CHAMPIONS EDITION · ROMANIA
It started, as these things sometimes do, with something small. In 2015, during a visit to London, Marian Dragomir was exploring one of the city’s famous museums when a logo caught his eye: the colourful vinyl splash of MasterPeace. He didn’t know yet what it meant. He just knew he wanted to find out.
“I joined MasterPeace because I wanted to help create a world where dialogue is stronger than prejudice and cooperation is stronger than division,” Marian says.
That single encounter would go on to shape more than a decade of his life and the lives of thousands of young people across Romania.
A Natural Fit
By the time Marian discovered MasterPeace, his professional and academic path was already pointed in the same direction. He holds master’s degrees in Educational Management Studies, European Integration, and Romanian Cultural Studies in the European Context. For years, his work had centred on education, culture, youth development, intercultural dialogue, and European cooperation, through numerous international initiatives, youth programs, and European networks focused on inclusion, active citizenship, media literacy, and multilingualism.
When he found MasterPeace, the values matched what he had already been building toward: empowering young people, creating dialogue, and giving communities the tools to work together.
What started as inspiration soon became action.
Building MasterPeace Romania
In 2015, Marian joined a small group of motivated volunteers to begin developing MasterPeace activities in Romania. What began as a handful of people has grown, over the years, into MasterPeace Romania, a national network of more than 800 volunteers.
Under his leadership, local MasterPeace communities took root in Buzău, Târgoviște, Brașov, and Bucharest, expanding opportunities for young people across the country.
Since 2020, Marian has also served as Director of the Cultural Hub of the Municipality of Ploiești, a role that has reinforced his belief that cultural institutions can play a key part in building inclusive communities and encouraging active citizenship, values that sit at the very heart of MasterPeace.
From Local Action to Global Perspective
One of the things Marian values most about MasterPeace is its ability to connect local work with a global view. Through the network, he has collaborated with youth workers, educators, artists, activists, and community leaders across different countries and cultures.
“Every exchange reinforced my belief that dialogue remains one of the most effective tools for building peaceful and resilient societies,” he says.
His international work runs in parallel with his MasterPeace involvement. He has taken part in learning programs including The Future of Storytelling, Space for Dialogue, Dialogue Instead of Conflict, Understanding Instead of Doubts, Mentoring and Learning, When Borders Turn into Bridges, Collaborative Teaching and Learning, and Cultural Diversity in Your Classroom — supported by European institutions, international organisations, and universities, including the University of Illinois and MIT. These experiences have brought new ideas, methods, and partnerships into the MasterPeace community in Romania.
Beyond MasterPeace, Marian has served as an expert trainer within the EU-CoE Youth Partnership, a member of the EAVI Youth Advisory Group, Ambassador for Open Education Europa, and an expert in multilingualism and language policy within European research networks, including the Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning. Since 2026, he has represented Romania within the Eurodesk network, helping young people access European opportunities.
The People Behind the Titles
For Marian, the titles and positions are not what matter most.
“The most meaningful achievements are not titles or positions. They are the people,” he says.
He speaks with visible pride about the thousands of young people who have taken part in MasterPeace Romania’s projects, volunteering activities, Erasmus+ mobilities, peace campaigns, inclusion initiatives, cultural festivals, and community actions.
“I have seen shy teenagers become confident leaders,” he says. “I have seen volunteers create their own organizations, launch community projects, and inspire others to get involved.”
Among the projects closest to his heart are those promoting inclusion and equal opportunities — especially for young people with fewer opportunities and persons with disabilities. Through MasterPeace Romania, the goal has remained constant: to make sure everyone has a place in society, and a voice that can be heard.
What He Carries Forward
If there’s one lesson MasterPeace has taught Marian, it’s that lasting impact is built by people who choose cooperation over division.
“Real change happens when communities build trust, listen to each other, and work together despite their differences,” he says.
More than a decade after that first encounter with a logo in London, Marian still believes in the same idea that drew him in:
“Peace is not an abstract concept. It is something we create every day through education, culture, volunteering, dialogue, and human connection.”
MasterPeace, he says, has become an inseparable part of his personal and professional journey — connecting him with remarkable people, opening doors to international cooperation, and giving him the chance to contribute to positive change in Romania and beyond.
His hope for the future is simple: that more young people will discover their potential, become active citizens, and help build stronger, more inclusive communities.
“MasterPeace showed me that a single encounter can change a life,” Marian reflects. “In my case, it started with a logo in London — and became a mission that continues today.”
