News

A conference to discuss the future of the Centers for Community Development was held from March 26 to March 28, 2012 in the building of the Municipality of Elin Pelin. It was organized by Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance Amalipe, Veliko Tarnovo under “Promoting participatory filed-work at grassroots level in marginalized and traditional Roma communities” project, funded by Daphne III Program of the European Commission.

This was one of the serial meetings of the Steering Committee of the project where took part Mrs. Anna Marie Vilamovska - Secretary for Healthcare, Education and Science, Administration of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy  - Mrs. Valentina Simeonova, Radostina Angelova - Head of Cabinet of the management of EU funds, Georgi Krastev - Deputy Chairman of the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Integration Issues (NCCEII), representatives of the Employment Agency and the regional directorates "Social Assistance". Participants in the meeting were representatives of municipalities, where are established Centers for Community Development – Etropole, Byala Slatina, Pavlikeni, Novi Pazar, Kameno and Peshtera. The community moderators themselves shared their experiences and achievements to date. From Greece and Romania in the meeting took part representatives of partner organizations.

Besides discussions on achievements to date and upcoming steps to institutionalize the pattern, participants had the chance to see the field work of one of the centers for community development. With an organized bus they visited the local community center and school in the village of Malki Iskar, Etropole municipality where they were greeted with bread and salt. In the "Hristo Botev", cultural house of Malki Iskar children from the local primary school "GS Rakovski” presented traditional Roma songs and dances. The community moderators of the Center for Community Development in Etropole shared with participants the difficulties encountered in their work, the results of social surveys on community needs, the creation of the parent club, the work they have done in school under the direction of increasing motivation for education , reducing dropouts and holding discussions on the prevention of early marriages. Special guest at this meeting was Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy – Mrs. Valentina Simeonova.

During the 3-day meetings presentations were shown by the partners of the project: Liga Pro Europa – Romania and ARSIS – Greece. They presented the results achieved so far in their centers for community development. Special guests were Mrs. Maria Ionescu, Mr. Marian Babes and Mrs. Onnesia Babes - representatives of the Romanian National Agency for Roma (NAR)

Mrs. Ionescu shared the Romanian experience of institutionalization of the Center for Community Development in the town of Targu Mures– Romania. She proposed a task-force to be created which to include representatives of the Romania NAR and the Bulgarian NCCEII where experts together to develop a common for the two countries job description of the community moderators, methodology of the work of the Centers for Community Development, guideline for work with local Roma communities.

 “Promoting participatory filed-work at grassroots level in marginalized and traditional Roma communities” projects a two-year program, funded by Daphne III Program of the European Commission started in February 2011 on the territory of three countries: Bulgaria, Greece and Romania with leading organization – Center Amalipe and partner organizations – Liga Pro Europa – Romania and ARSIS – Greece. Key objectives of the project is to support the development of the Roma community in those countries trough overcoming of traditional practices such early marriages, school dropouts and creating mechanisms for self-organization and mutual support and develop community based services. Implementation of these goals is the establishment of 8 centers for community development with two community moderators. The six centers are established in six towns covering the six planning regions of the country. These are Byala Slatina, Kameno, Etropole, Pavlikeni, Novi Pazar and Peshtera.

Although they have been operating only for 8 months to date the results of their work is not delayed. These are over 30 children returned to school after having dropped out;  over 40 children enrolled in kindergartens, over 200 women from the community completed preventive medical examinations and over 100 children passed, participated in silanisation of children's teeth and many other community initiatives.