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Seven project proposals within the Program for Rural Areas Development (measure “Acquiring skills and raising public awareness for potential Local initiative groups in the rural areas” were consulted by PLATFORM project. These proposals are submitted by municipalities with high percentage Roma population. They include not only the activities required by Ministry of Agriculture but also activities for raising the awareness of local Roma communities. In addition Roma experts will be included as key experts in these projects. Overall 157532 people live in the seven...

Strasbourg, 6 August 2009: In a ruling made public today, the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) unanimously found that Bulgaria is in violation of the European Social Charter by failing to meet its obligations to ensure that any person who is without adequate resources has access to the social assistance provided by the state. The ruling was issued in response to a collective complaint filed by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) in 2008, in cooperation with the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC), regarding the 2006 and 2008 amendments of the Bulgarian Social Assistance...

Thirty six teachers and school principals from primary schools all over Bulgaria discussed how to decrease and stop the drop out process of Roma kids during a creative workshop. It took place in Lyaskovetz on July 26 - 28. The seminar was organized by Center Amalipe with the support of America for Bulgaria Foundation. Prof. Maria Baeva (Sofia University), Mariana Bancheva (Ministry of Education), Boyan Zahariev (Open  Society Institute – Sofia) and Deyan Kolev (Center Amalipe) moderated the workshop. Sarah Perrine from USA and Luis...

How the present calls for proposals within Rural Regions Development Program and Human Resources Development Operational Program could foster Roma integration? This was the main topic discussed during the seminar “Platform for project generation – first assessment and perspectives for development”. It took place on July 17 and 18 in Lyaskovetz and was organized by Center Amalipe and Open Society Institute – Sofia. The participants defined as most urgent issue the incorporation of Roma experts and Roma NGOs in the Local Initiative Groups (LIG) that will...

The article is based on content analyses of election platforms of all political parties that received more than 4 % ballots on the elections for European Parliament and on discussions during the debate “Expectations for active inclusion of Roma community in the platforms of political parties” that took part on June 28 in Sofia. The article is prepared in the eve of elections for Bulgarian parliament on July 5. The Roma integration topic did not reach the core political debate during Bulgarian elections 2009: like the ones during previous elections. May be because...