Learning Academy – ERGO Network

Roma Active Albania’s Learning Academy in Durres

The second Learning Academy was organized by our partner Roma Active Albania (RAA) in Durres from 24-28 March 2022. The Academy was organized under the project New solutions to old problems – exchange of new types of approaches in the field of Roma integration, funded by the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation and implemented by Nevo Parudimos association as a lead organization together with its partners from Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey.

It gathered 24 participants from 11 countries from the European Members States, Western Balkans and Turkey.

RAA’s Learning Academy was opened by the Director of Roma Active Albania Mr. Adriatik Hasantari. He welcome the participants and guests who came from different countries and partner organizations.

On the first day of the session, the participants were introduced to each other and the leaders of the Academy explained in detail how the academy program is expected to develop in the coming days. Partner organizations such as, ERGO network Slovo 21, Otaharin, Roma, Zero discrimination, Autonomia, Nevo Paradimos, RARC and Roma Active Albania presented their work and important events of 2022.

The second part of the day was dedicated to proceeding with complaints concerning various EU institutions. This session called “How to file a complaint to the EU” was delivered by an external expert Andor Urmos. At the end of this workshop, based on their knowledge and expertise, each group presented the method on how to follow up and address issues to institutions that are dependent on the European Union. Participants also shared with each other cases when they themselves had filed a complaint to the EU institutions.

This was followed by the Project Management board game. In this game, the participants had to learn the new development method and offer their feedback. Colleagues from Autonomia helped the rest of the participants with their expertise in the field.

On the next day, the program started framing the previous day and the participants started working on the workshop: Mystery Shopping which was related to a creative method to detect and work on Roma issues.

In the second session of the day, the participants learned about advocacy on how to address Roma issues and the exploration of practices, methods, and tools on how to bring new elements to their work.

The fourth day of the program was related recall the game under “Transparency and accountability of CSOs”. It is a game developed by ERGO Network and its partners and translated into several languages. The game brings recommendations on how grassroots civil society organizations should be governed and managed in order to be reliable and accountable. Fulfilling the criteria will bring attention to the organization’s quality work. The set of criteria focuses on governance, financial management and performance. Later on the day was an open space for members to share their skills, knowledge and expertise.

The Learning Academy was closed with a follow-up and evaluation of the meeting.

ERGO Network’s Learning Academy

What are the key challenges in organising Roma communities? How do you identify a successful local leader?

These were two of many questions discussed during ERGO Network’s Learning Academy in Varna, Bulgaria in September 2021. The Academy gave the partners of the project “New solutions to old problems – exchange of new types of approaches in the field of Roma integration” a chance to finally come together face to face after 18 months of online meetings.

The participants of the Academy shared their knowledge on leadership, community organising and building trust. The discussions were documented by the team of visual recorders 500 Markers, who have put the outcomes into these two videos.

What are the challenges in organising Roma communities?

Is it the lack of trust?
Antigypsyism?
Or maybe the people who use the community for self-interest?

These are the challenges. But what are the solutions to them?

What is a leader? How do you recognize one? And even more important – how can we develop local leadership qualities?

This video is based on the workshop on community organizing delivered by Marina Tota from the European Community Organizing Network.

The videos were created as a part of ERGO Network’s Learning Academy. The Academy is funded by the European Commission through the EaSI programme of DG EMPL and is part of the project New Solutions To Old Problems – exchange of new type of approaches in the field of Roma integration”, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation.