Decade Watch Monitoring Report Notes Significant Progress on Roma Inclusion Policies Bulgaria Ranks Second with Strong Anti-Discrimination Law, Primary Education Policies
Sofia, June 11, 2007 - Nine Central and Southeast European countries have made progress in advancing Roma inclusion since the launch of the Decade of Roma Inclusion in 2005, according to the Decade Watch monitoring report prepared by teams of Roma civil society leaders. However, countries must move from sporadic measures based on pilot projects to integrated polices and programs. Decade Watch assesses governments' actions on introducing measures on the four Decade priority areas of education, employment, health, and housing, as well as institutional arrangements and anti-discrimination legislation. Country reports were prepared by Roma civil society alliances, and then countries were ranked on indicators on a scale from 0 to 4, with 0 capturing no action and 4 best practice (see table). The report looks at government inputs, not outcomes, as the Decade was only launched in 2005. The World Bank and the Open Society Institute supported Decade Watch through assistance with training and methodology. "Cooperation between Roma civil society and governments is critical to moving the social inclusion agenda forward", - says George Soros, chairman of the Open Society Institute. "Decade Watch is a critical component of this cooperation and in making the Decade a success".
Decade Watch Ranking by Country
Rank.Country: Score 1. Hungary: 2.29 2. Bulgaria: 1.84 3. Slovakia: 1.82 4. Czech Republic: 1.76 5. Romania: 1.72 6. Croatia: 1.70 7. Macedonia: 1.37 8. Serbia: 1.24 9. Montenegro: 0.63 The country rankings not only track progress but also identify areas where countries can benefit from one another`s experience. Hungary is the most advanced country in terms of institutional arrangements and policies, but each country excels in a particular area, for instance Romania with its health mediators program and Macedonia`s employment data collection. "So far, the biggest gap in Decade implementation has been the lack of data on Roma," says Shigeo Katsu, World Bank Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia. "Only the systematic and regular collection of disaggregated and nationally representative data will allow governments to report on the outcomes of their efforts through 2015." The Decade of Roma Inclusion is a pan-European initiative to foster the integration of the Roma in nine countries, and the primary vehicle for a European solution to the challenge of Roma exclusion. Countries should place their Decade commitments into the process of European accession and integration, including through the use of EU Structural and Pre-Accession Funds as well as by partnering with EU member states, the Commission, and other EU institutions. The report is available at http://www.decadewatch.org For more information, visit http://www.romadecade.org/
CoE FCNM: opinions adopted on the United Kingdom, Cyprus and Austria
Strasbourg 11.6.2007 - The Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities adopted three country-specific opinions last week under the second cycle of monitoring the implementation of this convention in States Parties. The opinion on the United Kingdom was adopted on 6 June, the opinion on Cyprus on 7 June and the opinion on Austria on 8 June. These three opinions will now be submitted to the Committee of Ministers, which is to adopt conclusions and recommendations. http://www.erionet.org/www.coe.int/minorities (click on News)
Hungarian Parliament to discuss long-term Roma integration programme
The Hungarian has Parliament scheduled to discuss a ten-year draft programme seeking to help the integration of Hungary's Roma minority. Priorities in the programme include social and economic integration and reducing the gap between Roma and non-Roma communities within society, as well as improving the image of the Roma minority. She added that the programme would focus on four key areas: education, employment, accommodation and health care. Read more on http://www.dzeno.cz/?c_id=14582
ECHR judgment on racist attack on Roma man
The European Court of Human Rights delivered a landmark judgment on 31 May in the case of Å ecic v. Croatia, concerning the lack of a proper investigation carried out by the Croatian authorities into a racially-motivated attack on a Romani man. The Court held that the Croatian authorities failed to conduct a sufficiently thorough and expeditious investigation as well as examine the possible racial motives behind the assault. The judgment, the first in which the Court has elaborated on the obligations of states in cases of racially-motivated attacks perpetrated by private individuals, is a call for the swift prosecution of hate crime at a time when such attacks occur with heightened frequency throughout Europe. This judgment delivers only partial justice to the applicant, since his attackers are still free, more than eight years after their brutal assault. This judgment mandates the Croatian authorities to finally bring the perpetrators to justice and provide full relief to the victim. Read more on http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?item=1&portal=hbkm&action=html&highlight=CROATIA&sessionid=10344476&skin=hudoc-en
New Publication: Children Speak Out - Risks and Resilience
