Description
The project addresses the challenges faced by the Roma in Bulgaria and the lack of active involvement of the Roma in decision-making and civil monitoring. The project aims at empowering the Roma community in 14 municipalities to acquire the skills for more active involvement in local policy-making. First, 6 3-day trainings of 20 Roma municipal officials, 20 Roma students and 140 Roma activists will be carried out on evaluation of local integration plans, negotiations, communication with the local authorities, raising awareness. Second, 14 evaluations of municipal plans for Roma integration will be carried out. Third, local and national advocacy campaigns will be planned and carried out. Next, a coalition of 10 Roma NGOs will be set up to draft proposals to the authorities. Finally, 8 awareness-raising debates will be held. The project will benefit the local Roma communities in 14 municipalities. The 2 partners will support the local implementation of the project.
Summary of project results
The need of the project was determined by the growing anti-Roma attitudes, the expansion of hate speech targeted at the Roma by the media and in public and the very low involvement of the Roma in decision-making processes. The members of the Roma community from 14 municipalities included in the project acquired new competence that helped them increase their participation in the political processes on local and national level and contributed to the mobilization of the existing mechanisms for protection of the dignity and equality of all citizens. Roma groups for participation in the local political process were set up in all municipalities included in the project. A national coalition of organizations was set up which successfully joined the public debate about the Roma and contributed to reducing hate speech in the media. Active structures on local and national level were set up which will continue to be a corrective and supporter of the institutions for the development and implementation of integration policies. During the project 6 trainings, 4 working meetings and 13 round tables were held; a report on university lectures was drafted; more than 100 alerts for hate speech were submitted to the competent authorities and 3 opinions and declarations to the authorities and university management were prepared. 129 Roma from 14 municipalities were directly involved in the project as participants in local advocacy groups and advocacy campaigns, 15 Roma employed by the municipal administration and 22 Roma students responsible for media monitoring also took part in the project. The project was implemented with the joint efforts of the partnering foundations Roma Health and Roma Solidarity. The partnering organizations were fully in charge of the activities implemented in the 6 municipalities under the project and took part in all activities at national level. For more information:
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Summary of bilateral results