Society
Theater- the window in the prison for life-sentenced detainees
It was the beginning of August, when I was invited to get to know several life-sentenced detainees from 17th Penitentiary in Rezina. What means to be a sentenced for life was known to me only from movies, while the journalist job was obliging me to not have any prejudices or expectations. I knew one thing for sure- the ideas about those people would possibly tangle my discussion with them. We departed for Rezina without knowing what surprise I would meet.
On the bank of Nistru, on Nistreană street 1, a high wall of stone in two levels is guarding. On the upper level, rows of barbed wire are installed. We arrived. After careful checks, the guards allowed us to enter. The Penitentiary seems like a labyrinth, one with immaculate white walls, narrow hallways and some sky seen through a dense net of metal. The court where the detainees have access to is an exception. If the windows of the cells didn’t have bars, if guards were lacking and if I couldn’t feel the curious looks of the detainees, I would forget where I was.
We are going to the cell of Sergiu, Maxim and Lilian. “They soon have to eat”, I learn from the guards. After abrupt stairs and dark hallways, I was asking myself how their cell could look, but I finally found a room like the one I had in the dormitories from Timișoara. With the exception that the detainees had their personal toilet, improvised a small kitchen, arranged the cell with all the necessary stuff, shelves, drawers, a table, TV and so on. Lilian, former farmer, grows flowers in his cell, while the bars can be barely seen. He gave me one flower.
They emotionally met us. “You arrived too early! The food is not ready!”, says Sergiu a bit worried. He quickly improvises some snacks. In five minutes, on the table between the beds, our hosts arranged some snacks and cups with coffee. Maxim was busy cooking potatoes with vegetables.
Sergiu (Author: Nicolae Pojoga/ Source: newsmaker.md)
All three of them will play Hamlet, directed by Luminița Țâcu. Sergiu will play Hamlet himself. He seemed to be the most outspoken, quickly entered the discussion with me. He tells me how disappointed is he by the press of Moldova, about how journalists search for the exceptional where it is not, dramatize even if there is not need to, his roommates bow their heads as approval and tell one joke. “You don’t need to describe everything in dark colors, because it is not. Together with my cell mates, we participate at different socio-educational programs since 2004. The group grew a bit until we became 11. The invitation of Mihai Fusu was addressed to all the detainees, but not all of them wanted to participated at these activities. Each of them has his own life goal and specific priorities. Somebody likes football, someone doesn’t want to participate. You can see us, the ones who wanted to participate with all my heart. Since the beginning, I didn’t know what piece we would play, but we learned that it is Hamlet written by William Shakespeare. We were emotionally touched, we though we wouldn’t cope with it”, says Sergiu.
-Did you know about Hamlet?
-Some of us yes, some less. I can’t say that everyone has studies. Now we study for each scene in particular. I will not lie, I studied it in school, but I can’t remember anything from the piece. But, reading it once, twice, for three times, you start to get to the essence, you learn the characters, you understand the main idea Shakespeare had. We work a lot, our goal is that the viewers believe in what they will see. They need to feel what we want to show them.
-You have been working for four months, but how was the beginning?
-The rehearsals started in May. Every time, we tried to learn ourselves better. We watched Hamlet shows directed by famous directors like Franco Zeffirelli, to understand what they wanted to show and their view on the piece. Hamlet is very interesting, but also complicated. Each of us would understand differently moments and scenes from the show. That is why we will have our version, which you will be able to watch on September 15th, here, on the territory of the penitentiary. We invite you!
-You play Hamlet, right? How were the roles distributed?
-Yes, I have an important mission, I play Hamlet, the prince of Denmark. All of us were curious who will play whom, but the choice was finally made by the directors. Nevertheless, before they made the decision, they asked us to write on a paper whom we see in which role. To be honest, 80% of the team members wrote that I have to play Hamlet. So, there were roles coinciding with the vision of the director.
-I understand that these role suit you, to a certain extent…
-Yes, we are similar. I realized this after I had learned the character better. I will be sincere and honest- I wanted to be precisely Hamlet. I knew I could take this role. It is a complicated role, but I hope I will cope and I will not let my team, the directors down. Actually, I am sure.
