The informative campaign, run in partnership with the „Septimiu Mureşan" School for Police Agents in Cluj-Napoca and the Institute for the Research and Prevention of Deliquency – both within the frame of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police – aims to encourage the young people belonging to the ethnic minorities – especially Hungarians and Roma – to choose a career in the police.

How many places are there in the educational institutions of the police?
For the summer of 2007, the following places are available in the 3 educational institutions of the police:
– „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Police Academy, Bucharest: 355 places, from which 5 places for Roma candidates;
– „Vasile Lascăr” School for Police Agents, Câmpina: 705 places, from which 20 places for Roma candidates;
– „Septimiu Mureşan” School for Police Agents, Cluj-Napoca: 150 places, from which 5 places for Roma candidates.

Deadline for application: June 29, 2007.

Admission and eligibility requirements, other information can be found at:
– General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, Admission;
– „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Police Academy, Bucharest, Admission;
– „Vasile Lascăr” School for Police Agents, Câmpina, Admission;
– „Septimiu Mureşan” Schol for Police Agents, Cluj-Napoca, Admission.

Why is this informational campaign for minorities considered to be necessary?
While, according to the 2002 census, 10% of the population of Romania belongs to different ethnic communities, others than the majority, in the MIRA personnel, implicitly in the Romanian Police the representation of the national minorities is only 1,5%.

Taking into consideration that the normative paper on the prevention and punishment of all forms of discrimination accepts as evidents statistic data too, the actual situation could be interpreted as a discriminatory one against ethnic minorities.

On the other hand, analyzing the results of the last admissions from 2005 at the two school for police agents in Câmpina and Cluj, it can be seen that the percentage of the youth belonging to the biggest ethnic minority in Romania, the Hungarians, is approx. 1%, both for the admitted and rejected side. Thus, the actual situation can be considered rather a low interest of the youth belonging to the national minorities for a career in the police than a result of some discriminatory practices against minorities.

The solution can be the attraction of a higher number of candidates belonging to the ethnic minorities in the educational insitutions within MAI (Ministery of Defence and Internals), organizing specific informational campaigns, planned for each target group, or implementing some affirmative measures (for instance, allocating special places for Roma candidates).

The main characteristics of the informational campaign
The campaign takes place in the period of April 23 – June 9, 2007, in the following counties: Bihor, Cluj, Covasna, Harghita, Mureş and Satu Mare.

In order to draw the attention of the target group, and also to inform it, two types of materials were elaborated: a coloured poster (1st poster on the right), and an informative brochure. Both materials were published in 3 languages (Romanian, Hungarian and Romani).

The informative brochures can be downloaded in PDF format, as follows:
 Informative brochure (in Romanian);
 Informative brochure (in Hungarian);
 Informative brochure (in Romani language).

The informative materials have been spread in high schools, especially in the XIth and XIIth forms, with the help of the school inspectorates of the targeted counties.
The materials were also received by the police offices in these counties, due to the kindness of the prevention compartments of the police inspectorates in the above mentioned counties.

In order to inform directly the potential candidates, we organized informative sessions in 23 schools and high schools in the above mentioned 5 counties, especially in the Xth, XIth and XIIth forms.

The list of the visited schools and high schools, with the number of pupils can be downloaded here (Excel file).

In order to assure a better visibility for the campaign, and also to get to the parents who can influence the target group (high school pupils, young people looking for a job), with the financial help of the Communitas Foundation we ran for 4 weeks a media campaign consisted in publishing every day the Possible Mission poster in the main Hungarian newspapers in Romania (Krónika, Új Magyar Szó, Szabadság, Népújság, Udvarhelyi Hiradó, Bihari Napló, Szatmári Friss Újság), and on the main Hungarian web-site of information, Transindex.

The project was well received and reflected in the press, as shown in the following articles:
– Ziua de Cluj - September 30, 2006
– Szabadság - September 30, 2006
– Ziarul Clujanului - October 2, 2006
– Krónika - October 2, 2006
– Új Magyar Szó - October 2, 2006
– Adevărul Harghitei - May 2, 2007
– Csíki Hírlap - April 27, 2007
– Hargita Népe - April 27, 2007
– Új Magyar Szó - April 27, 2007
– Transindex - May 11, 2007
– Realitatea Bihoreană - May 25, 2007
– Crişana - May 25, 2007
– Bihor Online - May 25, 2007
– Bihari Napló - May 25, 2007
– Divers - May 31, 2007