Moldova PA

UNDERSTANDING PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Peace and conflict resolution are key to Moldova's future. Even though conflicts exist, they can be solved through communication, respect, and cooperation. Schools, communities, and leaders all have a role in creating a peaceful society. By promoting peace values in everyday life, Moldova can continue to grow as a safe and united country.

· What is Peace?

Peace means living together without violence, fear, or conflict. It includes respect, safety, justice, and good relationships between people and communities. Peace is not just the absence of war – it also means having equal rights, opportunities, and a chance for everyone to live well.

In Moldova, peace is important for many reasons. After becoming independent in 1991, Moldova had to build its own peaceful society. However, there have been challenges, such as poverty, migration, and political tensions, especially in the Transnistrian region.

Moldovan culture values community, family, and respect for elders. Traditional music, dances (like hora), and shared meals bring people together. These traditions support peace by creating a sense of belonging. Also, Moldovans are known for their hospitality. Sharing food or celebrating together helps people from different backgrounds connect and reduce conflict.

· What is Conflict?

Conflict happens when people or groups have different goals, needs, or beliefs. Conflicts can be personal, like between family members, or larger, like between ethnic or political groups.

In Moldova, some conflicts have roots in language, identity, and economic differences. For example, there are people who speak Romanian and others who speak Russian. Sometimes, these differences can lead to misunderstandings or disagreements.

· Conflict is normal, but it can be solved

In Moldova, people face different types of conflicts: in schools, families, workplaces, communities, and even at the national level. But the good news is that more and more people – especially young people – are learning peaceful ways to solve problems. Conflict resolution is becoming an important topic in education, civil society, and community life.

When people choose peaceful ways to solve problems, they use conflict resolution skills. These include:

Listening to each other
Understanding different points of view
Respecting the other side
Working together to find a solution

Moldovan schools and NGOs often organize workshops on peace education and teamwork. Programs like "Educație pentru Pace" (Peace Education) help students learn how to solve conflicts without violence.

· Popular ways to resolve conflict in Moldova

Dialogue and communication - talking things out is one of the most common ways to solve conflict. People sit together, express their feelings, and try to understand each other's point of view. Teachers, mediators, or community leaders often help guide the conversation.
Mediation - in many schools and communities, a neutral person (called a mediator) helps two sides find a solution without taking sides. For example, if two students are fighting, a school counselor might help them make peace by listening and finding a win-win solution.
Community meetings - local communities in Moldova sometimes hold public meetings to talk about problems like noisy neighbors, access to services, or disagreements about local decisions. These meetings give everyone a chance to speak and vote on peaceful solutions.
Workshops and trainings - NGOs and schools often organize activities to teach conflict resolution. These include role-playing, group games, and discussions. People learn how to manage emotions, avoid violence, and communicate with respect.

· How youth resolve conflicts in Moldova

Young people in Moldova are playing a growing role in building peace. Many youth want to stop bullying, reduce hate speech, and support inclusion.

Some schools train students to become peer mediators. These students help their classmates solve fights or misunderstandings peacefully. It teaches young people leadership, responsibility, and empathy.
Through projects supported by the EU, young people learn about human rights, conflict resolution, and tolerance. These trainings often include games, art, theater, and storytelling – fun ways to learn serious skills.
Many youth in Moldova join clubs or NGOs that promote peace and inclusion. For example, volunteers at ASCHF din Peresecina work with youth with disabilities and promote kindness and respect in their community.
Youth also use Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to spread messages about peace, kindness, and diversity. Online campaigns help reach other young people and change attitudes about hate, discrimination, or violence.
Some youth use music, drawing, or dance to share messages about peace. Contests, like "Desene pentru pace" (Drawings for Peace), help young people express emotions and promote understanding in schools and communities. For example, in Orhei, youth volunteers organized a drawing contest and a theater play to show how important it is for men and women to share responsibilities at home. They also held discussions about gender equality and respect. These activities helped reduce stereotypes and create more understanding between generations.

Moldova still faces social and political challenges, but the growing interest in peace education and conflict resolution – especially among youth – is a sign of hope. By supporting communication, understanding, and community action, Moldova's young people are helping to build a stronger, more peaceful country.

· CULTURAL EXCHANGE & DIVERSITY IN MOLDOVA

Cultural exchange is not just an activity for curious young people or a checkbox on a CV. It is an experience that changes your life – deeply. It's about that emotion you feel when you realize that a person from another corner of the world, with a different language, religion, and history, is similar to you in thoughts, dreams, laughter, or hidden fears.

For young people from Moldova, cultural exchange often comes as a response to a deep need: the need to belong to a bigger world, beyond geographical and mental borders. Moldova is a small country, caught between East and West, with an identity shaped by Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish... and now European influences. That is why we, young Moldovans, have a special sense of "difference" and a deep desire to connect.

