The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
Time to read
2 minutes
Print
a- a+
Published 16 years ago
Last updated 1 year ago
Read so far

Enhancing Participation among Roma

0 comments

The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) is coordinating an initiative to promote discussion on how to enhance political and civil participation among Roma communities in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania, and Spain. Participants hail from Roma rights organisations, trade unions, civil associations, administration and decision-making bodies, and citizens from both Roma communities and the majority society. The goal is to stimulate debate and discussion among social and political actors and activists around questions such as: What is the present state of the social, political, and civic participation of the Roma population in Europe? What are the obstacles to that participation? What can politicians, educators, activists, etc, do to improve it? Specific objectives include:

  • to promote discussion and develop recommendations on how to enhance participation among Roma;
  • to bring Roma activists closer to trade unions, civil associations, decision-makers, and administrators in order to promote their participation at the national and European Union (EU) level;
  • to promote awareness among Roma in relation to the opportunities of participation in decision-making processes at the local, national, and EU level; and
  • to promote awareness among trade unions and civil associations, initiatives, administrators, and decision-makers of the necessity to encourage participation among Roma and to promote intercultural dialogue.
Communication Strategies

This project draws on the interaction that both the internet and face-to-face encounters facilitate, with networking as the core strategy. By communicating with each other, Roma and Roma rights activists are exchanging knowledge on participation channels at a local, national, and EU level. One of the core activities of the project is the creation of a network of people/organisations involved in efforts to foster the social and political participation of Roma (in areas such as education, culture, policy, etc). Participating in this network entails receiving information to debate via email, and online dialogue through a specially created e-forum.

In addition, workshops and national panels in the various countries covered by the project are enabling discussions on how to make participation more accessible to Roma at a local, national, and EU level. These seminars have consistently included representatives of Roma associations engaged with issues related to political participation, immigration, and education. Roundtables have also featured attendance by representatives of the government, public administration, political parties, university personnel, and journalists. Based on these encounters, a report with concrete recommendations for improving the political participation of Roma will be elaborated and then presented and discussed at an international conference in Brussels, Belgium. The purpose of this experience will be to exchange information and discuss existing participation mechanisms at the EU level.

Development Issues

Political Participation, Rights.

Key Points

"Due to the extremely low rates of Roma participation in decision making processes at the local, national and EU levels there is an urgent need to promote participation of the minority."

ERIO is an international advocacy organisation which promotes political and public discussion on Roma issues by providing information on a range of policy issues to European Union institutions, Roma civil organisations, governmental authorities, and intergovernmental bodies.

Partners

The project is coordinated by ERIO, in collaboration with the Tolerance and Mutual Aid Foundation - TMAF (Bulgaria), the Dzeno Association (Czech Republic), the Federation of Roma Organisations of Catalonia - FAGIC (Spain), and the PER Regional Center for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (Romania). Funded by the "Europe for Citizens" Programme managed by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).

Sources

ERIO website, August 5 2009.