Empowerment and Mobilization of Roma Youth

Empowerment and Mobilization of Roma Youth
The first international contact-making seminar of Roma Youth NGO’s in Berlin defines a starting point for cooperation and project development on the European level.

Under the motto “Empowerment and Mobilization of Roma Youth”, Amaro Drom e.V. and Roma Active Albania invited 50 Roma youth activists from 17 countries to Berlin Schmöckwitz. The partnership-building seminar, financed by the “Youth in Action” Programme of the European Commission, aimed to strengthen the co-operation and networking of Roma youth organizations. The involvement was not limited to European Union member countries: Besides Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden also representatives from South East Europe (Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) participated in the seminar.

During four days the participants, representing 26 Roma youth organizations, spoke about common aims and visions to improve the situation of Roma youth in Europe. Small group discussions alternated with plenary meetings, in which ideas and strategies concerning the topics: intercultural learning, non-formal education, participation, empowerment issues and youth-mobilization were presented.

But the seminar was not limited to the core group: The participants were invited to the German Bundestag by the Minister of State Gernot Erler, to discuss political challenges and possibilities of the Roma minority in Europe.
With the aim to strengthen exchange and cooperation with non-Roma youth organizations, the participants also talked with several German youth organizations. The Muslim Youth, “Youth without Borders”, the German National Youth Council, Internationaler Bauorden and Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste (both organize international voluntary services) the Young European Federalists, the scouts, the Young Greens and the German Youth Delegates to the UN General Assembly met the Roma youth activists in the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

In co-operation with three other self-organized Roma organizations from Berlin, Amaro Drom e.V. prepared a local street festival "Herdelezi" in Berlin Neukölln, which provided the opportunity to meet the local youth. The participants presented traditional and modern Roma dance and music. Together with the beats of Fanfare Kalashnikov, participants and the local residents transformed the street to a joyful festival.

Networking and partnership-building activities continued beyond the very ambitious official program: In the “Jamboree Room” participants were able to relax after the working day, and continued with their discussions in a more private environment. During the last day the youth activists developed ideas for follow-up projects and common strategies. They agreed on topics for youth exchanges, youth initiatives and seminars and planned to create a best practice manual.

However, the end of the seminar is just the beginning. It sets the starting point for the development of concrete projects and shared support systems on the European level. The common vision of the youth organizations, which met in Berlin, is not to become reality until the Roma youth is actively involved in the development of a European society.

Aim: Develop comprehensive approach to work with Roma youth

Objectives
• Sharing experience
• Understanding central concepts of youth work and non-formal education
• Building partnership and developing international projects
• Good understanding to use the Youth in Action programme

Further links of interest
Youth page of European Commission
“Youth in Action”
SALTO Resource Centre (page on Roma)

Amaro Drom, Germany
We are the young and youth-led Roma-German association „Amaro Drom” which was established in 2006. Our main focus is the socio-cultural youth work, the strengthening of self-initiative, mobilization, networking and self-esteem of young Roma and their politicial and societal participation. The consciousness about their origin, culture and history, as well as about the culture and history of the country where they live, plays an important role. As young Europeans we actively want to contribute to society for more tolerance and respect, mutual understanding and integration.

Roma Active Albania
Roma Active Albania works in nine Albanian Roma communities, where Roma boards stimulate several groups to organise small-scale activities with a low budget. This teaches grassroots Roma and their allies to lobby for their own issues. Regular exchange between them has already resulted in a network of Roma leaders and an emerging youth network. RAA also experiments with creative methods to make people aware of Roma exclusion.