British non-governmental organization Save the Children, which fights for children and protection of their rights all over the world, is pleased to share with you results of the newest research ''Children Speak Out - Trafficking Risk and Resiliency in Southeast Europe - Montenegro Report", which included children without parental care, residents of the ''Mladost'' Children's Home, Bijela and children from the biggest Roma refugee settlement Konik in Podgorica. The aim of this regional action-participatory research was to obtain detailed information from children about the factors that expose some of them to the risks of trafficking and exploitation, as well as to learn about their strength and resiliency in unfavorable situations that many of them are faced with. This research report succeeds in presenting the children's perception of their own lives and their relationships with their peers, adult family members or adults from the institution and the wider community. It portrays their fears, hopes and dreams, and provides valuable insight and understanding for all those committed to improving the life of children; protecting them from abuse and exploitation and helping them fulfill their ambitions. In addition to numerous children's statements, the report includes the opinions of parents and other adults in charge of taking care of the children, enabling interesting comparisons. In case you are interested in receiving the full report in pdf version in English or Montenegrin language, please send a request to: scfmon@cg.yu This research began in March 2006 within the three-year Save the Children Regional Child Trafficking Response Programme, funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and Oak Foundation, and implemented, besides Montenegro, in 6 more countries in Southeast Europe with the aim to provide support to at-risk or trafficked children in Albania, Bosnia and Herzgovina Bulgaria, Kosovo, Romania and Serbia. During this week, Save the Children is going to present the national reports titled Children Speak Out -Trafficking Risk and Resiliency in Southeast Europe in all of the countries given above, while the consolidated regional report is to be presented before the European Commission in Brussels in early October 2007. By publishing this report, Save the Children wishes to call upon all competent government and non-governmental institutions and organizations to enhance their efforts to reduce the identified risks that many of these children are faced with and initiate additional programmes to help strengthen their resiliency. Save the Children UK South East Europe Programme - Montenegro Country Programme
Survey On Romas Access To High Education In Romania
The Open Society Institute launched Tuesday, June 5, both in Bucharest and Budapest, the monitoring survey on the ethnic Roma access to high education in Romania. The survey called 'Accesul Egal la Educatia de Calitate pentru Romi' (Equal access to high education for ethnic Roma), is a detailed analysis of the basic education indicators, and stress upon the main constraints that prevent ethnic Roma from having access to high education. In 2007, the European year of equal chances, most of ethnic Roma are being discriminated, isolated or excluded from the education process, despite of strategies and anti-discriminatory laws in that respect. The survey said the policies and programs were only partly enforced. The education field still accounts for huge gaps despite of the fact the number of ethnic Roma registered at school is increasing - from 138,000 in 1990 to 250,000 in 2007. The survey says that 25% of the ethnic Roma have never been to school, 27% graduated four-class education, and 33% secondary education. The same survey accounts for the fact that 60% of the non-ethnic Roma and 95% of the ethnic Roma have not graduated high-school. The survey also stresses upon the direct and indirect discrimination in the school system, even it is against the law. Some ethnic Roma children are still split up from the other children, over 13% of them learning in separate schools or classes. Florin Moisa, one of the authors of the survey, said a desegregation process has not been implemented yet targeting not only the pupils' physical split-up but the negative perception and the fear from the parties involved in the EU's accession. Poverty is another issue reducing the ethnic Roma chances to high education. Many of the ethnic Roma hardly face the implicit costs related to education and send their children to special schools that give financial support. The survey also stresses upon the positive aspects registered in Romania, including the activity of the computerized network of school inspectors for ethnic Roma education and the multi-annual PHARE programs on improving the access to education for the disadvantaged groups. The survey includes 70 recommendations and policies on the way the Government of Romania could improve the capability of central and local structures to implement strategies in the education field. The survey used reports, analyses and research already published, and aims to point to trends and phenomenon in the Romanian society regarding the educational status of the ethnic Roma. It is part of the research performed by EUMAP with the Open Society Institute, or OSI, in collaboration with the OSI's Educational Support Program, or ESP, and Roma Participation Program, or RPP. Similar surveys targeted the other countries taking part in the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015, which will be soon published. The survey is available on www.eumap.org. DIVERS - http://www.divers.ro/
OSCE: World Governments Not Combating Hate Crimes
Racism and other hate crimes are on the rise globally as governments fail use their power to combat discrimination, delegates to an international human rights conference said last week. Members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which groups 56 mainly European nations, held a two-day conference in the Romanian capital starting from June 4, Reuters reported. "Despite all our efforts, discrimination ... remains widespread in our societies," German Deputy Foreign Minister Gernot Erler said in a statement on behalf of the European Union. "The institutional framework for combating various forms of discrimination seems to be comprehensive and efficient. The problems start with implementation. This is what we have to focus upon." He said new forms of racism had taken shape in the wake of globalization, the formation of multi-ethnic societies and the fight against terrorism, "affecting in particular ethnic or religious minorities, immigrants, refugees or asylum-seekers". The OSCE agreed at its last meeting in Cordoba two years ago that countries