The main goal of the project Latvian Roma platform I “Dialogue, cooperation and involvement” was reached:
Cooperation, consultation and dialogue between Roma civil society, governmental and municipality institutions’ representatives and social partners have been facilitated in order to ensure effective involvement of all relevant stakeholders and provide better coordination of the development and implementation of the set of policy measures on Roma integration at the national, regional and local level.
In the result of the implementation of the project’s activities:
- Cooperation and dialogue between Roma civil society and representatives of state and local governmental institutions (local authorities, social workers, teachers, pedagogical staff), as well as social partners has been fostered.
- Roma representatives and local authorities from at least 12 municipalities are well informed on the access of Roma target group to the available financial resources of national and ESF supporting programmes (at least there are available four ESF supporting programmes regarding to the Roma social inclusion). In the next Latvian Roma platform project Roma mediators will foster Roma involvement and access to the measures of the aforementioned ESF supporting programmes.
- The participation and effective involvement of the representatives of Roma community, including Roma youth and Roma women, into the implementation of the set of Roma integration policy measures is facilitated; as well as the capacity and skills of representatives of Roma civil society has been strengthened.
- Awareness of the representatives of local government institutions (teachers, library specialists, social workers) and Roma as well as non-Roma NGOs representatives about Latvian Roma culture and history, especially about the Roma genocide during the World War II in Latvia has been raised. The cooperation with the Roma NGO and libraries at the local level is developed in order to organize events aimed at the popularization of Roma culture and good examples of Roma individuals, as well as promoting educational activities about Roma history and social situation nowadays.
- Coordination of the implementation of the set of policy measures on Roma integration has been improved at the national, regional and local level. Significant number of new stakeholders are involved in the process of implementation the Roma integration policy, especially at the local level. After the project many involved municipalities have interest to support Roma mediators in order to promote sustain dialogue between Roma families and municipality institutions and governmental agencies.
- Mutual learning and exchange of best practices on Roma integration in key areas at the local and regional level has been supported.
- There is a list of specialists and experts, as well as Roma active persons which is elaborated in the project activities. This list could provide effective networking and better cooperation possibilities in the process of the setting up and implementation of the Roma integration measures, especially in the field of using ESF programmes for Roma social inclusion.
Totally there were 13 activities implemented during the project: 3 regional expert meetings and the best practice visits to municipalities; 4 practical workshops "Improving social situation of Roma families at the local level" in 4 municipalities; the cycle of educational lectures on Roma culture and history, as well as the exhibition "The Holocaust of Rome in Latvia (1941-1945)" in 3 municipalities (in cooperation with the "Roma Cultural Center"); training on project development and implementation for Roma activists and NGOs; support for Roma activists to participate in the meetings of the Roma Integration Advisory Council under the Ministry of Culture, as well as Latvian Roma Platform meeting.
