PROJECTS
SUPPORTED BY THE HONORARY CONSUL

 

NGOs

 

Foundation Carpathia Conservation (DD Board Member), the Romanian NGO was founded to establish through private land donations a permanent wildlife preserve. With more then 20,000 hectares in private trust, the FCC has become a key component of the governmet’s proposed Fagaras Nature Park. (see)

 

Vacaresti Nature Park Association (DD Avisory Board Member), the association was created to protect the 180 hectare ‘nature park created in a planned reservoir abandoned in 1990. Natural recovery of the site has turned it into one-of-a-kind urban nature park with flora and fauna in the world. (see)

 

 

 

 

The Maria Nobrega Foundation was established in Brazil by a member of a founding of Brazil, the UK, and the USA. Dan Dimancescu a Trustee of the Foundation, encouraged the Foundation to establish itself in Romania along with similar branches in the United Kingdom, the United States. (see)

 

Asociata Maria Nobrega (Romania)
The Asociatia was founded in Romania in 2008 to focus on the restoration and regeneration of cultural heritage skills in Archita, a Saxon village in Transylvania. Its goals include creation of an international school for heritage skills. Founders of the Association are: Elizabeth Nobrega de Araujo Tsakiroglou, Col. Michael Carrington, Katherine Kuhns Dimancescu, Dan Dimancescu.
Additionally, the Asociata invited High Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to endorse its activities in Romania – and to encourage the partnership with UNESCO’s International Traditional Knowledge Institute.

UNESCO International Traditional Knowledge Institute (Italy) (ITKI) and Center for Traditional Research (Romania)
Both are activities supported by the Maria Nobrega Foundation. In January 2010, a new project was initiated with the short-term goal of establishing links between traditional knowledge legacies in Romania with the Traditional Knowledge World Bank in Italy (TKWB) and a branch activity headquartered in Archita. Partnered with it will be the Center for Traditional Research (Romania) established by Prof Ghinoiu with support from the Dimancescu family to create workings links with the TKI in Florence, Italy.

 

Ethnography

 

Romanian Ethnographic Atlas – Five Volumes

 

Financial support has been provided to ensure continuity in research and publication of the monumental five-volume Ethnographic Atlas of Romania at the Ethnographic and Folklore Institute. The Atlas series, edited by professor Ion Ghinoiu, is a product of more than 4 decades of research. A program for presentation of the ATLAS series to leading U.S. universities and institutions was carried out by Mr. and Mrs. Dimancescu including Harvard University, Brown University, Smithsonian Institute, National Geographic Society, Cosmos Club, and George Washington University. see

 

Films

 

Substantial financial support was provided by the Dimancescu family to allow production of a documentary feature-film series on historic events in Romanian History. These three films, initiated and directed by Nicholas Dimancescu in 2008, were created in collaboration with the National Geographic Magazine and featured on TVR1 (Romania). In addition support was provided to develop a series of short ‘cultural-themed’ films as well as photographic essays.

 

“The Hunt for Transylvanian Gold” (see)
Produced in 2016, the 50mn documentary chronicles a twenty-year period of archaeological looting from the Dacian Sarmizegetusa sanctuary site in Transylvania. Particular focus is given to the looting and illicit trafficking of 24 massive golden spiral bracelets – and the recovery of 13 of them through police efforts in collaboration with authorities in Europe and the United States.

 

“Decoding Dacia: Romania’s Lost Legacy” (see)
To answer the simple question “Who Were the Dacian?” The film focuses on the period of Rome’s invasion of Dacia in 101-106AD. The subject is explored further by highlighting contemporary peasant life in the Carpathian Mountain regions surrounding Sarmizegetusa. newly and detailed 3D animations of Sarmizegetusa, Blidaru, the Roman bridge across the Danube River, and Trajan’s Forum in Rome were create. Vivid illustrations commissioned from artist Radu Oltean were incorporated into the film. Nicholas Dimancescu, director of the film, died tragically in an accidental mountain fall during the filming. The film premiered in September 2012 in Florence, Italy, at a UNESCO anniversary event celebrating the 40 the anniversary of the Heritage Program.

 

“Knights of the Sky”: Part II of Romania at War” (see)
This 50-mn documentary focuses on the air war over Romania’s role in WW-II (1942-1944). The film will feature both U.S. and Romania sides of the war including the recent meeting between two opposing war ‘aces’: Col Barrie Davis and Gnrl. Ion Dobran (video). Produced in partnership with National Geographic Magazine (Romania) and shown on TVR 1 on Dec 1, 2010

 

“Hill 789 – The Last Stronghold” (see)
A 50-mn documentary, Hill 789 focuses on Romania’s role in WW-I (1916-1918) and is based on the memoirs of Dimitri Dimancescu cv who served as an officer during the war. His experiences intersected with Col. Norton Griffiths (UK) who sabotaged the Ploesti oil wells and depots; and with Lt. Erwin Rommel whom he faced on Cosna Mountain (789) during the key battle of Oituz. In partnership with National Geographic Magazine (Romania) published Dec 2008 and shown on TVR1 Dec 2009.

