Awareness through art, for Decent Work

foaia de titlu caricaturi - Copy"Decent Work for Decent Life" - is the title of the awareness campaign through art, launched on November 10th, 2014, within the "Decent Work for YOUth -Improving the social economic situation of young people in Moldova by empowering Moldovan youth and Moldovan civil society" project.

The experience of the "Decent Work for YOUth" project, implemented during 2 years in the Republic of Moldova, and the research conducted within this project have revealed the lack of information and knowledge of the socio-economic rights of the youth. Thus, in order to disseminate the message of the campaign in an original and accessible manner, the organizers have reached out to unordinary means of communication: fine arts and theatre.   

Angela Ciocirlan, the President of the "Faclia" Public Association: "By using these information methods, we want to intensify the process related to the mobilization of the socio-economical actors (ministries, trade unions, public authorities, patronages, institutions specialized in the field of education and employment) for involving them in ensuring the socio-economic rights and guarantees of the youth and in solving problems that youngsters currently face."

One of the main activities of the campaign is the caricature exhibition by the caricaturist-painter Alexandru Placinta, a young artist with a special approach in expressing situations with proposals for corresponding solutions. The 11 caricatures for the campaign express the two opposite poles: violation of the socio-economic rights of the youth and how these rights should be respected.

Alexandru Placinta, painter: "Because me and my wife did not succeed at having a decent job in our country, we were forced to leave abroad, where we worked hard, illegally, with no relation to art. Thus, we know this subject from the inside. The "Decent Work for YOUth" project intrigued us and we immediately wanted to create a series of caricatures in order to raise awareness among employees and employers regarding their roles in the work relations. We are sure that through art we can disseminate a subtle, yet strong message."

Within the period November 10-15, in the frame of the Youth Decade in the Republic of Moldova, the caricatures exhibition for promoting the socio-economical rights of the youth will be presented in 8 public spaces from Ungheni, Calarasi, Falesti and Causeni, in order to inform the public about the importance of respecting the "Decent Work for YOUth" fundamental right.

The difficulties which young people face when searching for a decent job will be reflected also on stage. Under the guidance of the actor and director Ion Coseru, 15 volunteers of the "Faclia" Public Association, members of the Mobile Team within the "Decent Work for YOUth" project, have prepared the educational theatre play "FAM - The Active Work Force".

Ion Coseru, the director of the play "FAM - The Active Work Force": "Involving the civil society in such projects is extremely important and the idea of launching a educational theatre is more than beneficial, especially in a society that struggles with indifference, ignorance and negativism".

Within the period of the campaign, the play will be performed in different public spaces and will be recorded, the theatrical film being then disseminated to the most relevant information channels, in order to reach the target public.

The "Decent Work for Decent Life" campaign will also use other awareness tools, like: workshops in schools regarding the socio-economic rights of the youth, distribution of informative materials: flyers for employers and employees, the toolkit "Empowerment for employment", created within the project.

The activities of the campaign are conducted within the project “Decent Work for YOUth - Improving the social economic situation of young people in Moldova by empowering Moldovan youth and Moldovan civil society” implemented by CNV International Foundation, The Netherlands, the Public Association for Children and Youth "Faclia" and the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova, the project being financially supported by the European Union.