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Exchange visit to Nevo Parudimos

Exchange visit to Nevo Parudimos

From 5 to 9 June 2019 ERGO Network visited Nevo Parudimos in their town of Resita in Romania, along with members from all over Europe to learn about the invaluable work Nevo Parudimos is doing in their country for their local Roma communities. Among the fellow member organizations who attended were staff from Pavee Point in Ireland, FAGIC from Spain, and RomanoNet and Life Together from the Czech Republic.

Once there everyone visited Nevo’s office where Daniel Grebeldinger presented the different projects they are involved in.

This includes youth work, social work, rural development policy and many volunteering projects. Nevo Parudimos is currently hosting 18 international volunteers and works with many local volunteers who support local schools, kindergartens, elderly homes and more. Another focus of the organization is on building local partnerships that benefit Roma communities, the municipality as a whole and the organization.

The participants also had the opportunity to drive though Resita visiting local Roma communities and hearing more about their specific issues and the work that Nevo Parudimos is doing to support them. The day closed with discussing what the other ERGO members could learn from Nevo Parudimos, how they deal with similar challenges and how they could get involved in Nevo’s projects.

The next day the group visited Dognacea, a village in the surrounding mountains that are governed by probably the only Roma woman mayor in the country, Elena Moise. Everyone was greeted with open arms when entering her office, she was so welcoming and willing to answer any questions we had. Elena Moise was previously a local school teacher

and for the last 12 years has taken the position of mayor. After our conversations with her, it is safe to say she is an amazing and inspiring woman and her work is has changed the lives of many people in her village. Especially for the children in the schools, she is a role model who tells them to be proud of themselves. She said that whenever she feels down she goes to visit the local school to speak with the children to cheer up. Her message to us was that it is important to take up roles such as hers in order to do good for our communities, not to be scared of anyone and to be proud of what we do.

On the last evening, we all participated in a networking dinner to meet with Neo Parudimos’ partners, to make contacts and build relations between people working for the same cause. We met with Nadia Potoceanu, the president of Fundatia Activity for Sustainable Development, Lidia Rosianu, the head of the social department of the Municipality of Resita, Cristrian Chioncel, the Vice Dean of Eftimie Murgu University of Resita and Adrian Constantin, director of the Roma Radio Broadcast in Radio Resita.

Everyone left on the morning of the 9^th to their respective countries. The exchange visit proved to be a success with our member organizations, and ERGO plans to organize similar visits to other members in the next years. This type of event is very important for our work to learn about the problems faced by Roma in different countries and to learn how local organizations are trying to find solutions to these problems.

Grassroots Advocacy Academy for multipliers

ERGO Network Grassroots Advocacy Academy for multipliers

23-28 August 2019, Rehlovice (Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic)

Traditional ways of advocacy seem less and less effective, particularly when working in countries with far right governments and a high level of populism in politics. If grassroots activists want to advocate for combatting antigypsyism, empowering Roma and promoting social inclusion, they have to find new partnerships and new approaches to be effective.

In our Grassroots Advocacy Academy for multipliers, we want to share experiences with advocacy in difficult environments, build capacity for effective advocacy in our membership and support multipliers in organising national or local advocacy trainings for Roma activists.

We invite you to an interactive 5-day programme in a nice environment in Czech Republic to share experiences, learn from each other and together build more capacity to advocate effectively for Roma empowerment.

Objectives:

Explore and analyze different methods, ways and approaches of grassroots advocacy and community organizing
Share knowledge and experiences between ERGO Network members
Equip multipliers with knowledge of EU-driven Roma related policies that can support local advocacy
Equip multipliers with competencies and guiding principles to implement national or local advocacy trainings for Roma activists

Profile of participants:

Staff members or volunteers of (pro-)Roma civil society organisations OR
Staff members or volunteers of human rights organisations or training institutes
Experience in advocacy (and ideally also in capacity-building for advocacy)
Knowledge of Roma issues
Able to communicate in English

Conditions

The participation in the Academy is free thanks to a grant of the International Visegrad Fund and the European Commission’s EaSI programme. ERGO Network will cover the travel and accommodation costs.

We have 20 places. In case more people would like to participate, we will select based on motivation and geographical balance.

The Academy will take place from 23-28 August 2019 (including arrival and departure date)

in Rehlovice close to Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic at: https://penzion-u-svate-barbory.hotel.cz/

Transfer from Prague will be organized.

If you are interested to participate, please register here by 13 June 2019.

Download the call for the ERGO Network Grassroots Academy.

Aggression towards Roma in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Roma civil society coalition Intelect, co-chaired by ERGO Network member Integro Association, has issued a statement regarding the latest agression against Roma in the town of Gabrovo.

You can download the statement as PDF.

Position of the National Coalition Intelect

on the manifestation of unjustified aggression towards the Roma minority from the town of Gabrovo

Bulgaria is powerless to pursue the goals and values enshrined in the Treaty of Lisbon and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

As a country that should adhere to the rule of a law and a Member State of the European Union, Bulgaria must ensure equality before the law of all its citizens, including their minorities.

Bulgaria must be guided by the principle of the rule of law and guarantee the freedom and security of its citizens through justice rather than mob law.

Today Bulgaria has a problem to ensure equality, justice and protection of its Roma ethnic minority.

2011 was the year when, due to the accumulated anger against a Roma oligarch, racist anti-Roma riots broke out in many Bulgarian cities.

In the following years attacks of Roma neighborhoods were repeatedly organized by ethnic Bulgarians – namely in Garmen[1] (2015), Asenovgrad[2] (2017), Rousse[3] (2018), Voyvodinovo[4] (2019) and now in Gabrovo[5].

Each of these cases was provoked by conflicts between individuals of Bulgarian and Roma origin. Thus, despite the principle of individual guilt, the victims of the protesters’ criminal actions are thousands of innocent Roma people who are attacked, beaten, their houses demolished, and their children not able to attend school.

Roma in Bulgaria do not have collective rights as a cultural minority, but they are collectively punished when individuals of Roma origin violate the law.

Roma neighborhoods lack security, quietness. Roma homes are not inviolable and Roma do not enjoy prosperity.

In many cases, the authorities are simply spectators of the events, while the law enforcement agencies only prevent excesses.

Institutions are not able to pursue the Union’s objective of combating social exclusion and discrimination when it comes to the Roma population, nor are they guided by the values of building a society in which human dignity is the most important cornerstone of fundamental rights as well as inclusion, tolerance and non-discrimination.

The task of the state is by its actions to show and prove that it has the will to impose the most essential principles for the society – justice and solidarity, as well as to punish criminals with the power of the law while at the same time to care for and protect the vulnerable groups.

We call for:

1) The Bulgarian government and the political class to show vision by starting to plan and implemen inclusive policies free of fascist ideology in line with the European Social Pillar in cooperation with Roma intellectuals and leadership;

2) The President of the Republic of Bulgaria to intensify the dialogue within the National Security Advisory Council on the issues of prevention of ethnic-inspired conflicts;

3) The Chief Prosecutor of the country to take responsibility for publicly-dangerous crimes against citizens’ rights and especially for crimes against citizenship as incitement to discrimination, violence or hatred or use of violence based on race, nationality or ethnicity.

4) The Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria to manifest his inherent activity in order to stop the violation ofbasic human rights of the Roma population and to prevent the spread of racism and national fascism as a public ideology in Bulgaria;

5) The European Commission to strengthen both the monitoring of Bulgaria’s implementation of the objectives and values of the Union’s Lisbon Treaty and its support for the implementation of meaningful inclusive and non-discriminatory policies for the Roma minority.

