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From the 11th till the 15th of July, 2011,in the city of Gorna Oriahovitza,training of trainers called „Stereotypes towards Roma community”was held.Twenty two expertsfrom the  Regional inspectorates of education (RIE), the Regional Directorates „Social Assistance” (RDSA) and the RegionalHealth Inspections (RHI) from 6 districts – Sofia district, Vratza, Veliko Tarnovo, Bourgas, Pazardzik  and Shumen participated in this event. Their colleagues from the analogical institutionsin Bucharest district, Romania also joint the event.The Roma community moderators fromthe Centers for community development in Etropole, Biala Slatina, Pavlikeni, Novi Pazar and Peshtera composed the third group of participants. The training  was organizedby Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance „Amalipe” andthe Pedagogicalfaculty in Veliko Tarnovo  Universitywithin the project „To touch theuntouchable: cambating traditionaland newanti-Roma stereotypes”, financed by the European Commission.

In accordance with the project idea, the trained experts will hold training courseswith field workers in their areas (teachers, health and social workers) for overcoming the stereotypes and for an effective work in Roma community. In addition, they will work together on specific cases (e.g. school dropout cases, early marriage, etc.), which require co-operation between the various institutions. An important part of their work will be the interaction with the local Roma community, as well as the joint work with Roma community moderators,working in the Centers for community development. This richspectrumof activities is going to be realized in  6  districts in Bulgaria and one in Romania.

The participants in the training went through different modules - specificity of the groups in Roma community, Romani feasts and marriage traditions in Bulgaria and Romania, family habits among Roma community in Bulgaria and Romania, social, health and educational problems in Roma community, social distances and ethnic stereotypes towards Roma, leadership in Roma community. Experts from RIE, RDSA and RHI in Bulgaria and Romania were acquainted with their role in the Inter-sectoral Mobile Task Forces; the community moderatorslearnt about the activities and functions of the Centersfor community development. All the participants also passed the module "Training for trainers" organized by the Veliko Tarnovo University and received certificates for instructors.

"We came confused, but now we are starting well prepared, and highly motivated to do our job! The world of Roma revealed itself to us: a world we have touched every day but we have never understood before. We will “infect” the field workers with this, and the results will certainly come!" – wrote one of the participants in the feedback questionnaire. His opinion reflected the overall spirit of the meeting: in each of the pilot districts shall be created real teams among the three key institutions (in education, health care, social protection) and Roma community moderators. From October 2011, these teams will show whether the change in attitudes of teachers, health and social workers could happen and whether it will lead to a change in their work with Roma.