The other day, I had the opportunity to participate in the Moldovan-American Convention, a diaspora forum in the U.S., held for the sixth consecutive year. For the first time, I met such a large group of Moldovans established in the United States. How I met them made me think that we are not alone in Moldova.

Most of them are well anchored in their new homeland. For years, they have established their own businesses and have purchased properties; they have big plans for the future, including for business, namely in the U.S. Very few of them intend to return. However, nobody told me that they were giving up Moldova or that they didn’t care anymore. Moreover, they have a driving ambition to follow the situation at home, despite the fact that Moldova offers them almost nothing.

I listened to numerous stories about young people who came to the U.S. having neither money nor knowledge, but who succeeded in setting up successful businesses in real estate, construction, transportation or IT. And from each of them, I heard how they failed to harness these ambitions at home, where their state should have offered more help and support.

It seemed to me that their current relationship with Moldova is based on some kind of trauma. Most left home in despair and with a sort of inferiority or disability complex. That is, they had tried to do business in Moldova, or to find a job that would meet their needs, but they failed. While there, away from home, they managed to have everything in just a few years. 

Thus, they got to watch what’s going on in Moldova with different eyes, the eyes of people who know how it should be and understand why it doesn’t work. They understood why they failed at home – not because they were incapable, but because the system didn’t want them. They told me the horrifying stories about the injustice experienced at home, with prosecutors, judges and their families, involved in money extortion, human trafficking, and visa trading. We will work on documenting some of these stories. 

It is difficult to forget the injustice experienced at home and probably it is even harder to forgive. These people will, probably, watch corruption and justice in Moldova their whole life. And they will not be passive observers.

I personally did not have many expectations regarding the diaspora involvement, because I know that everyone has problems, responsibilities, requests from relatives left at home. But they donated to organize the work of this convention in Philadelphia and beyond. The diaspora also organized an auction and collected an impressive sum of money for The Moldova project, managed with great energy and transparency by Victoria Morozov who wants to help orphans.  The money will buy Christmas gifts to 800 children in difficulty. 

The Convention started with serious discussions about the situation in Moldova, about the state of democracy and the press, but ended with songs and the Moldovan dance Hora. It has been a long time since I saw people so thirsty for folk songs and dances, for the national costume, for funny stories and jokes in Romanian.

In addition to the well-paid businesses or jobs they have, in which they work hard for long hours, most of them are members of diaspora organizations, or have even founded groups that organize cultural events. 

Elena Drăgălin is the one who hosted the event. She has an organization called Moldova Aid. 

The Moldovan diaspora in the U.S. isn’t giving up, doesn’t forget and analyzes carefully. The Moldovans abroad also want a prosperous Moldova, and they will be involved with donations and with monitoring, as well as with the mobilization of the civic spirit. Therefore, we are not alone. 

Alina RADU, alina.radu@zdg.md