MINELRES: Forum of European Roma Young People

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Valeria Bodoczky <valeriabodoczky@hotmail.com


FORUM OF EUROPEAN ROMA YOUNG PEOPLE
feryp2003@yahoo.com

This information can be used for press release.

We are delighted to inform all our members, associates, colleagues and
other interested actors that after such a long period of informal
existence, the Forum of European Roma Young People - FERYP, has been
officially registered.

FERYP has existed as European Association since the 26/02/2003 and has 
its seat in Strasbourg - the European capital.

Below we provide you with some information and an application form
detailing  our next activity - the study session "Roma communities and
leadership concepts", some general information about the organization
and its contact details.
 
The application forms for the seminar are also available in Romanes and
French.

Please send the electronic application forms and direct all other
questions to the following e-mail address: feryp2003@yahoo.com.
 
History:

In May 1995 the Youth Directorate of the Council of Europe organized the
first European Training course for young Roma/Gypsy leaders: "Situation
and perspectives for the young Roma/Gypsy and Travelers in Europe" -
held under the European Youth campaign against Racism, Anti-Semitism,
Xenophobia and Intolerance, "All different, all equal". The follow-up of
this course was a seminar about networking between young Roma/Gypsy,
held in September 1996 in Budapest.
 
The mission of FERYP is to prepare the new/future generation of Young
Roma to act for the improvement of the situation of the Roma communities
in Europe.  FERYP will be representing its members and associates on a
European level and co-coordinating and implementing activities with
European and national dimensions  - with, for and by Young Roma/Gypsy,
designed to achieve the following objectives:

General objectives: 

- Provide information to members and non-members
- Provide training to members and non-members
- Lobby and representation
- Capacity building and support of local initiatives and projects
(including institutional support/funding)
- Co-ordination/Logistic role for implementation of activities and
projects, which are addressing specific needs and problems
- Provide training and consultancy to non-Roma organizations and
institutions that are willing to develop programs and activities
targeting the Roma community.

Activities:

For the achievement of its objectives FERYP can organize and implement,
by itself or in co-operation with other organizations, the following
type of activities:

- European training, seminars and meetings aimed at improving the
capacity and the competencies of its members
- Publications and information bulletins
- Research activities
- Youth exchanges, language courses and other international activities
aimed at promotion of co-operation and dialogue between the Roma/Gypsy
communities in Europe
- Fundraising activities aimed at providing the necessary means for the
work of the organization
- Audio-visual activities aimed at raising awareness within the European
society about the situations and the aspirations of the Young Roma/Gypsy
as well as to provide information related to this
- Other activities

Implemented activities:

- 1998 Training course "Development of the European Roma/Gypsy Youth
movement"
- 1999 Training course "Training of Roma/Gypsy young multipliers"
- 1999 Seminar "Young Roma Women - twice discriminated�?"
- 2000 Seminar: "Young Roma/Gypsy people in the new millennium: between
tradition and modernity"
- 2001 Training on project management.
 
Membership:

FERYP is open to 2 categories of members:
- Associations, institutions and foundations, national and local, of
Roma/Gypsy, with the statute of full members;
- Individual members.

Seat and address:

The seat of the organization is in the European capital - Strasbourg,
France.
Strasbourg 67 100, 1 rue de l"Ancienne Ecole, France.

European Bureau members:

President  - Alexandra RAYKOVA, Bulgaria 
Secretary - Dominique STEINBERGER,
France                                        
Treasurer- Ramiza SAKIP, Republic of Macedonia
Member - Demetrio Gomez AVILA, Spain
Member - Valeria BODOCZKY, Hungary.