Asociatia "Romanian Fulbright Alumni"  –  "Romanian Fulbright Alumni" Association

        Asociatia RFA este un ONG independent, bazat pe lipsa instereselor patrimoniale si pe voluntariat. ARFA sprijina direct sau indirect aplicarea Programului Fulbright prin informare, schimb de idei si solidarizare, prin realizarea de contacte, programe si proiecte prin intermediul carora valorile democratice, deontologice si umaniste sunt impartasite si promovate. ARFA organizeaza manifestari dedicate dezvoltarii relatiilor dintre Romania si alte state (SUA este, desigur, prioritara), dintre membri sai si alte comunitati profesionale, academice si culturale. ARFA organizeaza evenimente care promoveraza idei si personalitati demne de mult interes, editeaza apeluri, comunicate sau interventii publice cu caracter stiintific si cultural; promoveaza interesele profesionale legitime ale membrilor sai; initiaza si dezvolta proiecte cu caracter stiintific, cultural, umanitar si civic; organizeaza mese rotunde, colocvii, cursuri si seminarii profesionale, conferinte, dezbateri, congrese, expozitii, spectacole pe teme de interes cultural, stiintific, social si civic. RFA organizeaza lansari de carte si dezbateri publice, conferinte de presa si comunicate, cu acces si promovare mediatica, pe teme de interes cultural, profesional, academic si civic; monitorizeaza din punct de vedere profesional-stiintific si intelectual viata culturala, stiintifica, academica, artistica, politica, sociala si civica in vederea formularii de opinii si sugestii utile promovarii si sustinerii ideilor si formelor moderne si progresiste in societate.

The RFA Manifesto

        Fulbright alumni can make a difference… Theoretically. Or virtually. Practically, they can do few and small things,because this is how the axe of reality works. Usually, alumni keep their volunteering enthusiasm for just a limited amount of time (weeks, months), then it fades away – because the life’s conjectures and priorities take over. Colleagues come to our “Romanian Fulbright Alumni” association always, I mean yearly, with the same “let’s do it” ideas, “why wouldn’t we” (i.e., well-doing) intentions, desires for serving, job searching tentative, and societal fitting. In the course of time they surpass the critical phase encountered on their return, and then their social soul succumbs in favor of individualistic needs and careers. However, those prime weeks and months after returning home are wonderful, and we need to celebrate them as pristine, heartedly, soul offerings. However, to all those volunteering to give ideas or advise I always reply with the phrase, “what we actually need is people, hardworking volunteers, persons really willing to embark their own projects or visions and make real their own dreams”. The RFA association can offer its logistic, formal/official backup, its network of supportive people, and push forward the implementation of group or individual plans for a better (be it micro- or mini-) world.

        At the begining of the new format of this association (2005), those joining us on celebrating St Valentine, 4th July, and Thanksgiving “a la roumaine” were able to see and feel our committment to contribute to the making of a friendlier, enjoyable, and smiling human space. Later on, we focused more and more on academically/intellectually consistent events.

        In accordance to the lessons and experience accumulated during past experience and events, the year 2006 brought us the consolidation of two major projects we had before, and were experienced in a less systematic way. They both are centered on the key concepts of dissemination and innovation. Dissemination and innovation refer here to the policy of making accessible and familiar all sorts of ideas, themes, research outputs that are not yet implemented in the common knowledge of (on the one hand) our academic fellows, and (on the other hand) of the general public. Let me explain: In Romania, we all are part of academic systems that have more or less rigid, conventional or traditional curricula. We all belong to more or less well crystallized intellectual paradigms. Only that, once in the US, we the Fulbrighters have gathered new ideas, have discovered or invented new domains, theories, and challenges. These must be distributed. And this is why we succeeded now in launching a system for sharing this extra-curricular, unconventional, “not-necessary” knowledge. In this respect, we arranged the possibility for individual lecturers to visit universities or institutions that are not their own, meet with students and colleagues specializing in specific or cognate disciplines, and communicate with them on an inventive, provocative level. This also is the occasion to tell people about the Fulbright grant, and make them to notice how and what from what is discussed is own to an American experience.

        The concept of innovation and distribution is also applied within the second major bulk of projects we run, namely, the organizing of mini-symposia and lectures open to the general public. These gatherings are meant to be accessible, culture-based and culture-oriented, in which either a group of 3-5 various experts, or just two, converse and make roundtables or talkshow-like presentations devoted to topics of a large public interest. In 2006 we opened a series of public talks, with special invitees, titled “What is and isn’t the USA”. Each meeting was devoted to a different topic (politics, culture, society, etc.), were reflected and covered by the media, and succeed on each occassion in defeating prejudice, in bringing a refined knowledge about the US, and in helping the audience and those hearing about it to handle a subtler way of thinking about USA, democracy, society, cultural production, consumerism (and so many other aspects that can be illustrated with reference to the contemporary life in the US). Later on, since the end of 2007 until 2010, the series of "Quo Vadis" Confereces offered top-class original lectures on a various topics. With actions like this we hope to make more and more feasible and palpable the nice desire for bringing more light, hope, enthusiasm, and efficiency in the world around.

Marin Marian-Bălaşa
RFAA president (2004-2011)