International Day of Charity

Today, September 5th, is International Charity Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of the role that charitable actions play in building an inclusive and supportive society. By implication, in the form of volunteering, philanthropy or other means, the social, economic and even cultural barriers that stand in the way of the well-being of all citizens can be eliminated. Actions aimed at serving a general, collective interest or vulnerable groups, contribute to social cohesion and make us more responsible to the community in which we live.

In Romania, about 38.8% of the citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, 49.2% of them are children. The most common categories with a high degree of vulnerability are the unemployed, the elderly, people with disabilities, Roma people, single-parent families, victims of violence, children and the list can go on. In 2016, the approximate poverty rate among single-parent families was 41.4 percent and 32.4 percent among the elderly.

Romania has adopted the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. The agenda calls for solidarity regarding the social needs of the poorest and most vulnerable. Also, as a member state of the EU, one of the current priorities is the Europe 2020 Agenda, which foresees an “inclusive growth”. We can meet the goals we have undertaken through charity, volunteering and by increasing the sense of responsibility towards vulnerable groups. On the other hand, there is a weakly developed sector, but with a real potential, namely that of the social economy. This area needs concrete support measures from the Romanian state, as it contributes, through social enterprises, to the reduction of poverty and the risk of social exclusion.

A decent standard of living is a fundamental right, understood as the right to human dignity. This should be benefited from by every citizen, without discrimination, regardless of the development opportunities, whether or not they are encountered. I count on your help, dear colleagues, to support this sector which aims to ensure a better standard of living for every Romanian.

Political statement dated September 5, 2018.