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CHAPTER 5: SOCIAL-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

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SWOT social
Environment
Positive factors Negative factors
Internal factors

Strong points

· NGO interest and capacity
· Partnerships NGO-administration
· Voluntariates
· Skilled workforce in the traditional fields, both male and female workers
· City hall opening to social partnerships
· International co-operation, twining town programs
· Social assistance units (social centres)
· City's traditional holidays "Chestnut Holiday", "Beer Holiday"
· The Arts Centre "Baia Mare School", network of cultural institutions (museums, etc.)
· Sports Centre (handball, gymnastics, swimming, football, volleyball, etc.)
· Active and developed local media
· Developed education system (preschool, school, high school, university education), modern education centres, information and communication technologies

Weak points

· Unemployment in the mining and metallurgic industries
· Lack of urban social areas (clubs, open social spaces)
· Low education level at the assisted population Lack of programs for old people
· Poor condition of families with many children
· Insufficient citizen information and involvement (lack of social solidarity)
· Image of polluted industrial city
· Inadequate communication among institutions Insufficient professional mediatization of the actual problems
· Malfunctioning of local social partnerships (trade unions-employers-AJOPS)
· Community passivity at the University level (lack of involvement from university students and professors)
· Low degree of cohesion within the technical bodies, professional associations, and experts.
· Low budget sanitary system.
· Immature relation among the political factors (political parties, senators, deputies, councillors on the one hand and the citizens and the civil society on the other)

External factors

Opportunities

· Active and creative citizens
· Capitalisation of cultural-artistic traditions
· A large number of NGOs in the field
· Involvement of the private sector
· Social Solidarity Fund
· National Minimum Wages
· High birth rate for Romania
· Developments - modernisation of media (Internet, local cable network)
· Good relations with national (Hungarians, Gypsies, Ukrainians, etc.) and religious minorities (Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and others)

Threats

· Colapseof the social security system (malfunctioning relation government - local administration)
· Lack of budgetary fund
· Tax evasion
· Illegal labour and labour within minimum wages (covered evasion)
· Insufficient support for the project follow up
· Monoindustrial economy, difficult reconversion
· Social effects of pollution (diseases, life rate)
· Emigration of qualified and unqualified workforce
· Lack of workplaces adequate to the demand

5.1. Demographic and Occupational Aspects

  • Population - structure and figures

On 1 July 2000 Baia Mare city had 149.780 inhabitants, 72,734 (48.6%) men and 77,046 (51.4%) women; the inhabitants of the city represent 28.2% of the county population.
As compared to 1 July 1999, the population of the city fell by 350 persons (-0.2%).

  • Demographic phenomena

In 2000, there were 1,459 live births, with 166 less than in 1999, the live-birth rate decreasing from 10.8 to 9.7 live births ‰.
The number of deaths was 1,128 for 2000, 136 less than in 1999, the mortality rate falling from 8.4 to 7.5‰.
The natural growth rate of the population in 2000 was positive (331 persons, 91.7% of the positive natural growth rate of 1999). This decline of the natural growth rate is mainly due to the decline of live births. For 2000, the natural growth rate was 2.2 persons ‰, as compared to 2.4 persons in 1999.

  • Labour Force and Unemployment

On 1 January 2000, the activity and employment rate were 67.6%, respectively 62.9%.
The employment by activities of national economy is the following: industry (47.8%), trade (17.1%), construction (6.7%), education (6.1%), transports, post and telecommunication (5.6%), health and social assistance (5.3 %).
On 31 December 2000, there were 7,058 registered unemployed at the County Agency for Employment and Vocational Training, out of which 5,668 are receiving unemployment benefit and 1,417 are not. The unemployment ratio for the 18-62 age group is 7.0%.

5.2 Public Health Care

  • The system of public sanitary institutions

In 1999 the system of public, private and mixed ownership sanitary units ensuring health services to the population comprised: 3 hospitals, 1 polyclinic, 33 pharmacies, 36 medical surgeries and 46 dentist's surgeries, 3 medical laboratories, 28 dental technique laboratories, 8 nurseries, 16 medical clinics.

