Pagina personal/ Personal web-page

Incepand de azi, m-am mutat pe  www.corinamurafa.eu

Toate noile insemnari vor aparea acolo. Va puteti abona la post-uri  here, si la comment-uri here. Cat de curand voi introduce si alte elemente de pagina web, insa pana atunci va puteti delecta cu blogul!

Starting today, you can find me on www.corinamurafa.eu

All new entries will be posted there, and you can suscribe to posts here, and to comments here. Pretty soon, I’ll add some web page-like features, and in the meantime you can enjoy the blog.

Thoughts on Kosovo

Kosovo has never really been on the public agenda in Romania, except for today. In addition to this, Romania’s foreign policy has been everything but coherent with respect to Kosovo and to the former Yugoslavia in general. Starting from “oh Serbia… our old friend and ally” to “oh NATO… welcome us in your bossom” years ago, today’s Romania is torn between siding with the EU (which it has, since it is now contributing 6000 troops to EULex) and disapproving Kosovo’s recent declaration of independence. It might be a proof of the fact we’re still elegantly swinging back and forth between the West and rest. Paul Reynolds shows precisely how Kosovo is a typical East – West dispute in BBC News today.

Kosovo is also a dispute between law and politics. More about this in today’s Cotidianul (the article is flamboyant and hysterical, much like many samples of Romanian journalism I read every day). Kosovo also illustrates the difference between rhetoric and raw facts. Few could notice today that the newly-proclaimed state actually has a white and blue flag inspired from the EU flag. Instead, they saw their TV and laptop screens overwhelmed by red and black depictions of the Albanian dragon – despite Hashim Thaci’s statements that Kosovo’s a newborn entity deeply concerned with its minority population. It took me a while, some readings and several conversations with friends in the region to formulate an opinion on Kosovo.

Surprisingly to many, I agree with the position of Romanian politicians. I do believe Kosovo’s proclamation is a breech of international law. None of the legal criteria for self-determination has been met, and the precedent Kosovo establishes is unfortunate. I’d hate to see nationalist mobs take up weapons and seek justice on their own, at the same time rejecting consociational arrangements. As much as Kosovo’s independence is a triumph of self-determination (an ill-construed one, but nonetheless a triumph), it is also a triumph of bloodthirsty ethnic nationalism. The wretchedness the Serbian minority underwent in the last couple of years in Kosovo is deplorable.

At the same time, the ethnic cleansing that Kosovo experienced under the Milosevic regime is the most atrocious event in recent European history. Ethnic strife and all the ills deriving thereof where not solved in time, and the West failed in aiding Kosovo heal its wounds. Autonomy didn’t function because it was not set up rightly and independence has remained – to my mind – the only way out from this terrible mess Serbia got itself into. Bluntly put, Kosovo’s independence is illegal, hence wrong, but it’s the only solution for Kosovo at this sequence in history. Wrong alternatives are sometimes operationally wiser than right ones.

It’s a pity that Serbia’s reaction will plunge it several years back in history and alienate it from any hopes of prosperity derived from EU membership. At the same time, Kosovo is poor and ill-managed and it will struggle with state weakness for quite a while. All in all, Kosovo’s a fine display of cynicism…

Youth Summit 2008 – Albe si Negre

Ar fi trebuit sa scriu postul asta maine, dar nu mai am rabdare. Maine ma intalnesc cu aproape intreaga echipa care a lucrat la Youth Summit 2008 pentru a ne evalua munca si pentru a pune bazele strategiei de follow-up.

Pana atunci insa, am cateva ganduri preliminare despre ce mi-a placut si ce nu mi-a placut la Youth Summit 2008. Sa incepem

