The National Roma Centrum on behalf of 10th December, World Human Rights Day organized a meeting for the press. NRC’s activities were presented at the meeting
Advocacy in relation to health rights for women in their reproductive period, who use social welfare, legalization of Roma homes, eased approach of poor citizens to justice via the pro bono legal assistance we provide, efforts for inclusion of Roma educational mediators in the system, fighting against social exclusion of marginalized rural communities from Bulgaria, Romania and Macedonia, through development and testing of original social services in the communities. This is only part of the projects and activities on which NRC’s team worked during 2013.
Several activities began in 2011 and 2012, and some will continue in 2014 and 2015. NRC’s task is to be the Roma voice in institutions on a national and international level and to promote equal participation of Roma in the society. NRC’s activities related to advocacy, free legal aid, health, education, personal documentation are part of the process of the Decade for Roma inclusion 2005-2015.
„Through strengthened voice to improved health services” is one of the rare projects for advocacy in R. Macedonia. In the period between December 2012 and December 2013, NRC set upon itself a noble task- every woman that receives social welfare and is in their reproductive period at the ages 15-49 not to pay for the participation necessary for ante-natal exams during pregnancy.
The state’s goal is to pay around 50 000 euro annually for the participation necessary for ante-natal exams. Our evaluation has shown that there are 32 222 women at the ages between 15 and 49, social welfare users.
Five NGOs that work on health rights in Macedonia supported the project. We met with over 30 representatives of hospitals, public health institutions, deputies, representatives of political parties from almost all political parties in the country, representatives of Ministries, advisers in the government of R. Macedonia. We also met over 30 Roma women in five cities in the country.
Within the frameworks of the second phase of the project “Legalization of Roma housing” from a total number of 1559 submissions for legalization, 259 candidates received legal assistance, 182 received initial legal advice for their requests and only 2 have finished procedures. A total number of 371 persons have submitted geodesic elaborates, 18 need to register property rights, 72 have received solutions for legalization.
The project began in 2012, and needs to end in 2015. Its purpose is through financial and technical support for the process to increase the percentage of legalized homes in R. Macedonia, i.e. six municipalities in Skopje, Kumanovo, Kocani, Prilep, Tetovo and Stip, where most of the Roma population is located.
The project “Increase of efficiency of pro bono assistance” is pointed towards contribution in improvement of efficiency of mechanisms for ease of approach to justice for poor citizens and vulnerable categories of citizens and especially for the members of the Roma community through improvement of standards in providing of legal assistance and recommendations based on analyses.
This project began in January 2013, and will finish by the end of December this year. Till November 372 legal general legal information were provided, 51 initial legal advice, 14 submissions were submitted for pro bono legal aid and NRC is currently involved in preparation of analyses for application of the Free legal aid law for 2013.
Fighting against social exclusion of young people from marginalized Roma rural communities in Bulgaria, Romania and Macedonia through development and testing of original social services in the communities. This was the goal of the project “Promotion of social inclusion of young people from marginalized rural communities”, that began in October 2011 and ended in September 2013.
What results did we achieve? Among the most significant are: Mapping of the socio-education structure f the young Roma from Miladinovci and Kumanovo, realized cooperation with primary school “Braka Miladinovci”, informing and providing of space for meetings with larger groups of young Roma, a support center was established and information were exchanged with municipalities and institutions.
The project “Institutionalization of Roma education mediators” predicts preparation of financial implications for inclusion of Roma education mediators in the system, acceptance of this strategic framework by the Government of Republic of Macedonia and inclusion of Roma education mediators in the system (phase one). The project will be realized in the period between September 2013 and March 2014.
The main and ultimate goal of this project is to include at least 4, and 11 at most, Roma education mediators. Until then financial analyses will be done, adoption of Roma education mediators as well promotion of the project and rising of awareness about their importance in traditional media and social networks.