Everything is connected with everything else
We, the MOZAIC Association, are a non-governmental, non-profit organization which was founded in
2011 to continue and develop the work of the previous Mozaic Project. We are based in North-Western
Transylvania, in the lively and multicultural city of Cluj. Our field of activities covers nature conservation
and rural development, both through scientific research and practical activities.
The story of MOZAIC, begins in early 2009, when we gathered as an interdisciplinary group to discuss
the discovery made by a renowned professor from Babes Bolyai University, Prof. L. Rákosy. During his
studies he observed that the area between Borşa and Dăbâca communes is a rare habitat and natural
treasure which harbors all 5 butterfly species belonging to the rare group of the Large Blues (Maculinea
spp.). We wanted to better understand what fostered such a rich biodiversity in the area and what
would be the premises of a sustainable land use from then on in order to preserve these butterflies. We
recently discovered that this was due to many years of extensive farming in the hay meadows, which
actually is what makes it vulnerable nowadays, as life in the rural area is shifting under the pressure of
socio- economical factors and hence land-use is no longer the same as it was 10-20 years ago.
Thus, the first Mozaic Project started in 2009, financially supported by the German Federal Foundation
for Environment (DBU). The name was inspired by the natural richness of the area, the beautiful shades
of green and the colors of the flowers blooming in spring, as well as from the fact that the land was
worked extensively, not intensively- so in small patches, alike pieces of a mosaic. We were an
interdisciplinary team, trying to put together the natural and also the anthropological factors in order to
find the best approaches towards conservation.
In 2011 we carried out a pilot agro-environmental program for meadows, which rewarded farmers for
having mowed manually the selected parcels. We got support from the European Forum on Nature
Conservation and Pastoralism (EFNCP), thus being able to base the development of the agroenvironmental project on research regarding agricultural subsidies, property issues and common land as
well as High Nature Value grasslands.
In the following year we continued the project, with a similar pilot program. In the end of 2011, we
decided to found an association in order to be able to achieve more stability as a group but also to try
and obtain financial support from external dedicated programs.
We feel extremely lucky to live in a region characterized by astonishing natural beauties and area in
which, although at very low rates, traditional small scale farming is still carried out. We are still
experiencing equilibrium between man and nature that can be found here. However, this is a time of
transition and phenomena such as land-abandonment and the aging of rural population threaten the
areas where we have worked. These socio-economical changes not only lead to the loss of traditional
knowledge and ways of living, but also, through the increased use of extensive ways of farming, will
harm the biological diversity and the rural landscapes.
As an NGO that defines its area of intervention as the field of natural conservation and rural
development, we believe that there is a middle way between large-scale agriculture and fossilizing
farming for conservation, namely rural development. This includes living tradition, promoting locally
produced food, agro-tourism and diverse and sustainable agriculture but at the same time supporting
living standards and new facilities which will help people living in the country side with their endeavors.
Through our activities we want to contribute to the development of a society which recognizes the value
of semi-natural landscapes and the importance of small farmers. The main problem we face right now is
the lack of time and financial support. To make our vision come true, we will have to overcome these
obstacles soon.
In September 2013, one of our colleagues, Roxana, has benefited from the opportunity of attending an
international conference on sustainable development, organized by Youth Future Project in Bonn,
Germany. During her experience she not only gathered interesting ideas and met young people from
around the world who also aimed at shifting their life style towards a more ecologically balanced one.
She also received encouragement to further develop an idea came up in Mozaic before: We seek to put
the findings of our volunteers and group members into practice and to connect older and younger
farmers to exchange knowledge and skills, through a sustainable agro-volunteering program.
Currently we are working on reaching our goal by setting the basis for this program, which would not
only help our association to grow, but also it will ensure the sustainability of our activities. In the
beginning of August 2014, we had two volunteers coming to our area, doing research in the fields of
vegetation studies and socio-economical development, and at the moment we are very happy to host
the third one. All volunteers were/are accommodated by members of our association which are also
living in the research area, thus insuring a strong contact with the local community. However, we are
aware that this model is not very sustainable on a long term scale and we are therefore looking for
alternative ways as well as support in order to be able to foster these.
So far the contribution of our volunteers has been very significant to us, not only due to the studies
made on the vegetation, biodiversity and local economies but also because of the different insights they
all brought. We are very grateful that we had the chance to have them as part of the team. In
particular, we are very thankful to Simone Leitmann, student at the University of Munster, Germany,
who recently ended a 3 month experience in our association. During her stage, Simone was interested
to understand the local socio-economic dynamics in the Romanian villages and to propose alternative
means for development, starting from the premise that the actual state policies and mainstream
economy are harming traditional ways of living and are unsupportive of small scale farmers. Living in a
host family, in the village of Luna, at Vasile’s family, was therefore a great insight and a strong initiation
into the real lifestile of a Romanian peasant. She was mentored by our colleague Inge and had weekely
meetings with Roxana. Appart from participatory observation and discussions with the locals, where
she was also supported by Cosmin Ivascu( Phd student in ethno-botanical studies) and friend of MOZAIC,
Simone also had meetings with representatives from various organizations and institutions. Thus, she
became familiar with initiatives such as Cutia Taranului (The Peasant’s box) and Cosul Verde (The green
basket. Our volunteer also gathered loads of useful information by attending conferences, organized by
important Romanian Institutions in the field of Rural Development, such as The National Network for
Rural Development.
Simone is currently working on a thorough research report which will not only be useful ( we hope) to
her as a young scientist an young person interested in sustainable development , but also to us. Based
on her impressions and findings and of course on our own observations, we would like to shape the
future involvement of MOZAIC in the Eastern Hills of Cluj Region.
Thanks and we’ll keep you informed!
The Mozaic Team