Youth – ERGO Network

Study Session for Roma Youth Ambassadors

Youth Ambassadors of the Decade against Antigypsyism – Study Session

Youth Ambassadors of the Decade against Antigypsyism:
From European Commitment to Local Actions

– Study Session –

8.-15. September 2024 (including travel days)

European Youth Centre Budapest, Hungary

Application deadline EXTENDED –20 July 2024, 23:59 CET

In case you are selected, your participation will be confirmed by the end of July at the latest, and you will need to confirm your participation by purchasing your travel tickets.

We invite young Roma and non-Roma to apply for our six-day youth meeting, a study session, to empower them as ambassadors for the “Decade to Counter Antigypsyism.” We welcome young people who already have some experience and who are able and ready to implement their own small projects to counter antigypsyism after they are back home.

We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial-ethnic or social origin, religious belief, or sexual orientation.

Objectives:

To introduce human rights concepts and the concept of antigypsyism to Roma and non-Roma young people
To support young people in recognising the manifestations and consequences of antigypsyism
To share successful approaches to challenging antigypsyism by making use of the CM Recommendation on Roma Youth Participation and the standards on combating antigypsyism from ECRI and the Committee of Ministers.
To empower participants to implement local educational projects to counter antigypsyism
To give young Roma and their non-Roma allies the opportunity to strengthen their support networks

Profile of the participant:

have some first experience in the area of combating antigypsyism or racism more broadly;
motivated to develop their competencies and to share their experiences with other participants;
aged 18 – 30 (exceptions are possible);
committed to attend for the full duration of the course;
able to work in English;
resident in a member state of the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe.

Location:
The study session will take place in the European Youth Centre in Budapest (Hungary) from 8.-15. September 2024 (travel days are 8th and 15th September). The Youth Centre is run by the Council of Europe and frequently hosts youth programmes. It is uniquely equipped to make our stay as pleasant and enjoyable as possible.

Logistics:
The Council of Europe covers all travel and programme costs via reimbursement of real costs. The participation fee is 50 euros and will be deducted from your travel reimbursement. We will provide all participants with a detailed information sheet.

BACKGROUND OF THE EVENT & DECADE AGAINST ANTIGYPSYISM

In the last years, ERGO Network, ternYpe – International Roma Youth Network, and other partners of the “Alliance against Antigypsyism” have achieved great progress in the recognition of antigypsyism on the European political level. The European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO) with its member organizations in Central Europe and the Western Balkans and the Alliance want to address the current situation of many Roma in Europe with the large-scale campaign “Decade to Counter Antigypsyism” which started in 2022 targeting the general public, to raise awareness for antigypsyism and contribute to changing attitudes towards Roma in the majority society.

For any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us:
m.horvathova@ergonetwork.org

anka.psenka@gmail.com

Apply now

Please note that by submitting this application, you agree to the Code of Conduct and our detailed safeguarding policy.

By registering for this event, you agree that your photographs might be taken and published by ERGO Network or ternYpe International Roma Youth Network in our online and print publications and social media for the purpose of sharing updates from the event.

Incorporating Roma in European Youth Policies: An Assessment of Inclusion Efforts

The Roma community constitutes one of the largest European minorities. Simultaneously, it has continuously experienced structural and institutional marginalisation, resulting in its persistent exclusion from various spheres of society. This systemic exclusion is reflected in the hindered effectiveness of youth-focused measures within the EU policies that, based on the outcomes of this online survey, are insufficient in addressing the multifaceted needs and aspirations of Roma youth.

Many individuals of Roma youth face substantial barriers impeding their accessibility to essential resources, opportunities, and representation within wide-raging societal constellations. These impediments comprise disparities in education, restricted economic prospects, cultural biases, lack of access to healthcare, or inadequate housing. The identified situation is paradoxical, given that various dedicated efforts aim to foster Roma inclusion nationally and internationally. However, regardless of specific initiatives targeting Roma inclusion, the meaningful engagement and representation of Roma youth remains limited within broader youth-centric policies and related programs.

This survey illustrates an endeavour to underpin the challenges faced by Roma youth and proposes a possible orientation for a more holistic approach to including Roma youth. This survey aims to inform policy decision-makers who seek to address Roma exclusion through empowering Roma youth.

Read the full assessment here

Objectives

To achieve the mentioned aim, this survey consists of four objectives:

To evaluate the inclusiveness of youth measures concerning the Roma community.
To identify potential barriers that hinder the effective participation of Roma youth in these measures.
To gather stakeholders’ perspectives on the importance of Roma inclusion in broader youth policies.
To provide recommendations for enhancing the representation and participation of Roma youth in youth-focused initiatives.

Recommendations from the Roma youth:

This survey presented the outcomes of an online survey. By analysing respondents’ insights on the general and specific youth policies, it assessed the effectiveness of existing youth measures for including the Roma youth in various policies regarding decision-making and participation within related youth initiatives. The findings of the survey affirm that Roma youth continue to be underrepresented in the European Union’s youth-focused policies despite numerous inclusion efforts.

Regarding that, this survey efforted not only to underpin the challenges faced by Roma youth but also to propose a possible avenue of a more holistic approach to including Roma youth.

