The Role of Civil Society Organisations in the Future of Roma Equality, Participation, and Inclusion

Panel Discussion

Thursday, April 11, 2024, 9:00 am – 11:45 am

For the initiative of the European Parliament, the European Commission has launched a continuation of the Roma Civil Monitor (RCM) pilot project (2017-2020) for the next four years (2021-2025). The title of the follow-up project is “Preparatory action – Roma Civil Monitoring: Strengthening capacity and involvement of Roma and pro-Roma civil society in policy monitoring and review” and is implemented by a consortium of Democracy Institute of the Central European University (DI CEU, project leader), ERGO Network, Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) and European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC).

The RCM contributes to the ambitious objectives of the new EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020-2030 in several ways:

Strengthening the capacities of the Roma and pro-Roma civil society to provide independent monitoring, assessment and reporting on national strategies for Roma equality, participation and inclusion, their implementation, as well as other policies with impact on Roma,
Supporting participating civil society organisations and activists in their advocacy work aimed at making the public policy more effective in fighting the Roma exclusion and participation, as well as communication of the independent monitoring’s findings to keep governments accountable in the field or Roma inclusion policy,
Empowering the Roma and pro-Roma civil society to engage in dialogue and cooperation with public authorities responsible for the Roma inclusion, equality, and fight against racism

The RCM’s first monitoring cycle has been completed, and reports on the quality of the Member States’ new national Roma strategic frameworks (NRSFs) are now available. An RCM synthesis report summarising findings from RCM country reports served as one source for the 2022 EC Communication assessing the new NRSFs. The upcoming Romani Week is an appropriate opportunity to present selected findings from the RCM’s first monitoring cycle.

The focus of the RCM Event:

Following consultation with the Consortium Members, national coordinators implementing the RCM, and agreement with the EC, the event will focus on three main subtopic blocks.

Funding for Roma civil society functioning: The block aims to provide more insights into the funding opportunities for the development of the Roma Civil Society and its limitations.
Participation in policy-making processes: The block provides a platform for CSOs to share experiences about their participation in developing NRSFs and address the quality of their participation in other policy-making processes.
Opportunities for promotion of Roma’s rights and interests: Within this block, the main approaches, opportunities, and limitations of interest representation of Roma communities will be discussed.

Agenda

08:30 – 09:15 Registration and arrival of participants

09:15 – 09:30 Opening

Moderator: Dan Pavel Doghi, Team Leader, Non-discrimination: Anti-racism and Roma coordination Unit, European Commission

MEP Anna Donath, Hungary, Renew Europe Group
Katarina Ivankovic Knezevic, Director for Social Rights and Inclusion– Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL), European Commission

09:30 – 10:15 Theme 1: Funding for Roma civil society functioning

Moderator: Carmen Tanasie, Policy Officer, ERGO Network

Ondrej Novotny, Romodrom, Czechia
Florin Moisa, Resource Center for Roma Communities, Romania
Participatory discussion and Q&A

10:15 – 11:00 Theme 2: Participation in policy-making processes

Moderator: Roland Ferkovics, RCM Co-Manager, CEU Democracy Institute

Rafael Saavedra Rodriguez, FSG, Spain
Sinisa Senad Music, Roma Youth Organization of Croatia
Participatory discussion and Q&A

11:00 – 11:45 Theme 3: Opportunities for the promotion of Roma’s rights and interests

Moderator: Bernard Rorke, Advocacy and Policy Manager, European Roma Rights Centre

Nina Trollvige, Trajosko Drom, Sweden
Marietta Herfort, Phiren Amenca, Hungary
Participatory discussion and Q&A

11:45 Closing

Dan Pavel Doghi, Team Leader, Non-discrimination: Anti-racism and Roma coordination Unit, European Commission

The event will be livestreamed in English here.

