Whether it’s about local communities, vulnerable communities or communities of ideas, NGOs are at the core of initiatives that stimulate collective action for the public benefit.

Model communities promote mutual trust, democratic and transparent decision-making, voluntary participation and solidarity. Communities bring together people with different skills that complement each other and make achievement of common goals much easier. At the community level, communication between citizens is direct, and the needs and problems are visible. Together, community members can influence the decisions made by public authorities. Communities allow social integration and build mutual trust. Communities are not isolated, they communicate and intertwine. Active organizations in the community inform, support and engage citizens in solving problems and improving their lives. NGOs are able to mediate opinions and help citizens find the best solutions.

Venue: Bucharest, indoor (National Library of Romania) and outdoor (Herăstrău Park)

ONGFest encourages volunteering, civic participation, social entrepreneurship and civic innovation. Its aim is to increase the number of citizens actively engaged in the community, to develop the associative culture and to enhance Romanian NGOs’ involvement in the society.

165 NGOs attending, from all over Romania and from abroad (Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain).The foreign participants are being hosted by 13 organisations, in order to exchange experiences in different areas. 

The list of the foreign participants can be found here.

Within the 3 event’s days, the foreign participating NGOs will have the opportunity to get general and specific insights on the civil society sector in Romania, get to know Romanian NGOs working similar domains, exchange experience and initiate project ideas with them or with other foreign NGOs participating and have the chance to directly interact with the Romanian citizens, local and central authorities and the business environment.

ONGFest is an interesting and interactive way to spend free time, with its own events: street theatre, exhibitions, dance performances, concerts and practical workshops for children and adults, together with seminars, workshops and debates.

Further details regarding the programme can be found here.  

The event is organized within the NGO Fund Programme in Romania, with the support of the Municipality of Bucharest. The NGO Fund Programme in Romania is part of the assistance provided to Romania within EEA Grants 2009 – 2014. It is implemented by the leading consortium formed by the Civil Society Development Foundation (CSDF), the Foundation for Partnership (FP) and the Resource Centre for Roma Communities (CRRC).