Likes

• e un eveniment unic si extrem de valoros prin unicitatea lui… ORICUM poate fi vazut ca autostrada care aduce laolalta publicurile ce creeaza infrastructura viitorului (metafora via Razvan)… sa creezi un proiect prin care sa aduci la aceiasi masa de discutie cele mai importante publicuri tinta din Romania prezentului si viitorului (tineri, autoritati, companii, societate civila, mass media) e un concept “priceless”
• am facut o selectie extrem de buna… sunt convinsa ca si multi dintre cei respinsi sunt tineri extrem de valorosi, insa am reusit cu adevarat sa selectam tinerii lideri care au capacitatea de a schimba Romania
• ne-am focalizat mereu pe solutii si nu pe probleme, avand mereu puterea exemplului in minte si faimoasa “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”
• nu ne-am pierdut nici un moment motivatia
• desi la inceput am crezut ca a fost o greseala, am adus laolalta oameni cu experienta in project management (studenti in ani terminali sau absolventi) si liceeni de 16-17 ani… dar modelul educatiei “peer-to-peer” s-a dovedit a fi foarte valoros… coaching-ul si puterea exemplului i-au ajutat pe foarte multi din participanti sa daruiasca din ceea ce stiu – pe de o parte – si sa primeasca ceea ce stiu altii (in acest sens, cei mai tari mi s-au parut Denisa si Florin, respectiv mezina delegatilor si cel mai experimentat dintre ei, care au gandit impreuna un proiect concret… am fost fascinata de ideea colaborarii lor)
• am ales domenii de discutie cu mare, mare potential de dezvoltare in Romania si am facut inca un pas in aducerea lor pe agenda publica
• am cunoscut nu numai tineri fascinanti (colegi de-ai mei de generatie), ci m-am delectat si cu ceea ce au impartasit cu noi vorbitorii, trainerii, expertii (imi permit sa il nominalizez doar pe Marian Stas, un om pe care il admir si la care tin extrem, extrem de mult; contributia celorlalti a fost la fel de valoroasa)
• discursurile din panel-ul principal si din incheiere (Alteta Sa Regala Principele Radu, Friedrich Niemann, Marian Stas, Andreea Pulpea, Dragos Bucurenci – ca sa le mentionez doar pe cele mai spectaculoase – desi am invatat foarte mult din toate interventiile vorbitorilor)
• am simtit gustul responsabilitatii
• m-am distrat! (stiu, pentru unii sa te auto-epuizezi cu buna stiinta nu e fun, dar ceea ce am primit personal in urma Boot Camp-ului si Youth Summit-ului a fost extraordinar)

Dislikes (aici voi putea adauga multe dupa evaluarea de maine)

• nu am fost intotdeauna suficient de pragmatici si capabili sa gandim “cu cap si coada”
• ca artizan al Youth Summit 2008, nu am explicat suficient de clar ce vreau de la acest proiect (speakerilor, partenerilor, delegatilor, invitatilor)
• am fost prea universalisti (ma gandesc data viitoare la evenimente mai focusate), astfel incat pusul pe picior de egalitate al unor domenii precum educatia si sportul au daunat unuia, fara a servi neaparat celuilalt
• ne-am dorit prea multe lucruri intr-un timp mult prea scurt (si viziune, si strategie, si proiecte)
• nu am reusit sa il aducem la summit pe Domnul Presedinte Traian Basescu, in ciuda unor eforturi fantastice in acest sens
• nu am reusit sa aducem mai multi speakeri pe care ii tinteam de mult
• (repros personal) nu am comunicat suficient de bine cu echipa si nu am controlat suficient de bine multe aspecte… pe de alta parte, am invatat (si voi invata in continuare) multe din feedback-ul primit de la colegii mei, astfel incat sa reusesc sa organizez evenimente din ce in ce mai bune si sa devin eu insami un profesionist tot mai valoros
• management-ul timpului, care m-a stresat inutil si ne-a facut sa nu atingem exact unele din obiective
• nu am avut timp sa ii cunosc pe fiecare din delegatii de tineret ca lumea
• nu am spus suficient de des “te rog” si “multumesc”

Concluzionand, dupa Youth Summit 2008 cred mult mai mult in mine, in ORICUM si in cei din jurul meu in general. Am ganduri multe si planuri bine ticluite pentru Youth Summit 2009, pe care inca nu vi le voi dezvalui. Si mai ales cred in follow-up-ul care deja a inceput sa se intample dupa YS 2008!

Youth Summit 2008

E foarte greu sa descriu ceea ce simt. Tocmai am incheiat Youth Summit 2008. E un proiect gigantic, la care lucrez de cateva luni bune. Nici nu stiu de unde sa incep… sunt cuprinsa de o groaza de sentimente si de stari. Domina satisfactia. Domina impresia lucrului bine facut. In mod ciudat, inca nu am apucat sa ma gandesc – asa cum fac de obicei – la ce nu a iesit bine. Resimt oboseala pana in varful degetelor, dar ma simt implinita.

