Ana Rozanova – Page 26

We are hiring a Network and Programme Coordinator – NEW DEADLINE

Position: Network and Programme Coordinator – NEW DEADLINE

ERGO Network is hiring a full-time Programme Coordinator to join its team in Brussels.

ERGO Network

ERGO Network (www.ergonetwork.org) brings together 27 members from across Europe and supports organisations with a common perspective on Roma grassroots empowerment and equal citizenship to challenge stereotypes and combat stigmatization. We mobilize and connect organisations and individuals that share and express our values – active citizenship, shared responsibility, and passion – to strengthen Roma civil society involvement in decision-making at local, national and European level and to address existing shortcomings of policies targeted at Roma.

Roles and responsibilities

We are searching for a Network and Programme Coordinator with strong project management skills to coordinate and empower ERGO’s network of members. In particular, the person’s tasks will include:

Develop and implement a members’ capacity building and empowerment strategy.
Lead on project management of key initiatives related to the network, including the management of external consultants and steering/advisory groups, particularly in the Enlargement countries.
Coordinate ERGO Network’s campaign “Decade against antigypsyism up to 2030”, including coordinating partners and stakeholders, organising events and advocacy activities.
Support and advice ERGO Network members on conducting evidence-based advocacy at European and national level regarding the implementation of the EU Strategic Framework for Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation.
Follow-up ERGO’s work on online antigypsyist hate speech and the network’s involvement in the EU Code of Conduct exercise.
Address issues of digital deprivation, digital divide, digital citizenship, as well as digital inclusion of Roma.
Steer ERGO Network’s work on Roma youth empowerment through coordination of volunteering activities, partnerships with Roma youth networks and capacity-building of young activists.
Participate in relevant meetings organised at EU or national level.
Monitor network performance.
Support the organisation of meetings and events.
Support effective communication with ERGO Network members.
Implement distance learning solutions for members and staff, as relevant.
Work collaboratively with other members of the team, as relevant.
Contribute to other tasks as instructed by the Director.

This tasks list is indicative and non-exhaustive. The team of ERGO Network is small, the workload can be high at certain times and unexpected tasks might appear. The Programme Coordinator will report to ERGO Network’s Director and works in close contact with the other team members and staff from member organisations. The working language is English.

Candidate’s profile

Essential

Proven experience of working with Roma civil society and knowledge of the main policy issues for Roma both at EU and national level in EU and Enlargement countries.
Good understanding of the concept of antigypsyism and knowledge of anti-racism policies and practice.
At least 3 years of experience in capacity building for civil society organisations.
Proven experience in developing and delivering effective and innovative needs-adapted training and educational content.
Experience working with young people.
At least 3 years of experience in project management, including in grant and report writing, monitoring project implementation, working with consultants, budget management and technical management.
Good knowledge of requirements and standards of EU-financed projects.
High-level verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to work independently with minimum supervision and to cope with stressful situations and deadlines.
Ability to undertake domestic and international travel is also required for this position.

Desirable

Experience of working with European networks.
Experience in coordinating large-scale, decentralised campaigns.
Good knowledge of European Institutions and their functioning.
Experience in advocacy towards EU and national policy-makers.
Good knowledge of specific policy areas under the EU Roma Framework (i.e. discrimination, education, digital inclusion, employment, health, housing, poverty).
Knowledge of other languages, in particular Romani language.

Conditions

One year contract under Belgian law with the possibility of extension

Salary: approx. 3.200 EUR per month gross salary, plus compensation for public transport, lunch vouchers, representation costs and hospitalisation insurance.

Working time: 37,5 hours per week.

Starting date: As soon as possible

Place of work: Brussels, with the possibility for some remote work.

Download the call document here

Application procedure

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their CV and motivation letter to info@staging.ergonetwork.org by 18th September 2022, 23:59 CET, indicating in the subject of the email “Application Programme Coordinator”. This email address can also be used for further information and questions.

ERGO Network strives for a diverse staff and ensures that opportunities offered are accessible to all regardless of gender, age, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. We particularly encourage members of groups which are affected by racism and related discrimination to apply for this post.

We are hiring an Administrative Assistant

Position: Administrative Assistant

ERGO Network is hiring an Administrative Assistant on 50% basis to join its team in Brussels.

ERGO Network

ERGO Network (www.ergonetwork.org) brings together 27 members from across Europe and supports organisations with a common perspective on Roma grassroots empowerment and equal citizenship to challenge stereotypes and combat stigmatization. We mobilize and connect organisations and individuals that share and express our values – active citizenship, shared responsibility, and passion to strengthen Roma civil society involvement in decision-making at local, national and European level and to address existing shortcomings of policies targeted at Roma.

With ERGO Network’s secretariat growing rapidly, we are now searching an Administrative Officer to support the team in all logistical matters.

Roles and responsibilities

Events logistics: Liaising with participants, booking venues and flights, preparing material and documentation, taking minutes and other tasks related to event logistics.
Contracting and finances: Supporting other team members in administrative procedures of contracting and sub-granting to our members, experts and external partners, supporting other team members in preparing invoices, dealing with reimbursements to participants, collecting financial evidences from members; working closely with the financial manager to preparing and filing financial documents.
Office management: Liaising with the Mundo B management and team about any issues regarding our office space, ordering office materials etc.
Other administrative tasks: Supporting the team in any other administrative tasks, such data entry, filing etc.

Candidate’s profile

Essential

Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, experience with event management
You have good written and verbal communication skills in English
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and in particular in Excel
You are meticulous and rigorous in following guidelines
Good time-management skills and the ability to prioritize work
Attention to detail and good problem-solving skills
You have a proactive mind-set, willing to take the initiative, and a pragmatic approach to problem solving
You are able to work on multiple tasks simultaneously to meet rapidly changing projects and priorities

Desirable:

French language skills; other EU languages are also considered an advantage.
Understanding of racism and experience in working with Roma communities

Conditions

A part time contract (2,5 or 3 working days) for one year under Belgian law, with the possibility of extension. The location of work is Brussels, with some remote work possible.

Salary: approx. 2.400 EUR per month gross salary (for a full-time position – 1200 € for a 50% position) plus compensation for public transport, lunch vouchers, representation costs and hospitalisation insurance.

Working time: 2,5 or 3 working days

Starting date: October 17^th 2022 or as soon as possible.

Application procedure

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their CV and motivation letter to info@staging.ergonetwork.org by September 21st 2022, 23:59 CET, indicating in the subject of the email “Application Administrative Assistant”. This email address can also be used for further information and questions.

Successful candidates will be invited for interviews in Brussels on September 28^th and 29th. Zoom interviews will also be taken into consideration.

Roma Holocaust Memorial Day 2022

“My testimony is for young people: Don’t leave your future in the hands of bloody fools! You must resist. You must resist the discrimination, racism, and violent evictions to which the Roma and Travellers are falling victim across all of Europe. We, the old ones, have lit the flame. Now, it is up to young people to feed it, make it grow, and so that we become stronger. Young people, stand up! Stay standing, and never fall to your knees!”

Speech of Raymond Gurême, Roma Holocaust survivor, to Roma youth in Auschwitz-Birkenau on August 2, 2016

Imagine a room filled with light somewhere in a quiet town in a peaceful and economically stable country in Europe. This room is full of young people, some of them Roma, some of them not – discussing history, arguing about some interpretations, and agreeing on others. Until someone utters: “I am afraid it can happen again” – and for a little while silence falls. The year is 2022.

Almost 80 years ago, on 16 May 1944, many of the 6,000 prisoners still alive in the “Gypsy camp” at Auschwitz-Birkenau resisted their murder. Around half of them were deported to other concentration camps for forced labour. The remaining 2,897 survivors – mostly children, women, and elderly people – were murdered in the gas chambers on the night of 2 August and the early morning of 3 August, 1944.

Each year on 2 August, we commemorate the Roma people who were murdered in Europe during WWII. This day is the official commemoration day in many European countries. Yet even now, 80 years later, the Holocaust remains an open wound, hurting throughout generations the young people today.

In most European countries, there was no official apology given to the survivors or their relatives by the state for the wrongdoings of the war. The reconciliation process was not started, because there was no official acknowledgement of the atrocities done to the Roma communities during the Holocaust, and therefore no promise to never ever do this again.

Moreover, the murders of 5-year-old Robika Csorba and his father in 2009 in Hungary and that of Stanislav Tomáš in the Czech Republic just recently in 2021, derogatory statements by high-level politicians, neglect during the COVID-19 pandemic and now the treatment of Roma refugees from Ukraine as second-class humans proves that the fears voiced by the young people are not completely ungrounded.

We welcome and applaud DIKH HE NA BISTER (“Look and don’t forget” in Romani) – the Roma Genocide Remembrance Initiative and other youth initiatives that offer a space and an opportunity for youngsters to learn about the past while strengthening their Roma identity. We welcome the resolution of the European Parliament in 2015 to officially recognise 2 August as European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day.

However, we also must understand that the mass killing on the 2nd of August or the Holocaust as a whole was not a stand-alone moment in history. It takes hundreds of years of antigypsyism, direct and indirect discrimination, and often actions which appear harmless – to lead and build up to this.

It is only by fighting antigypsyism in all its ugly forms today that can we prevent a tragedy of such scope from happening tomorrow.

It is by remembering our past, and teaching the children this part of history, that we can ensure the future we want.

It is by speaking up about what happened, questioning discriminatory practices, and making our inconvenient truth heard that we can avoid the atrocities committed against our communities.

ERGO Network response to the Spring Package 2022 – What’s in it for Europe’s Roma?

European Commission releases Spring Package 2022 – What’s in it for Europe’s Roma?

On 23 May 2022, the European Commission published the so-called Spring Package, comprising the 27 Country Reports, 27 Country-Specific Recommendations, and the accompanying Communication on the Spring Package, in the framework of the 2022 European Semester. This marks a return to the 2020 European Semester procedure, as – exceptionally – 2021 did not feature Country Reports or Country-Specific Recommendations. ERGO Network and its national members have reviewed the Package, to see to which extent it explicitly mentions Roma rights and inclusion, as well as ethnic minorities, discrimination, racism, and the role of civil dialogue.

Access the full analysis here.

Key Findings

The accompanying Communication highlights the Roma as one of the most affected groups by the Covid-19 pandemic and speaks of improving their labour market inclusion.
7 Country Reports include references to the Roma (BG, HR, CZ, HU, RO, SK, SI) in 2022, which is one more than in 2020, but still insufficient as Roma live in 26 EU Member States.
Only one Country-Specific Recommendation (HU) mentions the Roma, a slight improvement from 2020 (the first year with no Roma CSRs since 2012), but less than pre-2020.
Ethnic minorities, discrimination, and racism are absent from both sets of documents, with only discrimination mentioned twice each in the Country Reports for 3 countries (BE, HR, IE).
Civil society organisations were not associated to the drafting of the Country Reports, and the Spring Package references to their role are few and vague (7 Country Reports, 1 CSR).

Overall, while our members welcome references to Roma communities in some countries, they lament that most of the Spring Package 2022 doesn’t explicitly mention them, whereas the Roma are present in all Member States except Malta, and experience rates of poverty and social exclusion of over 80% in all of them except the Czech Republic. This situation was exacerbated by the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the rising cost of living and energy price spikes. As the Package itself highlights these very challenges, it would have warranted more attention paid to one of Europe’s most left-behind communities.

The recurrent focus on supporting just transitions and mitigating the consequences for vulnerable groups is very positive, however it is our members’ experience that, unless the Roma are explicitly named as key target beneficiaries of support measures, mainstream initiatives and dedicated national and EU funds end up not reaching them. Europe’s Roma must be specifically prioritised in the EU’s Recovery Package and associated funds, if the EU is serious about delivering on its commitments for Roma equality, participation, and inclusion.

