The “Honor, Dignity and Motherland” Association (Unirea-ODIP) announced the conclusion of the Unification Caravan, a campaign during which young pro-unification activists went from door to door to talk to people about the benefits of re-uniting Moldova and Romania. For six weeks, about 100 youth visited over 300 villages and towns, promoting the unification goal, IPN reports.
The Association’s leader Vlad Biletchi told a press conference at IPN that the campaign proved there are pro-unification people everywhere. The next goal is to increase their numbers.
“We are trying to dispel those lies spread and maintained in people’s heads that Romania is a hostile country. The protagonists of this caravan wandered from village to village, ignoring the heat and the rain, to promote and advance the Romanian national message, without any political ambition, without any hope of material gain or of becoming saviors of the nation overnight”, explained Biletchi.
Lucia Vieru, secretary general of Unirea-ODIP, said that the activists set out to bring the truth about Romania and re-unification with Romania into every home. During these six weeks, the young campaigners met both people who lost trust in everything and people who are ready to act in order to remove the border on the Prut.
“We noticed that the people’s skepticism is gone, they aren’t so dismissive about the idea of re-unification. Some told us it’s the Romanians who are against it and don’t want to accept us. This is false. We had with us volunteers from the other side of the Prut who confirmed that Romania is waiting for us. It’s us who must want it”, said Lucia Vieru.
Unirea-ODIP member Mirela Manic thinks this was an extraordinary experience and was happy to go on adventures with such a united team. The thing that she didn’t enjoy was seeing elderly people who live in extreme poverty, with a minuscule pension, while their children are living abroad. “When we were talking about re-unification, there was a spark in their eyes, a hope for a better life”, she added.
Team leader Radu Paslari says most people received them warmly. Sometimes they were met with hostility by people sharing anti-unification views. “For example, in Bravicea, Calarasi, eight people attacked us for wearing the Tricolor. However, in the districts of Ialoveni, Hancesti, Ungheni, Nisporeni, Straseni and most of Cimislia, we were welcome. These districts are mostly pro-unification”, said Radu Paslari.
Another team leader, Gheorghe Ciutac, said that after visiting 300 villages and towns, he convinced himself that Moldova has a lot of people who love their country, nation and motherland. According to him, regarding of the geographic position of a given village, Romanian culture is increasingly flourishing everywhere.
The Unification Caravan took place between July 1 and August 10 in 13 districts. This was its second edition.
