News

On 25 and 26 February 2011 in complex “Bryasta” was held the first meeting of the Steering Committee under the project "To touch the untouchable: combating traditional and new anti-Roma stereotypes” funded by the European Commission under Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme. The meeting was attended by representatives of institutions and NGOs from the country and abroad, working with Roma communities and directly related to the project realization. Together with the project partners - Center Amalipe (Bulgaria), "Justice and Peace” (the Netherlands) and the Roma Center for Health Policy “Sastipen” (Romania), the Steering Committee includes representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science - Centre for Educational Integration of Children and Students from Ethnic Minorities, Ministry of Health, Social Assistance Agency, Municipality of Gabrovo, Association "World Without Borders" - Stara Zagora. For two days they discussed the future implementation of the project activities in the three countries and the achievement of results that really change the stereotypes against Roma among employees in educational, health and social institutions. The Bulgarian side, Center Amalipe and representatives of the Bulgarian institutions, discussed the importance of joint work of NGOs with government structures. It was clarified that it is necessary that the activities of the new project have to cover the staff in the institutions and the field workers in three areas: education, social and health care. We discussed the principles, which will choose the regions where Center Amalipe will focus. These will be places where we have established links with the Roma community and we have occurring activities. We will cover six regions, where we will create mobile groups for influence, including representatives of Regional Directorates of Ministry of Education, Regional Directorates for Social Assistance and the Regional Health Inspection.They will conduct training of hundreds of field workers in their fields on the prejudices against Roma and effective work in the Roma community. In addition, together with local Roma activists, we will deliver joint campaigns targeting the local communities. The work of our partners from the Netherlands will be directed to create equal access to education and health care for Roma in the Netherlands. They will work with both local Sinti and Roma, coming from Eastern Europe. Part of the activities will be focused on research, through which to initiate advocacy for ease of obtaining legal status of the Roma living in the Netherlands from Eastern European countries, which is a basic precondition to benefit from educational, social and health services. Currently in the Netherlands there are about 4000 stateless children. Institutions there realize the real scale of the problem. The Romanian partners will undertake activities at regional level in one of the administrative areas where SASTIPEN actively work with local Roma communities. They will focus on working with institutions in the health field. They will follow a pattern similar to Bulgaria. We parted with satisfaction with our work, with faith and confidence in the future, hoping to change something! The project "To touch the untouchable: combating new and traditional anti-Roma stereotypes” is a two-year initiative of Center Amalipe – Bulgaria,  Foundation “Justice and Peace" – the Netherlands and Roma Center for Health Policy “Sastipen” - Romania. The project aims to help change the attitudes of the staff and the field workers in educational, health and social institutions aimed at overcoming prejudices and stereotypes against Roma and more effective work in the Roma community. The project will be implemented in 2011 and 2012.