1. EMRA conference: Animation of rural development-a new profession? Chania,Crete, 7-9 June, 2012. Rural animation: The Romanian case Agnes Neményi, Enikő Veress, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

2. Rural animation: The Romanian case How can we define rural animation in Romania? – In Romanian literature (in our case for projects financed from external sources mainly after 2007): facilitator, local promotor, community agent,community participation,community development, social capital, social engineering,community projects supervisor

3. Principles of community involvement and development in Romania after the EU accession (D. Sandu): 1. Access through diversity in local and international practices (to be able to learn from everything); 2. Reflexivity: the multiplicity of some practices; 3.To not accept prejudice ( do not judge by clichees); 4. Privilege of context (participation is not a neutral behavior)- do not lose the forest from the trees; 5.The dialogue between theory and practice; 6. Promotion of a social movement in community development.

4. Defining features of social capital: relation, network and norms that make easier the collaboration, co-operation inside or between groups; Institutional facilitator: FRDS(Romanian Fund for Social Development): Activity: based on a combination of local resources with external (governmental) resources: financed by grants and projects and through technology of animation and local organisation Focus on: rural issues, with an emphasis on Rroma communities, mining regions,solidarity of social networks and NGOs activating in community development.

5. Facilitation: as a community organisation process deals with: -Solving specific problems; -Planification of some projects; -Development of local leadership -Construction of community organisation that represent the community; -Mobilisation in order to solute present and future problems); -Revitalisation of local institutions.

6. Facilitation as a process aims to decrease of poverty (through fast, large economic development), of modernisation of traditional values, institutions and practices. Tasks of community facilitator: evaluate local needs, understanding and applying developmental projects, combining the old end new( methods like mental and social map, diagrams, focus-groups, participative observation).

7. Characteristics of the facilitator: -to understand the power relations, the situation of marginal groups(social exclusion), ethnic relations, etc.; -must have a holistic view and a dialogue with the community; Culture in facilitation as a traditional mentality sometimes an impediment for the development culture (culture of poverty).

8. How to evaluate rural proverty? Through certain economic and socio-cultural indicators: -level of poverty; -level of isolation of a community; -evaluation of co-operation networks; -evaluation of institutional relations; -evaluation of relations community-institution; -participation of community members in the public decisions.

9. Phases of facilitation: -Diagnosis of the community; -Identification of local leaders; -Choice of a group of initiation; -Identification of priority needs; -Legitimation of a problem that becomes the scope of the project, -Monitoring the community for making the project.

10. Main tasks of the facilitator: To identify the local official leaders and other respected persons, members of the community and to stimulate the development of an organisation; To evaluate by participation the needs, to identify resources; To make partnerships with the local authorities; To stimulate co-operation with the local community members; To find solutions for the existing problems; To organise the elaboration of projects; To be able to estimate cost, prepare feasibility; To solve the conflictual situations in the preparation, implementation of a project; To find partners and financial resources; To build networks between communities

11. Rural animation-the Romanian case Functions of community facilitation: To identify the local problem; Legitimation of community actions; Planification of solutions; Execution of a project. What is needed: a leader, a co-ordinating group, an executor group,beneficiaries. The function of the facilitator Construction an AG, making-up the ideology of participation.

12. Conclusions The role of facilitation and the facilitator is very complex; After 2000 facilitation in Romania has gained new emphasis based on principles of EU community development; Due to its complexity facilitation and animation needs to be professionalised.

13. Thank you for the attention! Contact: Ass.Prof. dr. Neményi Ágnes: E-mail: anemenyi@socasis.ubbcluj.roanemenyi@socasis.ubbcluj.ro SR. Veress Enikő: E-mail: eniveress@gmail.com