The “IDEA” project, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, aimed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation among organizations working on youth integration in Armenia, Austria, Spain, Slovakia, and Romania. Through national and international cross-sectoral networks, the project developed an inclusive methodology adaptable to various educational contexts, promoting collaboration across formal and non-formal sectors.

A key outcome was the IDEA Methodological Resource Pack, which features 32 inclusive methods derived from best practices. Hosted on an accessible and interactive platform, the toolkit enables users to filter content by target group, domain, or competencies. Developed by the Intercultural Institute Timișoara, the platform integrates a custom GPT tool that personalizes educational methods for diverse audiences. This AI supports the development of democratic competences such as human rights, critical thinking, and inclusion, helping users identify the right tools to foster specific skills in vulnerable groups.

At the local level, the project gained support from the Timiș Local Council and contributed to forming a cross-sectoral working group, which laid the foundation for the Intercultural Strategy of Timiș County. The IDEA project thus delivered both innovative digital tools and strategic impact, enhancing inclusive education and promoting social cohesion across Europe.

“Worlds at Crossroads” was a cultural heritage project coordinated by the Narrative Association and co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration, running from July to October 2024. Its main goal was to revitalize and valorize the oral history archive curated by Smaranda Vultur and hosted by the “Eugen Todoran” Central University Library in Timisoara. The Intercultural Institute Timisoara participated as a project partner.

The project focused on a curated selection of 50 life-story interviews collected in the Banat region between 1990 and 2020. A multidisciplinary team conducted two months of qualitative research to identify recurring human themes and linguistic patterns. These findings shaped the structure of the project’s website, which presents the archive through multimedia content, including digital artworks and a documentary film reflecting the research and creative process.

The Intercultural Institute Timisoara also contributed by showcasing best practices in cultural heritage and intercultural dialogue, engaging students from the West University of Timisoara. Through its innovative use of oral history, Worlds at Crossroads highlights the personal and collective narratives that shape regional identity and fosters a deeper understanding of shared cultural memory.

On November 21, 2024, the Intercultural Institute Timisoara participated in the workshop “Ecology, Culture, and Transport”, organized by the Department for Interethnic Relations within the Romanian Government. The event was part of the CLOSE project, which includes a series of awareness workshops, art exhibitions, and youth engagement activities under the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR).

Implemented in partnership with the Romanian Ministry of Development, Public Works, and Administration (project leader) and the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism (partner), the CLOSE project promotes new forms of cultural expression and cross-border cooperation. Within the workshop, the Intercultural Institute Timisoara presented its InclusiveArt – Access to Culture for Disadvantaged Children and Youth project, highlighting its creative and inclusive methodology.

Recommended by the Regional Office for Cross-Border Cooperation Timisoara, InclusiveArt was recognized for its strong social impact and innovation. It has also been selected by the European Commission as a best practice model in the field of inclusive cultural engagement.

The event was organized by the Project Centre of the Municipality of Timișoara in partnership with the European Network of Cultural Centres (ENCC) on 22 November 2024 and was part of ENCC’s Closing the Gap program, a program aimed at promoting good cooperation between cultural centers and local authorities to activate the transformative potential of socio-cultural. This event was also part of the Power Station activity, which consolidates and promotes good practices within the Timisoara 2023 Program, for which inclusion and accessibility were two important objectives.

This project – coordinated by the Big Picture Association (Poland), in partnership with the Intercultural Institute Timisoara, Documenta (Croatia), The Jewish Museum of Greece, and Fondazione CDEC (Italy) aimed to broaden and deepen their understanding of modern European history in Europe, particularly the Holocaust.

The “RELATION” project, implemented between 2022 and 2024, aimed to combat antisemitism by integrating Jewish history and traditions into Europe’s shared cultural narrative. Led by a consortium of European partners, including the Intercultural Institute Timisoara, the project combined research and monitoring of antisemitic online speech with the development of educational resources and teacher training.

Activities targeted various age groups: children aged 9–12 engaged with interactive books; teens aged 13–17 participated in peer-to-peer, inquiry-based learning; and young adults (18–25) were involved in awareness campaigns promoting inclusive values. Teachers received specialized training, particularly those teaching Intercultural Education and the subject “Jewish History. The Holocaust.”

