04.06.2018Clarifications about a paragraph, included in the Civic Report on the Implementation of the National Strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria for Roma Integration
Addressing the protest declaration of the colleagues from the National Network of Health Mediators against the paragraph of the Civic Report on the Implementation of NSRBRI (p.25), Amalipe Center makes the following clarifications:
1. The report has not yet been translated into Bulgarian due to its recent approval by the European Commission. The translation of the problematic paragraph is:
„3. България използва широко подхода на медиация спрямо ромите в здравеопазването, услугите по заетост, образованието и местното правоприлагане. Този модел е положителен, когато става дума за решаването на някои краткосрочни, дребномащабни проблеми. Въпреки това той е ниско ефикасен и ниско ефективен, и е неустойчив ако го разглеждаме като основен, дългосрочен модел за участие на ромите. Той засилва зависимостта и задълбочава сегрегацията на големи ромски общности. Например здравните медиатори са много полезни в ад-хок здравни кампании или в облекчаване на достъпа до спешна помощ (в някои случаи). Въпреки това здравните медиатори са de facto нискоквалифицирани и нископлатени работници с доста нисък статус в повечето местни общности. Вместо да се обучават здравни медиатори, е необходима инвестиция в тригодишно парамедицинско образование за тези хора, така че те поне ще могат да предоставят реални услуги на място. Обучението на роми като лекари би било още по-ефективно.”
2. This paragraph does not underestimate the efforts and role of Roma mediators (health, education, labor), even less - the need for mediation at present. It insists that mediation cannot be the main way of Roma involvement in the long run and that it is strategic to invest in the training of full-time medics, teachers and other professionals of Roma origin.
Amalipe Center is not the author of the "Management" chapter, which includes this paragraph, and this interpretation is made by the colleagues who worked out the chapter: we discussed the issue in details at a forum organized in Sofia on December 6th. The forum, which was organized to discuss the preliminary findings of the report, was attended by many organizations and mediators, and an invitation was also made to the NNHM. The forum discussed the above mentioned paragraph and was presented with the above mentioned interpretation;
3. The quoted paragraph is part of the chapter "Management". The "Health" chapter will be included in the 2018 report.
In order to avoid misinterpretations and after obtaining the consent of the authors, Amalipe Center (as an organization that coordinates the civil monitoring of the implementation of the NSRBRI) proposed to the Central European University and DG Justice of the European Commission the removal of this paragraph. The proposal was accepted and in the final version of the report, which will be published on paper, the contested text is not included.
We are committed to revisiting the text in the discussion on the Health chapter in the 2018 report, and the colleagues from the National Network of Health Mediators will also be invited.
The Citizens' Report on the Implementation of the National Strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria on Roma Integration can be found here.
