7th December 1999

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This month marks the 10th anniversary of the dramatic end of the Ceausescu regime, when the world learned of the appalling conditions in Romanian orphanages. Researchers at the University of Ulster have been looking at the reasons why the human tragedy provoked such a spontaneous response in Northern Ireland.

The report 'Responding to Human Need in Romania', by Professor David Bamford and Dr Arthur Williamson, will be launched at an event at the University of Ulster on Wednesday, attended by some of those involved over the years volunteering their time and in raising money for Romania.

The report estimates that up to 3,000 volunteers from the province have worked in Romania for varying periods, while thousands more have participated in fundraising at home. Hundreds of containers of aid have been shipped to Romania with contents worth well in excess of several million pounds in sterling.

The research identified more than 30 voluntary organisations, many small groups and many individuals involved in Romanian projects. This work involved people from all sections of the community, irrespective of age, class or religion. Thirty-one per cent of the organisations described themselves as faith-based, 25% as charities and 9% as cross community groups.

Professor Bamford says one of the reasons for such an extraordinary response may have been some of the shared characteristics, values and experiences of people in Northern Ireland and Romania:

"We both have a common Christianity, a sense of European identity and a shared experience of political traumas, including violent civil disturbances and ethnic tensions.

"We also have a shared sense of humour, a love and respect for rural customs and traditions, a vivid spontaneous and affectionate approach to people, a tradition of generous hospitality and a great loyalty to friendships once trust has been won."

Dr Williamson said the intractable ethnic tensions, which are a feature of life in some parts of Romania, would also have been familiar to Northern Ireland people:

"Undoubtedly, volunteers from Northern Ireland with their particular experience of cultural issues, would have brought special insights into these problems and issues."

The report says that media coverage had an important part to play in prompting the interest of people here:

"British and Irish television celebrities visited Romania and reported the conditions in which the children were living. Without the effective public education made possible by television programmes, it is unlikely that the humanitarian response from Northern Ireland would have taken place," said Professor Bamford.

Dr Williamson suggests that some of the features of life here made spontaneous reaction possible:

"Low cost flights from Belfast to Bucharest made travel by volunteers easy and comparatively inexpensive. The abolition of customs barriers between countries of the European Union facilitated the transportation of large quantities of humanitarian aid overland.

"Northern Irelands infrastructure enabled the formation of associations and the collection of public contributions of money, goods and equipment."

The report considers that the volunteers who helped in Romania also benefited:

"Some of them may have found that their exposure to cross-cultural issues, outside of their familiar setting, will have emphasised the importance of developing tolerance and mutual understanding.

"They would have exchanged know-how, developed trust and forged many links of friendship and of culture which are becoming embedded in the histories of the two communities," said Dr Williamson

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk