Asociația Apulum Forum was established in 2017 and is dedicated to civic education and public engagement. It aims to support greater community participation, improve understanding of civic rights, and encourage young people to take an active, informed role in society by providing accessible information and promoting civic awareness. Its flagship project, Gen, știri (running on Instagram and TikTok), is a youth‑led news platform that addresses information gaps not covered by mainstream media, featuring youth‑created content designed for young audiences.
CONTEXT
Gen, stiri is Romania’s largest youth‑oriented online news channel, reaching more than 3 million people each month on Instagram and TikTok. The two social media pages attract young audiences through practical, reliable, and engaging content that provides clear and unbiased information tailored to their interests. The audience is geographically diverse, with around half living in major cities and half in smaller towns and rural areas. Age-wise, 90% of the audience is under 35, including 75% under 24.
Between 2024 and 2025, RAF funded a pilot program – Good News from Romania, aimed at increasing Gen, știri followers’ awareness of civil society and civic issues among young people.
Within this pilot, young reporters from Gen, știri were trained to produce content on volunteering, civil society, and philanthropy. The 87 posts and reels on these themes reached more than 3.8 million young people in 2025. By October 2025, the platform grew to 205,000 Instagram followers (+58%) and 116,000 TikTok followers (+66%).
STRATEGY
The new program builds on the Good News from Romania pilot and continues to raise awareness of the positive role of civil society and to promote civic participation among young people, with greater emphasis on reaching youth from underserved communities. Thus, along with highlighting civic topics by sharing constructive stories through online civic content and in‑person activities, the program will also address youth leaders from rural areas and small to medium-sized towns.
The program will help more young people – including those from underserved communities – gain a clearer understanding of the role of civil society and recognize civic engagement and volunteering as valuable contributions to positive social development.
The program will support two components: an online component which develops posts and articles on youth volunteering opportunities and the impact of volunteering and civil society and an offline component, consisting of a two-day festival that will offer workshops and training sessions for 100 youth leaders, bringing them together with inspiring NGOs, activists, journalists, and artists.
EXPECTED RESULTS
- “Unde ajutăm / Where Can We Help” – 90 posts highlighting youth volunteering opportunities.
- “România care ajută / Romania that Helps” – 80 articles featuring inspiring stories about the impact of volunteering and civil society.
- Over 9.28 million people reached on Instagram.
- CivicON Festival, with an attendance of 100 young participants.