12 April 2019

On behalf of the 25 Member Organizations of of Intellect coalition:

Ms. Liliya Makaveeva

Director of Integro Association, Co-Chair of NC Intellect

Ms. Daniela Mihaylova

Director of Equal Opportunities Initiatives Association, Co-Chair of NC Intellect

[1] В-к 24 Часа „Ново напрежение в Гърмен:50 българи тръгват към ромската махала“ https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/4880413

[2] В-к Монитор „Хиляди пак на бунт в Асеновград, щурмуват ромската махала“

https://www.monitor.bg/bg/a/view/70354-%D0%9D%D0%B0%D0%B4-2000-%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BA-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%B1%D1%83%D0%BD%D1%82-%D0%B2-%D0%90%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4-%D1%82%D1%80%D1%8A%D0%B3%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%85%D0%B0-%D0%BA%D1%8A%D0%BC-%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0

[3] Канал3 „Напрежение в Русе! Мотористи нахлуха в кварталите, където е живял Северин“ http://kanal3.bg/news/86075-Napredzenie-v-Ruse%2521-Motoristi-nahluha-v-kvartalite%252C-kadeto-e-dzivyal-Severin

[4] Агенция Фокус „Напрежение и протести след циганското нападение в пловдивското село Войводиново“ http://www.focus-news.net/news/2019/01/08/2609936/naprezhenie-i-protesti-sled-tsigansko-napadenie-v-plovdivskoto-selo-voyvodinovo-obzor.html

[5] БТВ „Напрежението в Габрово ескалира, изпращат жандармерията“ https://btvnovinite.bg/bulgaria/eskalacija-na-naprezhenieto-v-gabrovo.html

Looking back at the EU Roma Week 2019

Looking back at the EU Roma Week 2019

From 18-21 March 2019, the fourth EU Roma Week took place in Brussels, jointly organised by several Members of the European Parliament, the EU Commission, the UN Human Rights Office in Brussels and civil society organisations. The Roma Week offered a framework for a series of events discussing Roma-related policies and giving the spotlight to the fight against antigypsyism. ERGO Network played a leading role in a number of events held during the week.

The Roma Week would not make any sense without the active involvement of Roma activists from across Europe. Therefore, together with the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, the Documentation and Cultural Centre and ternYpe International Roma Youth Network, ERGO Network invited a group of youth activists to prepare for the week in the Roma Youth Advocacy Training. Moreover, ERGO Network coordinated the participation of the most important Roma civil society activists in Europe under the umbrella of the ‘Alliance against Antigypsyism’ together with the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma.

Before the start of events in the European Parliament, ERGO members from the project Joint Initiative to Empower Roma Civil Society in the Western Balkans and Turkey attended the conference Roma Inclusion in the Western Balkans: The Forward Look, Policy v Reality, Where the new World Bank report “Breaking the Cycle of Roma Exclusion in the Western Balkans” was launched.

The first event in the European Parliament was the crucial Reality Check: Evaluating the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, where results of the Roma Civil Monitor were discussed. ERGO Network’s advocacy and research coordinator Jelena Jovanovic highlighted good practices and shortcomings of measures combatting antigypsyism, and several civil society representatives gave an overview of their national monitoring reports.

On Tuesday evening, two award ceremonies celebrated individuals for their contribution to Roma inclusion: The European Civil Rights Prize for Sinti and Roma was awarded to the Slovak President Andrej Kiska, and 14 inspiring women activists received the EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans and Turkey under the theme ‘Unknown Heroes’. As a surprise during the Western Balkans award event, Soraya Post MEP received an award too, for her outstanding support to the fight against antigypsyism in the European Parliament.

On Wednesday, ERGO Network together with Cornelia Ernst MEP brought the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as a tool to support the fight against antigypsyism to the agenda. The panel discussion was held together with Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), Sozialfabrik and Soraya Post MEP. The panellists discussed recommendations to civil society on how to use the 2030 Agenda, brought by ERGO Network in the new paper ‘Roma Included’.

