The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Romania has won first prize in the category of “Non-governmental organizations that have implement development projects in disadvantaged countries for the contribution of enhancing global solidarity and creating a better world,” for the initiative “Hope for Immigrants,” during the 3rd annual International Solidarity Gala on December 11. 

Attending the event, Ştefan Tomoiagă, president of ADRA Romania said, "Congratulations, ADRA Romania! The way God loves us has nothing to do with this world. He shows His love in so many ways! I am proud of ADRA Romania because they chose to receive His love and continue to share it through the project "Hope for Immigrants.” Tomoiagă continued, “You have shown that there are no barriers for God! He calls us to bring good news of peace and salvation!”

"When I`m thinking on solidarity and empathy, I'm thinking about dozens of volunteers who have put some of their time and resources to do something different from some of their peers,” said Mihai Brasov, ADRA Romania volunteer and project coordinator for Hope for Immigrants.

“These volunteers have decided to place themselves in a wider context and have made efforts beyond the borders of the country by offering relief and support to those housed in refugee camps in Greece and Iraq,” Brasov continued. “We are delighted for the acknowledgement of the work on the project "Hope for Immigrants" within the International Solidarity Gala.”

Brasov went on to thank all the volunteers and donors who made this award possible, “We still need your help to build together a better future for those who run from the war”

This year GLOBUE 2017 Gala was hosted by journalist Dana Gonţ, and organized by the Civil Society Development Foundation (FDSC) and the Federation of Non-Governmental Development Organizations (FOND) with the support of the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE), The program Development Cooperation (RoAid) and the United Nations Development Program - Regional Center for Europe and Central Asia (UNDP). 

Besides the winners of the evening, special guests shared their own experiences of engaging in international solidarity with the audience. Among them were Alex Gavan, extreme altitude climber and the first winner in the “Activists” category, Laura Ştefănuţ, investigative journalist, and Alessio Menegazzo, director of Enel Romania's Sustainability and Institutional Affairs.

GLOBUE 2017 awarded winners during a select event in which Romanian models of international involvement are honored. The event brought to light the attempts of people from different parts of the world who secure things which many of us take for granted. The Gala is an important occasion to discuss empathy, solidarity and sustainable development, responsibility, with attention to society and the environment. 

The winners of the Gala were selected from a total of 170 submitted projects, in 7 different categories. There were also symbolic awards for supporters and promoters of international solidarity in civil society, media, academia, business and the public sector in Romania, sharing the motivation, experience and lessons learned.

The Gala was opened by His Excellency, Mr. Urs Herren, Ambassador of Switzerland to Romania, who said, “Real democracy is not only during the elective process, once every four years, but is when mature citizens are involved in their communities. Civil society participation is essential from two points of view: first, because civil society and NGOs are a mirror and a critical body of other state powers; second, they are essential as service providers.” 

Robert Georgescu, the country director for ADRA Romania, thanked everyone for the awards and the ADRA Romania team for all their hard work. He also stressed the great responsibility of successfully implementing these projects. “The fact that, on the basis of active involvement in developing countries, the ADRA Romania team is valued on such a scale in this so beautiful event and with a chosen honor - GLOBUE 2017 International Solidarity Gala - we can only happy,” said Georgescu. “We want to love people in the future as we have been taught by the Jesus. We are motivated and will coordinate our actions. It starts helping even one refugee, but it starts! In many places, this solution has made the difference between life and death" 

 “We believe that the success of our activities depends, to a large extent, on the human resource, people who are in solidarity with those in need, so that, through concerted effort, we can offer help to as many beneficiaries as possible,” said Monica Brînceanu, Communications Officer of ADRA Romania.

ADRA Romania, through the project "Hope for Immigrants" recognizes humanity in this refugee crisis, as well as the value of each person involved. By making human rights respected and acting with compassion, a clear message of power is transmitted during this complex and fragile situation. Through its specific activities, ADRA wants to minimize the impact of this overwhelming and unbearable situation for many men, women and children.