COAM - Civic Organizing for Advocacy and Monitoring

Project facts

Project promoter:
Association Roma Cultural Center O Del Amenca - Slobozia Branch(RO)
Project Number:
RO-ACTIVECITIZENS-0278
Status:
Completed
Final project cost:
€1
Programme:

More information

Description

In the framework of the Local Development Strategy (SDL) of Slobozia, carried out within the Community Development program placed under the Responsibility of the Community (DRLC), the Bora neighborhood is considered a marginalized area. In this area, according to SDL, "the poor population was spatially concentrated and they have in common the following: a low level of human capital, a low degree of employment on the formal market and precarious living conditions”. The local authority has not developed measures and projects that may solve the multitude of existing problems in the community. It was only in 2017 that a LAG was set up in the context of the European-funded program, DLRC. However, even if the basic principle involves the involvement of community members as part of the process, the Roma in the Bora neighborhood were not consulted, much less involved in the process. It is obvious that the lack of consultation and involvement of the beneficiaries will ensure the failure of such intervention. Hence, the aim of the project is to empower members of the vulnerable community in the Bora neighborhood in order to participate in the decisions process that affects their lives taken by LA and Slobozia GAL The activities of the project are the following: formation of Bora LAG and organize 3 civic actions; awareness and capacity building campaign; a partnership between community members and LA; monitoring the Local Authority and LAG activity; strengthening the financial capacity of the applicant NGO. Project results: increased civic awareness for 120 people; 120 people who will be involved in the 3 civic actions; A LAG in the Bora neighborhood consisting of 15 community members; A rights awareness campaign; A partnership between LAG Bora and AL; 22 persons participating in consultations with a public decision-making body; An initiative to monitor and watchdog the policies and services offered to citizens; strengthened financial capacity

Summary of project results

Through the OCAM project - Civic Organization for Advocacy and Monitoring, Promotor wanted to address the issue of the exclusion of Roma communities from development measures and strategies initiated by local authorities. In this sense, they have chosen a representative situation for the way local authorities work in Romania, namely the Bora community in Slobozia Municipality. Thus, in the OCAM project, Association set out to empower community members to participate in the decisions that affect their lives, taken by the authorities and members of the Slobozia 2017 GAL (formed within the CLLD program) 

In order to achieve the goal, activities aimed at training and informing the members of the Slobozia-Boradar community were implemented, monitoring activities of the authorities were also implemented regarding the implementation of measures aimed at improving living conditions in the community. Thus, was formed an action group and organized civic actions, organized 4 training courses in the fields of public administration and human rights, housing and community development, initiated monitoring activities of the authorities, especially of how the SOFT project financed under the DLRC Program by European funds is implemented, and were organized workshops to inform community members. Within the project, were organized two organizational development activities.

Within the project activities, 338 people were involved both from among the community members and from the authorities, of which 74 participated in the consultations held between the community members and the representatives of the local authorities and 122 were involved in civic actions initiated within the project. Promotor continued to post on Facebook about the activities of the project and about the program, but also to inform the members of the community about citizenship and human rights within the information campaign.

Information on the projects funded by the EEA and Norway Grants is provided by the Programme and Fund Operators in the Beneficiary States, who are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of this information.