Project results were presented at a national event in Bucharest with support from the Ministry of Education and other key institutions. Locally, activities took place in schools across Timiș County, with significant involvement from schools in Lugoj, Giroc, and Timișoara, reinforcing the project’s commitment to educational impact and intercultural dialogue.

The general objective of the project was to empower and support grassroots Roma women by creating a European network, where they have a common and safe space to support and learn from each other, and to launch an anti-gypsyism campaign. The end goal was to have an institutional impact, both on the national and European levels.

The Roma Connect Project involved four organisations from Hungary, Greece, Romania, and Spain.

The “Beit” Project, implemented for the first time in Timisoara in 2023, is an international initiative that combines heritage and intercultural education for middle and high school students. Through a temporary, mobile school set up at a heritage site, students from different socio-cultural backgrounds work together to explore the city’s history, reflect on diversity, and address social issues through video production.

In 2023, the project brought together students from five local schools and culminated in a public screening of their work. A round table on using urban and historical memory to combat discrimination was also held, involving local and European stakeholders.

As part of the project, the “Nomadic Photographic Project” by artist Lucy Winkelmann was exhibited in Timisoara for one month, showcasing superimposed images from six European cities that explored the relationship between urban space and community.

The project was co-funded by the European Union (CERV) and the Municipality of Timisoara, as part of the “Timișoara 2023 – European Capital of Culture” program.

The project aimed to reduce social exclusion in marginalized urban areas within the GAL Timisoara territory by improving access to education, training teachers, and supporting community cohesion.

Specific objectives included providing educational and social support to 160 children (at least 80 of whom were of Roma ethnicity), reducing school dropout rates and improving access to quality education, and establishing a sustainable mechanism based on local partnerships and social innovation to ensure long-term educational access for children and youth in these communities.

Partners: The Intercultural Institute Timisoara and the Timiș County School Inspectorate, in collaboration with Secondary School No. 20, Rudolf Walther Secondary School, and William Shakespeare Theoretical High School.

The Intercultural Institute Timisoara, in partnership with the Popular Foundation – European Social, Economic and Cultural Strategies, is implementing the project “Acționăm împreună!”, co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Human Capital Operational Program 2014–2020. Running from 2022 to December 2023, the project supports the local development strategy for marginalized urban areas in the GAL Timișoara territory.

Aimed at 350 beneficiaries—children, youth, students, and adults—the project promotes social inclusion through intercultural dialogue, civic participation, and artistic activities. Key actions include socio-cultural animation, story writing, community journalism, and a cultural anthropology study on local coexistence. A documentary film and civic engagement initiatives will also help improve the public image and intercultural relations of marginalized communities.

The project was coordinated by the Resource Center for Urban Regeneration in partnership with the Nevo Parudimos Association and the Intercultural Institute of Timișoara. Funded through the EEA and Norway Grants under the Active Citizens Fund program, the project targeted 800 vulnerable individuals, including at least 500 Roma people and 500 young people, along with 25 local authority representatives and 25 teachers. Activities were implemented in Timișoara and eight rural localities in Timiș County. Key expected outcomes included increasing the capacity of 850 individuals, engaging 500 people in advocacy activities, consulting vulnerable groups, developing a new intervention model, and conducting awareness campaigns. The Intercultural Institute of Timișoara was responsible for implementing the intercultural education component of the project.

In 2023, the Intercultural Institute of Timișoara (IIT) implemented a project funded by the Municipality of Timișoara through the Center for Projects, as part of the “Timișoara 2023 – European Capital of Culture” Programme. The overarching goal was to promote Roma culture and combat anti-Roma racism through cultural, artistic, and educational interventions.

