News

ERGO members meet European Commission desk officers On 10 September 2020, the European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network facilitated an online exchange meeting between its national members in 5 key countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia) and their counterparts in the country desks of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) and DG

New European Solidarity Corps volunteer in ERGO Network Welcome, Izabela! The ERGO Network secretariat team is getting bigger! This week our new European Solidarity Corps volunteer Izabela Tiberiade from Romania joined us in Brussels. She will stay one year with us to learn more about how we work and support all our work areas. Here

New solutions to old problems – exchange of new type of approaches in the field of Roma integration Over 1 million Euros allocated for Roma civil society empowerment A new project of our network has been approved for funding through the EEA and Norway Grants for Regional Cooperation: New solutions to old problems – exchange

In the context of the adoption of the new EU Strategic Framework on Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation by the European Commission, ERGO Network has sent a letter to the European Council, the German EU Presidency and the European Commission to call for the adoption of a revised Council Recommendation on Roma under the German

“75 years since liberation and a lesson unlearnt! Antigypsyism is still alive and present in our society.” On 2 August 1944, over 4,300 Sinti and Roma were murdered in the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. They were taken during the night from their barracks to the gas chamber by SS guards, who only months earlier had been

ERGO Network position paper: The role of Social Economy in supporting Roma social and economic inclusion in a Covid-19 context Directly to the position paper. Europe and the world are facing an unprecedented social and economic shock, brought about by the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many Europeans have lost their incomes, their homes,

QUESTIONNAIRE: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Roma, Sinti and Traveller communities Straight to the survey. Throughout Europe, most governments have not designed or implemented specific measures to address the vulnerability of Roma, Sinti and Travellers during the coronavirus pandemic. Roma, Sinti and Travellers are amongst the most affected and impacted by Covid-19, mainly

The attitude towards Turkish Roma during the Pandemic News from ERGO member Zero Discrimination Attitudes towards Roma during the Covid Pandemic in Turkey were heterogenous. While inclusiveness was much improved, especially on the part of the interventions of the local authorities, discriminatory discourses were also witnessed. To count a few positive interventions: in İstanbul, the

Roma part of #BlackLivesMatter On 25 May 2020 George Floyd, an African American man, was killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mass protests in response to his death quickly spread across the United States and internationally in a joint mobilisation against police violence and structural racism. Across the world, people have started to take down

European Semester: European Commission releases Spring Package 2020 What’s in it for Europe’s Roma? On 20 May 2020, the European Commission published the so-called Spring Package, comprising the 28 Country-Specific Recommendations 2020 (including the United Kingdom), and the accompanying Communication on Country-Specific Recommendations, in the framework of the 2020 European Semester. Together with its national

Recent activities of ERGO member Slovo 21 Slovo 21 has been very active in the last weeks, focusing their efforts on their contributions to ERGO Network’s Annual Work Programme Roma Included in Social Europe (RIISE). National Roma Integration Strategy: Since May 2020 NGO Slovo 21 has been organizing meetings with the network of Roma NGOs

Jekhipe – Together German ERGO Network member Amaro Drom produced two interesting online lectures by Prof. Dr. Hristo Kyuchukov that are dedicated to 8th April, the International Romani Day and 16th May, the Romani Resistance Day. These lectures were recorded within the framework of the project „Jekhipe – Together” in video format due to restrictions

Civil society letter addressing Roma equality as part of the EU accession process and the EU response to the Covid-19 pandemic to Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement On behalf of a European coalition of Roma and pro-Roma organizations, we call upon you and the European Commission to prioritise the fundamental rights and

The effects of Covid-19 on Roma communities in EU Member States and Enlargement and Neighbourhood Countries Throughout Europe, most governments have failed to design or implement specific measures to address the vulnerability of Roma during the coronavirus pandemic. With Commissioner’s Dalli statement on the importance of prioritising the protection of fundamental rights and racialised minorities

Call for European Solidarity Corps placement in ERGO Network ERGO Network is looking for an enthusiastic and active young Roma who would like to join our office team in Brussels for 12 months in the framework of the European Solidarity Corps. When: September 2020 to August 2021 Where: ERGO Network office in Brussels, Belgium Who:

Appeal to the European Commission and the European Council to make the post-2020 EU Strategic Framework for Roma Equality and Inclusion a top priority in its Covid-19 response Download the pdf version.   April 22, 2020 Honorable President of the European Commission, Ms Ursula von der Leyen Honorable President of the European Council, Mr Charles

Coronavirus: NGOs warn against Roma exclusion from EU crisis response ERGO Network together with 8 other (pro-)Roma civil society organisations have sent a letter to EU Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli, calling on the Commission to do its utmost to ensure that in drawing down on crisis funds, Member States do not further discriminate against

Post-2020 European Roma Coalition In order to ensure a strong commitment and tangible results by European institutions to the post-2020 EU policy on Roma, a number of Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations have come together and established a Post-2020 European Roma Coalition (working title). The aim of the Coalition is to achieve substantive equality,

A Place for All – ERGO Network’s employment campaign ERGO Network is launching its new campaign ‘A Place for All’, shedding light on the important role that employers play in supporting the employment of Roma and other ethnic minorities, as well as on the benefits that an inclusive workforce. Roma employment – it should be

Covid-19 – extreme hardship and solidarity in these times of crisis The Covid-19 crisis affects everyone, and the virus does not differentiate between people; anyone could catch it, no matter how rich or poor. Most people suffer under lockdowns, most people are scared and many will need income support in the coming weeks.  However, while

ERGO Network written feedback on the Roadmap published by DG Justice on 17 Feb 2020. An initiative setting out the EU post-2020 Roma equality and inclusion policy ERGO strongly welcomes the Roadmap by the European Commission setting out the post-2020 EU Roma equality and inclusion policy, which builds on the previous EU Roma Framework for

European Semester: European Commission releases Winter Package What’s in it for Europe’s Roma? On 26 February 2020, the European Commission published the so-called Winter Package, comprising the 28 Country Reports 2020 (including the United Kingdom), and the usual Communication on Country Reports, in the framework of the 2020 European Semester. The European Roma Grassroots Organisations

ERGO Network meets European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli, and is part of the Social Platform delegation to meet Executive Vice Presidents Frans Timmermans (cabinet) and Valdis Dombrovskis In the first months of 2020, ERGO Network took the opportunity to get to know three of the new EU Commissioners who are essential for our work

On 25 February 2020, ERGO Network together with Balkan LGBTQIA vzw organized an inspiring and mind-opening event in Mundo B, Brussels: the photo exhibition and conference ‘Intersecting Realities: Life stories of Balkan LGBTQIA+ Roma in Brussels’. During the event, the book ‘My Story’ was launched, which features eight life stories about the experiences of LGBTQIA+

