The Ecumenical Association of Churches in Romania (AIDRom)
AIDRom was founded in 1991, as an ecumenical association of the churches in Romania. The Association carries out its activities as a development agency, developing projects on improving the educational system, the social-economic situation and environment.
AIDRom (Inter - Church AID Department Romania) started its activity in 1991.
AIDRom began its activity in the framework of collaboration between The Romanian Orthodox Church and the Lutheran Church , in cooperation with Unit IV (Sharing and Service) of the Ecumenical Council of Churches.
In 1994, other two churches join in as members Evangelic Lutheran Church in Hungarian and the Armenian Orthodox Church.
AIDRom continued to function as a development agency, to implement projects to improve the formal and informal educational system, social-economic situation, moral-spiritual ad environment.AIDRom activity is currently being carried out by the three departments:
- Ecumenical Platform and Formation
- Inter-church Aid and Development
- Education for Peace and Reconciliation
The Foundation's mission is "Churches, in mutual respect, acting together in Christian faith for social justice, human dignity, reconciliation and integrity of creation".The priorities in carrying out the AIDRom programs can be systematized as follows:
- Education for transformation;
- Program for women;
- Children in risk situations;
- Education;
- Ecumenism;
- Ecology;
- Problems regarding the Rroma community;
The program for fighting the HIV/AIDS stigmatization is meant to encourage the reflection and interdisciplinary action so that the Churches play the mediator role between the target groups and the service providers.
The difficulties related to confidentiality, especially the local authorities' from the rural areas, can be solved by information, training and mentality change towards the IV/AIDS people.In this context the churches will try to contribute to the improvement of the communication skills and the pastoral and psychological acceptance in approaching the HIV/AIDS issues and the overall disease.
In order to achieve this purpose it is necessary to mobilize some human and financial resources, also drawing up a medium term strategic plan.
Setting up this strategic plan will be based on establishing a collaboration relationship with other national and international institutions involved in this issue, and that can work in cooperation with the church structures.
Another AIDRom project is the training and strengthening the ecumenical network of the Churches in Romania against the HIV/AIDS stigmatization and aims to increase the churches capacity to ensure the necessary support for PLWHA and to reduce the stigmatization of these people in the communities where they live and work.
The workers and clerks of the church will benefit of training for facilitating, mediate, changing mentality and intervention against actions of HIV positive people's discrimination, by organizing some interactive training sessions, workshops and dissemination of information material.
The beneficiaries of these programs are clerks and social assistance, religion teachers and other categories of clerks who work in church structures or connected to these.Also, as indirect beneficiaries, we can state that PLWHA and their families, communities where they belong to.
Out of the activities planned within the 6th Round of the Global Fund HIV Grant, we can mention:
- Training for mediators and facilitators for PLWHA, in order to acquire knowledge and skills for mediating the conflict among the communities with PLWHA;
- Training, specific pastor and mission in order to acquire and perfect some psycho-social skills, necessary for the interdisciplinary approach of HIV/AIDS issues;
- Training and vocational education for elaborating some tools for changing mentalities and community's attitudes towards PLWHA;
- Training in legislation against discrimination;
- Elaborating and publishing some informative materials such as guide-leaflets for church clerks and structures related to church. These leaflets will provide information on the methods and resources necessary for Churches involvement in the HIV/AIDS specific issue.
Find more information about the AIDRom activities and obtained results on http://www.aidrom.ro/!