Generally, the suggestions revolve around creating more inclusive policies that directly engage Roma youth in decision-making processes, empower them through various educational opportunities, and design workshops or trainings for Roma and non-Roma awareness raising about anti-Roma racism and means of combating them. This survey is expected to bear valuable insights for policy decision-makers aiming to empower Roma youth by reversing the long-lasting Roma exclusion.

Read the full survey assessment “Incorporating Roma in European Youth Policies: An Assessment of Inclusion Efforts“

Promoting Inclusivity: Roma and Non-Roma Youth Leading Social Change

On December 7, in Brussels, ERGO Network had the dissemination event of the “Roma Youth Bring Change” project supported by Erasmus.

The project brought together Autonomia Foundation (Hungary), RRoma (North Macedonia), and ERGO Network to showcase and disseminate the methodology of community detective and community campaign games and case studies in North Macedonia and Hungary focusing on social issues – planned and implemented by and targeting Roma and non-Roma young people. The project was a success and gave young Roma skills to be campaign promoters and game facilitators.

The event’s innovative outcome involves gamification and community campaigns for inclusivity and the fight against discrimination.

See more:

Analysis of Peer Education on Antigypsyism – RROMA, North Macedonia
Community Detectivity Planning Methodology – Autonomia Foundation, Hungary
Methodology of Advocacy and Campaigns – RROMA, North Macedonia
Young People Against Bullying through Games and Campaigns – Autonomia Foundation, Hungary

For more information about this project and event, please don’t hesitate to contact: info@ergonetwork.org

Promoting Inclusivity: Roma and Non-Roma Youth Leading Social Change

Promoting Inclusivity: Roma and Non-Roma Youth Leading Social Change

On December 7, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, we welcome you to join us at Mundo Matonge, located at Rue d’Edimbourg 26, in the Conference Room. The occasion is the “Inclusive Vibes: Roma and non-Roma Youth Promoting Social Change,” whereby you will have an opportunity to explore how together we can make a social change. Specifically, the event is to present and discuss a dynamic and innovative methodology of a Roma NGO aimed at empowering young Roma and transforming non-Roma youth’s perceptions towards the Roma community.

Inclusive Vibes will embark on a journey of social transformation. During the event, you will hear success stories from local communities, meet community change-makers, and discuss possible replication of such a methodology within other geographical and social constellations.

This initiative is known as the Erasmus + project ‘Roma Youth Bring Change, was co-implemented ` and coordinated by the Autonomia Foundation (Hungary) and RROMA (North Macedonia), both organizations are members of the ERGO Network.

The event has three core objectives:

Showcasing Successful Solutions: We aim to present the project’s accomplishments and innovative approaches that have evolved through gamification and community campaigns. We intend to inspire others by demonstrating effective strategies for addressing social issues through engaging methods.
Building Collaborative Networks: Through interactive discussions, we aim to facilitate connections and partnerships that can lay the groundwork for future initiatives dedicated to social change and inclusivity.
Empowering Youth as Change Agents: By sharing the joyful and practical approaches employed in the project, we hope to motivate and equip young individuals with the knowledge and tools they need to become proactive change agents in promoting inclusivity and social change.

Download the agenda of the event.

New European Solidarity Corps volunteer in ERGO Network

Welcome, Annamária!

The ERGO Network Secretariat team is growing! Last week our new European Solidarity Corps volunteer Annamária Pšenková from Slovakia 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 is more about Annamária in her own words:

My name is Annamária Pšenková. I am from a small country which is situated in the middle of Europe called Slovakia. I am 23 years old. I finished my bachelor’s studies in political sciences in May and I decided to take a gap year.

Firstly I would like to introduce my interests within the academic sphere. My undergraduate studies at BISLA gave me the opportunity to explore various fields of politics, economics, international relations, philosophy and most importantly human rights.

While studying all these fields, my primary interest was rooted in focusing on peace and conflict resolution within different social conflicts either on national or international dimensions. During my studies, I notably centralized my papers on dealing with injustice and breaches of human rights. The course – Peace and conflict resolution, in which I have been enrolled taught me how cultural and collective trauma from past traumatic experiences is created.

Furthermore, the most significant and relevant part of that course was that it has given me sufficient knowledge about various means to reconcile the past and bring the conflict between two different parties into mutual understanding.

While analysing numerous genocides as the Armenian genocide, the Rwandan genocide, the Holocaust, the Romani Genocide, Congolese genocide, I have developed the ability to understand the impacts of political decisions (my main concern was the implementation of the policy of securitization), moreover, it led me to realize the importance of reconciliation process of such horrendous atrocities within our society. Lastly, my BA thesis focused on the whole process of the creation of cultural trauma and how collective trauma from past traumatic experiences can be effectively misused for current political goals.

In my personal life, I’ve been dancing since I was a child. I started with the Latino style but slowly and gradually I was changing the dancing styles. Mainly I am focused on afro, dancehall, fusion and street Latino right now. I have three brothers, who are the most important men in my life, so leaving them was a bit harder for me. I do love books a lot, mainly those philosophical ones now – I am captivated by Plato’s ideas the most. I am an outgoing person, I love to party a lot or just spend time with friends in bars with beers.