[2]Europe’s estimated 10 million Roma are its largest minority. Most live outside of mainstream society, are subject to gross human rights abuses and are denied their equal rights as citizens. Forced expulsions and internal resettlements of Roma occur routinely. Anti-Roma protests are frequent; many are violent.
Basic human rights is a cornerstone of democratic society. It is also a requirement of European Union (EU) member states and applicant countries. Governments throughout Central and Eastern Europe, where most Roma live, must fulfill their commitments under the Decade of Roma Inclusion, which seeks to accelerate progress toward improving the welfare of Roma in a transparent way. Political parties must include Roma as candidates, members and supporters. Roma themselves must organize to secure political representation and influence within their respective countries and at the European level.
Since 2004, NDI has implemented a regional initiative to promote Roma political participation in Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia. The initiative is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy, with additional support by the Open Society Institute, USAID and the Council of Europe. With NDI training, Roma are entering politics by joining mainstream political parties, undertaking grassroots and national advocacy campaigns to secure their human rights and change public attitudes, and assuming government office to steer public policy to outcomes that improve Roma communities concretely. To date, NDI has worked with more than 1,000 Roma throughout the region.
Slovak voters elected 29 Romani mayors and 330 local councilors in 2010 local elections, based on their issue-based electoral platforms, targeted campaign messages and proactive electoral campaigns, including door-to-door canvassing in segregated Roma settlements. Approximately 10 percent of the elected Roma were NDI participants.
At the local level, Romani elected officials and civic activists have engaged their communities and municipal administrations to resolve critical everyday issues that Romani settlements face, including access to running water, better roads and schooling for children.
Roma policymakers from eight countries attended a recent NDI-facilitated summit in Bucharest to compare such challenges as lack of funding and political support and to seek solutions to common problems facing their communities. For their part, Romani officials have promoted Roma integration and at times publicly spoken out against deficiencies in government policy.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of International Roma Day on April 8, 2011, NDI convened a public discussion of Roma issues and released a short film called Who are the Roma? to raise public awareness about the situation of Roma in Europe.
For more information about these programs, use our contact form [16] or contact:
Washington, D.C.
Catherine Messina Pajic, Deputy Regional Director
cpajic@ndi.org [17]
Nadia Mouzykina, Program Officer
nmouzykina@ndi.org [18]
Subscribe to updates about the Roma Political Participation Initiative [19]
Pictured Above: Roma suffer disproportionately high rates of illiteracy, joblessness, poverty and infant mortality.
Links:
[1] http://www.ndi.org/roma-political-participation-initiative
[2] http://www.ndi.org/node/17999
[3] http://www.ndi.org/Roma_Making_Political_Strides_in_Bulgaria_and_Slovakia
[4] http://www.ndi.org/node/88
[5] http://www.ndi.org/node/13717
[6] http://www.ndi.org/node/13577
[7] http://www.ndi.org/node/13650
[8] http://www.ndi.org/node/13547
[9] http://www.ndi.org/node/13629
[10] http://www.ndi.org/node/13546
[11] http://www.ndi.org/node/13475
[12] http://www.ndi.org/node/13222
[13] http://www.ndi.org/strategies-to-help-Roma
[14] http://www.ndi.org/node/14341
[15] http://www.ndi.org/ndi-celebrates-40th-roma-day
[16] http://www.ndi.org/contactus
[17] mailto:cpajic@ndi.org
[18] mailto:nmouzykina@ndi.org
[19] http://feeds.feedburner.com/Ndi-RomaPoliticalParticipation