Thursday, April 11, 2024 - 7:00AM - Thursday, April 11, 2024 - 9:45AM Add to Calendar 2024-04-11 07:00:00 2024-04-11 09:45:00 The Role of Civil Society Organisations in the Future of Roma Equality, Participation, and Inclusion For the initiative of the European Parliament, the European Commission has launched a continuation of the Roma Civil Monitor (RCM) pilot project (2017-2020) for the next four years (2021-2025). The title of the follow-up project is “Preparatory action – Roma Civil Monitoring: Strengthening capacity and involvement of Roma and pro-Roma civil society in policy monitoring and review” and is implemented by a consortium of Democracy Institute of the Central European University (DI CEU, project leader), ERGO Network, Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) and European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC). The RCM contributes to the ambitious objectives of the new EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020-2030 in several ways: Strengthening the capacities of the Roma and pro-Roma civil society to provide independent monitoring, assessment and reporting on national strategies for Roma equality, participation and inclusion, their implementation, as well as other policies with impact on Roma, Supporting participating civil society organisations and activists in their advocacy work aimed at making the public policy more effective in fighting the Roma exclusion and participation, as well as communication of the independent monitoring’s findings to keep governments accountable in the field or Roma inclusion policy, Empowering the Roma and pro-Roma civil society to engage in dialogue and cooperation with public authorities responsible for the Roma inclusion, equality, and fight against racism The RCM’s first monitoring cycle has been completed, and reports on the quality of the Member States’ new national Roma strategic frameworks (NRSFs) are now available. An RCM synthesis report summarising findings from RCM country reports served as one source for the 2022 EC Communication assessing the new NRSFs. The upcoming Romani Week is an appropriate opportunity to present selected findings from the RCM’s first monitoring cycle. The focus of the RCM Event: Following consultation with the Consortium Members, national coordinators implementing the RCM, and agreement with the EC, the event will focus on three main subtopic blocks. Funding for Roma civil society functioning: The block aims to provide more insights into the funding opportunities for the development of the Roma Civil Society and its limitations. Participation in policy-making processes: The block provides a platform for CSOs to share experiences about their participation in developing NRSFs and address the quality of their participation in other policy-making processes. Opportunities for promotion of Roma’s rights and interests: Within this block, the main approaches, opportunities, and limitations of interest representation of Roma communities will be discussed. Agenda 08:30 – 09:15 Registration and arrival of participants 09:15 – 09:30 Opening Moderator: Dan Pavel Doghi, Team Leader, Non-discrimination: Anti-racism and Roma coordination Unit, European Commission MEP Anna Donath, Hungary, Renew Europe Group Katarina Ivankovic Knezevic, Director for Social Rights and Inclusion– Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL), European Commission 09:30 – 10:15 Theme 1: Funding for Roma civil society functioning Moderator: Carmen Tanasie, Policy Officer, ERGO Network Ondrej Novotny, Romodrom, Czechia Florin Moisa, Resource Center for Roma Communities, Romania Participatory discussion and Q&A 10:15 – 11:00 Theme 2: Participation in policy-making processes Moderator: Roland Ferkovics, RCM Co-Manager, CEU Democracy Institute Rafael Saavedra Rodriguez, FSG, Spain Sinisa Senad Music, Roma Youth Organization of Croatia Participatory discussion and Q&A 11:00 – 11:45 Theme 3: Opportunities for the promotion of Roma’s rights and interests Moderator: Bernard Rorke, Advocacy and Policy Manager, European Roma Rights Centre Nina Trollvige, Trajosko Drom, Sweden Marietta Herfort, Phiren Amenca, Hungary Participatory discussion and Q&A 11:45 Closing Dan Pavel Doghi, Team Leader, Non-discrimination: Anti-racism and Roma coordination Unit, European Commission The event will be livestreamed in English here. European Committee of the Regions, Room VMA21, Rue Belliard 99, 1040 Brussels, Belgium UTC public

Thursday

April

2024

9:00AM

Hybrid Event

RSVP not required

Off-campus

European Committee of the Regions, Room VMA21, Rue Belliard 99, 1040 Brussels, Belgium

Livestream

Host

CEU Democracy Institute

Audience

Invited Guests

Please, be informed that video/photo recording might take place at the event and the edited version of the video material might be published to communicate or promote CEU PU’s activities. Please, find our Privacy Notice here.