It is moral to state aloud what you are, it is moral to be consistent in affirming your own beliefs, it is moral to think in the long run, it is moral to affirm your own identity. It is moral to have the courage to say you are different from the others, even if the others represent, for the time being, the majority.Horia Rusu has been one of the first politicians in Romania who, since 1990, has spoken about Capitalism. He believed in a pure Capitalism, one not perverted by Socialist-leaning ideas. Individualism, private property, minimal state, competition, free enterprise, political, intellectual and economic freedom – these are principles he constantly promoted in his political action. The same principles have formed the basis for the book ‘Romanian Capitalism – a project’, co-authored with Dinu Patriciu.
As a representative of the civil society, the Horia Rusu Foundation promotes, in its activities, the ideas that had animated Horia Rusu in his political actions. The fundamental principles and values of Capitalism, which are also promoted by the Foundation, are as folows:
Individualism
Free enterprise
Lawful state
Political, intellectual and economic freedom
I. Project overview
Sixteen years after the fall of Communism, a real systemic change has yet to take place in Romania. We are nearing the integration in the EU. Still, we are a long way from Capitalism. We speak about reforms, about economic programmes, about a change in mentalities, but we still lack a coherent vision about the type of society we wish to adopt. The Horia Rusu Foundation has undertaken, from the very moment it has been created, the mission to promote, through all its actions, the principles and values of Capitalism. For these reasons, the Horia Rusu Foundation has initiated the project “The Capitalist Transformation of Romania”. It is a long-term project, which contributes to a better comprehension of the degree of evolution that Capitalism has registered in Romania, to identifying the obstacles in its path and to devising solutions to overcome these. The activities of the Foundation are diverse: public debates, studies, polls about the public perception on Capitalism, qualitative investigations with regard to elites, seminars, contests, publication of books.
The Horia Rusu Foundation aims to attract in this project other NGOs, think-tanks, businesspeople, academics, specialists in Finances or politicians.
II. Activities within the project
Research
Research is aimed at concrete fields in the economic, political and social realities of Romania. These research initiatives aim to clarify the evolutionary stage of Capitalism in Romania, to identify the obstacles in its path and to discuss policies and strategies which would facilitate the Capitalist transformation of Romania.
Public debates
The structure of the debates will derive inspiration from similar events organised in the West. They will be dynamic, while at the same time allowing participants to analyse and propose possible solutions to the problems under scrutiny.
Evaluating the public perception about the values of Capitalism
• Opinion polls (about the perception of Capitalism)
• Qualitative research about the perception of Capitalism in Romania (in-depth interviews with members of the elite – politicians, businesspeople, intellectuals, journalists).
• Case studies. These are aimed at evaluating the manner in which the values of Capitalism are perceived, understood, assumed and promoted in the Romanian society.
It is also aimed to underscore the differences in perception of Capitalism between the rural and the urban environment. It is also desirable to identify the differences in perception between those who have had the opportunity to leave the country and/or work abroad and those who have never left the country. The perception of the elites (politicians, businesspeople, intellectuals) about the values and principles of capitalism will also be evaluated.
Promoting the values of Capitalism among the young
• Seminars, periodic meetings organised by the Foundation and various workshops in which will be involved the young people who are interested in the values of Capitalism.
• a School which aims to promote the Capitalist principles and values, attended by young people selected on the basis of their personal worth. The selected young people would contribute to create a synthetic material in the form of a research project, which will be made available to the public.
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