Meeting with representatives from NGO Centrum Inkluze within the CLLD On 6 March Slovo 21 organized a meeting with 3 representatives from the NGO Centrum Inkluze in Suchdol nad Odrou with the aim to share information within the Local Action Group Opavsko. The NGO Centrum Inkluze is based in Budišov nad Budišovkou, where a high number

RIISE Coordination Meeting Several ERGO Network members and also new partners met in February for our annual ‘Roma Included in Social Europe’ (RIISE) coordination meeting. ERGO Network is implementing a four-year work programme funded by the EaSI Programme of the European Commission’s DG Employment in order to support the social inclusion and poverty reduction of

National Training – Roma Youth Voice FAGIC has been chosen to implement on national level in Spain the activities of the European project “Roma Youth Voices” led by Phiren Amenca and TernYpe. In the framework of the project we organized a National Training course about social and political participation for Roma youngsters from all Spain

Railway assistants – antigypsyism in employment programme In October 2019, Slovak Railway Company announced the implementation of a new project called ‘Train Assistant’. This project created a new position in the railway company for people from marginalized Roma communities. Together with other organizations and activists, the Roma Advocacy and Research Centre (RARC) appealed to the

Case studies of ERGO Network members During 2019, in the framework of our EaSI funded work programme ‘Roma Included in Social Europe’ (RIISE) ERGO Network members in Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary conducted case studies to shed light on specific challenges relating to Roma integration in their countries. In Slovakia, the Roma Advocacy and Research

Peer educators combatting antigypsyism online in time of a pandemic – A new internet era for Roma youth will begin soon! Living in the era of web 2.0, soon to be 3.0 sure has its advantages. Everything that we need, want and desire is just a click away (literally)! However, it is as well a 

Romani Week – Romno Kurko 2020 The following event is postponed due to the Corona virus outbreak, most likely to June.   This year’s Romani Week in the European Parliament will take place from 23-26 March and will include a large range of events, from the annual Breakfast with Members of the European Parliament and

Intersecting Realities Life Stories of Balkan LGBTQIA+ Roma in Brussels 25 February 2020, 9am-2pm, Mundo B, Rue d’Edimbourg 26, Conference Room Join us and make your voice heard! Register here and find the agenda here. Balkan LBGTQIA VZW brings together representatives of LGBTQIA+ communities from the Balkan countries, based in Brussels. The role of the

ERGO Network meets European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli to commemorate the Holocaust Remembrance Day and discuss the future of Roma inclusion post 2020 Brussels, 30 January 2020 On 28 January 2020, a delegation of European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network members from EU member states and enlargement countries met with the new European Commissioner for

European Commission releases Autumn Package What’s in it for Europe’s Roma? On 17 December 2019, the European Commission published the so-called Autumn Package, including the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2020 and its annex, the draft Joint Employment Report, thus marking the beginning of the 2020 European Semester. In a clear attempt to revamp the cycle,

Strategies against antigypsyism The international conference „Strategies against antigypyism“ took place in Tenerife on 12 and 13 December 2019. It was organized by the Karipen association in cooperation with the Ministry for Health, Consumers Affairs and Social Welfare of the Canary Island Government, Cabildo of Tenerife and Khetane Platform. At the invitation of FAGIC ERGO

Roma youth empowerment trough Rromani language Our partners from Roma Community Centre in Vilinus, Lithuania for the first time ever gather a group of young Roma for 2 days seminar from 2-4 Of December, 2019 with a programme in rromanes on topics such as: discrimination, equality, access to the labor market and empowerment. The event

Promotion of sustainable gardening and healthy food: training, booklet and e-book Butterfly Developments 2019 Pro Cseherat had a busy year 2019. It organized several community events and published two publications on sustainable eating and gardening. Pro Cseherat can proudly state that the participants in the programs have become a community. Garden: chemical-free vegetables for home

Women’s economic empowerment – a prerequisite for a life without violence The Citizens’ Association for the Promotion of Roma Education “Otaharin” in cooperation with the Association of Roma Women are committed to implementing measures for the prevention of gender-based violence. Through the project “Accepting Gender Equality for Better Prosperity for Roma Women and Girls” supported

National Grassroots Advocacy Academy in community organizing for women Slovo 21 organized a National Grassroots Advocacy Academy in Prague in November. 31 Roma activists and representatives of Roma NGOs participated in the event. They received a training in basic advocacy skills as well as coaching for concrete community work and organizing.  During the meeting the participants also

12th Edition of the FAGiC Awards for Roma development On December 4, 2019 FAGiC organised the 12th Edition of the FAGiC Awards, a ceremony with a double goal: on one side, it is an opportunity to reward Roma and non Roma people who contributed positively to the development of the Roma culture and the Roma

Call for European Solidarity Corps placement in ERGO Network ERGO Network is looking for an enthusiastic and active young Roma who would like to join our office team in Brussels for 11 months in the  framework of the European Solidarity Corps. This is a remunerated opportunity. When: February (later date can be discussed) to December

ERGO NETWORK ANNUAL PUBLIC EVENT: Roma Access to Mainstream Education This past 19 November, ERGO Network organised its annual public event, dedicated this year to debating how to ensure that Roma pupils and students can access mainstream education on equal footing and how to make education systems and establishments more inclusive, by combating segregation and

PRESS RELEASE Brussels, 22/11/2019 Roma Active Albania and ERGO Network Award the Most Roma Friendly Mayors in the European Parliament on November 19, 2019 Roma Active Albania and the European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network organized an award ceremony in the European Parliament to acknowledge positive examples of local authorities – efforts of seven Mayors

Annual Members Meeting 2019 From 20-22 October 2019, ERGO Network’s members came together in Skopje, North Macedonia, to share updates from the past year, set future priorities and learn from each other. On day 1, the participants attended working groups to define the future priorities of the organisation   on the topics of employment, data collection

ERGO NETWORK DELEGATION OF NATIONAL MEMBERS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL ACTION GROUPS MEET EUROPEAN COMMISSION DESK OFFICERS TO DISCUSS CLLD  On 10 and 11 October, ERGO Network facilitated a meeting between its national members and representatives of Local Action Groups from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Romania, and the Desk Officers responsible for these countries

Roma access to mainstream education: ERGO Network annual conference Time: 19 November 2019, 10:00-12:30 Place: Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg to the European Union, Rue Belliard 60-62 (Brussels) We kindly invite you to attend ERGO Network’s conference on Roma access to mainstream education. Education is an increasingly important topic in the European public and

ERGO Network voices major steps to take to achieve true leadership and participation and to combat antigypsyism at the 2019 OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting Our Policy and Research Coordinator Jelena Jovanovic recently took part in the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) annual human rights conference: the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM). She

Civil society united in their demands for the post 2020 EU Roma Strategic Framework Around 40 members of the civil society and other close partners worked hard in September to coordinate and prepare civil society’s input into the ‘Workshop on future policies for Roma’ organised by the European Commission’s DG Justice on 1 October 2019.

International Congress on Discrimination based on Work and Descent tackling Casteism, Antigypsyism, Traditional and Contemporary forms of Slavery and Other Analogous Forms of Discrimination (ICDWD) 21-23 September 2019, New York From 21 to 23 September, a delegation of Roma activists from ERGO Network took part in the International Congress on Discrimination based on Work and

Roma Civil Monitor partners gather at the Central European University to define the topics of the third round of civil society monitoring reports Image credit CEU / Andras Dimeny (kepszerk.hu) The year 2020 will mark the final year of the current EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, within which Member States have developed their

Roma participation in Community-Led Local Development Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) is an initiative for involving citizens at local level in developing responses to today’s social, environmental and economic challenges, and a promising tool for investing in Roma inclusion. The European Commission expects CLLD to facilitate implementing integrated approaches among the European Structural and Investment Funds

New school year for Otaharin 102 elementary school students in Bijeljina (Bosnia & Herzegovina) received school bags, materials and textbooks from  ERGO Network member Otaharin as an incentive to study well in this new school year. One of the most important activities of the Association is emphasizing the enrollment of children in the first grade

Drugs, No Thanks ERGO Network’s Croatian member organisation Udruga Roma Zagreb i Zagrebačke županije has been running the drug prevention project “Drugs, No Thanks”every year for the last 15 years. This year it was expanded to other types of addiction, especially gambling and betting, which is especially pronounced in our Roma population. With this project,

New publication: Roma grassroots perspectives on poverty alleviation In 2018 in the framework of ERGO’s Annual Work Programme ‘Roma Included in Social Europe’ (RIISE), ERGO Network members from Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic conducted seven comprehensive local case studies that contribute to a better understanding of the impact of National Roma Integration

Have you ever heard of the Sustainable Development Goals? Don’t know what this has to do with Roma? Then check out our report ‘Roma Included: In the Sustainable Development Goals that ERGO Network published in 2019. Just want to have a glimpse on what is inside? Then check out our short video summarising the report.

ERGO Network’s Grassroots Academy for multipliers implemented in the Czech Republic: Equipping multipliers with competencies to implement advocacy trainings In August this year, about twenty Roma advocates from different European countries gathered in Tepla, a Czech village close to Usti and Labem. For five days, they joined ERGO Network to share and explore different methods

Call for Solidarity Corps volunteer in ERGO Network ERGO Network is looking for an enthusiastic and active young Roma who would like to join our office team in Brussels for 3 months in the framework of the European Solidarity Corps. Download the call in pdf format here. When: October to December 2019 Where: ERGO Network

Declaration on Roma integration in the EU enlargement processs signed at Western Balkans Summit The sixth annual summit within the Berlin Process Initiative for European integration of Western Balkans states was held between 3rd and 5th of July 2019 held in Poznań. At the initiative of North Macedonia, the Western Balkan countries signed a Declaration

New reports about racism and inequality in the UK The “Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on her visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” has been published and makes specific reference to Gypsies, Roma and Travellers. The UN Special

Before the summer break, we are announcing the dates for some important events in the second half of the year. Mark the dates in your calendar – more information will follow soon! 20-23 October: Annual Members Meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia 20 October: Meetings of the ERGO Network Board, Advisory Committee and Working Groups (Skopje,

Towards a more holistic approach to Roma inclusion in the EU: stronger policy mainstreaming and focus The long term perspective of the Roma inclusion process implies that, at this stage, expecting major socioeconomic impact of the Roma integration process is premature. Although the necessary policies, tools and structures linked with the inclusion of Roma were

Alliance against Antigypsyism offers recommendations and concrete measures to combat antigypsyism for the future EU and national policies The Alliance against Antigypsyism has recently published two new policy papers.  The first offers recommendations to combat antigypsyism for future EU and national policies to ensure they are comprehensive and no dimension or manifestation of antigypsyism is

ERGO Network analyses SDG 10 for report ‘Falling through the cracks: exposing inequalities in the EU and beyond’ ERGO Network’s chapter “Reducing Inequalities between Roma and Non-Roma: EU, SDG 10 and Combating Exclusion of Roma”, is published as part of a bigger report “Falling through the Cracks – Exposing Inequalities in the EU and beyond”,

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

On May 27th, an open discussion was organized by the International Charitable Organization Roma Women Fund Chiricli to discuss the racial attacks that have happened in the past, the event was called “A year after Roma pogroms: where are we now?”. The purpose of the event was to discuss past hate crimes, talk about how

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

OPINION Unprecedented police action against Roma Travellers community in Belgium A huge police action took place in Belgium in the morning of 7 May resulting in a massive arrest of Belgian Roma Travellers accused of trafficking of illegally obtained vehicles. The last action of this kind took place during the Second World War when 351

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 situation in France in relation to antigypsyism is dire, vulnerable members of the Roma community are being targeted in racial attacks. On March 16th a rumour first appeared on social media platforms causing a series of attacks to be carried out against members of the Roma community. Since the attacks started La Voix des

Regional campaign “Most Roma Friendly Mayor” We are launching the 2019 call for the regional campaign for the most “Roma Friendly Mayor” in the framework of the project “Joint Initiative to Empower Roma Civil Society in the Western Balkans and Turkey“, implemented jointly by Roma Active Albania and ERGO Network. The campaign aims to increase

Pledge to continue fight against antigypsyism In the framework of the EU Roma Week 2019, 61 Members of the European Parliament have pledged to continue their fight against antigypsyism and to take it to the next mandate of the Parliament after the elections in May. We wholeheartedly thank our partners in the European Parliament for

Voluntary work with and for Roma communities Romanian ERGO member Nevo Parudimos Association has more than 5 years of experience in volunteering projects. The organisation has hosted more than 30 volunteers and sent more than 15 volunteers to different European countries.in the last years. A big part of our work is based on local or

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

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

From 18-21 March 2019, the fourth EU Roma Week in the European Parliament will take place, with the active involvement of ERGO Network, its members and civil society partners.  The Roma Week consists of a series of events discussing  the current and future EU Roma rights agenda, hosted by Members of the European Parliament. It

 

Ahead of the 4th EU Roma Week, ERGO Network published a new discussion paper entitled   “ROMA INCLUDED: Can the Sustainable Development Goals contribute to combatting antigypsyism?”. With this paper, ERGO Network intends to trigger the debate among Roma activists on how to engage with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More than three years after

20th of March. Roma Included: Can the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals contribute to combating antigypsyism? Panel debate in the EU Roma Week 2019 Wednesday, 20 March 2019, 11.00-13.30 European Parliament, Room ASP 3G2 PLEASE REGISTER HERE: tinyurl.com/RomaIncluded  

Letter to UN Secretary General on lead poisoning in Kosovo  – 18th of February 2019. Last week 55 Members of the European Parliament from various political groups sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The letter urges the UNSG to take long overdue steps to ensure that the victims of widespread lead poisoning at UN-run

Strong European Parliament call to address antigypsyism Brussels, 13 February 2019 – The Alliance Against Antigypsyism welcomes the adoption of a European Parliament Resolution yesterday calling the EU and Member States to adopt strong Roma inclusion plans post-2020 and to step up the fight against antigypsyism – the specific form of racism towards Roma. “This

Welcome to our new volunteer My name is Shannon MacDonald, I am a Scottish Gypsy/Traveller from Scotland in the UK, and I am the new volunteer for ERGO Network. I am very excited to begin this role as I have always felt very passionate about Antigypsyism and discrimination against people like me and my family.

Picture credit: Bulgarian Helsinki Committee Once again, antigypsyist hate speech comes from the highest political level in Bulgaria. This time, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Krasimir Karakachanov demonised Roma in strongest terms after two incidents of violence carried out by individuals of Roma origin. While we condemn the violent acts against a

ERGO Call for financial manager – EXTENDED DEADLINE 15 JANUARY ERGO Network is contracting a financial manager to be responsible for the accounting, tax system, right of the legal entity and human resources in the ERGO Network office in Brussels starting from 2019 ERGO Network ERGO Network (www.ergonetwork.org) brings together 28 members from across Europe

The ERGO Network 2018 Annual Members Meeting took place on 10-11 December in Tirana to consult members on the update of programmes and initiatives and to enable exchange of experiences and information. In addition the participants discussed the future of ERGO Network and a possible formalization as an association. During the 1st day we updated

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Call for Solidarity Corps volunteer in ERGO Network ERGO Network is looking for an enthusiastic and active young Roma who would like to join our office team in Brussels for 11 months in the framework of the European Solidarity Corps. When: February to December 2019 Where: ERGO Network office in Brussels, Belgium Who:

On 3 December 2018, ERGO Network concluded the first year of its 4-year work programme RIISE (Roma Included in Social Europe) with a panel debate discussing how Roma inclusion can be fostered through meaningful local partnerships. Emphasising the importance of Roma participation in all stages of decision-making, from the local to the European level, is

Brussels, 6 December 2018: Today, a coalition of more than fifteen Romani and anti-racism civil society organisations from across Europe called for the Council of the European Union, and governments of European countries, to make a clear commitment to the new proposals for post-2020 Roma inclusion plans made by the European Commission in its communication

Our Romanian member, Center of Resources for Social Inclusion CRIS in October organised two meetings in Ploiesti with the representatives of 10 Local Action Groups (LAG) from South-Muntenia and South-East Regions and of 2 newly established Urban Local Action Groups from Ploiesti and Campina, within the framework of the Annual Work Programme 2018 supported by

                                   PRESS RELEASE Brussels, 29 October 2018 The Alliance against Antigypsyism demands clear commitment of European Parliament President Tajani against antigypsyism   Brussels, 29 October 2018 – European Parliament President Antonio Tajani criticised the Italian government’s plan for a

Study Session ‘Knowledge is Power – Youth Understanding Antigypsyism’ A study session “ Knowledge is Power  – Youth Understanding Antigypsyism” was organized by ERGO Network and TernYpe International Roma Youth Network in cooperation with the European Youth Center Budapest of the Council of Europe from 7  to 13 October 2018.  During this study session, 20

                                  Conference & ERGO Network 10 Years Anniversary Party   Register here by 26 November 2018 ERGO Network has been working actively to use bottom-up and partnership-based approaches such as Community-Led Local Development to engage Roma people more actively

Roma Returnees’ perspective on the EU agenda Before the start of the EU Roma Platform 2018, ERGO Network and Roma Active Albania, together with the European Commission DG for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, organised the event “Reintegration” into the Western Balkans: Returnees’ perspective with special attention to Roma community, as part of the ‘Joint Initiative to

The European Pillar of Social Rights and European Semester as tools for delivering Social Europe   On 2 October, the European Commission’s DG Employment together with the European Centre of Expertise (ECE) in the field of Labour Law, Employment and Labour Market Policies organised a reflection with civil society on the European Pillar of Social

TRANSITION FROM EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT FOR ROMA YOUTH – A Key step in Roma Inclusion   On 25-26 September, ERGO Network policy officer Carmen Tanasie took part in an international expert Seminar of the Council of Europe Ad hoc Committee of Experts on Roma and Traveller Issues (CAHROM), focusing on the transition from education to

Realising the rights of Roma women in Ukraine On 17-18 October, ERGO Network director Gabriela Hrabanova spoke at a conference on ‘Realising the rights of Roma women in Ukraine’, organised by UN Women in cooperation with ERGO Network member Roma Women Fund Chiricli. The conference brought together Ukrainian Members of Parliament, government representatives and members

STRENGTHENING ROMA NGOS AS TRANSPARENT AND INDEPENDENT  WATCHDOG ORGANISATIONS ERGO Network’s new transparency and accountability criteria give recommendations on how grassroots civil society organisations should be governed and managed in order to be reliable and accountable.  Fulfilling the criteria will bring attention to an organisation’s quality work. The set of criteria focuses on governance, financial

12th European Platform for Roma Inclusion Health and housing inequalities From 8-9 October 2018 the 12th European Platform for Roma inclusion took place in Brussels with a special focus on health and housing inequalities faced by Roma people. The annual platform is organised by the Roma coordination unit of the European Commission Directorate General for Justice

Fighting antigypsyism in the spotlight of the 2018 Fundamental Rights Forum in Vienna At this year’s Fundamental Rights Forum of the Fundamental Rights Agency on 26 September in Vienna, ERGO Network together with its partners in the Alliance against Antigypsyism and the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI) held a session “Addressing antigypsyism: new

          PRESS RELEASE Brussels, 19 October 2018  Members of National Parliaments and of the European Parliament join forces to fight antigypsyism in Europe Brussels, 18 October 2018 – For the first time, Members of National Parliaments were invited by the European Parliament to discuss the fundamental rights of Roma and fighting

  ‘Dikh he na bister’ presentation at Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre On the 5th of September, over 30 invited guests gathered at Pavee Point to hear the experiences of 10 young Irish Travellers and Roma who participated in the Roma Genocide Remembrance Initiative. This is the first time an Irish delegation had attended

On the occasion of the Austrian EU Presidency Romano Centro in co-operation with European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network and the House of the European Union in Vienna invites  you to a panel discussion  Diversity in the European Union – The case of Roma in Europe. The event takes place on Thursday, November 8th at

On Monday 3 September 2018, the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) held a mini-hearing on minimum standards for minorities in the EU. The respect for the rights of persons belonging to minorities is one of the EU’s founding principles and the effective protection of minorities across the EU needs

2017 ERGO Network Annual Report ERGO Network’s annual report for 2017 is now available. Read the  2017 ERGO Annual Report and learn how ERGO Network and  its members introduced and pursued numerous initiatives to fight antigypsyism and to empower Roma in 2017. In addition the annual report 2017 presents the initiatives undertaken by ERGO to ensure networking between, and

Will the EU include Roma in the so-called ‘Union that protects, empowers and defends’? The European Commission entitled its proposal for the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework ‘A budget for a Union that protects, empowers and defends’, but will it really defend all its citizens? While we remember the victims of the Roma Holocaust on 2nd

ERGO Network is contracting an external consultant to prepare a report on the Sustainable Development Goals as a tool for Roma inclusion   Download the complete call for an external consultant. Roma in the Sustainable Development Goals Since the universal acceptation of the Agenda 2030 in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals and their targets stimulate

Call for external consultant Download the Call for external consultant. We are searching for an external consultant to assess the achievements and lessons learned of the Framework Partnership Agreement between ERGO Network and DG Employment (2018-2021) entitled ‘Roma Included in Social Europe’. The expert will be contracted for the evaluation of the first year of

Study Session: Knowledge is Power – Strengthening the voices of young people against antigypsyism 7-13 October 2018 – Budapest, Hungary Are you an anti-racist and human rights activist? Are you a youth worker or a youth leader combatting antigypsyism with young people? Then you should apply to take part in our study session ‘Knowledge is

Transparency and Accountability Criteria for Roma Grassroots NGOs Brussels, 28 June 2018 At a round table discussion in the European Parliament ERGO Network and its members from the Western Balkans, Turkey and the ‘Visegrad countries’ Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic presented a new project that will strengthen Roma civil society as independent and transparent watchdog

Call for expert ERGO Network is contracting an expert on Community-Led Local Development and Roma inclusion to coordinate part of our work programme on CLLD in 2018 Role of the expert We are searching for an expert to coordinate ERGO Network’s capacity-building and advocacy work on Roma inclusion in the CLLD in 2018, which is

Evictions of Roma Travelers in Brussels: Is Antigypsyism the last accepted form of racism? On 28 June 2018, evictions of Roma Travelers are to take place in Anderlecht, Brussels. The group of Roma who are going to be evicted are Belgian Roma for centuries. They were born here, as well as their parents and their

European Roma and pro-Roma civil society condemns antigypsyism in Italy and asks Italian government to uphold the rule of law Only a few weeks in office, the new Italian government coalition of far-right Northern League and the eurosceptic Five Star Movement is shaping the racist narrative against Roma in Italy by promoting antigypsyist actions and

How realistic is the new EU   programming period when it comes to Roma?   Last month the European Commission has launched their proposals for the next European Union Multi Annual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 called “A Modern Budget for a Union that Protects, Empowers and Defends”.   The MFF is meant to increase solidarity, social cohesion

Local Dialogue Meeting organised by ERGO Member OTAHARIN Through ERGO Network’s project Strengthening Roma NGOs as transparent and independent watchdog organisations in the framework of the  Joint initiative to Empower Roma Civil Society in the Western Balkans and Turkey our member OTAHARIN organised a Local Dialogue Meeting with the city administration in Bijeljina on 31 May 2018. 

A man kills a Roma girl in Amfissa, Central Greece: Racism?! When we will start calling things by their name?! Greek media reported: “Local businessman shoots and kills 13-year-old Roma girl in Amfissa, Central Greece” on Monday, June 4, 2018. One of two available articles in English[1] acknowledges the existence of racism in Greece, but

ERGO Network today wrote a letter to the Social and Health Commission of the Municipality of Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic, concerning the housing situation of more than 200 inhabitants of two residential hotels, among them at least 80 children and most of them of Romani origin. The news agency Romea writes:  “The inhabitants of

Brussels, 29th May 2018 The European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO) and its Bulgarian member Integro Association together with the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) and a number of Bulgarian Roma activists and organizations support the position of prominent advocates for Roma rights in Bulgaria concerning today’s event entitled “Roma inclusion – where we stand

Roma Café discussion kicks off on Romani Resistance Day May 16 is a symbolic date for now in the contemporary Roma movement throughout Europe – a day that intends to shift into a positive narrative by highlighting Roma heroes during the holocaust. ERGO Network together with the Diverse Youth Network organized a renewed concept of

Training of Trainers – Transparency and Accountability Criteria 12 -15 May 2018, Durres, Albania Being transparent and accountable are important prerequisites for the effectiveness of civil society organisations that are taken seriously by their institutional counterparts. ERGO members from the Western Balkans, Turkey and the ‘Visegrad countries’ Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic met in Durres,

A local dialogue meeting under the project “Strengthening Roma NGOs as transparent and independent watchdog organisations” was organised in Bijelo Polje on 8th May 2018. in cooperation with local NGO Klub kulture and coordinated by NGO Young Roma, partner of ERGO Network in the project funded by the Visegrad Fund. The aim of the local

ERGO Network and its partners urge the European Commission to prioritise the position of Roma in Europe in the next Multi- Annual Financial Framework ERGO Network together with the Open Society European Policy Institute (OSEPI) and 70 national and local Roma civil society organisations is asking EU decision-makers to dedicate funding for the social inclusion

02/05/218 – Brussels, Belgium The European Roma Grassroots Organizations (ERGO) Network strongly condemns the recent neo-Nazi attack against a Roma camp that took place on April 21 in Lysa Hora, Ukraine dispersing and setting fire to Roma families’ tents. The criminal investigation of the violent dispersal has been initiated after days of negligence and implausible

ERGO Network together with its member organizations will be present at a meeting where they will discuss and present the recommendations they and their partners prepared regarding Roma people in the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework’s post-2020. In advance of the meeting, some background information is provided. We will keep you updated on the event

EU Roma Week took place last week for the third time in the European Parliament, to mark International Roma Day on 8 April. It was an important opportunity to put the fight against antigypsyism – the specific form of racism faced by Roma, Sinti and Travellers – at the forefront of the European Union agenda,

PRESS RELEASE Brussels, 09/04/2018   Roma Active Albania and ERGO Network Award the Most Roma Friendly Mayors at the 3nd EU Roma Week on April 9, 2018   Roma Active Albania and European Roma Grassroots Organizations (ERGO) Network organized an award ceremony in the European Parliament to acknowledge positive examples of local authorities – eight

Roma Traineeship at the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) The call for applications for the FRA Roma Traineeship programme 2018-2019 is now open.  To apply please see the vacancy notice.  What is it all about? This traineeship scheme is addressed mainly to recent university graduates of Romani background, without excluding those who – in

Alliance against Antigypsyism and its partners work intensively to create recommendations for the Post 2020 European programming period On the 14th of March 2018, ERGO Network together with European Network against Racism (ENAR) and Central Council of German Sinti and Roma organized a meeting of the Alliance against Antigypsyism. The aim of the meeting was twofold. The

ERGO’S work and its partners continues in the NEW FRAMEWORK PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT with EASI DG EMPL: 1st working meeting ERGO Network brought together its co-workers from Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria to Brussels on March 5-7, for the 1st working meeting under the Annual Working Program (AWP) 2018- 2021. The meeting marked a

Join us at the EU Roma Week 2018! The EU Roma Week 2018 will take place in Brussels starting on 8 April, International Roma Day and continue until Thursday 12 April. A series of events will be organised during the week, including an event co-organised by ERGO Network on addressing From quality education to decent employment, Antigypsyism,

French activists fighting against environmental violence and police brutality towards Roma and Gens du Voyage ERGO Network visited its member La Voix des Rroms in France between March 16 and 18, 2018. The purpose of the visit was to take part in one of the meetings of the Rromani Resistance Movement, learn about the fights

ERGO’s work and vision showcased This video shows the achievements of the work done by the European Roma Grassroots organizations (ERGO) network and its members under the Framework Partnership Agreement 2014-2017 with DG Employment supported by the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation EaSI (2014-2020). ERGO Network mobilizes and connects organizations and individuals

Regional Consultation on Youth and Human Rights kicks off in Brussels The European Youth Forum and Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) organized a Regional Consultation on Youth and Human Rights, in order to feed into a report on the same topic that will be prepared for the UN Human Rights Council later this year. ERGO Network

Joint Work for the Inclusion of Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina The EU Delegation / Office of the EU Special Representative in BiH, in cooperation with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized on January 31, 2018, Seminar on the Inclusion of Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo. More

  Will the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework Post 2020 focus on the human right dimension? The UN Human Rights Regional Office in consultation with ERGO and a range of civil society organisations prepared a position paper with recommendations “EUROPEAN ADDED VALUE THE EU MULTI-ANNUAL FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK POST 2020: A TOOL TO CLOSE HUMAN RIGHTS GAPS

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS Roma Youth Advocacy Seminar Brussels, April 6 until 13, 2018 (including travel days) Join us in Brussels to learn about European policy-making and civil society advocacy, and to raise young voices in front of the European Parliament, European Commission and other stakeholders to combat antigypsyism and to advance important issues for Roma

European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network Statement on Denial of the Holocaust of the Roma in the Czech Republic ERGO Network condemns in the strongest possible terms the denial and doubt cast on the suffering of the Romani victims of the Lety concentration camp by the current speaker of the Czech lower house on International Holocaust

International Holocaust Remembrance Day ERGO NETWORK Seventy-three years ago, on 27 January 1945, the Red Army liberated the last survivors from the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. On this day we honor the victims of Nazism, including Holocaust victims from the Jewish community, from the Roma and Sinti communities, from the communities of sexual minorities, and from

ANTIGYPSYISM IN AUSTRIA We are happy to announce that our member from Austria Romano Centro published the third report on Antigypsyism in Austria that covers the period from November 2015 to October 2017. Like the other two publications from 2013 and 2015, this report also follows a twofold objective: 1. Awareness of the wide public

Strengthening Roma civil society as independent and transparent watchdog organisations ERGO members from the Western Balkans, Turkey and the ‘Visegrad countries’ Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic met in Brussels on 24-25 November to prepare a new ERGO project that will strengthen Roma civil society as independent and transparent watchdog organisations. Being transparent and accountable are

The second annual meeting of the ROMA FORUM network took place with prominent guests ERGO partner Nevo Parudimos organized the second meeting of ROMA FORUM network. The meeting took place on 4-5 December, 2017 at the Sports Cultural Complex Tei in Bucharest. The meeting was organized within the framework of the strategic partnership coordinated by ERGO.

Antigypsyism on the agenda at EU’s High-Level Group on combating racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance The EU’s High-Level Group on combating racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance, bringing together representatives of EU Member States and civil society representatives, put special emphasis on discussing antigypsyism at their 4th High-Level Meeting taking place on

Making the wheel roll The European Platform for Roma Inclusion,  convened by the European Commission, brings together national governments, the European institutions, international organisations and Roma civil society representatives. By creating a professional hub and meeting place for all, the goal is to strengthen co-operation and exchanges of relevant experience among all stakeholders on efficient

European Semester 2018: Will EU Members States include Roma in their National Reform Programmes? On 22 November the European Commission launched the 2018 Autumn Package of the European Semester, the first step in the annual cycle of economic and social policy coordination between the EU Members States and the Commission. Each year, the European Commission produces

Opening up Communities, Closing down Institutions: Harnessing the European Structural and Investment Funds On 22nd November 2017, ERGO Director Jamen Gabriela Hrabanova took part in an event of the initiative Community Living for Europe: Structural Funds Watch, where a report on the use of EU funds for community leaving was launched. The event took part

Annual Members Meeting 2017 On 26 November 2017, ERGO Network’s member organisations came together for ERGO’s Annual Members Meeting. 45 participants from 25 member organisations joined the ERGO Board and Secretariat in Brussels for a day full of discussions and networking. After being updated on the highlights of ERGO’s work in 2017, the members shared

ERGO Network asks European leaders and Member States to better invest in Roma youth employment At a panel debate organised by ERGO Network on Monday (27/11/2017) preceding the 11th Meeting of the European Platform for Roma Inclusion, European policy makers and civil society representatives discussed what is needed to better support young Roma on the

Today, at the EU’s Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Gothenburg, the European Commission, European Parliament and European Council jointly proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights. The Social Pillar has been published on 26 April 2017 by the European Commission as a summary of existing EU social legislation. Its aim is to

ERGO Network’s research and advocacy coordinator Jelena Jovanovic held a workshop addressing the trafficking in Roma children in the framework of the seminar ‘Combatting the exploitation of children’ organised by the Benelux working group on human trafficking on 17th November 2017. The workshop was organised and co-facilitated by Maaike van Groenestyn, senior advisor of the

ERGO member Nevo Parudimos from Romania organised its first training on Community-Led Local Development for Local Action Groups and potential CLLD beneficiaries. The training was held in cooperation with the National Federation of Local Action Groups on 15/16 November 2017 in Tecuci, Romania. The 40 participants, representing 10 LAGs from the South-East region of Romania,

ERGO Network asks for end to segregation of Romani children 10 years after landmark decision of European Court on Human Rights Press release – Brussels – 15/11/2017 10 years ago 18 Romani children from Ostrava in Czech Republic received a positive verdict of the European Court on Human Rights, acknowledging that placing them in segregated

Investing in our future – what work(s) for young Roma ERGO Network Public event Monday 27th November, Mundo B, Brussels 09:00 – 12:30, followed by networking lunch Equality of employment opportunities for young Roma is fair and just, but also a smart economic choice: It is an effective way to improve growth prospects and respond

Press release European Parliament takes important step forward to address the fundamental rights of Roma Brussels, 26 October The European Parliament adopted yesterday the own-initiative report on “Fundamental rights aspects in Roma integration in the EU: fighting anti-Gypsyism”, calling upon the European Commission and EU Member States to put the fight against antigypsyism at the

“Investing in our future: What work(s) for young Roma?” DEADLINE EXTENDED!! Participate, compete, win, travel to Brussels and present your story at ERGO Network’s public event in November! To win, just follow three easy steps: Share either an inspiring or a challenging story with one image (photo, painting, drawing or graphic), a video or a

With this newsletter, we present you our new website – more structured, more colourful and with a lot more content than before. We will regularly update the website with news from our members and institutional developments, upload documents, inform about ERGO projects and campaigns and update ERGO’s membership list. Browse through ERGO’s and our members

From 18-19 September, 21 representatives of (pro) Roma NGOs met in Brussels to start their involvement in the Roma Civil Monitor, a project building the capacity of Roma civil society and strengthening their systematic involvement in the monitoring of national Roma integration strategies. The pilot project as a whole involves 91 NGOs from 27 EU

For the first time on 6 September 2017 in Ploiesti, ERGO together with its member Centrul de Resurse pentru Incluziune Sociala CRIS from Romania brought the topic of antigypsyism to the local level. Among the speakers were the Head of the European Commission’s Roma unit from DG Justice, Szabolcs Schmidt, representatives of the Romanian government and key

ERGO took part in the 4th Dialog Meeting of the Council of Europe (CoE) with Roma and Traveller civil society from 18-19 Sept 2017 in Strasbourg. Carmen Tanasie presented our research on the Youth Guarantee from 2016 and our current fact-finding work in the field of Roma youth employment. The main topic of the meeting

ERGO member Autonomia Foundation from Hungary recently published a set of recommendations based on the outcomes of their project “Closer to Communities – Roma Coordinators for better use of EU Funds”, supported by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union. The general purpose of the “Closer to Communities” programme was to increase

In 2011 the European Commission adopted an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies focussing on four key areas: education, employment, healthcare and housing. The Framework invited all Member States to present the European Commission with their strategy for Roma inclusion or for specific policy measures for the Roma within their wider social inclusion policies.

From 20-22 September, ERGO’s members involved in our Annual Work Programme under DG Employment, met in Brussels for their third Roma Civil Society Working Group Meeting. Important issues were on the agenda: The group gave input into ERGO’s work programme on employment and social inclusion for the next four years, evaluated the cooperation of the

ERGO Network sent an open letter to the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, to express our unease about racist speeches against Roma people, equal citizens of the EU, which were delivered by MEPs Mara Bizzotto and Angelo Ciocca during the plenary debate on International Roma Day, April 6, 2017. These speeches happened even

Zuzana Havirova as a representative of ERGO member Roma Advocacy and Research Centre (RARC) recently became a member of the Slovak Committee for the Prevention and Elimination of Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism and other forms of Intolerance. The Committee belongs to the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic. The Committee is the only advisory body

In ERGO’s Summer Academy, taking place from 26 August to 2 September in Barcelona, a group of outstanding participants from across Europe joined forces to work together on a thematic campaign to raise awareness on Roma youth unemployment. The one-week long ERGO Summer Academy hosted 19 young professionals alongside the team of ERGO Network and

Between 14 -16 August, the association Center of Resources for Social Inclusion CRIS, ERGO member, organized a training course on ‘Advocacy for combating antigypsyism and discrimination towards Roma’. The training was organized in Sinaia, Romania for ten Roma students and higher education graduates from Prahova County. Today, the ten participants are good friends and well-trained

In order to bring young people closer to the activist spirit, the Association of Citizens for the Promotion of Roma Education, “Otaharin”, currently implements a project named “Youth power rising”. Through this project we organize three youth camps in three years with support of the Schüler Helfen Leben Foundation. Young people represent an extremely important

Regional Meeting with Local Action Groups on Roma On 15 June 2017 in Ploiesti City, ERGO member “Center of Resources for Social Inclusion CRIS” organized the first Regional Meeting with representatives of 7 Local Action Groups (LAGs) from South-Muntenia Region and South-Est Region in Romania. The aim of the meeting was to present Roma interests

ERGO Network is partner in Roma Civil Monitor project During the next three years, ERGO Network together with Central European University’s Centre for Policy Studies, the European Roma Rights Centre, Roma Education Fund and Fundacion Secretariado Gitano will coordinate a large-scale project with the aim to strengthen the monitoring mechanisms of the implementation of national

ERGO Network presents Reference paper on Antigypsyism at the meeting of CAHROM The 5th co-ordination meeting between international intergovernmental organisations organized by the AD HOC COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON ROMA AND TRAVELER ISSUES (CAHROM) in cooperation with the Governmental Office for Roma Affairs of the Czech Republic took place on 31 May in Prague. It

Leadership and initiatives in local communities- leadership program for young Roma and Roma women in Bosnia and Herzegovina The Citizen’s Association for the Promotion of Education of Roma OTHARIN, ERGO Network member from Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized  from 1-4 June 2017 a workshop dedicated to building leadership programs and initiatives in Roma communities for young Roma,

ERGO’s Annual working meeting and exchange visit in Hungary From 22-24 May our Hungarian members Autonomia Foundation and Pro Cserehat Association organized an exchange visit between the ERGO core members from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. The first day of the visit was dedicated to discussing and exchanging views and practices from our common

Roma Advocacy and Research Center became a member of the National Rural Development Network of the Slovak Republic On 24 May 2017 RAVS ERGO Network, member became an official member of the National Rural Development Network of the Slovak Republic (NSRF SR). NSRF SR associates the organizations and administrative bodies involved in rural development and

Stakeholder Workshop ‘Building-up quality of life in the local area’ On May 16 Eurofound organized a stakeholder meeting on the topic ‘Building-up quality of life in the local area’. Dr. Ileana Rotaru from Nevo Parudimos and ERGO member presented the perspective of Social hubs in rural Europe: social inclusion and Roma integration. Between 2017 and

3rd National Meeting of Roma Forum Romania The National Meeting of Roma Forum organized by Nevo Parudimos, as a member of ERGO Network in partnership with Romani Criss, took place from 10-11 May in Bucharest. The theme of the meeting was „The involvement of Roma NGOs for the Romanian Presidency of the EU in 2019”.

ERGO Network condemns murder of three Roma sisters in arson attack ERGO Network condemns in the strongest possible terms the murder of three Roma sisters aged four, eight and 20, who died in a fire after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at their camper van on the outskirts of Rome, Italy early Wednesday morning.  Such

Call: Monitoring of the implementation of National Roma Integration Strategies Deadline: 19th May 2017 For the next three years the European Commission undertakes a series of activities to empower the Civil Society within the Member States through capacity building and a series of trainings in order to strengthen its involvement in the monitoring of National

Dives le rromenqo – 8 April International Roma Day 46 years ago, on 8 April 1971, the first World Romani Congress took place in London and paved the way for greater unity of Roma in the world. The Congress declared 8th April as the International Day of Roma, a day to celebrate and raise awareness

Successful 2nd EU Roma Week ERGO Network was one of the co-organisers of the 2nd EU Roma Week that was held from 27th to 3rd April 2017 in the European Parliament to mark the occasion of International Roma Day on 8th April. Around 200 representatives of public institutions and civil society took part in a

ERGO Network has a new Director As of 1st April 2017, ERGO Network has a new executive director who will lead its secretariat and advocacy work in Brussels. Jamen Gabriela Hrabanova, former deputy director, has been appointed by ERGO’s board to tave over from our colleague and friend Ruus Dijksterhuis who said goodbye to ERGO

ERGO co-organises the 2nd EU Roma Week from 27 March to 3 April 2017 The second EU Roma Week is a joint initiative of the European Commission and the European Parliament, together with civil society and international organisations.  Between 27 and 29 March, numerous Members of the European Parliament will host events on antigypsyism, political

The Europe We Want – Just, Sustainable, Democratic and Inclusive As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, we have a momentous opportunity to take stock of how far Europe has come – and how far we still have to go in order to offer a sustainable and prosperous future to everyone

Evaluating with your target group Despite the large and sustained focus of policy efforts to Roma inclusion, results remain limited. Thorough evaluation of programmes and projects is crucial to identify reasons for weak performance and should ideally lead to stronger project design. The current practice however usually leaves out the perspective of the final beneficiaries,

ERGO Network asks for increased efforts to reach out to Roma in the European Pillar of Social Rights On 28th February, Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility met with civil society representatives to discuss the European Pillar of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its goal

Roma Youth Advocacy Seminar 2017 in Brussels Join us in Brussels to learn about European policy-making and civil society advocacy, and to raise young voices in front of the European Parliament, European Commission and other stakeholders to combat antigypsyism and to advance important issues for Roma communities. This six days lasting seminar (March 23 to

Joint statement: International Holocaust Remembrance Day: EU must tackle contemporary Antisemitism and Antigypsyism Brussels, 27 January 2017 – Today on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, anti-racism organisations across Europe urge European governments to make Antisemitism, Antigypsyism and all forms of racism a priority, in a context of increasing hate speech and security threats against minorities. The

“The inclusion of the Roma community was encouraged and evaluated through a system of indicators developed by the ERGO Network”* – a story of success Our Bulgarian member organisation Integro analysed the Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) process and Roma inclusion therein. In Bulgaria the implementation of the CLLD in the 2014-2020 programming period started within

WILL THE NEW ANTIGYPSYISM AGENDA SAVE THE LOST CAUSE OF ROMA INCLUSION? Damian Draghici, Romanian Member of the European Parliament in the Socialists and Democrats Group gathered some of the most outstanding antigypsyism experts at the European Parliament on the occasion of the Human Rights Day on 7 December 2016. Damian, a Roma musician from

Message from the event “Countering Shrinking Space for Roma Civil Society’ to the European Roma Platform On November 29, ERGO Network organised a public event to discuss the ‘Shrinking space of Roma civil society’, which was co-hosted by MEPs Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA) and Tomáš Zdechovský (EPP).  Over 80 people participated in the meeting. One of

ERGO Network Annual Platform Members’ Meeting ERGO Network brought together people from over 20 organizations and young Roma activists for the Annual Members’ Platform that took place in Brussels on 28 November 2016. The meeting was opened by  Ruus Dijksterhuis, Director of ERGO Network, who shared a short history of the work that was conducted

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 16 days of activism On 25 November, ERGO’s Network’s member from Bosnia-Herzegovina OTHARIN started its  so-called ’16-days-activism’ campaign, which is run together with the ‘UG Romkinja’ (Roma women) and the ‘Local Voluntary Service’ in Bijeljina. The first part of the program took place on the 25 November

Roma Forum Romania The Second National Meeting of Roma Forum in Romania took place on 18 November 2016 at the InfoEurope Center in Bucharest, organized by Nevo Parudimos, as member of ERGO Network, in partnership with Romani Criss. The meeting focused on issues of Roma communities in order to increase the capacity-building of Roma grassroots

Which steps towards European policies against antigypsyism The aim of the seminar, organised by Open Society European Institute on 15 November 2016, was to explore how successful policy initiatives around education and reconciliation can be systematized and disseminated throughout Europe by fighting antigypsyism. The event gathered representatives of governments, European institutions and Roma civil society

High-Level Event on Roma Youth Empowerment in Bratislava The event was organized by the European Commission DG Justice and the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 9-11 October 2016 in Bratislava. The aim of the event was to bring together young Roma and relevant stakeholders to work together on how they

Czech NGOs meet with Czech Ministry of Education Czech Deputy Education Minister Václav Pícl met with representatives of a National Working Group that consists of 11 Romani non-profit organizations from all over the Czech Republic on 3 October in his office at the ministry. “The aim of the meeting is to establish a constructive collaboration

Update and steps forward: the 3rd meeting of ERGO Members ERGO Network brought together its co-workers from Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic and Bulgaria for the 3rd working meeting under the Annual Working Program (AWP) 2016 on the 20-21 September in Brussels. The aim of the meeting was to exchange good practices and challenges that the

Roma Regional Meeting on Roma community development in Romania Nevo Parudimos, as a member of ERGO Network, organized a working meeting on the 14th of September in Timisoara on the theme of „Local Development Strategies and the role of Roma NGO’s in their implementation”.At the meeting participated Roma NGO’s from 3 counties of the Western

Reality check on Roma local development in Hungary One of the main objectives of ERGO Network is to create strong National Roma Working Groups (NRWG) in France, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Slovakia. The NRWG aim to be strong coalitions where Roma stakeholders, leaders and community-based organizations can connect and exert bottom-up pressure on

A new united Europe for people ERGO Network is one of 177 European and national civil society organizations and trade unions to sign a common statement calling for a new direction for the European Union. The statement is directed to the 27 EU leaders who are going to meet for an informal Summit in Bratislava

Our member RAVS from Slovakia presented their “Red Card to Antigypsyism” campaign at the Balvafest festival in Kokava and Rimavicou on 27 August 2016. The event gathered over 1500 people. Roma together with non-Roma guests were enjoying the performances of stars such as Jan Bendig, Imperio and bands from Spain and Serbia.Peter Kudrá from the

Confronting antigypsyism is the responsibility of the mainstream society On 6 September 2016, ERGO Network was present at a high level event hosted by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, co-organized with ODIHR, the Council of Europe and the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma. It brought together more than 130 participants, including members of the OSCE

  On June 27 2016 the European Commission published their Communication on  the implementation of National Roma Integration Strategies in 2015 and reviews, for the first time, Roma integration measures put in place under the Council Recommendation 2013. The report is based on information submitted by Member States about their efforts made to integrate Roma, supplemented