The Republic of Moldova itself is a space of diversity. You don't have to go on Erasmus to meet another culture – you can find it just a street away. According to the 2024 Census, Moldova is home to: Romanians/Moldovans – 77.2% & 7.9%; Ukrainians – 4.9%; Russians – 3.2%; Gagauzians – 4.2%; Bulgarians – 1.6%; and other minorities: Jews, Roma, Poles, Armenians, etc. This multicultural makeup is reflected not only in numbers but in daily life: in the languages spoken on public transport, in preferred music styles, holidays, traditions, food, and even in Moldovan humor, which is so varied. But diversity does not automatically mean understanding. And this is where the need for cultural exchanges comes in: so we learn not just to tolerate but to appreciate the differences between us. Even though Moldova is not part of the European Union, access to international programs has increased greatly in recent years.

Programs like Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, Youth Exchange or partnerships with networks like SALTO, AEGEE have created a new generation of Moldovan youth – brave, open, and European in thought and action. These youth also become catalysts in their communities: they talk about what they have experienced, apply non-formal methods in working with other youth, and create bridges between Moldova and the rest of the world.Until 2024, over 5,000 students and teachers from the Republic of Moldova have participated in academic mobility through Erasmus+, and more than 8,000 youth and youth workers were involved in 65 Erasmus+ youth projects between 2014–2020.According to studies, 80% of Erasmus+ alumni are employed within three months of graduation, and 72% say their international experience helped them land their first job. Moreover, over 90% improved their ability to collaborate with people from different cultures and developed a stronger European identity. 40% of former Erasmus+ students have changed their country of residence or work at least once after graduation– nearly double compared to non-participants. And interestingly, 33% of Erasmus+ alumni have a partner of a different nationality, compared to just 13% of those who never studied abroad, but beyond the numbers, there are the emotions. The friends. The hugs at the end of the project. The promises to meet again. And that unique feeling: that you are not alone in the world – you are part of a big international family.

In conclusion, I can say that the Republic of Moldova is a country that is learning to grow in diversity. Today's youth – especially those who have lived intercultural experiences – are the proof that we can build a more tolerant, empathetic, and united society. Cultural exchange is not just about what you learn about "others." It is also about what you discover about yourself. It is about how you change. It is about how you learn that, no matter how different we may be, we all want the same thing: to be understood, accepted, and loved.

· DIGITAL TOOLS AND STORYTELLING IN MOLDOVA

Moldova, a small country nestled between Romania and Ukraine, has a rich cultural heritage steeped in folklore, traditions, and oral storytelling. However, like many other nations, Moldova is embracing the digital age, where new technologies and digital tools are transforming how stories are created, shared, and experienced. The fusion of Moldova's deep-rooted storytelling traditions with modern digital tools is opening up new possibilities for creators, while also preserving and showcasing the country's cultural identity to a global audience.

The Intersection of Tradition and Digital Tools

Moldovan storytelling, deeply rooted in oral traditions like folk tales and songs, has long reflected the country's past. In recent years, digital tools have transformed this landscape, with filmmakers, journalists, and artists using technology to enhance and expand their narratives. The rise of the internet and social media has created new spaces where both traditional and modern storytelling can thrive together.

Digital Tools Empowering Moldovan Creators

The impact of digital tools on storytelling in Moldova is evident in several creative industries, ranging from filmmaking to journalism, theater, and even video game development. Some of the key tools contributing to this transformation include:

Video Production Software: Tools like Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve help Moldovan filmmakers create high-quality content at lower costs, making professional filmmaking accessible even with limited budgets.
Social Media Platforms: Platforms like Instagram and YouTube allow Moldovan creators to reach wider audiences and engage in real-time, expanding storytelling beyond traditional media.
Animation and Graphic Design: Tools like Blender and After Effects enable Moldovan animators to bring folklore to life through modern animation, blending tradition with innovation.
Digital Journalism: Blogs, podcasts, and video reports are flourishing in Moldova, allowing journalists to explore social, political, and cultural issues through immersive and interactive storytelling.
Virtual and Augmented Reality: VR and AR are emerging in Moldova, offering immersive experiences like virtual tours or interactive apps to showcase the country's history and folklore.