should collect reliable information on racist crimes and legislate against religious, ethnic and sexual discrimination. Most members say they have made progress expanding or introducing laws against racism, setting up anti-discrimination government bodies and encouraging education in schools. But a report by advocacy group Human Rights First on the sidelines of the conference said 24 OSCE members had no special provision for punishing hate crimes and that most European governments lacked mechanisms for reporting anti-Semitic and anti-gay violence, as well as attacks against Muslims. "It is time to harmonize OSCE member states' legislation even more and optimize efficiency. We must know how effectively ... authorities respond to these crimes," OSCE chairman and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos said. Delegates said that police and criminal justice systems must respond promptly to racist violence, and improve collection of data regarding hate crimes. During the same conference, Romanian president Traian Basescu emphasized the fact that Romania was the most comprehensive minority's protection legislation but, unfortunately, such laws aren't found in neighboring states like Hungary, Ukraine or Serbia, where important Romanian communities live. According to Romanian head of state, the intolerant and discriminative acts didn't improve enough during the past few years, but mentioned that the education is the only way towards better behavior standards. "I am convinced that our return in the middle of the European family will guarantee the dignity of each and every one of our citizens. We have the right to re-discover the pride of our own identity within the cultural diversity of our continent", said Basescu. OSCE- http://www.osce.org/
Regional workshop Exploring Opportunities for Improving Housing Microfinance Services for Roma
Thirty-five official representatives and experts form relevant organizations from Region participated in Regional workshop Exploring Opportunities for Improving Housing Microfinance Services for Roma from 12 to 13 April in Skopje, Macedonia. Representatives from Macedonia's ministries and other institutions also attempted the Workshop during these two days. Over 40 people have been included in Exploring Opportunities for Improving Housing Microfinance Services for Roma. For details write to Mr. Aleksandar Markovski at amark@soros.org.mk
FUEN Resolution 2007-09 on the minority policy dimension of cross-border cooperation
FUEN Resolution No. 2007-09 on the minority policy dimension of cross-border cooperation was elaborated by Public Foundation for European Comparative Minority Research and adopted by FUEN on its Congress in May 2007 in Tallinn. Till today this is the only one existing international document in this topic. Resolution 2007-09 The Assembly of Delegates of Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Tallinn on 17 May 2007: "the Federal Union of European Nationalities, -having regard to the principles of regionalism and subsidiarity, as cornerstones of the European Union, -having regard to the problems of national minorities divided by borders, -having regard to the relative lower living quality of the population living in border regions, with special regard to minorities without kin-states, -having regard to the principles of democratic equality and self-government, -having regard to the rights of minorities to establish and maintain free contacts across frontiers, guaranteed in international conventions, -having regard to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, to the Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities and its Additional Protocols, all signed under the aegis of Council of Europe, and to Recommendation No. 1201 (1993) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, -having regard to the regional policy of the European Union, to community initiatives supporting cross-border cooperation, and in particular to Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European grouping of territorial cooperation, adopted the following resolution: A. transfrontier cooperation and contacts can contribute to the historical reconciliation, peaceful together living, development and constructive cooperation of neighboring States and majority and minority societies in a Europe divided by borders and overtaken by ethnic tensions in the beginning of the 21st century too; B. with this goal in view it is necessary to guarantee the participation of minority groups in the elaboration, implementation and monitoring of transfrontier cooperation programs. It is indispensable to mention that reaching the above-mentioned goal complex cooperation programs should be elaborated, and beside the economic and spatial planning dimension the fields of educational and cultural cooperation should get more accent, as specifically the problems and interests of minorities - in particular cases without a kin-state - specifically living in border regions too; C. in this reason we strongly condemn aspirations and policies of States intending to restrict cross-border cooperation or want to efface their minority dimension; D. we proclaim that against the counter-interested, sometimes ethnopolitically motivated State policies it is necessary to promote the further strengthening of the legal character and institutionalization of transfrontier cooperation. For this purpose we warmly welcome the regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) and fully support the work of the Council of Europe in elaborating the structure of Euroregional Co-operation Groupings (ECG); E. we emphasize, that organs of transfrontier cooperation do not constitute a new administrative level and do not harm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. They only constitute a cooperation platform for the transfrontier solution of social, economic and infrastructural problems in border regions; F. we underline that transfrontier cooperation are based on democratic principles of self-government and subsidiarity, they could be therefore restrained by governments only in extreme and justified cases; G. we emphasize the importance of multilingualism and language teaching - above all in connection with languages of neighboring countries and of minorities living in border regions - to form a spirit of mutual tolerance and understanding and develop a competitive workforce in border regions; H. and finally we confess to a cooperation-oriented and tolerant spirituality facilitated by transfrontier cooperation too, which exceeds the nationalist, centralized and statist thinking, dividing the peoples of Europe in the heads and lays down there new borders yet too." FUEN- http://www.fuen.org/
Network Migration in Europe E.V.: Call for application to students and multipliers in Europe International Youth Forum Training Seminars on Human Rights Education Learning for Human Rights and Democracy in Europe: (Forced) Migration in Europe´s present and past
8-12 August 2007, Berlin Funded by and "Rememberance and Future Fund", Berlin and "Stiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur", Berlin Deadlines for Application: 5 July 2007 Please circulate: Network Migration in Europe organizes a multinational Youth Forum "Training on human rights issues" for students and multipliers who have an active interest in human rights education in the context of migration. The Youth Forum is devoted to the study and betterment of human rights and specifically the relationship between majority and minority populations in past and present. We invite applications from students and multipliers with interest in training, discussion and grass roots project work of human rights from the following countries: Bosnia Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland Italy and Germany. The seminar in particular focuses on (forced) migration issues in Europe before 1989 and the new developments after the breakdown of the communist regimes during the nineties until now. During the International Youth Forum Program in Berlin the participants will be offered one week of training and site visits on the topic of how societies deal with their various human rights issues in particular in respect to migration. The training program offers knowledge, methods and project work. The Youth Forum intends to qualify students and multipliers for human rights education. At the end of the seminar a certificate will be given for successful participation. Participants can use the knowledge and experiences gained during the training seminar in their community work, their further education and their career paths in non-profit sector, in school teaching and youth work, in media and the private sector. Good active and passive command of English is mandatory; knowledge of German is an advantage. The Youth Forum on Human Rights looks for participants who are at ease with intense, constant group activities and interaction. Costs and expenses for accommodation and food are covered. Travel expenses up to 30 â?¬ have to be paid by the participants, additional costs are covered by Network Migration. Application Requirements International Youth Forum 2007 Return all required information via email to: Dr. Andrea Schmelz, Dr. Anne von Oswald, Tomasz Krolik Email: info@network-migration.org http://www.network-migration.org/ Applications must be submitted until 5 July 2007 The following information is required from each applicant. It must be submitted in one package. An incomplete application will not be considered. Application form (see below) curriculum vitae (no more than one pages)
Network Migration in Europe Application Form for International Youth Forum on human rights training Summer 2007
Name: Address: Telephone/Cell Phone/ Fax: Email-Address: Age: Gender: Academic Background Field of Studies: University: No of Semesters: or Organization: Level of English Proficiency: Speaking (Fair/Medium/Excellent) Understanding (Fair/Medium/Excellent) Writing (Fair/Medium/Excellent) Other foreign languages spoken: Personal Interests: Extra-Curricular Activities (on a separate sheet, if needed): Membership in organizations etc.: Please answer the following questions: What is the motivation to participate in the training seminar? Do you have any experiences in the field of human rights and democracy: education or activities? What do you expect from the training seminar?
Open call for tenders for a study on positive action measures in the EU The European Commission wants to develop a framework for better understanding the role that positive action measures can play in practice in preventing or remedying discrimination, building on the knowledge of the existing legal framework. Therefore, the Commission wants to gain a better insight in what kind of practical positive action measures are already being taken in the EU (and in the EFTA-EEA countries participating in PROGRESS) and in third countries. The possible costs and benefits of the positive action measures shall also be indicated by the contractor in the study. The deadline for receipt of bids is 8 August 2007. Read more on http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/emplweb/tenders/tenders_en.cfm?id=1665
EU networks call for proposals The European Commission has issued a call for proposals for the establishment of 3-year partnerships with EU-level networks active in the field of combating social exclusion and discrimination, promoting gender equality and the integration of disabled people, and representing Roma people. It aims to select - on the basis of a triennial strategic plan - EU-level networks to work with the Commission and receive Community support on a stable and regular basis for the period 2008-2010. The Community support is not intended for specific projects, but to cover the costs inherent in the functioning of a European network over a period that is equivalent to its accounting period. The deadline for applications is 30 July 2007. Read more on http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/emplweb/tenders/tenders_en.cfm?id=1605
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