting the initiation of income generating activities;
Other details on the project website: www.rures.ro