La Youth Summit 2008 am cunoscut 74 de tineri din toate regiunile tarii, 5 facilitatori extraordinari si am descoperit – inca o data – ce gasca minunata de colegi am. Boot Camp-ul nu a fost nimic mai mult decat 3 zile. Dar 3 zile nemaipomenite… am carat prelungitoare, am alergat ca bezmetica pe pasarela de la lemn a Complexului Olimpic Sydney de la Izvorani, am tinut in frau chelneri, am vorbit pe cat posibil cu cat mai multi din toti participantii la Boot Camp, am ramas fascinata de curajul, creativitatea si simtul lor critic, am stat pana tarziu in noapte cu energizante si salata de ton, incercand sa mai suprind cate ceva din impresiile, gandurile si concluziile minunatilor mei facilitatori. Am fost fascinata! Sentimentul ca esti responsabil pentru bunul mers al unui eveniment si ca trebuie sa ai grija ca totul sa mearga smooth pentru 80 si ceva de tineri fantastici din jurul tau… ca ai datoria sa nu ii dezamagesti… toate astea sunt extraordinare. E greu sa cari pe umeri responsabilitati, dar e cel mai frumos lucru care ti se poate intampla in viata in plan profesional

O sa va povestesc mai multe maine. Promit. Pana atunci, vreau numai sa multumesc tuturor celor 74 de colegi extraordinari care mi-au fost alaturi la Boot Camp. Ati fost supertari! Si azi la Youth Summit m-ati facut sa ma simt mandra ca facem parte din aceiasi generatie. Maine voi fi mai putin extatica. Promit. Si voi incerca sa analizez ce a insemnat Youth Summit 2008 pe bune.

Pana atunci multumiri din suflet intregii echipe care a lucrat pentru Youth Summit: Andreea, Razvan, Andreiutza, Cosmin, Alexandra, Ovidiu, Mihai & Octav. Multumesc Inei si tuturor celorlalti ORICUMi care au fost prezenti activ azi la Youth Summit. Si evident toate gandurile mele de admiratie si invidie (!) se indreapta spre facilitatorii LMT: Gabi, Teo, Paul, Adriana si Laura. Kids, ati fost extraordinari! Pentru logistica, rabdare si entertainment, toate gandurile de bine spre Cax, Petrus si acelasi etern si fascinant Cosmin! Fara voi, Youth Summit 2008 nu ar fi fost. Multumesc.

PS: Iata aici discursul pe care l-am pregatit pentru Youth Summit. E compilatia gandurilor unor oameni destepti. Nu l-am citit si am mai improvizat, dar Youth Summit a iesit fain.

Back and ready to rock!

Welcome to Corina Murafa’s new blog! I haven’t written a blog post in ages… Still, I’m pretty sure I’ll rediscover the knack for blogging soon. I’ve definitely missed it a lot. A whole lot of things have happened in my life in the last 6 months or so, and I have finally managed to come to (reasonable) terms with myself, my dreams, ambitions and restlessness.

This new blog will be the beginning of a more comprehensive personal webpage, and it will be more of a professional one, in contrast to the former usintricacy.blogspot.com, which was excessively personal to my liking. Also, about half of the posts will be in English, especially the ones discussing things of general relevance, or things not related to Romania in particular. The main reason is that Romanian hasn’t universalized enough yet, and I have tons of very dear friends who cannot make either head or tail from my beloved mother tongue. However, as I love Romanian and as I am doing most of my advocacy and project-related work in Romanian, I will also blog in Romanian quite often.

The main topics I will cover are:

• education and educational systems
• my work (be it school or ORICUM-related)
• politics, human rights, diplomacy
• European Union business and politics
• good books and good movies
• amazing people and their flying machines

I’ve decided to blog again simply because I believe my images and assessment of the world are worth sharing and because I find my life trully interesting and meaningful. As simple as that! I want to stay in touch with friends and others in my community and I hope I’ll discover amazing new people through comments posted on my blog, as it happened to me in the past.

With the help and input of my very precious friends Cosmin and Alex, I will soon make some design readjustments to my blog and make it trendy, posh, glam, and yet keep it user-friendly and informative In case you’re not perfectly familiar with my background and interests yet, feel free to browse the About me section.

I’ll end my welcome note now. I promise to return soon with a post about some amazing Romanian youngsters I’ve recently selected for the latest project I’m working on – Youth Summit 2008 – but also about the effects of Romanian education on the ability to think and act strategically, or at least coherently.