Still, what traits of Hamlet coincide with yours?
-It is a sensible character, this fact can be seen from how he suffered because of his father’s death, the marriage of his mother with the brother of his dead father. This fight for truth which every normal human takes; the quality of going till the end to obtain something, to not give up… These are the qualities that associate with my personality.
Maxim Tcaci, the house cook, was arrested on March 30th 2005. At that time, he was only 21. According to the Center of Journalistic Investigations (April 2005), “the police tried to attribute extraordinary merits for the arrest of the two, but intentionally skipped many details, pretty important, that preceded the tragedy. (…) The public opinion was told only that Petru Badicico and Maxim Tcaci, both residents of Chișinău, took the weapons from the Central Sport Club of the Army, with which, in an exchange of fires, they killed officer Sergiu Coipan”. During detention at the General Police Commissariat, Maxim was beaten and violated by the policemen. On December 8th 2005, Appeal Court of Chișinău found Maxim guilty of committing murder, organizing a criminal group, fraud and condemned him for life detention.
The parents of Maxim didn’t leave these illegalities to the authorities. On July 15th, 2014, Moldova lost another case at the European Court for Human Rights. Moldova was obliged to pay Maxim 9 thousand euros for moral damage and 1170 euros for expenditures.
The seats arranged for the viewers of the spectacle (Author: Nicolae Pojoga)
I left the cell with the thought that we didn’t discuss enough.
Their Hamlet was played on September 15th and can be watched here:
Author: Ana Gherciu
The theatrical project from Rezina is conducted by the Arts Center COLISEUM together with the Department of Penitentiary Institutions from Moldova, at the initiative of the Norwegian Mission of Rule of Law Advisers to Moldova (NORLAM). The activity is financially supported by the EU-funded project “Support to the enforcement, probation and rehabilitation systems in Moldova” (EUTAP 4), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and NORLAM.
Society
“They are not needy, but they need help”. How Moldovan volunteers try to create a safe environment for the Ukrainian refugees
At the Government’s ground floor, the phones ring constantly, the laptop screens never reach standby. In one corner of the room there is a logistics planning meeting, someone has a call on Zoom with partners and donors, someone else finally managed to take a cookie and make some coffee. Everyone is exhausted and have sleepy red eyes, but the volunteers still have a lot of energy and dedication to help in creating a safe place for the Ukrainian refugees.
“It’s like a continuous bustle just so you won’t read the news. You get home sometimes and you don’t have time for news, and that somehow helps. It’s a kind of solidarity and mutual support,” says Vlada Ciobanu, volunteer responsible for communication and fundraising.
The volunteers group was formed from the very first day of war. A Facebook page was created, where all types of messages immediately started to flow: “I offer accommodation”, “I want to help”, “I want to get involved”, “Where can I bring the products?”, “I have a car and I can go to the customs”. Soon, the authorities also started asking for volunteers’ support. Now they all work together, coordinate activities and try to find solutions to the most difficult problems.
Is accommodation needed for 10, 200 or 800 people? Do you need transportation to the customs? Does anyone want to deliver 3 tons of apples and does not know where? Do you need medicine or mobile toilets? All these questions require prompt answers and actions. Blankets, sheets, diapers, hygiene products, food, clothes – people bring everything, and someone needs to quickly find ways of delivering them to those who need them.
Sometimes this collaboration is difficult, involves a lot of bureaucracy, and it can be difficult to get answers on time. “Republic of Moldova has never faced such a large influx of refugees and, probably because nobody thought this could happen, a mechanism of this kind of crisis has not been developed. Due to the absence of such a mechanism that the state should have created, we, the volunteers, intervened and tried to help in a practical way for the spontaneous and on the sport solutions of the problems,” mentions Ecaterina Luțișina, volunteer responsible for the refugees’ accommodation.
