Roma from Romania Position Paper

1. Roma from RomaniaPosition Paper DECADE OF ROMA INCLUSION and ROMA EDUCATION FUND Washington, November 8 – 15, 2003 FORROM – FEDERATION OF RROMA ORGANIZATIONS FROM ROMANIA Represented by Gelu Duminica and Delia Grigore

2. Social Exclusion And Racial Discrimination Against Roma • Severe poverty - 75,1% of Rroma • Unemployment - 46% of active Rroma • Professional qualification – 60% of active Roma • Life expectancy – 20 years less than the majority population • Racially motivated violence against Roma • Impunity of the law-enforcement authorities • Evictions and residential segregation • Discriminatory attitudes and behavior of public administration towards Roma • Hate speech in media • Exclusion of Roma culture from mainstream school education

3. Historical roots / causes • Five centuries of Roma slavery (Romania was the only country in Europe that institutionalized the Roma slavery) • Samudaripe / Roma Holocaust (the largest number of Roma exterminated in European countries was in Romania) • Lack of integration public policies • Prejudice and negative stereotypes against Roma • Racist ideologies and social practice against Roma • Institutionalized discrimination against Roma • Forced assimilation policies

4. Policy Directions • Combating racism and all forms of discrimination againstRoma through campaigning, law adjustment and establishing specialized monitoring and sanctioning institutions in which Roma should be partners to decision • Social inclusion through comprehensive and participatory community development • Equal access to social services, assets, resources • Roma empowerment and equal participation to decision • Capacity building • Affirmative action • Self esteem development and identity assertion forward to ensure Roma cultural autonomy

5. Responsible Structures for the Decade and the Education Fund • International Joint Board (decision body) • Membership: donors, governments, Roma experts • Responsibility: promotion, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs supported by the Decade and the Education Fund • National Joint Committee(state level decision body) • Membership: representatives of the national government, Roma experts • Responsibility: promotion, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs, drafting the terms of reference for grants programs, lobby for best practices to become public policies, designing policies for Roma • Roma Ministerial Offices (central implementation unit - technical body inside each ministry - employment, education, health) • Membership: experts in Roma specific issues, among which at least 1- 2 Roma • Responsibility: design and management of specific policies targeting Roma

6. Responsible structures for the Decade and the Education Fund “Roma Decade” Public Foundation (technical assistance unit) • Membership: Roma and non-Roma experts in the relevant fields, coming both from public administration and NGO levels • Responsibility: research, design and lobby for policy recommendations, monitoring and evaluation of programs, provide consultancy, assistance and training for projects writing and management, capacity building services, advocacy, fundraising • “Roma Education” Center (technical assistance unit) • Membership: Roma and non-Roma experts, coming both from public administration and NGO levels • Responsibility: research, design and lobby for policy recommendations, monitoring and evaluation of programs, provide consultancy, assistance and training for projects writing and management, capacity building services, advocacy, fundraising • Local Implementation Unit (local technical body inside the County Council, affiliated to the Anti-poverty County Commissions) • Membership: Roma experts and local public authorities representatives • Responsibility: implementation of policies, management of local programs and projects targeting Roma, capacity building forward to the empowerment and participation of Roma communities in decision making processes, fundraising

7. Policy Recommendations for the Decade of Roma Inclusion - Roma Slavery and Holocaust against Jews and Roma recognition and urgent reparatory measures and compensations for victims; - Campaign for combating racism and al forms of discrimination against Roma, including in the field of public services provision; - Labor Market Inclusion Centers for Roma; - Job Fairs for Roma; - Programs for the improvement of basic infrastructure in Roma communities and housing rehabilitation; - Income generating programs for Roma families’ small businesses; - Revaluation as folk arts of traditional Roma crafts; - Roma health care mediators; - Mobile medical unit for Roma communities; - Roma independent media (newspapers, radio / TV stations); - Roma cultural institutions (cultural centers, museums, theatres)

8. Policy Recommendations for the Roma Education Fund - Roma Education Policy and Resource Center; - Affirmative action for Roma students (special seats in schools, scholarships, extracurricular activities); - Roma self-esteem building programs in schools; - School education in Romani language in bilingual Roma communities; - Schools specialized in Romani culture; - Bilingual pedagogical materials; - Training for Roma teachers; - Excellence Centers for Roma students; - Inclusion of Roma culture and history in the mainstream compulsory school education by curricula revision and teachers’ intercultural training; - Roma school mediators / assistants; - Direct involvement of Roma parents in decision making in schools; - Information campaign and networking for Roma mothers; - Alternative education structures such as distance learning; - Vocational education for Roma

9. Concluding Remarks Anything done FOR Roma must be done WITH Roma!