Local Initiatives and Creative Projects

Several initiatives in Moldova are making use of digital tools to promote storytelling, enhance cultural preservation, and engage with global audiences:

Moldova's Film Industry: The Moldovan film industry, though still developing, has embraced digital tools. Recent films like Puterea probabilității, Omul fără linia vieții and Tunete have incorporated modern production techniques, showcasing the country's ability to tell captivating stories through digital mediums. Filmmakers are also beginning to turn to crowdfunding platforms to support their projects, further diversifying the sources of funding for local films.
Cultural Digital Archives: Institutions like the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History and the National Library of Moldova are digitizing historical documents, manuscripts, and traditional Moldovan folk stories to ensure their preservation for future generations. These digital archives are also accessible online, making it easier for people worldwide to learn about Moldova's history, folklore, and cultural heritage.
Interactive Storytelling Platforms: Moldova's digital creative scene is also seeing an increase in interactive storytelling projects. Websites and apps that allow users to explore stories based on their choices are becoming increasingly popular. This allows Moldovan creators to experiment with branching narratives and multi-layered stories that captivate audiences by giving them control over the direction of the plot.

Challenges and Opportunities

While digital tools are empowering Moldovan creators to tell their stories in new and exciting ways, challenges remain that need to be addressed to fully harness the potential of these technologies:

Access to Technology: While urban areas in Moldova have good internet access, rural regions face a digital divide, limiting opportunities for some communities to engage in digital storytelling.
Financial Constraints: High-quality digital content production is costly, and with limited funding for creative projects, many Moldovan creators rely on grants and crowdfunding, though financial barriers persist.
Language and Identity: Moldovan creators must navigate a bilingual environment, balancing content in Romanian and Russian to appeal to both local and international audiences.
Overcoming Censorship and Political Pressures: Political challenges and censorship can limit freedom of expression, making it difficult for creators to tackle sensitive social or political issues in their storytelling.

Conclusion

Digital tools are transforming storytelling in Moldova, empowering creators to share their stories with a wider audience while preserving the nation's rich cultural heritage. Whether through film, social media, animation, or VR experiences, digital tools offer Moldovan creators a powerful platform to tell their stories and connect with the world. While challenges remain, Moldova's growing digital landscape promises exciting possibilities for the future of storytelling in the country.

· ERASMUS & EUROPEAN YOUTH WORK IN MOLDOVA

The year 2024 marked a double anniversary for two European Union programmes: 30 years of the Erasmus+ Programme in the Republic of Moldova and 30 years of the European Training Foundation (ETF).

Erasmus+ Capacity-building projects are transnational cooperation projects, based on multilateral partnerships. These partnerships are primarily between institutions from EU Member states or countries associated to the Programme and third countries not associated to the Programme, such as the Republic of Moldova. The aim of these projects is to support eligible third countries not associated to the Programme to modernise, internationalise the beneficiary institutions, increase cooperation with the EU, promote people to people contacts, intercultural awareness, and understanding etc.

In three decades, the Erasmus+ Programme had a transformative impact on Moldovan education: over 5000 students and teachers benefited from international academic mobility, and numerous educational projects were implemented in universities, vocational education and training institutions, youth and sports organisations, bringing innovation and valuable resources. Until now, thanks to the support of the Erasmus+ Programme in the Republic of Moldova, the following actions have been implemented: 83 Tempus projects, 35 capacity building projects in higher education, 31 Jean Monnet projects, 11 Erasmus+ projects in the field of VET (Capacity building and Centre of excellence), 7 capacity building projects in the field of youth, 2 capacity building projects in the field of sport, 6 virtual exchange projects in the higher education and youth, etc.

The National Erasmus+ Office in Moldova is the organization that supports the European Commission, the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), and the authorities of the Republic of Moldova in the implementation of the Erasmus+ Programme.

The National Erasmus+ Office serves as the focal point for stakeholders in higher education and vocational education and training who participate in the Erasmus+ Programme.

The office contributes to enhancing the awareness, visibility, relevance, effectiveness, and impact of the international dimension of the Erasmus+ Programme.

Starting from the beginning of 2025, a detailed description and an overview of the national education system of the Republic of Moldova are available on the online platform of the Eurydice Network – Eurypedia. This initiative marks an important step in Moldova's integration into the European Education Area and facilitates access to updated information on the structure and functioning of the national education system. Since 2024, Moldova, alongside Ukraine and Georgia, has joined this network, contributing to a better mutual understanding of education systems across Europe.

An inspiring event entitled Voices of Erasmustook place on March 26, 2025, at the initiative of Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Chișinău, in cooperation with the Technical University of Moldova (UTM) and the National Erasmus+ Office in Moldova. 11 UTM students took the stage to share their academic mobility experiences within the Erasmus+ programme. Each story highlighted cultural discoveries, overcoming challenges, and personal growth moments experienced across various European countries.

Youth work in Moldova began developing after independence in 1991, transitioning from the Soviet model of state-controlled youth activities to a more democratic and participatory approach. The 1990s saw the emergence of NGOs, collaboration with European partners, and the adoption of the first Law on Youth in 1999, which laid the foundation for youth centres, services, and non-formal education. In the 2000s, youth policy and youth work expanded significantly. Moldova joined European programmes, and national forums encouraged youth participation. In 2016, a new Law on Youth redefined youth (ages 14–35), introduced new principles like co-management (shared decision-making between government and youth), and clarified the roles of youth workers and specialists.

