Code for Romania / Commit Global, “True Source of Inspiration”, Decorated by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis

Monday, December 18th: Code for Romania / Commit Global have received, from the Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis, the “Merit for the Promotion of Human Rights and Social Commitment” Order, in the rank of Knight. President Iohannis emphasized that the organization's representatives are “a true source of inspiration”.

The Code for Romania / Commit Global team members who joined the Cotroceni delegation were: Bogdan Ivănel, Olivia Vereha, Dana Pascu, Miruna Muscan, Ana Stoichițoiu, Yvonna Hofnăr, Laura Micle, Ion Dormenco, Tudor Amariei, Gheorghe Lupu, Teodora Negru, Andrei Ioniță și Galyna Arikh. They were also  joined by former colleagues and volunteers Radu Cristian Ștefănescu, Valentina Andrada Popa, Irina Borozan, Iulia Dormenco, Bogdan Valentin Vizureanu and two of the cofounders, Răzvan Valeriu Pavel, and Alexandra Rusu.

The distinction was granted “as a sign of high appreciation for the strong civic commitment, the solidarity shown, the special contribution made to strengthening the capacity and resilience of civil society and to the acceleration of digitization in the public sector, as well as the significant impact of the support provided in the management of humanitarian crises that affected Romania in recent years.”

“You started on this path in a limited format, with a lot of courage and with a clear vision: that of producing positive changes in society through technology. You, the Code for Romania team, are a true source of inspiration and demonstrate day by day to the citizens and especially to the young people that change starts from each of us and that the way we get involved represents the Romania of tomorrow,” said President Iohannis at the decoration ceremony organized at the Cotroceni Palace.

He also praised the association's efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and the refugee crisis at the beginning of the war in Ukraine. “Your activity provides an impetus to the authorities to accelerate the digitization of the entire administrative apparatus. Each line of code you write represents more than a simple algorithm, it is a step in the direction of normality and progress”, said Iohannis.

According to him, through Code for Romania, our country becomes “a global center for civic technology”, through the vision called Commit Global, the first global organization initiated in Romania, built upon the backbone of Code for Romania, digitizing civil society at a global level, providing free information systems for humanitarian assistance, disaster management, human rights protection, and vulnerable groups. These systems are offered by one NGO to tens of thousands of other NGOs, so that millions of people in need receive timely assistance.

The distinction offered by the head of state was received by Bogdan Ivănel, co-founder and president of the association, and Olivia Vereha, Code for Romania / Commit Global Director of Product.

Ivănel said that 20 members of the association are present at the ceremony, part of a community of over 3,000 Romanians who have been “solving the country's problems through technology” for eight years.