Key Activities:

• RomaMoMA Library – A traveling exhibition of Roma contemporary literature and art, activated through the Adiacent installation (Daniel Baker), in partnership with ERIAC.
• BEIT Project – Educational and urban storytelling activities for students, focusing on themes such as community, religion, poverty, and communism. Concluded with public screenings and debates.
• Roma Fellows – Two young Roma professionals were engaged as junior project officers, contributing to cultural events and the strengthening of local Roma civil society.
• Academic Workshop – A national event bringing together 32 young researchers (Roma and non-Roma), addressing current European and international perspectives on Roma history and culture. Included experts such as Delia Grigore, Iulius Rostaș, and Gheorghe Sarău.
• Forum Theatre – Théâtre de l’opprimé, Paris – Creation and performance of plays addressing racial discrimination and bullying, developed by Roma and non-Roma youth under the guidance of Leo Frati.
• “Corp Urban” Performance – Giuvlipen – A Roma feminist theatre production exploring identity, the body, and marginalization. The show attracted ~100 attendees and was followed by a moderated audience discussion.
• Santino Spinelli Concerts – Musical events in Timișoara and Pesac promoting Roma musical heritage and contributing to the regional impact of TM2023 (~150 participants).
• Forum Theatre – Kuringa, Berlin – Anti-discrimination theatre workshops and performances for Roma and non-Roma youth. The play “Discrimination in School” was staged for a mixed audience.
• “Roma Holocaust” Exhibition – Hosted at the West University of Timișoara (UVT), the exhibition was accompanied by a public conference and engaged ~200 visitors. It provided historical context and addressed collective trauma and education for memory.
• Artistic Activities in Marginalized Neighborhoods – Visual arts workshops, storytelling, Photovoice, and intercultural exchange (study trip to Kikinda), in collaboration with local schools and NGOs.

SHIELD – a project funded by the European Union’s Internal Security Fund aimed at protecting places of worship from the risks of violent extremism. Implementing risk factors’ analysis, SHIELD was to enhance security postures at places of worship through improving the coordination, cooperation, and communication between law enforcement agencies, public authorities, faith leadership, and congregations.

SHIELD’s consortium is made up of 18 partners from 10 EU countries, engaged for two years: from January 2022 to December 2023. The Intercultural Institute Timisoara is one of the project partners.

The project aimed to provide a digital platform for teachers, parents, and pupils that integrates sustainable development educational goals, participatory learning, and digital storytelling for a holistic and democratic approach in education through blended learning.

The project was coordinated by North Consulting from Iceland and includes, together with the Intercultural Institute Timisoara, partners from Belgium (DJAPO and Mediawijs, Flemish Knowledge Center for Digital and Media Literacy) and Greece (University of West Macedonia). The project was funded by the European Commission through the ERASMUS + program.

The project “People Prepared for Vulcan’s Future”, carried out between April 2021 and September 2023 and funded through the POCU 2014–2020 Programme, aimed to reduce the risk of poverty and social exclusion in the marginalized urban areas of Vulcan municipality. The project partners included SC Interlog Com SRL (promoter), the Municipality of Vulcan, the “Mihai Viteazu” Technological High School, and the Intercultural Institute of Timișoara (IIT). Targeting 740 individuals, the project implemented integrated measures to improve the quality of life, social cohesion, and access to services.

The Intercultural Institute Timisoara was responsible for two key sub-activities: combating discrimination in marginalized communities and fostering social innovation through local partnerships. Using tools such as intercultural education, socio-educational animation, and participatory governance, IIT promoted attitude and behavior change, particularly among vulnerable children and youth. In 2023, activities included surveys to identify cases of discrimination, awareness-raising among target group members, cultural and sports events, community meetings to identify challenges and solutions, and dialogue between citizens and local authorities.

This project – coordinated by the Fondazione Centro di Documentazione Ebraica Contemporanea, Italy, in partnership with the Intercultural Institute Timisoara, Terraforming South, Serbia, and Big Picture Association, Poland – took place between 2021-2022, with the aim of raising public awareness about the need to oppose injustice, to act for the protection of human rights and to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

The project activities included organizing national seminars for teachers from Serbia, Italy, Poland, and Romania, initiating local projects developed by teachers together with students and members of the local community, as well as organizing an international conference that took place in Timisoara in April 2022, bringing together 30 participants from 5 countries. As a result of this project, a Handbook was published that advances an interdisciplinary approach to the Holocaust, human rights, and intercultural education.

