Roma inclusion newsletter Published by the WHO Regional Office for Europe in cooperation with the European Commission - Directorate-General for Health and Consumers and the Interuniversity Institute of Social Development and Peace at the University of Alicante, Spain (WHO Collaborating Centre on Social Inclusion and Health)
In focus
Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II): Roma – selected findings
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has published its second report at the end of 2016, revealing how Roma families are being excluded from society and live in shocking conditions, while children with little education face bleak prospects for the future. Findings are based on a survey that collected information on almost 34 000 Roma in 9 EU Member States and derived from nearly 8000 face-to-face interviews with Roma people. The nine countries involved were: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
Launching of the online platform on the European Network of Community Health Mediators
The collaboration and partnership fostered under the Regional Intervention on "Health Mediation and the Roma” – the action part of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s Equi-Health project – has been backed by an e-platform with the objective of establishing continuous sharing of knowledge and experiences, models and programmes between mediators and organizations from EU Member States.
Gypsy, Roma, Traveller awareness session
8 March 2017, Chester, England
This event aims to equip delegates with awareness and understanding of issues related to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities, provide an understanding of the cultural needs and legislative duties in relation to these communities and give practical ideas to help to improve communication with them.
Regional workshop on budgeting for Roma integration policies
20–21 March 2017, Skopje, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Roma Integration 2020
Within the framework of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Roma Integration 2020 project, a workshop is being organized with the main objective to assist the national governments to integrate measures from the existing national Roma integration strategies, including sectorial policies (strategies and action plans) into the domestic budget and Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) funding planning. The workshop will explore the relationship between planning and budgeting, as well as the relevant decision-making processes. Email: romaintegration2020@rcc.int
Romani identities: performance, antigypsyism and representation
3–14 July 2017, Budapest, Hungary
The aim of this Central European University (CEU) Summer University course is to link participating students and scholars with a transnational network of scholars, performers, community activists, and artists in order to investigate the use and potential of critical performance as a socially engaged practice within and between Romani communities.
2017 Annual meeting of the Gypsy Lore Society and Conference on Gypsy / Romani Studies
30 August – 1 September 2017, Nicosia, Cyprus
The event is organized by the Gypsy Lore Society and will include presentations of recent research, discussion sessions, exhibitions and films. Contributions from various disciplines and perspectives on any aspect of gypsy studies are accepted.
Past events
Cultural competency training 2017
23 February 2017, Maidstone, England
The course identified obstacles to access to education, health, employment, accommodation, safeguarding and other public services, which inhibit the delivery of quality provision to GRT communities. It also improved understanding of how institutions can engage effectively with the GRT community.
Drawing contest for children “What do you imagine under word Roma?"
17–18 January 2017, Prague, Czech Republic
As part of the project “Fighting discrimination and anti-Gypsysim in education and employment in EU” (Project PAL), co-funded by the EU’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme, the goal of this contest is to help children, teachers and parents consider “how the society is expressing and accepting the Roma community”.
First lessons and pathways to the future: the first ROMACT TCC networking meeting
15–16 December, Munich, Germany
A networking event took place to exchange experiences and enhance cooperation between interested cities. The event gathered representatives of local authorities and mandated nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) which benefited from the ROMACT programme Transnational Cooperation Component (TCC) modules and potential applicants. The presentations – such as “How to address specific integration needs of Roma originating from the Western of Balkans (UNDP)” – are available for consultation on the Council of Europe’s ROMACT website.
ROMACT Transnational cooperation and capacity building
12–16 December, Maramures County, Romania
In the framework of the ROMACT TCC programme, a team of representatives of Métropole européenne de Lille (France), along with mandated partners such as l’Association des Flandres pour l'Éducation, la formation des Jeunes et l'Insertion sociale et professionnelle (AFEJI) et l’Association Régionale d'Etude et d'Action Sociale (AREAS) visited Romania’s Ponorata and Coroieni municipalities to initiate transnational collaboration with the local authorities and local NGO, ASSOC (Baia Mare). The representatives of the joint mission visited the local communities in order to gather local-level data about the employment and general situation of the Roma communities.
Roma Integration 2020. International workshop on monitoring and reporting
12–13 December 2016, Vienna, Austria
The main objectives of the regional workshop organized by the Roma Integration 2020 RCC Action Team were to: (i) acquaint participants with the methodology and application of the reporting template; (ii) build practical skills in using the reporting template; (iii) exchange good practices in data collection and reporting. The workshop gathered government representatives from various line ministries of the western Balkan countries and Turkey, including state statistical offices, representatives of civil society organizations and international organizations.
Seminar on combatting early/child and forced marriage
12–13 December 2016, Strasbourg, France
The Support Team of the Secretary General for Roma issues recently organized a seminar on violence against women and children with a special focus on combatting early/child and forced marriage, human trafficking and domestic violence. The aims were to raise awareness and to stimulate action from both within and outside of the Roma community. Participants included representatives of NGOs, international organizations and staff members from various sectors of the Council of Europe.