 

“Faces of Romania” Film Series
Financial sponsorship of a five short-film series on individuals who have made a contribution to Romanian culture see:

 

Painter of Churches (Suslanesti)
The Restorer (Miclosoara)
Nightlosers (multiple locations)
Queen Marie (Sinaia, Bran, Balcic)
House (Bran)

 

“Faces of Romania” Photo Essays

 

Financial sponsorship of several photo essays by Romanian photographers

 

Bear & Bird (Vintaleasca)
Organ Restorer (Sibiu)

 

Young Romanians

 

Global Romanian Society of Young Professionals (GRASP)

 

The GRAS is an open network of organizations and individuals committed to advancing Romania’s development and modernization through civic involvement and professionalism. GRASP has members in 12 countries and is currently expanding to include more students, professionals, and relevant groups. See interviews with participants of Conference at the Kennedy School (Harvard University – December 2009). Dimancescu serves on its Advisory Board.

 

Future World Leaders Summit
Candidates for participation in the FWLS (Washington, D.C. July 2009) were selected by the CODECS Foundation in Bucharest. Support for travel to the event was provided by Dimancescu for Gabriela-Raluca Simbotin.
SEE ‘Leaders for the Third Millennium’ also: www.clublmt.ro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technology

 

XO Computer Project – Bran See
The R&D Advisory Board of the Honorary Consul ate agreed to send a trial computer (XO) to Sohodol (Bran) in 2008. In 2009 six more computers were sent to expand the experiment. The XO was created by the MediaLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is headed with Nicholas Negroponte who is coincidentally himself of Romanian origin.

 

I-CUBE / Technology Innovation Initiative
Funding provided by the Dimancescu family to establish the first university-level technology innovation competition in Romania. The Innovation Competition 2006, modeled on the MIT $100K Competition, was launched May 18, 2006, in Bucharest, and carried out for a three-year period. Coordinated by the student-founded I-Cube Association see, the project was first overseen by the R&D Advisory Group of the Honorary Consul. The goal was to encourage talented young entrepreneurs with fundable projects of interest to high tech investors. Winners: see

 

Exchanges

 

Romanian Childrens Relief (USA) and Inocenti (Romania)
Dimancescu serves on the Advisory Board of the organizations that provide orphan and young children medical and educational services in Romania for over a 20 year period.  This effort, initiated by the Massachusetts-based photographer Mike Carroll, has been described in the award-winning documentary “HandHeld” produced and directed by Don Hand, noted Hollywood film personality.
See: www.roconsulboston.com/Pages/InfoPages/Commentary/HandHeld.html

 

Dartmouth College (New Hampshire) and ADEPT (Transylvania)
Plans for tourism development in the UNESCO Heritage zones near Sighisoara include creating well-maintained mountain-bike paths. The experience of Dartmouth College’s Outing Club’s trail maintenance is being tapped to advise ADEPT on best practices.

 

Educational Enrichment for Romanian Children, Inc.
The purposes is to promote educational summer school programs in the Boston area for Romanian children aged 9-15. The program has been bringing Romanian children to the US for summer studies since 1997. The children are chosen from families who cannot afford to travel outside of Romania. They are fluent in English and they demonstrate excellence in many academic fields. We aim at improving the lives of Romanian children by giving them the opportunity to appreciate a world without borders. (see)

 

Student/Teacher Internships/Exchanges:

 

Columbia University – study of heritage-focused programs and institutions

 

Dartmouth College – study of water quality in Bran commune

 

Harvard Business School – study of SME investment capital in Romania

 

Kennedy School of Government (Harvard) – study of the textile industry and clusters – study of infrastructure investment – a case study (Bacau) – study of tourism

 

Lawrence Academy and Mihai Viteazul National College – teacher exchanges in culture, science and social sciences

 

Tourism

 

Inn on Balaban (Bran, Romania)

 

The Dimancescu family created an Inn in Bran that copies a peasant house design of House #21 at the ASTRA Museum in Sibiu. The Inn is designed to offer guests – and in particular foreign guests – with a superb Carpathian Mountain experience in an wholly Romanian cultural context.  The Inn has won awards for its traditional qualities and has been featured in varied publications.

See: www.gobtf.com

 

Other

 

Protected Zones Legislation

 

An initiative to create a protected zone – based on themes discussed at the Nov. 2004 Sighisoara Conference see – is being promoted by the Pro Bran Association and the Office of the Mayor of the Bran Commune. With financial support from Dimancescu, INTBAU (England see) provided professional assistance along with faculty and students from Timisoara and Bucharest universities. INTBAU planning workshops were held in Bran in 2005 and again in 2006. In 2009 the commune voted to include the protected zone concept into a revised urban plan (PUG).

 

Romanian Language Course (Harvard University)

 

Encouraging, an initiative of Nicolae Done, undergraduate at Harvard University, to establish a Romanian Language Course was formally submitted in 2008.

 

Promoting Romanian Arts in America

 

Assisting Global Arts, Inc., a Massachusetts-based non-profit see, in devising plans and projects that promote awareness of Romanian creative arts and sciences in the United States.