'Stand up Against Corruption'

An informal seminar on corruption, and a seven-day course for young leaders, took place in Romania as part of the Foundations for Freedom program. Two Foundations for Freedom seminars took place in Romania in late April/early May 2003. For 11 years, Foundations for Freedom (F4F) has been providing courses for young leaders in many parts of central and eastern Europe. The focus of these courses is on generating the 'values that underlie a free society'. The 34th Foundations for Freedom 'Changing Course', April 25-May 1, was held at the invitation of a Romanian Orthodox priest, at a monastery near the small village of Bixad in north-western Romania. Eighteen people took part. The course was followed by an informal three-day seminar, 'Stand Up Against Corruption', in the city of Baia Mare, May 3-5. Among the 50 participants were teachers, medics, social workers, an economist and a Police Department head. The seminar was opened by the Mayor. A representative of Transparency International (TI) from the Romanian capital, Bucharest, outlined the impact of corruption on the country. In keeping with the ethos of the seminar, a number of speakers, including business people from Denmark, gave personal experiences of standing up against corruption. The seminar organisers were interviewed on television.