Our members equally express disappointment that issues of discrimination and antigypsyism are not present in the Package, as these have increased in recent years, and even more so during the pandemic. The fact that the country analyses and recommendations do not seek to establish explicit synergies with the EU and national Roma Frameworks is a tremendous missed opportunity.

Finally, they deplore the lack of recognition and support given to civil society organisations in the documents, given that most of them are not only on the frontlines, providing essential support to communities in need, but they equally possess the knowledge, expertise, and direct links to beneficiaries which are needed to inform the design of public policies and ensure both ownership and effectiveness of interventions.

For more information about ERGO Network’s work on the European Semester and associated frameworks (European Pillar of Social Rights, Sustainable Development Goals etc), please contact Senior Policy Adviser Amana Ferro.

Join our team! European Solidarity Corps in ERGO Network

Call for Solidarity Corps volunteer in ERGO Network

ERGO Network is looking for an enthusiastic and active young Rom who would like to join our office team in Brussels for 11 or 12 months in the framework of the European Solidarity Corps.

When: 1 October 2022 to 31 August 2023, optionally it can be until 30^th September 2023

Where: ERGO Network office in Brussels, Belgium

Who: Young Roma professional between 18 and 30

Deadline for applications: 1^st September 2022

During the 11 or 12 months in ERGO, you will learn about international advocacy, help us organise international meetings and events and get actively involved in Roma activism and international Roma networks in Brussels. Optionally, the volunteer can stay 12 months in ERGO, but this needs to be agreed during the service.

Your main tasks will be:

Communication and visibility: contribute to the update of the ERGO Network and RomaReact websites and social media channels; development of creative approaches and publicity work to promote our activities and mission and a positive image of Roma.
Researching and reporting: Assisting ERGO’s research work e.g. on cases of inequality and antigypsyism all over Europe.
Advocacy and policy: Support ERGO staff in EU advocacy work on poverty reduction, social inclusion and antigypsyism; attend debates, hearings and meetings with other stakeholders to challenge stereotypes and racism, build partnership with Roma and non-Roma organizations from Belgium and other European countries.
Meetings and seminars: Assist in the organisation of meetings, events and international seminars of ERGO Network and its partners, e.g. our Advocacy Academy, Annual Members Meeting etc.

Your profile:

Young Roma between 18 and 30 years
Good English language skills, both oral and written
Computer literacy (experience with Microsoft office package and social media)
High motivation to learn more about Roma activism and advocacy work and to contribute to a small but very active European NGO
Previous involvement in Roma or (pro) Roma NGOs will be considered an advantage
Reliable, well organised and with attention to detail

You will work about 38 hours per week, including your language course. Working hours will be from Monday to Friday between 9:00 – 17:00. However, working hours can be adapted to your needs and the activities you will be involved in. Of course, we will adapt the situation also according to the Covid-19 situation.

We aim to support young people who are enthusiastic about our cause and want to gain experiences that can be later transferred to national or local NGOs. We especially welcome applications from people who are motivated to challenge stereotypes, antigypsyism and racism and who show an open attitude for a unique learning and life experience, as well as a volunteer spirit of creativity, initiative, responsibility and independence.

We offer:

An allowance of 1200 Euro that includes money for accommodation, meals, local transport, language course and pocket money
Travel costs to Brussels (a lump sum depending on the distance to Brussels)
Health insurance for the whole year
On-arrival and mid-term training with other Solidarity Corps volunteers, and lots of learning and development opportunities with ERGO Network and our partners
Access to an online French course and other online training opportunities offered to European Solidarity Corps volunteers
An exciting and unforgettable experience, working for an international organisation in an international city!

How to apply:

Please send your motivation letter (1 page) and CV (max 2 pages) by 1^st September 2022 to info@staging.ergonetwork.org.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information at info@staging.ergonetwork.org