Challenging Stereotypes: Campaign for Desegregation and Equal Education

1. Romani CRISS Roma Center for Social Intervention and Studies Presentation for WORKSHOP IN SINTRA “Developing local campaigns to challenge negative stereotypes” 2011 Bucharest, ROMANIA Phone: +40.21. 3107070 Fax: + 40.31.8157623 office@romanicriss.org www.romanicriss.org

2. Advocacy Campaign Raising awareness on the issue of segregation in school and need for legislation in the field of anti-segregation

3. Context • Antidiscrimination legislation – year 2000 (incomplete, general) • Romani CRISS work in the field – cases of discrimination - de facto segregation • Segregation? What is it? We don’t have it!

4. STEPS • 2003: Cehei School – Sanction for segregation from the National Council for Combating Discrimination • Having a jurisprudence on segregation in education. • Emphasizing the problems of segregation – low quality of education, no hopes for children • Reports, studies – national and internationally disseminated • Continuously asking for acknowledgment of the problem

5. Steps • 2004: Ministry of Education Notification on banning segregation (lack of power) • Meetings, cases before the NCCD, building alliances • 2006: Memorandum by Ministry of Education, OSCE, Romani CRISS, NGOs: working group regarding the draft of Order on desegregation

6. Steps • In February 2007, at the initiative of Romani CRISS, the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth, the National Agency for Roma, the National Council for Combating Discrimination, the OSCE/ODIHR, together with the working group of the non-governmental organisations, Roma Center “Amare Rromentza”, Timisoara Intercultural Institute, Romani CRISS, Save the Children, PER Regional Center, Ovidiu Rom, signed a memorandum of cooperation on ensuring Roma children and youth’s access to quality education in Romania, by school desegregation and promotion of education for identity. • initiating the elaboration of an Order and of a methodology on desegregation in education.

7. Steps and Result Result of the memorandum cooperation • 2007: Ministry of Education issues Order no. 1540 on banning school segregation of Roma children and on approving the Methodology on preventing and eliminating school segregation of Roma children. • The Order aims at preventing, banning and eliminating segregation, as it is seen as a severe form of discrimination, with negative consequences on equal access of children to quality education. An important aspect of the document is the stipulation of sanctions for those who do not meet the provisions of the Order and the Methodology.

8. Further … Recommendations on reviewing the pre-university education law proposal and the statute of teaching staff law proposal regard, especially: • Inclusion of information from the Ministry of Education’s Orders on cultural diversity and on banning segregation; Introduction of notions of intercultural education in the initial training of teaching staff. 2009 – national conference, over 100 participants across the country – joint document of priorities in education signed by the Roma civil society – sent to the Ministry Implementation of projects to support desegregation Continue denouncing segregation cases. One before the ECHR Reports 2011: New Law on Education – Recommendations of Romani CRISS, plus Roma Civic Alliance and UNICEF included - to prevent placing Roma children abusive into special school ]:“Abusive diagnosis of children based on race, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, membership in a disadvantaged category, and any other criteria, which determines including them in classes with special education needs, will be sanctioned.”

9. Public campaign “Different. But the same” • 61% : Roma are a shame for Romania • 20%: there should exist pubs or stores where Roma won’t be allowed • 75% of Romanians do not want to live near Roma. • “the number of racist affirmations increased in mass media in Romania”

10. Classical campaign TV clip - we are all the same and that there is no difference between people. And not only between ordinary people, but not even between a VIP, a well known person and a Roma, for instance. Brad Pitt – 5 national TV stations - http://www.youtube.com/user/FundatiaRomaniCRISS#p/u/6/88OUrWuI0b4 • Video clip – well known band for culturally diverse music, plus a well liked traditional Roma man and a human rights activist with a message in Roma language, translated into Romanian - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGw2cGYodEA • “Camen o Tamango? O traio si lacio. Avem saore, iek ketanes! Daca ar fi fost asta limba mea materna, m-ati fi discriminat?”It means “Do you like Tamango? Life is fine. Let’s live it together! If this had been my mother tongue, would have you discriminated me against? Written ads - “Different, but the same” was continued, with short, witty, catchy messages. – published in a national newspaper for a month Press monitoring report 1598 articles in 8 national newspapers for 11 months

11. New elements – finding the twist • Debate with media - STABOR/ KRISS (what in Romania is known as “Roma justice”) - journalists are accused of subjectivity, political influence, violation of deontological code, perpetuation of stereotypes and are invited to the debate to prove themselves wrongly accused As judge, a Roma man was invited. • 3 debates in universities –students from the Police Academy “Al.I. Cuza”, Medical School “Carol Davila” and Law School • Racism-meter - http://www.romanicriss.org/Rasismometrul.pdf Test your civic health! Diagnosis” – racism is a curable illness; providing the “patient” with the “medicines” - http://www.romanicriss.org/Reteta%20pentru%20stres%20rasial.pdf 2 cities (3 days in Bucharest) • Huge impact, attended by press and VIPs and politicians • Very good dissemination of project’s results to the general public and youth

12. Romani CRISS Roma Center for Social Intervention and Studies Phone: +40.21. 3107070 + 40.21 3107060 Fax: + 40.31.8157623 office@romanicriss.org www.romanicriss.org