Description
"DeClic - the first Romanian platform for online activism" is initiated by the "Efectul Fluture" Association, aiming to involve the Romanian public in online campaigning on human rights, equality, environment and social justice issues. The project will develop a new tool that allows aggregated interaction of concerned citizens with the authorities. It will act as a safeguard of democratic values based on a cumulative voice of the community created around the platform. The objectives are to set up the first Romanian online campaigning platform, to run 5 online campaigns in collaboration with organizations and initiative groups, to increase public involvement by bringing together a minimum of 100,000 people before 2016. It will improve joint working methods and the know-how of members, volunteers and partners. Target groups round up 100 people involved in the Romanian civil society campaigns, 100000 citizens, 20 campaigners of the applicant or partners and various state authorities.
Summary of project results
The main objective of the De-click.ro project was to involve Romanian public in online campaigning on human rights, equality, environment and social justice issues. De-click.ro was initiated in a context in which in Romania there were no online campaigning platforms available: although some technical solutions already existed for some years, they were only about hosting petitions on a website. Moreover, one of the most important frustrations of those who got involved in these actions, and signed those petitions, was that there was no feedback, they were not informed if the approach was effective or not and if the situation changed. The initiators could not contact their supporters and any following action always began from scratch. In these circumstances, the platform developed within this project aimed at building a community and keeping its members permanently informed about the course of their actions, asking them what to do in the future on specific issues, and enabling them to operate further in other cases. Over 30 campaigns were initiated and developed in a year, and 100,000 citizens signed at least one of the initiatives. The project team worked closely with civil society in Romania, and shaped the tools provided by de-click.ro to the Romanian needs. De-click.ro initiative leaned from other similar organizations in Europe (38Degrees, GetUp!, Campact and others), and after a year it can be stated that none of the campaigns was a failure. The most significant results come from the campaigns set out to change laws, where the law was either unfair or incomplete: the project successfully contributed to the start of an independent monitoring mechanism for the centres for the disabled, the initiative to outlaw cyanide-based technologies in Romania, a system through which the public could quickly send messages to support education programmes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Also, with the support of the platform, several mayors in the country have been convinced to redirect funds, initially designed for fireworks, to the victims of Colectiv club fire tragedy.
Summary of bilateral results