The Joy of Giving, The Pleasure of Receiving @ Piata Autonoma, Cluj Napoca - Romania

Each month in Cluj there is Piaţa Autonomă. A market with many objects, food and performances, with the only difference that everything is offered without expecting any reward in return.

A large room, which in spring will become an open space, where participants can try this "thrill of normality", bringing objects and making them available to those who want, takings what need without paying any price, offering services, or receiving benefits, in the same way.

 

We started our day (usually the event starts at 12 am) eating delicious food for free prepared and served by "Food not bombs", through a huge pot full of soup, mamaliga (polenta), salads, desserts and beverages. Everything nicely and delicately vegan.

 

After that we left our items on some shelves and on the floor, and so, wandering around, we found a book and clothes that were exactly right for us. This activity is constant and so people come and brings new things, there is always a stream of objects, as well as performances and entertainment moments. During the day (until 6 Pm) we were lucky to attend a workshop to create decorative objects with newspaper, another one to learn how to make decorative items with wires, a demonstration of "fun science" and then music and Capoeira, while other people donated massages and hair make up for the whole afternoon.

 

At the entrance, there are two large sheets for those who want to receive or those who need to search something, even beyond the event, and for those who want to be added to give a help organizing the next events.

 

Everything was designed on a perfect way, from the guys that every month commit their time to encourage participation, giving the opportunity to others to live, even though is just for one afternoon, the idea of a culture that is not based only about money or exchanges, but that relies on a natural flow of unconditional acceptance of each person, of their own and others abilities and possibilities. At Piaţa Autonomă for example, participate child, youngster, adult, elderly, Romanians, Gypsies, Hungarians, foreigners, rich and poor, by spirit or by money, but everyone, when crossing that little "threshold", have the opportunity to be themselves, and live moments of levity without expecting something in return, or without even having to think about how necessarily contribute.
There are not scales that weigh values and this make everything balanced and in harmony.

In the past months in Cluj we have participated to at least 300 cultural events of all kinds, but we can certainly say that this is our favorite. You can find information about the next Piaţa Autonomă date and location on www.facebook.com/piata.autonoma.cluj