With Roma People from
Banat : Working together for a Local Sustainable Development
§
Pilot project coordinated by the Intercultural Institute Timisoara, part
of the Confidence Building Measures Programme of the Council of Europe
§
April 2001 – March 2002
§
Periam and Satchinez villages from Timis county
Periam, Timis county. Village situated 50 km from Timisoara.
Population: aprox. 6.500 inhabitants, in
part (1.200) Roma.
Satchinez, Timis county. Village situated 30
km from Timisoara.
Population : aprox. 4.000 inhabitants,
in part (500) Roma.
§
Participants : 10 young Roma ( 5 from each village) ; 10 young
non-Roma students, with different fields of interest : social, political
science, educational science, journalism.
Objectives :
§
Promotion of a long, local, sustainable development based on the
democratic participation and on the partnership between the majority and
minority in 2 multicultural communities from Banat with a considerable number
of Roma (people) ;
§
Encouragement of a positive attitude towards the Roma community and
putting partnerships on this subject/theme into practice, at a regional,
national and cross border level.
§
Creating and dissemination of a good practice example that could serve,
in other contexts, to the development of respecting good understanding based
relationships between the Roma and non-Roma.
Abstract:
Despite the fact that the
statistics concerning Roma communities show important differences, the main
part of the results present Romania to be the European country with the largest
Roma population. In 1992, during the last census, aprox. 450.000 Romanian
citizens declared themselves to be Roma. However, there are statistics that
show, in this sense, numbers between 1 to 2 million. To sum it up, from the
number point of view, the Roma community is the second minoritary ethnic group
in Romania, the first being the Hungarian one.
About our activities:
After a first formation session, which had as main objectives:
facilitating trustful personal relationships among young people and
understanding the objectives and the project’s ideals, the 2 groups have
analysed the communities’ problems. The results obtained in this way, were the
main issue to start from at the second formation session, directed/oriented
towards defining of some concrete/clear solutions to the identified problems.
The young people have worked together with the Roma community’s leaders, with
the local authorities and all the interested members, minority and majority,
from the target groups, with the purpose of putting into practice certain local
projects concerning the solving of these problems.
The young participants
are involved in the dissemination faze of this project, action based on the
writing of a publication and the promotion of a video cassette and also the
organizing of a dissemination seminar, where more representatives of Roma
communities from Romania and Yugoslavia will be invited. Planning this in time,
will take into account both the reality restraints in the 2 communities and the
programme the young non-Roma students have.
Evaluation:
Aiming a gradual
evaluation, regular work reunions were organized, with the participation of the
young people involved in the project and that of the 2 organizations’
representatives’ part of it. A general evaluation was done at the closing of
the project. An important source of the evaluation was the impact and the
quality of the field activities extracted from the film, done on the project.
Preparation phase:
May-July 2001
-
The selection, in agreement with A.S.C.R.B.,
of the 2 communities.
-
The selection of the young Roma, members of
the 2 communities.
-
The selection of the young non-Roma.
Applying the project phase:
-
July 31st – August 3rd
– formation session I – 24 people – Baile Herculane
-
August – September 2001 – field activities, inquiries concerning the
problems of the 2 communities
-
11-14 October 2001 – formation session II – 24 people – Baile Herculane
-
October – December 2001 – partner work in the communities; evaluation
meetings; elaboration and application of the projects concerning the solving of
the 2 communities’ problems.
The results obtained from
the inquiries, questionnaires and interviews held with the members of the 2
communities
|
|
Total |
|
Poverty |
53, 75 % |
|
Lack of jobs |
43, 75 % |
|
Lack of water |
21, 25 % |
|
Lack of practicable
streets and roads |
21, 25 % |
|
Improper homes |
11, 25 % |
|
Street illumination |
8, 75 % |
|
Relationships with
local authorities |
6, 25 % |
|
Lack of land to work |
5 % |
|
Health |
5 % |
|
Lack of sewerage |
6, 25 % |
|
Lack of public
transportation |
15 % |
|
Lack of playgrounds for
children |
1, 25 % |
|
Others |
|
|
Total |
100% |
Projects initiated by the
young Roma and non-Roma:
1.founding a young Roma
from Satchinez association
-Presently
60 percent finalized
-Local authorities have partly
financially supported it
2. Campaign to collect
material help for community members from Satchinez
-
Young non-Roma have done this in schools
from Timisoara
-
The young Roma have managed the distribution
process of the things donated by the schools from Timisoara
3.Founding of a tiles and
bricks factory
-
Presently a finance source is being looked
for
4. The making of the film
on the project
5.The recondition of the
main road into the community
6.Establishment a youth
local NGO
Periam
-Following
this, the conclusion reached was that specialized medical expertise was needed
for people with physical and mental disabilities
-The
disabled people were transported to Timisoara by a mini-bus where they were
checked up and were given medical certificates that will enable them to receive
a financial help from the state
-Some
special courses for the illiterates in the school from Periam will be organized
as soon as the Ministry of Education, through its representatives in Timisoara,
will give their approval