COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
MUNTENIA CONFERENCE 
 

HYSTORY: The program was the initiative of the biggest Conference in Romania,
Conferinta Muntenia. It was proposed by the Youth Department and received further support from the Communication Department and Health and Temperance. In a short
time all the Conferences were interested. The Communication Dept. started a special
program in the biggest Conference to prepare the hearts of church members to be aware of the needs of the people around and to make plans for involvement in bringing HOPE. The name of the program was: COMMUNICATING HOPE. The climax was intended to be the anti-drug march. 

OBJECTIVES: 1. To warn young people and also adults about the devastating effects of tobacco, alcohol and narcotics. 2. To fight against the ads for tobacco and 
alcohol. 3. To gain support from nongovernmental agencies and other associations to ask for political regulations so that the number of smokers will be reduced.

GUINESS BOOK AGAINST DRUGS: the original feature of the whole program was the arrangement of the number of cities, the number of young people and the distance in each city so that when all these were put together would make a record:
IN THE YEAR 2,000 IN 20 CITIES WITH A DISTANCE OF 2,000 KMS FOR EACH CITY WILL MAKE A TOTAL OF ABOUT 40,000 KMS (the distance around the world at Ecuator).

THE DATE: As a preparation for the world anti-tobacco day (May 31) the Adventist Church in Romania was the first organization to fight agains drugs that make dependecy. And the warning was not only against tobacco, but also agains alcohol and 
narcotics. The best date to do that was May 28, when people are free on Sunday. All the church was called for special prayer so that the Lord will give a nice weather. And so it was!

SPECIAL PROGRAMS TO PREPARE THE HEARTS OF CHURCH MEMBERS BEFORE THE MARCH:
1. The Communication Dept. conducted in the biggest Conference where the capital of Romania is included also, a 3 months program for the church to make it aware of the needs of people and to make plans to answer the needs.
2. A special Sabbath service was prepared for all churches that wanted it so that church members and non Adventists invited to the church would be aware of the Adventist philosophy of health. The sermon offered by the Communication Dept. of Conferinta Muntenia called attention to a newly discovered treatment with bupropion and the personal experience of the Adventist researcher that worked on that in Loma Linda, California. Her name is Linda Hyder Ferry. Enclosed was also an official declaration adopted by the Romanian Union in April about the effects of the advertisments for tobacco and alcohol.

3. On the Adventist Internet site in Romania was created a special address for finding different materials for anti-drug day. All may visit the site at the address: www.intercer.ro/antidrog  The site is created by a non profit association connected closely with the church and it has so many contacts around the world.

INTERESTING HAPPENING IN DIFFERENT CITIES AROUND ROMANIA:
? BUCURESTI: biggest march was organized in the capital of  Romania, where the political institutions are present. And it was a real success. 600 young people were present with banners, little flags and balloons. In front a group carried a coffin with 2 huge cigarrettes. They shouted different slogans and made demonstation with Smokey Sue. In all the country a big and nice banner read like this: BE NOT DECEIVED: TOBACCO KILLS! Before the march there were some official declarations from the church and the Public Health Agency.
? CONSTANTA: it is the nice city at the Black Sea in the souternmost part of the country where marches were organized. Many persons for the official declarations of support were present, including the highest person in authority -  the Prefect of  Constanta county. There were also the Dean of  the School of  Health, the Director of  the Tuberculosis Hospital, and other officials. A person who will candidate for the Parliament in autumn was so impressed that proposed further cooperation for imposing political actions against public smoking and other important alpects of life. The church got respect for the courageous plan against drugs. For the official discourses a clever young man was there and was so astonished to find a church that makes the connection between health and spirituality that in the end confessed: “for a long time a look after such a church. Now I found it”.  
? BRAILA: There the church operates the only School of  Nurses from this part of the world. After the march they had a great idea to offer candies to those who were smoking after throwing away the cigarrette. After the march they were present at a rock concert but only to present warnings and practical demonstations about the killing effects of smoking. The impact was great on the 700 persons at the concert.
? CLUJ: many persons from the press were present and also some officials. At the march they had the idea to call a brass band to go in front of the column and to gain attention. They also shaped the march like a funeral processsion  and offered invitations for a Stop Smoking Program. A caricature contest was in action at the end of the day. The press was so impressed asking all the time: “what is the connection between religion and health?”
? TIMISOARA:  during the march they shouted many slogans, but sometimes with a loud and commanding voice a person said: throw out the cigarrette, it kills! Many persons on the street instantly throwed the cigarrette and were ashamed and scared to say anything else.
? MANY OTHER NICE EXPERIENCES HAPPENED AROUND THE COUNTRY. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THE PARTICIPANTS FOR THE MARCH IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY WAS ESTIMATED AT 4,500. 

Report from the Communication Director of Muntenia Conference,
Roland Paraschiv

Contact: Cristian Modan, Youth Director at Romanian SDA Union