The flagship event of the week was the conference ‘Creating trust through uncovering and recognising the truth: Advancing recognition and remedy for antigypsyism’, jointly hosted by Soraya Post MEP, the Central Council for German Sinti and Roma, Fundacion Secretariado Gitano (FSG), UN Human Rights Office in Europe, the Open Society European Policy Institute and ERGO Network. The stock-taking conference focussed on discussing the state-of-play and efforts to advance the fight against antigypsyism through truth, recognition, remedy, trust and reconciliation processes. It also gave voice to several survivors of acts of antigypsyism who shared their stories and highlighted the urgency to act against antigypsyism.

Members of the European Parliament from different political groups signed a pledge affirming that they will continue to work to achieve non-racist EU elections, an effective Post-2020 EU Roma Framework and a continuation of the fight against antigypsyism in the new legislative period. The undersigned MEPs pledged to create a European society in which Roma can access and enjoy their rights set in our Treaties, in which Roma can fulfil their true potential, in which dehumanisation of Roma is stopped, a healthy European society free from racism, such as antigypsyism – a Europe that we can be proud of.

Now it is time to let actions follow the words and spirit of cooperation conveyed during the week. We ask all participating institutions to fulfil the promises made during the Roma Week and work together for an effective EU Roma Framework and an increased fight against antigypsyism.

Roma demand to be included in the SDGs

Roma demand to be included in the SDGs

At the heart of the EU Roma Week 2019, which brought over 100 European activists and stakeholders to Brussels, policy-makers and civil society met for the first public debate on Roma and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The debate was co-hosted by Cornelia Ernst, MEP of the Left Party, and the European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network together with Soraya Post MEP, Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) and Sozialfabrik.

The debate was opened by Cornelia Ernst MEP who stated that “the global development agenda can and should be an important lever for fighting antigypsyism and racism”, calling to mind that the EU Roma Framework “has failed because it did not include the Roma community”. ERGO Network Director Gabriela Hrabanova stressed that “the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the promise of governments to leave no one behind provide crucial opportunities for advancing the rights of Roma in Europe”.

Stefan Meyer of Fresno Consulting presented the discussion paper ‘Roma included’, which was launched by ERGO Network with the event, and brought to the table recommendations for civil society on how to engage with the 2030 Agenda.

Reacting to the presentation, Henriett Dinók from Romaversitas highlighted the challenges for Roma organisations to keep track with new programmes and principles: “We here who have access to information on the SDGs, have to collect it, share it and use it to advocate! Then the SDG fora will serve as a platform for us to shape the narrative and to raise our demands.”

Paul Divakar, Chairperson of the Asia Dalit Right Forum, brought the global perspective to the panel and pointed out that the SDGs must be designed in a way that they also serve those who are excluded in their societies, across the globe. “If we are not named in the indicators, if there are no data, what do we do? That´s why need to fight for our rights together.”

On behalf of the European Commission, Katarina Ivanković Knežević, Director for Employment, Social affairs and Inclusion in DG Employment, stressed the potential of the SDGs to address questions of the inclusion and discrimination of Roma, and better take into account intersectionalities of gender and disability. Gesa Boeckermann (Policy Officer, Non-discrimination and Roma coordination Unit, DG Justice and Consumers) highlighted that not only are the SDGs an important roof for policies related to Roma but that in reverse, by achieving Roma inclusion, the EU could also make an important step in its commitment to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.

Romeo Franz MEP (Greens/EFA) closed the debate by underlining that (pro)Roma activists need to use the 2030 Agenda for supporting their fight against antigypsyism, as this racism is the main reason for the social exclusion of Roma across Europe.

Watch a record of the discussion here:

Roma Included: Can the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals contribute to combatting antigypsyism? Co-hosted by Cornelia Ernst MEP and Soraya Post MEP, the European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network, Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) and Sozialfabrik on 20 March 2019