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A round table on "The educational integration of Roma today - a prerequisite for professional development and progress of Bulgaria tomorrow," was held on April 8, 2013 at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science. The event was organized in partnership with the Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance "Amalipe."

April 8 is not a new event. This is what have always drawn Roma up outside the neighborhood towards our European presence. Education is the key to the modern person, Roma and non Roma. Integration in and through the education system is the most important prerequisite for the overall process of modernization of the Roma community and largely determines its behavior in the labor market, its health status and quality of life. Helping all children and students of Roma origin and making them to not feel alone in their flight to the new modern society remains our concern. We can actually speed up the process. A lot has already been donein this direction, but with more efforts we must speed up the process to be proud of what we have made in the future, said Minister Nikolai Miloshev.

Participants in the meeting were representatives of the Ministry of Education, of different organizations, who deal with Roma issues, Roma teachers and students. They were greeted by H. E. Marcie B. Ries, U.S. Ambassador and Mrs Dagfrid Yorthul - First Secretary, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway.

 Practices, proposals and conclusions shared Deyan Kolev, Chairman of Center "Amalipe"  and the Vice Chairman -  Theodora Krumova.

 Filled with content, emotionally and professionally, passed the modules moderated  by Joseph Nunev - Expert in the Ministry of Education, who presented the policies and practices of educational integration.

The heart of the discussion was the presentation of the Roma students’ personal stories on their long journey from the neighborhood to prestigious secondary schools and universities. 

 Vice chairman of Amalipe Center, Teodora Krumova, from the position of a member of the Bulgarian Platform of the European Women’s Lobby, shared that one of the main goals of Amalipe is to provide equal opportunities for Romani women and promote their active participation in social and political life. She encouraged all Romani women, who have participated in the round table to continue their education in order to receive an equal start in life. Education has been, is and will be the most important prerequisite to the modern person. Through education Romani women will be empowered, Teodora Krumova said. She also stated that within its community development activities Amalipe has focused on gender issues and Romani women capacity building. In 2012, Amalipe Center established eleven Community Development Centres. The main focus in the work of each Centre is to work with women and children – prevention of early marriages and violence, reducing drop-outs, encourage women and girls to obtain higher education, promoting healthcare, free gynaecological check-ups, etc…

Lit by the words of Teodora Krumova, Madlena Georgieva shared her dream to work as a teacher and after finishing higher education to teach at her native school.

Madlena Georgieva is a 12 grade student and president of the student parliament at "Ts.Tserkovski" high school in Nikola Kozlevo village, Shumen region.