Ana Maria Popa, one of the founders of the group “Help Ukrainians in Moldova/SOS Українці Молдовa” says that the toughest thing is to find time and have a clear mind in managing different procedures, although things still happen somehow naturally. Everyone is ready to intervene and help, to take on more responsibilities and to act immediately when needed. The biggest challenges arise when it is necessary to accommodate large families, people with special needs, for which alternative solutions must be identified.
Goods and donations
The volunteers try to cope with the high flow of requests for both accommodation and products of all kinds. “It came to me as a shock and a panic when I found out that both mothers who are now in Ukraine, as well as those who found refuge in our country are losing their milk because of stress. We are trying to fill an enormous need for milk powder, for which the demand is high and the stocks are decreasing”, says Steliana, the volunteer responsible for the distribution of goods from the donation centers.
Several centers have been set up to collect donations in all regions of Chisinau, and volunteers are redirecting the goods to where the refugees are. A system for processing and monitoring donations has already been established, while the volunteer drivers take over the order only according to a unique code.
Volunteers from the collection centers also do the inventory – the donated goods and the distributed goods. The rest is transported to Vatra deposit, from where it is distributed to the placement centers where more than 50 refugees are housed.
When they want to donate goods, but they don’t know what would be needed, people are urged to put themselves in the position of refugees and ask themselves what would they need most if they wake up overnight and have to hurriedly pack their bags and run away. Steliana wants to emphasise that “these people are not needy, but these people need help. They did not choose to end up in this situation.”
Furthermore, the volunteer Cristina Sîrbu seeks to identify producers and negotiate prices for products needed by refugees, thus mediating the procurement process for NGOs with which she collaborates, such as Caritas, World Children’s Fund, Polish Solidarity Fund, Lifting hands, Peace Corps and others.
One of the challenges she is facing now is the identifying a mattress manufacturer in the West, because the Moldovan mattress manufacturer that has been helping so far no longer has polyurethane, a raw material usually imported from Russia and Ukraine.
Cristina also needs to find solutions for the needs of the volunteer groups – phones, laptops, gsm connection and internet for a good carrying out of activities.
Hate messages
The most difficult thing for the communication team is to manage the hate messages on the social networks, which started to appear more often. “Even if there is some sort of dissatisfaction from the Ukrainian refugees and those who offer help, we live now in a very diverse society, there are different kind of people, and we act very differently under stress,” said Vlada Ciobanu.
Translation by Cătălina Bîrsanu
Important
#WorldForUkraine – a map that shows the magnitude of the world’s actions against Russian aggression
The international community and volunteers from all over te world have launched #WorldForUkraine as a platform that shows the magnitude of the world’s actions against the Russian aggression. In a digital world – it is an interactive map of public support of Ukrainians under the hashtag #WorldForUkraine – rallies, flash mobs, protests around the world. In the physical dimension – it is your opportunity to take to the streets and declare: “No to Putin’s aggression, no to war.”
„Today, along with the political and military support, emotional connection with the civilized world and truthful information are extremely important for Ukraine. The power to do it is in your hands. Join the #WorldForUkraine project and contribute to the victorious battle against the bloodshed inflicted on Ukraine by the aggression of the Russian Federation”, says the „about the project” section of the platform.
Go to the streets — Tell people — Connect and Unite — Become POWERFUL
Volunteers have launched #WorldForUkraine as a platform that shows the magnitude of the world’s actions against Russian aggression. In digital world – it is an INTERACTIVE MAP of public support of Ukrainians worldforukraine.net under the hashtag #WorldForUkraine – rallies, flash mobs, protests around the world. In the physical dimension – it is your opportunity to take to the streets and declare: “No to Putin’s aggression, no to war.” There you may find information about past and future rallies in your city in support of Ukraine. This is a permanent platform for Ukrainian diaspora and people all over the world concerned about the situation in Ukraine.
