Description
The Roma minority in Vratsa Region is affected by unemployment, difficult integration on the labour market as well as racial prejudices and intolerance by the local community, lacking its own community leaders to promote the values of education and work. The project aims at addressing those issues by delivering training in leadership and intercultural communication skills. As a result racial prejudices and intolerance will be reduced and general awareness in intercultural dialogue will be achieved. The activities include a training delivered to 20 Roma youth in leadership skills and 40 local young people in intercultural communication skills in the towns of Vratsa and Oryahovo; carrying out a survey among the Roma minority on their needs for successful integration into the society; presentation of findings at two round tables. The project targets directly Roma and local young people but will also involve the local authorities and the media and benefit the community in general.
Summary of project results
The project was needed to enhance intercultural tolerance in the form of training young Roma leaders and enabling the local Roma community to identify problems and needs. The project promoter’s intention was to raise the awareness of citizens about their rights, reduce discrimination, and hate speech and intolerance towards differences. The project promoter believes that through training and public discussions it was possible to change negative attitudes towards diversity and that the project has contributed to the increase in tolerance for other cultures. In the framework of the project 20 young Roma leaders and 58 young people were trained in intercultural communication. Public discussions and a survey were conducted, so that representatives of the Roma community could state their own problems and needs. Project beneficiaries participated actively in the training and the public discussions. The partner organization helped to form groups and organize trainings in Oriahovo; participated in the survey and in distributing brochures.
Summary of bilateral results