Combatting antigypsyism – Page 9

Training ambassadors to rise above antigypsyism in Kosovo

Training ambassadors to rise above antigypsyism in Kosovo

In the last couple of months, ERGO Network was contracted by VoRAE (Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians) to train various members of organizations working on the topic of antigypsyism. The purpose of the training course “Ambassadors rising above antigypsyism” (ARAA) was:

To raise awareness and deepen the recognition and understanding of antigypsyism and its implications in relation to empowering grassroots communities to stand up to discrimination
To support the exchange of experiences and good practices addressing issues of discrimination of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians in Kosovo
To develop the competences of 10 participants in raising understanding and awareness about antigypsyism, its implication and advocacy to promote positive narratives and inclusive policies.
To support regional cooperation and networking among Roma and pro-Roma activists
To drive policy change in recognizing antigypsyism as a primarycourse of inequalities for Roma

The overall expected outcome of the course was to motivate participants to become ambassadors in fighting against antigypsyism by raising awareness and addressing the phenomena, as well as leading the policy change through proactive advocacy.

The training course included a combination of online methods, using Zoom for group meetings, emails and worksheets. It was conducted by ERGO Network staff Gabriela Hrabranova, Isabela Mihalache and Mustafa Jakupov.

The training modules introduced the theoretical background of antigypsyism, mapped antigypsyism in the region, discussed how to act and re-act against antigypsyism through a human rights framework, as well as on learning different methods and developing trainers skills that will be further used by the participants to conduct workshops for and working with governmental and local officials. As final product of the course, ERGO Network is developing a Training of Trainers manual that will be used further by the participants trained as ambassadors.

It is important to mention that this course was the first of its kind in Kosovo where not only capacities and knowledge were being developed, but participants were able to share and analyse the realities of RAE communities and understand the political context in which they will operate.

From the 29-30 September, VORAE furthermore organized a Summit on antigypsyism in Prishtina, bringing together important stakeholders from Kosovo and abroad, including ERGO Network Director Gabriela Hrabanova, representatives of UN offices, embassies and other civil society organisations. The summit explored ways to combat antigypsyism in Kosovo and at European level and put a special emphasis on the role of women.

National Training Course on Human Rights Education

National Training Course on Human Rights Education in Spain

From 6-10 July 2020 FAGiC (the Federation of Roma Associations in Catalonia) together with Plataforma Khetané organized a National Training Course on Human Rights Education funded by the Youth Department of the Council of Europe.

The NTC “Training4Roma, Human Rights Training for Roma and non Roma youth activists” was held in the Library Font de La Mina, in the La Mina neighbourhood of Barcelona. The course targeted Roma and non Roma youth from different backgrounds who work with other young people to become multipliers of Human Rights education.

From the first moment, the environment was very good among the 13 participants willing to learn more and from each other. 4 young Roma participants were from the La Mina neighbourhood itself, stigmatized in the media as a “dangerous” place and criminalising the Roma inhabitants as potential drug traffickers.

In this way, the 4 young Roma students broke with the stereotypes not only of Roma, but also of the neighbourhood. Asked by the non-Roma participants, we organised a “guided tour” of the neighbourhood, explaining the historical construction from the exclusion perspective and how this has affected to the lives of the people living there.

The NTC was based on the COMPASS manual on Human Rights Education of the Council of Europe and also targeted Antigypsyism from the perspective of Human Rights. The training consisted of 3 parts:

Introduction to the topic of Human Rights through activities and methods from the manual and by sharing participants’ experiences. Following on, we went deeper into the topic of Antigypsyism and how to develop educational responses to it.
Providing space and time to participants to develop their facilitation skills. Participants did not only use activities from Mirrors or Compass, they also adapted them perfectly to the situation and to the goal they really wanted to achieve.
Evaluation and planning concrete follow-up activities

During the training, we received the visits from OND (Oficina per a la NO Discriminació) – Non Discrimination Office from the Council of Barcelona, from Catalan Human Rights Institute and also some local Roma initiatives fighting for Human Rights.

We thank the Municipality of Sant Adrià del Besòs, to which the neighbourhood belongs, for letting us use the whole library space in this difficult time due to Covid 19.

Digital High-Level Conference

Digital High-Level Conference on the new Strategic EU Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma until 2030

Instead of the traditional “EU Roma Platform”, the German EU Presidency and the European Commission will organize on the 12 October the “Digital High-Level Conference on the new Strategic EU Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma until 2030”, bringing together all relevant stakeholders from the EU member states and enlargement countries to launch the new “EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation”.

The EU Coalition of Roma and pro-Roma organisations will participate at the event to bring the views of Roma civil society to the table, with ERGO Network being well represented with several speakers.

ERGO Network Director will represent civil society in the Opening Panel to ask questions to EU Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli, who will launch the new Strategic Framework. The co-chair of ERGO Network’s board and former MEP Soraya Post will contribute to the panel on Roma participation, while ERGO Network vice-chair Adriatik Hasantari and Director of Roma Active Albania will talk about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Roma.

The conference, which will be opened by German Minister of the Interior, Building and Community Horst Seehofer, will provide a forum for discussion of priorities for the next 10 years, such as combatting antigypsyism, equality, inclusion and participation, through dialogue and exchange of knowledge and experiences, at all levels. It will also highlight Member States’ perspectives and give stakeholders an opportunity to make their voices heard.

ERGO Network together with its partners has inputted into the development of the new Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma all along the way with recommendations.

ERGO Network also invested in the coordination of the Roma and pro-Roma Civil society under the banner of the EU Roma post-2020 Coalition. The coalition brought together its expertise to formulate questions for Commissioner Dalli and to create common messages. The partners in the coalition are furthermore preparing a reflection to the EC Communication on theStrategic EU Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma until 2030 that will be published on the 6 October 2020.

ERGO Network will provide regular updates before and during the event on its social media channels.

Overdue action against racism by the European Union

PRESS STATEMENT

Overdue action against racism by the European Union

Brussels 23 September 2020: The European Coalition of Roma and pro-Roma organisations welcomes the adoption of an Action Plan against Racism by the European Commission, providing a framework to address structural racism in the EU, including antigypsyism.

The Action Plan recognizes the structural dimension of racism and the specific forms of racism affecting different racialised groups in Europe, including Roma. As such, it could become a key tool to support measures against antigypsyism as outlined in the upcoming Framework for Roma equality and inclusion, including in connection with National Action Plans against Racism to be implemented in all EU Member States. It also provides a more comprehensive approach to all forms of racism in Europe and could help to better address structural and intersectional forms of discrimination affecting Roma people.

Michael Privot from the European Network against Racism: “The fact the action plan recognises the reality of structural racism and provides a comprehensive approach to racism is a major step forward. The plan is also an important tool to build solidarity across racialised groups in the fight against structural racism. We now expect national governments to develop national action plans against racism that are closely connected to Roma inclusion strategies.”

“It is timely that Europe learns from its many failures in protecting the most vulnerable within our societies, including the Roma and Travellers, who remain amongst the most discriminated-against groups in Europe. They continue to suffer from unequal access to services in all areas of life, segregation in education and housing, forced evictions, criminalisation of nomadism, destruction of property and halting sites, police violence, hate speech and bias crimes due to structural and systemic antigypsyism”, stated Gabriela Hrabanova from the ERGO Network.

Isidro Rodríguez, Director of Fundación Secretariado Gitano, explains that: “This EU anti racism plan should be the keystone in mitigating the high rates of poverty and marginalisation of Roma triggered by rooted discrimination. For its implementation, it is essential to have Roma and civil society engaged in each Member State“.

“We are highly concerned with the damaging impact Covid-19 has had on Roma and Travellers communities and the increasing antigypsyist political discourse and police violence in the member states. With this action plan, the EU should set up stricter funding conditionalities and indicators that guarantee fundamental rights protection”, the European Roma and Travellers Forum stated.

Adriatik Hasantari, Director of Roma Active Albania underlined: “We expect that the Enlargement and Neighbourhood countries closely follow this action plan and develop national action plans to combat racism against Roma and protect fundamental rights more effectively.”

“OSEPI welcomes this ambitious initiative from the Commission to combat structural racism across Europe. The action plan includes important steps to provide institutional support for the longstanding work of civil society organisations, along with forthcoming legislation, funding and political commitment to the fight for racial justice. Together with the upcoming EU Framework on Roma equality and inclusion, the action plan could lead the way forward to fight anti-Roma prejudice and all forms of racism, strengthen the equality bodies, and implement equal treatment in the EU member states.” Heather Grabbe, Director of Open Society European Policy Institute.

Despite a number of positive legislative and policy developments in the past decade, many gaps and challenges remain in improving the application of the EU antidiscrimination law and adoption of relevant and useful policies regarding Roma and Travellers throughout EU Member States and Enlargement countries, such as the deeply rooted structural and institutionalised discrimination, the lack of adequate disaggregated data, underreporting of discrimination, lack of trust in authorities, low awareness of rights, a lack of means to access justice and a general lack of political will at national level. At EU level, mechanisms such as infringement proceedings to sanction governments against pervasive discrimination and segregation of Roma children in education have failed to correct the situation.

As Roma and pro-Roma NGOs, we look forward to the adoption of National Action Plans against racism by all EU Member States, Enlargement and Neighbourhood countries in order to effectively address racism against all racialised groups, including by legally recognising various forms of targeted racism, such as antigypsyism, antisemitism, islamophobia and afrophobia.

We also expect that direct links of the Commission Action Plan with all major EU policy developments in the area of equality, non-discrimination and social inclusion of Roma and Travellers are made. Notably, it should be linked to the upcoming Strategic Framework for Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation, and the recently adopted European Parliament resolution on the implementation of National Roma Integration Strategies, demanding a legislative act for Roma. It is equally important that the situation of Roma in the Enlargement and Neighbourhood countries is not overlooked in the implementation of the Action Plan.

As we witness that changes in the laws and policies are not sufficient to improve the situation on the ground concretely and effectively, we call on the Commission to use a further reaching and more extensive approach and tools to address deep-rooted stereotypes, negative prejudices and antigypsyism against Roma and Travellers in order to enable a more adequate response from state actors, institutions and citizens at large. This would also require a more inclusive and non paternalistic approach by the Commission and its public servants towards civil society in its daily workings and consultation approaches.

Finally, we welcome the promise by the Commission to review its hiring and staffing policies to increase diversity within. We hope that this will lead to a fairer and more adequate representation of ethnic minorities, including Roma, in EU institutions.

Members signatories:

European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO Network)

European Network against Racism (ENAR)

European Roma Information Office (ERIO)

European Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF)

Roma Active Albania (RAA)

Phiren Amenca International Network

Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG)

Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI)

Central Council of German Sinti and Roma

Open Society European Policy Institute (OSEPI)

For further information, contact:

Jamen Gabriela Hrabanova, ERGO Network: g.hrabanova@ergonetwork.org, Tel: +32(0)489 97 47 53

European Parliament adopts first-ever Resolution proposing a Roma EU legislation to combat antigypsyism and social exclusion of Roma

PRESS STATEMENT – ALLIANCE AGAINST ANTIGYPSYISM

European Parliament adopts first-ever Resolution proposing a Roma EU legislation to combat antigypsyism and social exclusion of Roma

Brussels 21 September 2020: The Alliance against Antigypsyism welcomes the adoption by the European Parliament of a resolution on the implementation of National Roma Integration Strategies initiated by MEP Romeo Franz (Greens/EFA) demanding for a legislative act for Roma equality, inclusion and participation and for combating antigypsyism, focusing on “fighting against poverty and antigypsyism, improving living and health conditions and combining targeted and mainstream approaches”.

The proposed legislative act intends to include, among other things, a plan to eliminate housing, health, employment and education inequalities, specific objectives to protect and improve the inclusion of Roma people, including those facing multiple discrimination and concrete measures to combat discrimination and segregation both in EU Member States and Enlargement Countries.

ERGO Network Director Gabriela Hrabaňová called the proposal for a Roma Directive “an important recognition of the systematic failure by the EU and governments to address the structural and systemic antigypsyism Roma are facing across the EU and Western Balkans” and a “turning point in the EU’s approach towards Roma”.

”After the recognition of the Holocaust of 500,000 Sinti and Roma in Nazi-occupied Europe by the European Parliament in 2015, with the resolution now adopted, this Parliament shows once again its determination to condemn and fight the threatening antigypsyism in Europe.”, says Romani Rose, chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma.

Michael Privot, Director of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), adds that “The resolution and the new EU action plan against racism are different steps on the road towards more equality for all. We now need EU member states to adopt concrete measures and plans against racism, including antigypsyism, at national level.” .

Inter alia, the Resolution:

calls for the recognition of antigypsyism as a specific form of racism against Roma, equal access to justice and equality before the law;
highlights the need for systematic collection of robust ethnic and gender disaggregated data to inform needs and context analysis, help in setting targets and impact indicators;
urges Member States to adopt a holistic approach across all policy areas, to place the education of Romani children high on governments’ agendas and put an end to segregation;
calls on the Commission to fulfil its commitment to adopt an action plan to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights and to incorporate Romani inclusion as an indicator in the Social Scoreboard;
urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure access to decent jobs, fair wages and working conditions for Romani people and to guarantee that social protection systems and social services are adequate, accessible and used by all potential beneficiaries, and include universal health coverage without discrimination, as well as minimum income schemes and pension rights;
calls on the Member States to adopt urgent measures to address the lack of water, adequate sanitation, electricity and needed infrastructure in poor Romani communities in the light of the Covid-29 crisis;
calls on the Member States to fully include Romani settlements in disinfection measures, to prohibit the cancellation of basic utility services during the pandemic, to consider subsidizing consumption costs for the most vulnerable and those who have lost incomes, or freezing payments until the end of the recovery plan period, to provide financial support for lone parents/single mothers for childcare, rent payments and other household expenses to alleviate the financial hardship, especially in light of the job losses;
stresses the need to give priority to a gender perspective and gender-sensitive policies and fight violence (including human trafficking);
calls on mobilising funding for Romani equality, inclusion and participation under the Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2021-2027 and EU Recovery Plan and to adjust the existing mainstream financial mechanisms and make them flexible for blended use of funds in Romani communities by enabling access to information, outreach, capacity building and delivery of technical assistance;
demands equal participation of Roma in all domains of public life, political participation, and the language, arts, culture and history by making Romani participation a binding common quality standard for the future framework and National Inclusion Strategies;
calls for an inclusive mechanism to ensure the equal participation of Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations, experts and community members from all levels, taking into account a gender perspective in the policy debate and decision-making.

For further information, contact:

ERGO Network: Jamen Gabriela Hrabanova, Executive Director, g.hrabanova@ergonetwork.org – Tel: +32(0)2 893 10 49

Central Council of German Sinti and Roma: Jonathan Mack, Policy Officer, jonathan.mack@sintiundroma.de – Tel: +49 (0) 6221 981101

Notes to the editor:

The ‘Alliance against Antigypsyism’ is a coalition of organisations across Europe that promote equality of rights for Roma and combat antigypsyism on institutional and societal level. The aim of the Alliance is to advance understanding of antigypsyism as a specific form of racism, and to strengthen the political will and institutional mechanisms in order to tackle antigypsyism in Europe. The Alliance is coordinated by the European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network, the European Network against Racism (ENAR) and the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma.

Link to the adopted Resolution: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2020-0147_EN.html