So here’s a couple of things you could do yourself to help:
* if there is a political rally in your city, then participate in it and write about it on social media with geolocation and the hashtag #WorldForUkraine
* if there are no rallies nearby, organize one in support of Ukraine yourself, write about it on social media with geolocation adding the hashtag #WorldForUkraine
The map will add information about gathering by #WorldForUkraine AUTOMATICALLY
Your voice now stronger THAN ever
All rallies are already here: https://worldforukraine.net
Important
How is Moldova managing the big influx of Ukrainian refugees? The authorities’ plan, explained
From 24th to 28th of February, 71 359 Ukrainian citizens entered the territory of Republic of Moldova. 33 173 of them left the country. As of this moment, there are 38 186 Ukrainian citizens in Moldova, who have arrived over the past 100 hours.
The Moldovan people and authorities have organized themselves quickly from the first day of war between Russia and Ukraine. However, in the event of a prolonged armed conflict and a continuous influx of Ukrainian refugees, the efforts and donations need to be efficiently managed. Thus, we inquired about Moldova’s long-term plan and the state’s capacity to receive, host, and treat a bigger number of refugees.
On February 26th, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Moldova approved the Regulation of organization and functioning of the temporary Placement Center for refugees and the staffing and expenditure rules. According to the Regulation, the Centers will have the capacity of temporary hosting and feeding at least 20 persons, for a maximum of 3 months, with the possibility of extending this period. The Centers will also offer legal, social, psychological, and primary medical consultations to the refugees. The Center’s activity will be financed from budget allocations, under Article 19 of Provision no. 1 of the Exceptional Situations Commission from February 24th, 2022, and from other sources of funding that do not contravene applicable law.
The Ministry of Inner Affairs and the Government of Moldova facilitated the organization of the volunteers’ group “Moldova for Peace”. Its purpose is to receive, offer assistance and accommodation to the Ukrainian refugees. The group is still working on creating a structure, registering and contacting volunteers, etc. It does not activate under a legal umbrella.
Lilia Nenescu, one of the “Moldova for Peace” volunteers, said that the group consists of over 20 people. Other 1700 registered to volunteer by filling in this form, which is still available. The group consists of several departments:
The volunteers’ department. Its members act as fixers: they’re responsible for connecting the people in need of assistance with the appropriate department. Some of the volunteers are located in the customs points. “The Ministry of Inner Affairs sends us every day the list of the customs points where our assistance is needed, and we mobilize the volunteers”, says Lilia Nenescu.
The Goods Department manages all the goods donated by the Moldavian citizens. The donations are separated into categories: non-perishable foods and non-food supplies. The volunteers of this department sort the goods into packages to be distributed.
The Government intends to collect all the donations in four locations. The National Agency for Food Safety and the National Agency for Public Health will ensure mechanisms to confirm that all the deposited goods comply with safety and quality regulations.
The Service Department operates in 4 directions and needs the volunteer involvement of specialists in psychology, legal assistance (the majority of the refugees only have Ukrainian ID and birth certificates of their children); medical assistance; translation (a part of the refugees are not Ukrainian citizens).
According to Elena Mudrîi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, so far there is no data about the number of Covid-19 positive refugees. She only mentioned two cases that needed outpatient medical assistance: a pregnant woman and the mother of a 4-day-old child.
The Accommodation Department. The volunteers are waiting for the centralized and updated information from the Ministry of Labor about the institutions offering accommodation, besides the houses offered by individuals.
The Transport Department consists of drivers organized in groups. They receive notifications about the number of people who need transportation from the customs points to the asylum centers for refugees.
The municipal authorities of Chișinău announced that the Ukrainian children refugees from the capital city will be enrolled in educational institutions. The authorities also intend to create Day-Care Centers for children, where they will be engaged in educational activities and will receive psychological assistance. Besides, the refugees from the municipal temporary accommodation centers receive individual and group counseling.
In addition to this effort, a group of volunteers consisting of Ana Gurău, Ana Popapa, and Andrei Lutenco developed, with the help of Cristian Coșneanu, the UArefugees platform, synchronized with the responses from this form. On the first day, 943 people offered their help using the form, and 110 people asked for help. According to Anna Gurău, the volunteers communicate with the Government in order to update the platform with the missing data.
Translation from Romanian by Natalia Graur
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