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That was the motto of the organizers of the IV National Scientific and Practical Conference "Intercultural Education as a means of reducing the dropout of Roma children from school".

CIDT "Amalipe" together with the Veliko Tarnovo University "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" and the "Trust for social achievement" gathered over 120 participants from 70 schools and kindergartens, academics and NGOs from all around the country who presented their experience in introducing intercultural education and retention of children at school.

The forum began on July 4 in Room 321 at the Rector of the University and was officially opened by prof. DSc. Venka Petrova Kuteva, Dean of the Faculty of Pedagogics, Lydia Prokopova, senior expert "Secondary school organization" in RIE Veliko Tarnovo and Dr. Joseph Nunev - State expert in the Ministry of Education.

Information about the conference can be found at: http: //romaeducation.com

Half a decade after the publication of the EU Framework for national strategies for Roma integration and the announced European Decade of Roma Inclusion, no real progress is visible in almost all areas and countries. As a result, the European Commission harden its tone when evaluating the Member States and for the first time spoke about the development of a strategic approach to integration after 2020.

This is visible in the Assessment of the implementation of the EU framework for National Roma Integration Strategies and the Council recommendation on effective Roma integration measures by the Member States, published by the European Commission on 27 April. The report contains Communication with the main political assessments, conclusions and recommendations, as well as Commission Staff Working Document with synthesized best practices of each Member State, as well as findings and recommendations for each country, including candidates for membership. The report was made by experts of the European commission coordinated by DG "Justice." It evaluates the reports submitted by the national governments of the Member States (more precisely: from NPCs). Contribution to the report were submitted also by non-governmental organizations, one of which was Center "Amalipe" (see http://amalipe.com/files/publications/amalipe_assesment_NRIS_2015.pdf).

Continuation and even deepening of the problems ( 'challenges') in most areas, and the lack of real progress in the implementation of integration policies on field are the most common findings in the Communication. That summarized the situation in the fields of anti-discrimination, employment, health and housing. Slight positive development is found only in education and securing financing, the latter referring primarily to the secured European funding, but not to the commitment of government budgets that remain insufficient. The report is available on http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/roma-report-2016_en.pdf

Changing the narrative of the European Commission in assessing the Member States and their submitted reports is visible even in a slight comparison of annual reports published by the Commission. In 2014, the leading tone was optimistic: the first evaluation report on the implementation of national Roma strategies declared that "The first signs of improvement in the lives of Roma slowly began to emerge ... While still a number of challenges, improvements are clearly visible ... "[1] a year later, the report concluded that" Member States continue to make progress on the integration of Roma, but further efforts are needed. "[2]. In June 2016 narrative is overturned: reported are positive steps, but the conclusion is that "efforts fail to stop further deterioration of the living conditions of Roma and widespread hostility from the majority ..." [3]

At the same time more critical tone of the Commission does not lead to new mechanisms of interaction with National Governments. In its part 'Capacity building and promotion of interaction" the report indicates support for the activities of the network of National contact points, Roma Taskforce, two way monitoring visits to Member States (one in Bulgaria on April 2015), the European Roma platform, support for the creation of a National Roma platforms, support for local initiatives. Essentially, these are the mechanisms that were used in 2015. The report mentions launched infringement procedures against Member States for segregation in education without seeing them as a mechanism of impact.

In its final part the Communication insists Member States:

- to strengthen their anti-discrimination and anti-racist legislation;

- not to take ethnically motivated evictions, and in case of deportation to secure alternative housing for families whose only home has been destroyed: a requirement that Bulgaria did not definitely perform, as shown in the cases of Garmen and Varna in 2015;

- to overcome educational and housing segregation: a problem that is particularly acute in Bulgaria;

- to introduce protective mechanism to ensure that mainstream interventions reach Roma people;

- to expand nationwide successful pilot initiatives for Roma integration: request that NGOs constantly made, since Bulgaria has a number of best practices that are not converted into national policies;

- to further develop their systems for gathering information, monitoring and evaluation so as to ensure transparency and accountability and to have actual results: a similar system is developing at present in Bulgaria with funds from the Operational Programme "Human Resources Development"

- to develop / use national Roma platforms to ensure the participation of all stakeholders: this requirement sounds particularly relevant to Bulgaria, where National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Integration Issues has not functioned effectively for years and has not ensured citizen participation.

Detailed analysis of Bulgaria's place in the report will soon be uploaded on www.amalipe.com

Over 120 participants gathered for the national meeting of school principals, included in the project "Every student will be a winner", which took place on 5 and 6 of July in "Interhotel" Veliko Tarnovo.

Main accents of the meeting were the shared experience, school success and difficulties that principals have faced and have overcome in the past year to realize their goals. In group work they have identified some of the most important achievements, including the good performance of schools in the external evaluation; improving communication with parents and students through active work of parent clubs and student parliaments; opportunity to participate in various projects and develop new proposals for national programs. The principals also stressed on some challenges in their work, such as improving facilities and increasing the motivation of parents to work on specific cases.

Detailed information about the meeting see on: www.romaeducation.com

The challenges facing the Roma in Bulgaria and Germany, and how the EU can help the Bulgarian society and the Government in its efforts for integration, were among the main topics discussed during working lunch of Daniela Schadt, first lady of the Federal Republic of Germany with representatives of organizations working for the integration of Roma. The meeting took place on 23 June in Sofia as part of the official visit of the Federal President Joachim Gauck and Mrs. Daniela Schadt in Bulgaria.

During the lunch Krasimir Kanev (Bulgarian Helsinki Committee), Elena Kabakchieva (Foundation “Health and social development"), Rumyan Rusinov (Centre for public policy and advocacy), Ognyan Isaev (Roma Education Fond) and Deyan Kolev (Center "Amalipe") had the opportunity to share with Mrs. Scadt and representatives of the German Embassy in Sofia, their views on the main problems faced by the Roma and the policies for Roma integration in Bulgaria. They focused that perceiving Roma as poor and marginalized part of society is a mistake. Instead of that here is a need to see potential in the Roma community, which is the potential for development of Bulgaria. Anti-Roma stereotypes, discrimination and the lack of public support policies for Roma integration are among the main obstacles. They are complemented by a lack of political will to implement the numerous Roma integration strategies from the part of the political elite, governments and local authorities over the past two decades.

Deyan Kolev asked the German Government for support in two directions. Strengthening of political support for the implementation of policies for Roma integration is needed as the Bulgarian political elite sustained not committed. In this respect, the established in Sofia ambassadors’ group for Roma integration, where the German Ambassador Detlef Lingeman is a member, is also an important factor. As partner countries in the framework of the EU Bulgaria and Germany should supported  each other in the implementation of the strategic important tasks, one of which is the integration of the Roma. Promoting German investments in Bulgaria is another important means of support. Kolev stressed that at present, thousands of Roma from Bulgaria (mostly rural areas) live and work in Germany. They are a natural bridge between the two partner countries, and the opportunity for investment: most of them already know German and have acquired skills valued by employers in Germany, thus they have the possibility of exporting industries in the rural areas of Bulgaria.

In the evening at the National Gallery was held a reception to the Federal President. It was attended by the President of Rosen Plevneliev, diplomats, politicians and public figures. Deyan Kolev thanked the Federal President Gauck for the support that the Embassy of Germany and Ambassador Detlef Lingeman give the Roma integration initiatives.