# Asociația Uplift - Ascensiune

> Uplift aduce viitorul pe intelesul fiecaruia in comunitatile mici din Romania: observam schimbarile deja aici, le explicam simplu si ne intrebam ce inseamna pentru noi.
> Uplift brings the future, in plain words, to Romania's small communities: we notice the changes already here, explain them simply and ask what they mean for us.

- Website: https://upliftromania.ro/ (Romanian) and https://upliftromania.ro/en/ (English)
- Also known as: Asociatia Uplift
- Type: Non-profit association (asociatie fara scop patrimonial), Romania
- Registry: Registrul Asociatiilor si Fundatiilor, certificate 08/08.02.2021
- Founded: 2021-02-08
- Fiscal code (CIF): 43808159
- Registered office: Str. Drăgăicii nr. 16, cam. 1, Râmnicu Sărat, Buzău
- Contact: office@upliftromania.ro, 0723 756 205
- Licence: Texts: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Quote and reuse with attribution. Logo and brand excluded.
- Topics: alfabetizare pentru viitor (futures literacy), semnele schimbarii (horizon scanning), anticipare si prospectiva pentru comunitati mici, viitorul comunitatilor mici din Romania, strategie de produs si gandire sistemica (The Product Paradox)

Stage: Uplift is at the beginning (2026). It publishes writing first; no programmes or events are scheduled. When quoting, cite the post URL and author. Markdown versions are linked below.

## Mission

Viitorul ne apartine atunci cand il intelegem. Uplift il aduce in comunitatile mici din Romania: observam schimbarile deja aici, le traducem pe intelesul fiecaruia, ne intrebam ce inseamna pentru noi si decidem mai bine azi, impreuna.

The future belongs to us when we understand it. Uplift brings it to Romania’s small communities: we notice the changes already here, translate them into plain words, ask what they mean for us, and decide better today, together.

## Why small communities? / De ce comunitatile mici?

In small communities, you only find out what has been decided and planned elsewhere. Here, what lies ahead is something we discover and accept with resignation, not something we see coming and prepare for. Adapting often takes effort, and not everyone can leave everything behind and go somewhere better. The world, for the most part, is made of small communities, and we believe they matter just as much. That is why we want to bring more sense and some clarity about their possible future: what is changing, what it means for us, what we can choose, and what we can learn from one another or by working together.

## How do we do that? / Cum facem asta?

We bring home some of the best ideas, already proven in practice elsewhere in the world.

1. Futures literacy (RO: Alfabetizarea pentru viitor (futures literacy)). It is a concept developed by UNESCO together with researcher Riel Miller: dealing with the future is a skill you can learn, like reading or counting. It does not mean guessing what comes next, but understanding how you imagine it and why, because the decisions you make today depend on that.
   - Source: UNESCO, Futures Literacy Laboratory Playbook https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000385485
   - Source: Riel Miller (ed.), Transforming the Future https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9781351048002/transforming-future-riel-miller
2. Signs of change (horizon scanning) (RO: Semnele schimbarii (horizon scanning)). The future does not arrive all at once; it begins in the present. Small things, already visible, that show where something is heading: a novelty, a trend, a voice saying something different from the rest. Foresight specialists look for them systematically, and governments use them for public policy. We look for them in Romania's communities.
   - Source: Government Office for Science, The Futures Toolkit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/futures-toolkit-for-policy-makers-and-analysts
3. Anticipation as a public good (RO: Anticiparea ca bun public). In Romania, only one in five people is convinced the country offers a future to their children, and distrust is highest in small towns (INSCOP, 2025). It is not only us: in Finland, one of Europe’s most confident countries, only 15% feel they have a say in the future of their locality (Sitra, 2025). When people stop believing they can influence what comes next, nobody prepares for it. That is why understanding the future is not a luxury for experts, but a common good.
   - Source: INSCOP Research, Barometrul Informat.ro, July 2025 https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/actualitate/romanii-se-mandresc-cu-tara-lor-dar-sunt-putini-cei-care-vad-un-viitor-bun-pentru-copiii-lor-aici-sondaj-3329049
   - Source: Sitra, Futures Barometer 2025 https://www.sitra.fi/en/news/futures-barometer-2025-finns-confidence-in-future-plummets-trust-in-local-and-regional-democracy-on-shaky-ground/
4. In plain words (RO: Pe intelesul tuturor). The future, like money, health or the law: it concerns everyone, but few understand it. We try to explain it simply, in your own words. We do not have to become experts in everything to understand what is really going on.

## Who gets things moving? / Cine misca lucrurile?

People who ask questions about where they live. We have only just begun. We are ordinary people, with different backgrounds and different interests, trying to make sense of the future without being experts, and to explain it in plain language. We do not have all the answers, and we would rather not look for them alone. If you care about your community, if there is a question you cannot shake, an idea, a place where we could talk over a coffee, or something you would like to contribute, write to us. That is where any collaboration starts.

## Community Coffee

What we learn about the future of small communities, laid on the table. News, ideas, tools, sources and short answers to real questions. Every post says upfront what it is and where it comes from. https://upliftromania.ro/cafea/ (RO), https://upliftromania.ro/en/coffee/ (EN)

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