The Intercultural Institute of Timișoara was a partner in a European project launched in 2020, which aimed to map and deconstruct historical myths and distortions encountered among young people. By using civic education and history tools, the project contributed to the development of critical thinking and the promotion of democratic and European values.

The project objectives included: increasing the capacity of young people and youth workers to recognize and combat historical myths and fake news; countering online disinformation and propaganda; promoting a discourse based on historical facts to support the fight against discrimination, racism, and segregation; as well as strengthening democracy through media and civic education.

The project was carried out at a transnational level, addressing historical and social themes common to several European countries, such as the discrimination of minorities, scapegoating, Holocaust denial, prejudices, stereotypes, and hate speech.

In 2022, the team of the Intercultural Institute of Timișoara produced five educational video materials, each approximately 3 minutes long, which addressed and deconstructed relevant historical myths using credible historical sources and methods specific to civic education. Additionally, an educational guide of approximately 50 pages was developed, including a presentation of the project, research findings, selected myths (two from each partner country), a description of the video production process, the methods used, and recommendations for youth workers and teachers on how to integrate the resources into educational activities.

Launched in 2020, the Track and Field for All (T&F4All) project uses athletics as a tool for social and cultural integration, especially in disadvantaged communities where such sports are rarely practiced. It targets young people aged 12–24, particularly those from marginalized groups such as migrants and Roma youth.

The project promotes accessible, low-cost sports participation to foster inclusion and skill development. In 2022, the Intercultural Institute of Timișoara (IIT) contributed to a set of guidelines for organizing street athletics activities and translated them into Romanian. IIT also ran a training course for sports educators focused on Roma inclusion, followed by two local events engaging Roma youth in athletics.

The project, co-funded by Erasmus+, involves partners from Cyprus, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey.

Coordinated by the LOGS Association in partnership with the Intercultural Institute of Timișoara, the ARMS project was funded through the Active Citizens Fund. It aimed to support vulnerable migrants, including undocumented arrivals, asylum seekers, and refugees with protection status in Romania.

In 2022, IIT ensured project visibility and created a bilingual brochure (Pashto–English) explaining the asylum process, distributed to border authorities and NGOs.

The project offered:

• information and counseling on available services,
• emergency aid (medical, food, hygiene, clothing),
• short-term integration through life skills training, job access support, trauma recovery, and intercultural activities.

The Crocus Project is an Irish initiative of Holocaust Education Ireland. Within the project, IIT has distributed crocus bulbs nationally for students over 10 years old to plant in memory of children during the Holocaust. Eventually, the flowers bloom around Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27). The Crocus Project is a tangible way to introduce young people to the Holocaust and to raise awareness about the dangers of discrimination. In 2022, approximately 10,000 crocus bulbs were distributed to 85 schools in Romania.

The project focused on promoting Roma culture as an integral part of local and European heritage, while addressing Roma identity and combating anti-Roma racism. The initiative featured artistic activities—including theater performances, film screenings, and public discussions—that facilitated direct interaction between Roma and non-Roma participants, fostering intercultural dialogue and reducing social distance. A key component was Roma intersectional feminist theater, which addressed multiple layers of discrimination and advocated for systemic change.

The project also included training for young artists in cultural animation within Roma communities, aiming to challenge stereotypes and equip participants with practical skills. At the European level, collaboration with the European Institute for Roma Art and Culture brought visibility to Roma heritage through a conference and a workshop, addressing themes such as Roma slavery and the historical underrepresentation of Roma culture.

Although completed in December 2022, the project laid the foundation for a follow-up initiative in 2023, continuing its mission through expanded artistic, educational, and academic activities.

The Track and Field for All project (T&F4All) aimed to use athletics for social and cultural integration. The project focused on participation in athletic activities of young people from places where track and field activities are not so practiced, from those neighbourhoods and streets where children and young people from our European cities still live in disadvantaged conditions.

The main priority of the project was to encourage the participation of children and young people, aged approximately 12 to 24 years, who mainly belong to groups with fewer opportunities, particularly migrants and ethnic minorities, such as Roma.