Bulgarian National Network of Health Mediators, 10th meeting within the framework of the project “Initiative for Health and Immunoprophylaxis”
8 December 2016, Sofia, Bulgaria
The main objective of this event was to discuss the continuation of the health mediation programme in Bulgaria through regional and national projects, as well as the work of the Roma health mediators among vulnerable communities across the country. The meeting focused on the exchange of experiences and good practices in terms of collaboration between the Roma health mediators, authorities and health personnel with the goal of improving the quality of and access to health care and services.
“Khetane Kadima” Study session on combatting antisemitism and antigypsyism
20–26 November 2016, Budapest, Hungary
The session aimed to raise awareness and increase solidarity and capacity among Romani and Jewish youth activists and their organizations in combatting racism and discrimination, especially antigypsyism and antisemitism.
Gypsy, Traveller, Roma and Showpeople (GRTS) Conference
18 November 2016, York, England
The speakers provided an overview of the changes in national planning policy and guidance and the impacts on planning for the needs of GRTS communities.
Which steps towards European policies against antigypsyism?
15 November 2016, Brussels, Belgium
The Open Society Foundations, the German Federal Foreign Office, and the European Commission hosted a seminar encouraging policy-makers to increase efforts to combat prejudice against Roma communities. The seminar explored how successful policy initiatives around education and reconciliation can be systematized and widened throughout Europe.
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairmanship Conference on tolerance and diversity
20 October 2016, Berlin, Germany
Within the framework of Germany’s OSCE Chairmanship, the Federal Foreign Office hosted a Conference on tolerance and diversity in Berlin, to explore issues of tolerance and diversity as key values to stable and peaceful societies based on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Policy tools were discussed and examples of good practice provided.
Institute for Public Policy Research report on Roma communities & Brexit – integrating and empowering Roma in the United Kingdom
This report examines the evidence on the disadvantages that Roma experience, and calls on local authorities with significant Roma populations to develop a common platform to ensure that funding shortfalls caused by Brexit are covered by central government. Key recommendations are outlined, including how cash-strapped local authorities can help Roma people by supporting community cohesion in more strategic ways.
"Managing and delivering Gypsy and Traveller sites: negotiating conflict"
This report aims to bring balance and make counter arguments to the pervasive notion that all sites are problematic and that Gypsy and Traveller issues belong in the “too difficult” pile of things to do by local authorities. The overriding message from this research is that sites can be well-managed, sustainable and vital elements of a diverse community.
Integration without borders
The project was inspired by the fact that every European country has certain experience of either a socially excluded Roma community or refugees from the east, Asia or Africa. Each of the partner countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) is in a different position and has different historical experience. The project is intended to enable the exchange and further development of their experience.
"Coercive and cruel: sterilisation and its consequences for Romani women in the Czech Republic (1966–2016)"
This report by the European Roma Rights Centre examines the practice of coercive sterilizations in the Czech Republic as experienced by Romani women against their will or without free and informed consent. Along with a review of the institutional, legal and policy context within which these sterilizations took place, the main focus of the report is on the personal experiences of sterilized Romani women. It presents accounts of Romani women of their treatment by medical personnel and social workers.
European Commission and Council of Europe report on ROMED2 Guidelines and resources for national and local facilitators
Based on a proven methodology – improved and revised over 3 years of practical implementation and tested by an external evaluation in 2016 – this guidance document provides a complete set of tools for achieving effective participation of Roma. It serves as a useful tool for local authorities, national and local facilitator/mediators, and other stakeholders from within or outside of the community, who would like to mobilize and engage a particular Roma community in a real participatory process in a given city or village.
"Effective Roma integration measures in the Member States 2016"
This European Commission report is a communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, entitled “Assessing the implementation of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies and the Council Recommendation on Effective Roma integration measures in the Member States 2016”. It reports on the overall conclusions regarding progress in implementing the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020.
Study-map on housing and the Roma population, 2015
The executive summary of the “Study-map on housing and the Roma community, 2015” was recently published by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, aiming to provide comparable information on the evolution of the housing and residential conditions of the Roma living in Spain since 2007, and to identify the prevalence of problems such as substandard and slum housing and other issues related to residential exclusion among the Roma population.
Bereményi BÁ, Carrasco S. Bittersweet success. The impact of academic achievement among the Spanish Roma after a decade of Roma inclusion. In: Pink WT, Noblit GW, editors. Second international handbook of urban education. Cham: Springer International Publishing Switzerland; 2017:1169–1198.
Ignjatovic S, Boskovic A. Gender equality in Serbia. In: Ortenblad A, Marling R, Vasiljevic S, editors. Gender equality in a global perspective. New York (NY): Routledge; 2016:198–223.
McDermott JC, Chapel FM, Drahokoupil SV, Bakšić-Muftić J, Stanislav D, Hancock I et al. The education of Roma children: challenges and promises. In: Gordon RK, Akutsu T, McDermott JC, Lalas JW. Challenges associated with cross-cultural and at-risk student engagement. Hershey (PA): IGI Global Diseminator of Knowledge; 2017. doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-1894-5.