  • Sustainable development indicators

There is one physician for 439 inhabitants, one stomatologist for 1,831 inhabitants, and one ancillary medical staff person for 106 inhabitants. For 1,000 inhabitants there are 13 hospital beds.

5.3. Social Assistance

  • Social protection from the local budget
Normative act No of beneficiaries
Annual cost
(thousand lei)
*Law 67/1995 for granting social aid Around 1,000 files/month
3,033,125
O.U.G. 102/1999 concerning disabled people protection (salaries for companions + subventions for public transport) 483 employed persons + 1,500 transp. subv.
15,705,100
Law 17/2000 concerning old people protection 50 persons/year
1,345,560
Subsidies granted to foundations that organise social canteens 180 persons/ day
2,477,250
Law 108/1998 concerning the protection of children with difficulties 556 children / month
2.513.805
Law 208/1996 concerning social canteens 250 persons /day
2.100.000
O.U.G 162/1992 concerning cash aid 3.600 persons/year
908.300
TOTAL  
28.083.140

 

  • Social protection from the national budget (DS)

Disabled people
At the end of January 2001, there were 1,584 disabled persons, 26.2% children and 73.8% adults.

Orphanages
At the end of October 2000 there were 9 foster care centres as follows:

  • 7 centres for family integration - 64 children
  • 1 centre for preschool children - 35 children
  • 1 centre for school children - 61 children

5.4. Civil society

At the end of 2000 there were 866 registered NGOs; here is the classification by field of activity: Culture 46; Human rights 5; Group interests 22; Environment 42; Minorities 5; Professional 25; Religion 24; Health 24; Social 78; Sports 108; Youth 14; Tourism 5; Humanitary 468; the rest specified more than one field of activity.

An NGO classification can be found on the Internet at the following address: http://www.mmnet.ro/ONG/ong.html

5.5 Education and Learning
The total school population at the beginning of school (university) year 1999/2000 was 40,916 persons; there are 2,148 pupils and 299 students per 10,000 inhabitants.
The teaching staff counted 2,563 persons, of which 298 nursery teachers, 1,049 teachers in the primary and secondary education system, 926 high school teachers, 65 teachers in the vocational education system and 225 higher education professors.
There were 908 classrooms, 153 school laboratories, and 82 school workshops.
You may find a succinct presentation of the educational institutions at the following Internet address:
http://www.mmnet.ro/Educatie/educatie.html

The education system in the city of Baia Mare is an important local development potential; nevertheless, it is inadequately oriented towards sustainable development, especially as far as ecology, recycling, tourism and communication and information technologies are concerned. A major concern of the Baia Mare city hall is the creation of a network of Community Development Centres:
http://www.citynet.baiamarecity.ro/schoolnet/index.html

5.6 Culture, sport
Baia Mare has a hundred year old Arts Centre, which has encouraged the remarkable activity of contemporary local artists. The 3-day celebration of the city takes place in October and is symbolically called the "Chestnut Holiday".
The city of Baia Mare has two theatres: the Municipal Theatre and the Puppet Theatre as well as the famous National Folk Group "Transilvania". There are also one public library, 2 cinema theatres, 2 culture houses and one public art school. You can find more details at:http://www.mmnet.ro/Arta_Cultura/arta_cultura.html

5.7 Media

Local newspapers:

  • daily Graiul Maramuresului, Glasul Maramuresului, Informatia Zilei.
  • weekly: Cronica Maramureseana and Uj Szo (addressing the Hungarian minority).

Local radio stations:

  • Radio Cinemar-Archeus, Radio Contact Baia Mare (local station of Radio Contact Romania) and Radio Galaxia.

TV stations from Baia Mare:

  • Cinemar-Archeus TV, TL+, Canal 7- cable television network and PRO TV Baia Mare (local station of PRO TV National).

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