"Incet, incet"....Slowly but surely!

Four further European companies operating in Romania have now joined the project with generous contributions:

This year, the Fundatia Vodafone, which deals with Romanian children in need, happens to be focusing on music and sport  and luckily, our project happens to combine both! 

E.ON Gaz is also stepping in, warming our hearts, while Carpat Cement will consolidate the project´s fundaments.

PLUS came with the excellent news that they would provide the food for the children´s daily meals throughout the project. A terrific offer, knowing how hungry they will all be after six hours of rehearsal. Just trying to figure out the amounts needed was frightening enough.

We do not even want to think about the amounts of water that will be needed to quench the thirst of some one hundred kids sweating in the glowing  Bucharest heat...

Progress report

Claiming that all the project´s pending costs can already be covered at this stage would be an overstatement. The search for sponsors turned out to be much more arduous than initially expected. Since last summer,  more than 70 applications were sent to companies, foundations, as well as Romanian Ministeries, authorities and institutions and we are still waiting and hoping for some answers.

Nevertheless, we can now reassure the youngsters who are so much looking forward to this exciting experiment: the project will take place. On September 5th they will stand on the stage of the Teatrul National Caragiale in Bucharest for the première, and will leave the next day for two more performances in the province, probably Brasov and Sibiu.

Corporate social responsibility

Although the original idea of "Corporate Social Responsibility" in Europe goes all the way back to the middle ages, it is only since the nineteen fifties that it became the object of scientific research in the United States. Due to  the fact that Europe had a longer tradition of social responsibility and a more developed social system,  it was only in 2001 that the European Union published a document with basic guidelines for Corporate social responsibilities of companies.

At the November meeting of the Deutsch-Rumänische Industrie- und Handelskammer in Bucharest,  Mr H. Eichler, Managing Partner at Mazars Hemmelrath pointed out the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for our societies in today´s world.

"CSR concerns us all because it reflects the key values of our society.  Still, it concerns companies more because it permits them to do business over long periods of time, but it mostly concerns all individuals who work with and for companies as it helps them create a more attractive and high-quality working environment.  Nevertheless, it also concerns company clients that ever oftener decide on making acquisitions in consideration of social and ecologic factors.  Likewise, CSR concerns the people nearby company's location, who are interested in having their values and thoughts shared by the neighbouring company.  It concerns investors and owners who consider that responsible entrepreneurial business should be stimulated. 

Last but not least, CSR concerns our children, the future generations just as the older, neglected, generations in countries like Romania, who wish to live in a world where human beings and nature are held in high regard." 

Good news at last!

After an almost three months silence due to parlamentary elections in Romania, the Christmas Break and last not least, the economic situation world wide, we are back on the net with  good news: after a life threatening illness, the "FireBird" has now successfully been saved.

But before going into details about this arduous recovery process, we feel it is more than time to wish our project´s supporters, friends and readers a successful 2009 in spite of all gloomy predictions. Follow the motto "Don´t worry, be happy" and for this purpose.....

   

             .......DANCE WITH US!

We have to admit that we either did not choose the most propicious moment for realizing our dance project, or that the economic crisis did not occur at the right time. 

However, thanks to ABB Romania, the very first company to have joined us in the FireBird´s adventure, thanks to the support of the Goethe Institute in Bucharest and of all the association´s friends, we have remained confident, keeping in mind Obama´s convincing words: "Yes we can!", a motto which a few companies thankfully seem to keep in mind, even in  these hard economic times.