Romanian entrepreneurs’ network RePatriot will organise more than 40 events for Romanians living abroad this August as part of its annual “Diaspora Days” initiative.
According to a press release issued by RePatriot, the campaign, launched ten years ago, is based on the conviction that “Romanians living abroad should not be sought only when they return home for holidays or during election campaigns, but should be regarded as an active part of the communities they come from and as one of Romania’s most valuable resources for development.”
Romanian Diaspora Month
The first communities to respond to the initiative are Satu Mare, Iași, Piatra Neamț, Cluj, Maramureș, Bistrița, and Bucharest, with additional localities expected to announce their own programs. Organisers invite Romanians returning home during this period “to participate, engage as much as possible with local and central authorities, and share their ideas.”
RePatriot proposes that August become Romanian Diaspora Month, noting that millions of Romanians temporarily return home during this period. August also includes Romanian Language Day on August 31, while the Romanian Orthodox Church dedicates the first Sunday after the Dormition of the Mother of God to Romanian migrants worldwide.
“This is not about ceremony or symbolism, but about dialogue, identity, trust, and development,” the press release states.
Opportunities for Romanians abroad
This year’s edition also marks the launch of #RePatriotJobs, an initiative developed in partnership with Romania’s National Employment Agency (ANOFM). Through the program, ANOFM, the EURES network, local administrations, businesses, and RePatriot will organise meetings for Romanians living abroad to present employment opportunities and facilitate direct connections with employers.
RePatriot founder and entrepreneur Marius Bostan stressed the importance of involving the Romanian diaspora in the country’s development.
“Every summer, Romania welcomes home, for a few weeks, its most valuable delegation of entrepreneurs, professionals, researchers, investors, and Romanian ambassadors around the world. The question is not whether they come; the question is whether we know how to listen to them, involve them, and offer them real opportunities to contribute to Romania’s development.”
“We are not simply building an event—we are building trust, and trust is the first step toward investment, returning home, and sustainable development. Genuine partnerships create opportunities, and opportunities bring people closer to home,” Bostan said.
For his part, ANOFM President Adrian Zvîncă said that “Romania needs the experience, skills, and energy of Romanians who have chosen to work abroad. ANOFM’s mission is to be a trusted partner when they decide to return home, providing access to jobs, career counselling services, and all the tools needed for rapid integration into the labour market.”
Bringing the Orthodox faith around the world
In a message marking the Day of Romanians Everywhere, observed on the last Sunday of May, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel highlighted the contribution of Romanians abroad to preserving and spreading the Orthodox Christian faith.
“Romanians who left their homeland for various reasons carried with them the faith of their forefathers throughout the world. They kept their home parish in their hearts and continued to live the spirituality and holy Orthodox faith far from their native land,” the Patriarch said.
This year’s Sunday of Romanian Migrants will be observed on August 16. The commemoration was first introduced in 2006 throughout the Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina at the initiative of Patriarch Daniel, then Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina.
It was later adopted by the Holy Synod of the entire Romanian Patriarchate during its session of February 25–26, 2009.
Photo: Basilica.ro Files
