Roma Diplomacy

This programme is oriented around the creation and strengthening of relationships among Roma human rights practitioners. Building capacity to articulate a strong voice advocating for the participation and protection of Roma (or Gypsies) - a minority group in Romania - is a strategy for enabling the Roma to represent themselves at the national and international level, to protect their interests and identity, and to ensure than they are fully involved in, and recognised by, a united Europe. A key substantive focus of this networking and training is on building diplomatic communication channels for effective, prompt responses to the challenges facing Roma.

Both in-person exchanges and online interaction are vehicles for forming the basis of a Roma "think tank" which can inform and steer the process of Roma social inclusion. A capacity building educational programme has been developed that includes skills training and academic study of diplomacy and human rights advocacy topics. Between 20 and 25 participants from specified Eastern European countries are taking part in this year-long educational programme, which consists in both residential workshops and online learning phases. This programme will focus on building skills (e.g., general information technology skills, media skills, academic research and writing, and so on) and stimulating individual and collaborative research projects on topics related to Roma rights, advocacy, and diplomacy. In association with this component of the project, conference scholarships will be offered and internships provided in EU institutions, international organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Participants discuss their research and exchange experiences/create collaborations through an online knowledge sharing platform for Roma rights activists. (The research process and assessment will aim to build a virtual research community, leading to continued dialogue between young activists emerging into this field and experienced practitioners.) This knowledge sharing platform will offer a toolkit for human rights advocacy (databases, communication tools), and will provide a focal point for continued contact within the network.

In addition to building the capacity of Roma activists through the above venues, raising the awareness of a broader range of experts in the field of Roma rights is a focus of this effort. One or two public conferences will gather experts in the field of Roma, minority and human rights and diplomacy. Through public dialogue, these conferences will aim to raise awareness; conference speakers will be invited to submit papers for a publication on Roma diplomacy, which is also designed to share information about this group among a broader audience.

Democracy & Governance, Rights.

According to organisers, the 8-12 million Roma are a disadvantaged ethnic group in Europe, facing discrimination in employment, housing, social services, and education. Additionally, they are often subject to aggressive and physically violent treatment by members of the majority population and police forces. Further, "With practically no political influence or representation in national governments and European institutions, advocacy of Roma rights is left to human rights activists." Currently, the countries home to the majority of Roma are beginning to join the EU and as a result, the situation of Roma is gaining political attention; Eastern European governments are under increasing pressure to improve conditions for their Roma minorities.