Policymakers, experts, activists and organisations concerned with persistent antigypsyism in Europe are planning to collaborate for Roma Week in the European Parliament and other EU institutions after the International Roma Day (8 April) and ahead of the Roma Resistance Day (16 May). The Roma Week 2023 is aligned with the objectives of the European Year of skills 2023.
In the framework of the Roma Week 2023, there will be a series of events focusing on how history affects the current situation of Roma in Europe and what are the prospects for the future.
The Roma Week 2023 is hosted by the European Parliament and European Commission and organized in partnership with Roma and pro-Roma civil society. This year it takes place under patronage of the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola.
You can check the full agenda of the #RomaWeek2023 on the dedicated website brought to you by ERGO Network here.
Below we present the events, (co-)organised by the ERGO Network:
The event will showcase the results of the CHACHIPEN project – Remembrance, Recognition, Justice and Trust-Building.
It will discuss remembering and recognition of the Roma Holocaust in Europe and antigypsyism within transitions from fascist regimes. It will look at the case studies of Spain under Franco and Romania under Antonescu and to which extent antigypsyism has been addressed as well as Sinti issues and the fight against antigypsyism.
Read more about the event and check the AGENDA here.
New Solutions to Old Problems: Maximising the Use of Funding for Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation
The event aims to facilitate discussions on the challenges in ensuring adequate and effective regional, national, and local funds for Roma, as well as on the importance of monitoring data on funding and its effective implementation towards achieving equality, inclusion, and participation of Roma.
We will also look at the challenges and opportunities to scale up the use of EU funds for Roma during the 2021-2027 programming period and to promote the enhancement of Roma entrepreneurship, health, education and access to employment at the local level.
Roma Civil Monitoring – Strengthening capacity and involvement of Roma and pro-Roma civil society in policy monitoring and review
Roma Civil Monitoring’s selected findings on Roma participation and access to housing
Following consultation with the partners implementing the RCM and agreement with the EC, the event will focus on two topics:
- Participation of Roma civil society in the development of the new NRSF and its potential impact on systematically improving Roma civil society’s participation in policymaking.
- Improving the access of Roma to housing with a particular focus on desegregation is one of the areas where the RCM’s ex-ante assessment of new NRSFs identified several weaknesses, including a failure to eliminate residential segregation in isolated rural settlements or urban ghettos. Without tackling such problems, successful Roma inclusion is not realistic. Yet, despite the gravity of this problem, only a few Member States have tackled these issues in their NRSFs.
Read more about the event and check the AGENDA here.
Roundtable Discussion on the Situation of Ukrainian Roma Refugees
In the framework of EU Roma Week, ERGO Network is delighted to invite you to a roundtable discussion on the situation of Ukrainian Roma refugees. The roundtable is part of ERGO Network’s efforts to raise awareness about the challenges faced by Ukrainian Roma refugees and to explore possible solutions to these issues.
The situation of Ukrainian Roma refugees is a matter of great concern, as they often face antigypsyism, discrimination, social exclusion, and limited access to basic services such as healthcare, education, social protection and housing. This roundtable discussion will bring together experts, and representatives from various institutions and organisations to exchange knowledge and experiences, discuss practices, and identify opportunities for collaboration.
Special attention will be given to the participation of Permanent Representatives of EU Member States in the round table for ensuring effective collaboration and informed decision-making towards addressing the challenges and needs of this vulnerable population.
During this roundtable, we will explore topics such as the legal and political framework for the protection of Roma refugees from Ukraine, the challenges of their access to basic services such as healthcare, education, social protection and housing and the role of civil society in supporting Roma refugees into host communities and the potential participation of Roma in the Recovery Plan for Ukraine.
Read more about the event and check the AGENDA here.