Supported by UNFPA and other donors, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research used regional and EU best practices to implement youth policies. Recommendations from the Council of Europe's 2008 report on youth policy informed the drafting of the new law. With youth making up one-third of the population, Moldova sees youth development as a key socio-economic opportunity, despite ongoing challenges in employment, civic participation, and health. Youth work professionals are either trained specialists or voluntary youth workers, supported by NGOs like MilleniuM and state grants. However, formal vocational training for youth work is still limited. The 2019 Programme Portfolio for Youth Centres introduced a unified framework for youth work, backed by the Joint Fund which supports training, activities, and resource sharing. A National Agency for Programmes Development and Youth Work is planned to coordinate implementation, monitoring, training, and research in the field. While there is no formal mobility programme for youth workers, exchanges do happen informally between youth centres and NGOs, although challenges like language barriers and limited institutional support remain.

· HEALTHY LIFESTYLE & WELL-BEING IN MOLDOVA

In recent years, Moldova has improved overall well-being as well as helped people to live healthier lives via progress. Programs that are focused on food, and exercise, and also mental health have been started up, and this shows an effort that is growing for improving public health. However, still the country faces big problems. Many people suffer from various long-term illnesses, like heart disease and cancer, use certain substances, and cannot equally access enough health services.

In villages, programs such as the "Healthy Life" project have encouraged many healthy habits and been important in making people more aware of heart health. A number of local people are being helped by all of these efforts for controlling their health through greater community involvement and continuous learning.

Moldova's health record systems have been updated by cooperating with several international groups. Health services aim for being better and easier for getting through online solutions using the "2023–2030 Strategy for Digital Transformation".

Especially for all of the children, a much greater push to encourage some healthy eating has been right there. Programs promoting eating fresh fruits support better food habits. Devising nutritious snacks represents an additional step in that direction.

Classes that focus on solid family relationships are introduced in order to aim to teach young people in regard to respect and communication, which then helps with their mental and emotional well-being.

Current Challenges

1. Prevalence of Chronic Disease

Moldova also has an extremely large number of individuals with long-term diseases, like heart disease and cancers. Lifestyle, in the form of poor diet and lack of physical activity, contributes significantly to these diseases.

2. Substance Use

Alcohol consumption continues to be a significant public health issue. Social customs and the availability of locally brewed alcoholic beverages render the control of alcohol-related harm more difficult.

3. Disparities in Access to Healthcare

Several people do not have access to basic health care because of unemployment and lack of ability to pay for health insurance. This prevents vulnerable groups from being healthy.

4. Mental Health Services and Stigma

Mental health is something that is not openly discussed, and its services are not well funded. More funds should be invested in mental health care, and the masses should be made aware of how to treat these problems properly.

In conclusion, whereas Moldova has performed well in healthy lifestyles and well-being improvements, persistent issues need to be tackled with persistent effort. Chronic diseases, drug and alcohol addiction, and inequitable access to healthcare are some of the challenges that need to be addressed to have a healthier future. Continued investment in community-based programs, e-health infrastructure, and education will be essential in achieving the country's national public health objectives.

· YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY

Young people are a very important part of every community. They are full of energy, new ideas, and the desire to make things better. When youth get involved, the community becomes more active, more united, and more ready for the future.

Youth involvement means that young people take part in activities that help others. For example, they can volunteer, organize events, share their ideas, or support other youth who need help. Sometimes, they work on projects about the environment, education, culture, or health. All these actions are valuable and show that young people can be leaders in their communities.

In my town, there is a youth-friendly center. It is a place where young people can come to learn new things, feel safe, and be listened to. At this center, we do many activities like workshops, talks with professionals, educational games, and more. One of our goals is to promote the center so that more youth know about it and come to enjoy its support.

The young people who come to the center can talk to psychologists, get help with school, or learn how to improve their skills. There are many activities that help us feel more confident, discover our passions, and understand how important it is to be active members of the community.

I believe it is very important for youth to have places where they feel accepted and supported. Many young people face problems with school, friends, or family. If they have someone to talk to and take part in useful activities, it becomes easier to get through difficult times.

Youth involvement brings benefits for everyone. The community becomes more lively, and young people learn to be responsible and active. They learn how to work in teams, how to communicate better, and how to take initiative. These qualities will help them throughout life.

In conclusion, young people have an important role in every community. If they are given the chance to be involved, they can bring real and positive changes. They just need to be heard, supported, and encouraged to follow their ideas. With their help, the future can be better for everyone