The Green Sun Association is an environmental, professional-scientific organization which was established in the summer of 2009. The members of the association are ecologists, economists, fine artists, but one can find in the group teachers, engineers and sociologists as well. We formed alliance in the consciousness of our dissimilarity, fighting for a politically and religiously independent cause, a fight that we have to win together. On the first anniversary of the Green Sun Association’s activity we can talk about more than one hundred and sixty events that we organized.
The objects of the association are:
With the organization of environmental protection events and conferences, we are trying to popularize environmental mentality.
Our aim is to let the people in our region know that the ecological and sociological problems are interacting with one another.
We would like to promote civilian self-awareness in our region and to clarify for people living in the ‘Three Chairs’ region that civilian organizations can help a lot in resolving the ecological-sociological problems.
We organized various events in order to realize our objectives:
Our first event took place at the end of august 2009. It lasted several days, when we organized a stream-cleaning action and collected four truck-trailers of litter from the bed of the stream and from the sides. In 2011 on Earth’s Day, we also cleaned a part of our town, Kezdivasarhely.
For two years now, on 21st of September, on the International Day of Peace, more than seventy people help us make the sign of peace, in the framework of a ‘happening’.
In 2010, on the last Saturday of March, we joined the worldwide Earth Hour Movement.
We collected used cooking oils at various places in Covasna County, eight times, in the course of which we collected 200 litres of oil and other things like glass bottle, plastic bottle and dry battery.
In the autumn of 2009 we set off a photo competition series having as theme the four seasons in ‘Three Chairs’. Our aim was to raise awareness through the works of the photographers on the beauties and values of our region. For each of the four competitions we received hundreds of works from the territory of the entire county. A 2011 wall calendar was made containing the winning photos.
Our group organized till now several round table discussions and meetings with the local civil organizations. The themes were: collaboration between the civil organizations, the ‘green roads’ in our region, current civil problems, especially the lack of bicycle paths in Targu. Secuiesc. Recently two round table discussions took place (in Sfantu Gheorghe and in Targu Secuiesc) with the theme Community Service Responsibility (CSR) – an alternative to the long-term company development.
We set up stalls on more than two dozens of events in the Three Chairs region, where we popularized the environmental consciousness with the help of ‘green games’ and lectures. We did educational work in schools and kindergartens and we projected environmental documentaries on the entire territory of Upper Three Chairs.
Together with the Sport-Office in Targu Secuiesc we organized a lot of sporting events that draw the attention to a healthier life style, like: the Critical Mass, the Family Running Day, the 24 hours’ Running, bicycle beauty contest, chess championship, button-football championship and several bicycle tours.
It has already become a tradition to organize the large-scale environmental event, called ‘Green Days of Spring.’
In 2010 we planted 1153 saplings in Targu Secuiesc in three days, we held lectures, we collected used cooking oil, we offered entertaining moments like concerts, guitar playing and thus we motivated more than 600 people. In 2011 this event was organized with similar programs, but in addition we also organized sports competitions for those who were interested.
We organized charity evenings four times for the children in our region, suffering from leukemia, in this way helping the families in their fight with the disease. We also organized clothes collections four times for those in need, in Targu Secuiesc and its close regions.
We helped a kindergarten in Targu Secuiesc to receive a playground, which was built by communal work. We got the financial resources for this from charity concerts.
Since our formation we participated at dozens of events as co-organizers, such as the ‘Bolhapiac’ (the selling or exchanging of used things), the Targu Secuiesc Marathon, the ‘Adj Király Katonát’ contest for children, the Civil School, Puturosu Mountain Day and the carnivals on ice organized by the local radio called Profi Rádió.
We made a promoting film in which we presented the sights and cultural values of Targu Secuiesc.
Since August 2010 we set off a postcard sending service on our webpage, where one can send the best-liked postcards to their loved ones.
In the end of September 2010 we started a campaign called „Buy local products”, within the confines of which we made a promoting film. In the film 21 (same number of characters in the Hungarian slogan) representatives from non-governmental organisations from the Three Chairs region speak about the importance of local products. In two months’ time, 16 thousand people saw the video on YouTube but we are continuously popularizing it in nursery schools, schools and the local televisions.
In mid-October 2010, the Transylvanian Association of Hungarian Civil Organizations (MCSZESZ) organized the Year’s Civil Organization for the tenth time, where our association won the third prize.
In December 2010 our association organised a first-aid course in Targu Secuiesc. After that we announced a voluntary blood-giving campaign that lasted for three weeks.
We have a free newspaper that comes out every three months, called ‘Zöld Napok’ and which first appeared in 2011.
At the end of February 2011 our environmental essay-competition with the theme: ‘To have tomorrow’ came to an end, and in April we announced a drawing competition.
In March, 2011 we also became an accredited EVS (European Voluntary Service) host and sending organization, being the third organization in our county.
We have an effect on the local inhabitants, by constantly providing information through the media. Our appearance in the media depends on the events organized, but at the moment there’s a radio program on in the local radios – Profi Radio and Siculus Radio – on Wednesdays, called ‘Green frequency’. There are ten different ways to appear in the media which include the local newspapers, TV, and radios and the district media products. These are not advertisements, but talk about programs and events, trying to play a positive effect on people.
In 2011 our team won the first prize in the Creativity in Advertising contest, organized by a regional radio called ErdélyFm.
In the spring of 2011 one of our volunteers, Boga Emese-Margit, won the logo competition announced by the European People’s Party (Európai Néppárt) on its 35th anniversary.
Our programs that are running at the moment:
We are working on the construction of a ’green road’ on the Upper Three Chairs region.
The realization of our new engagement, the ‘Nemere’ Trail, will have a good influence on the developing of the society in our region by helping the spreading the news about easily attainable healthy ways of living, and it also might contribute to the development of the local tourism and to the taking to local products.
The complete route goes through around fifty settlements, touching at least 30 different mineral water sources and 187 mansions. It reveals the unique natural and cultural treasures of the Upper Three Chairs and offers a glimpse of the region’s customs, traditions and way of life. The length of the road is 230 km long on the whole, 150 km of which can be found in the area of Targu Secuiesc, and 70 km in Orbaiszek.
We plan to print an informative brochure in which one can read a short but concise description about all the settlements that the green road passes through, describing the major sights and curiosities. At the end of the brochure there will be a list with the available accommodation and meals, encouraging the tourists to deepen their relation with our region by trying out the local foods and hospitality.
At the end of October we started to collect books and it will last until the end of January. One can give away their unused or unwanted books at our stall on the last Saturday of each month. The location is the ‘Bolhapiac’ in Targu Secuiesc.
Green Sun Association
525400, Kezdivasarhely, street Hovirag, nr.12
Kovaszna County, Romania
Tel: 0766.611066
Email: zoldnapegyesulet@gmail.com
Web: www.zoldnap.info