The secondary priority of the project was to combat discrimination in sporting practice, to allow and encourage the participation in sport of young people coming from different countries, in particular first-generation asylum seekers or refugees, but also second-generation migrants or refugees, or members of other minority groups.

The partners in this project were organizations from Cyprus, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey. The project includes various activities in the years 2020-2022 and is co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme.

DEMOGAMES advanced democracy education by addressing learning about, through, and for democracy. The project was based on a didactic approach to game-based learning and applied it to teaching young citizens about democracy by playing analog and digital games. The main outcome was the Democracy Game Box, an innovative collection of eight analogue and digital educational games designed to foster competencies for democratic culture through interactive, game-based learning. These ready-to-use tools transform your workshops into dynamic, participatory experiences that engage learners of all ages in exploring key democratic values and processes.

To support effective facilitation, the Demogames Facilitator’s Manual offers comprehensive guidance, including pedagogical frameworks, facilitation strategies, and adaptable workshop scenarios. Additionally, our MOOC learning videos provide in-depth background knowledge and practical tips, ensuring you’re well-equipped to implement the games confidently and effectively in diverse educational settings. The project was an initiative implemented by six partner organisations, co-financed for the period 2019-2022 by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Unsung Hero Dialogues (2020–2021) was a European project promoting solidarity, diversity, and civic education. It aimed to strengthen civic engagement and the capacity of small NGOs, focusing on the economic vulnerability of young activists and fostering dialogue with policymakers. Key activities included a European survey, an advocacy training Autumn School, local meetings between NGOs and authorities in six countries, public events on civic education, and a final international conference in Germany.

The Dreams project, funded by Erasmus+ (KA204 – Strategic Partnerships for Adult Education), was implemented between September 2019 and December 2020 by four organizations from Belgium, Romania, and Bulgaria. The project aimed to promote the social inclusion of Roma parents through the use of digital storytelling – short, voice-narrated videos in which participants shared personal experiences related to education, discrimination, and their relationship with schools.

A total of 60 low-educated adult learners and adult education professionals were involved. The project focused on developing civic, social, and intercultural competences, improving parent–school communication, and increasing Roma parents’ access to adult education and the labor market.

3S RECIPE (Smart Shrinkage Solutions – Fostering Resilient Cities in Inner Peripheries of Europe, 2017–2020) was a European research and innovation project funded through the Urban Europe ERA-NET Cofund Smart Urban Futures (ENSUF) initiative. The project addressed the growing challenge of urban shrinkage—the ongoing population and economic decline affecting over 1,500 cities across Europe.

The main objective was to identify and promote the most feasible and sustainable solutions for the regeneration of shrinking cities, by learning from urban areas that had successfully recovered and sharing their key success factors. It combined recent theoretical approaches to urban decline with an innovative futures-oriented performance framework and the Urban Futures methodology.

The project aimed at exchanging good practices and established a network between municipalities and non-profit organisations on the topic of inclusive participation, defined as the participation of people with fewer opportunities.

The partners of the project:
P1: Municipality of Billère / France
P2: Comune di Silvi / Italy
P3: Vulcan municipality / Romania
P4: Gulbene municipality / Latvia
P5: The Society of Polish Town Planners, Wroclaw Division / Poland
P6: Municipality of Istiea – Aedipsos / Greece
P7: Intercultural Institute of Timisoara / Romania
P8: Municipality of Saillans / France

The project aimed to increase the capacity of high-school students and teachers in Timisoara to constructively formulate their needs regarding the problems they face.

The project was developed in partnership with the Timis County Teacher Training Institution and Casa Plai Association (through the Ambasada Cultural Centre) and co-financed by the Municipality of Timisoara and Timisoara Local Council.

The project was implemented by the Centre for Rural Assistance Foundation, in collaboration with Kaos Pilots Switzerland and the Intercultural Institute Timisoara, and offered an open framework for dialogue and facilitation. It contributed to enhancing the capacity of local communities in the micro-region to promote and utilize natural and cultural heritage resources as vital factors for sustainable economic, social, ecological, and cultural development.