Posts Tagged ‘Rom and Sinti’

In the recent years, inclusion and integration of Roma and other minorities in the local policies, both at national and European level, were the subject of many debates and actions. Despite some improvements, much remains to be done to achieve full integration of minority rights in local decision making processes.
In this context, the capacity of local systems to obtain more data, raise awareness, provide services (such as access to housing, education, health services, employment) and to implement measures to address poverty, is fundamental to fight against racism and for strengthening the economic and social cohesion as well as to enhance the rights and culture of Roma as a resource for society.
The conference, organized by the Veneto Region Brussels Office, is planned in the framework of the activities within the project +RESPECT: Increasing Roma People’s Participation and Citizenship Rights: Campaigns and Tools, funded by the Specific Programme “Fundamental Rights and Citizenship” 2007-2013 . The event aims to raise awareness of local authorities on policies for social inclusion of Roma people. During the event the report “Combating Anti-Roma Discrimination: Knowledge and Policies” implemented by COSES containing recommendations for local authorities on policies for inclusion of the Roma population, will be the basis for a discussion on existing good practices at European level of “liberation of the camps” through social and spatial inclusion local initiatives. The ENSA (European Network for Social Authorities) and ELISAN (European Local Inclusion and Social Action Network) networks, associated partners of the project, will participate in the debate, promoting the exchange of good practices at local and European level and suggesting new scenarios for inclusion and participation of Roma and other groups who are at risk of social exclusion. Third sector organizations operating in the integration and raise awareness of Roma, local authorities (municipalities, provinces), cultural mediators and social workers are invited to participate.

Please confirm your presence via mail to alessandra.garda@regione.veneto.it or guazzo@cittalia.it. For any further information please contact Alessandra Garda at these numbers: +390412794823 (from Italy) and +3227437023.

Provisional programme: +RESPECT Venice international conference 11 March 2011 

Save the date

In the city of Giulianova, the +RESPECT partner RomSinti@Politica received the free patronage of the Municipality of Giulianova for the organization of the workshops addressed to local decision makers and practitioners. Three seminars were held, of three hours each, in the period between 18 January – 01 February in Piazza Belvedere. The point at issue was Roma active participation, discrimination, conflicts resolution, combating stereotypes and prejudices. Two town councillors have participated in the workshops, in order to encourage action and putting into practice the proposals made by the social parts in order to strengthen local action (more dialogue, more initiatives, more interest by the municipality). In Giulianova, like so in Pescara, at the end of the workshops the participants  proposed to create a working group in order to define together social, cultural and political initiatives to foster a stronger involvement of the Roma population in local social development strategies. The proposal had a follow-up and a meeting was planned on 10 February at the high school “Pagliaccetti”, coordinated by Antonella Collevecchio, “Pagliaccetti”’s teacher.

The Report “Combating Anti-Roma Discrimination – Knowledge and Policies”, made by COSES with contributions from other project partners, was successfully presented on 10 November 2010, during the seminar “Local Authorities and the Roma: Respect, Participation and Promotion of the Civil Rights of Minorities” held on the opening day of the XXVII Assembly of the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI). More than 40 persons (local authorities i.e. Mayors, Deputy Mayors, practitioners and journalists) attended the meeting and were involved in a debate over the spatial and social inclusion of Rom and Sinti people in Italian cities.