MINELRES: Council of Europe seminar: European Experience and Ukrainian Practice

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Roma Network <romale@zahav.net.il>


From: Olga Rudakova <rudakova@irf.kiev.ua>
 
ROMA: EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE AND THE UKRAINIAN PRACTICE
 
The first round table on the "Development of Roma communities and
improvement of social conditions of Roma of Ukraine" was held in Odessa
on 30-31 October 2003. The round-table was jointly organized by the
Council of Europe Migration and Roma/Gypsy  Department and the Roma
Women's Charitable Fund "Chiricly".

The purpose of the round table was to assess the situation of Roma in
Ukraine, identify possible priority fields of co-operation to improve
the situation and discuss the perspectives for Roma community
development and the improvement of their social conditions which was the
aim of the State Programme "Social and cultural renaissance of Roma".

About 30 persons attended the round table. Roma organizations from
Brovary (Kyiv region), Vinnitsa, Transcarpathian region, Izmail and
Kiliya (Odessa region), Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Chernigiv were present.
Governmental structures were also represented � the Institute of
Legislation of the Verkhovna Rada (Supreme Council) of Ukraine (Kyiv),
Department of Nationalities and Migration (Kharkov and Odessa regional
state administrations), the Regional Centre for Employment and the
Regional Health Centre (Odessa regional administration). 

The German Society of Odessa region and Women's Information Consultative
Center (Kyiv) were also present. 

The work of the round table was covered by the Odessa mass media, and
journalists from the Roma newspaper "Romani Yag".

Roma leaders described the problems facing the roma population and
suggested ways of solving them with the help of the state. They also
criticized the adopted programme as follows:

- The programme needed to be developed and to have clear objectives,
identify the ministries responsible for the implementation of the
strategy, and include a detailed budget.

- The participants acknowledged that the state had taken positive steps
to recognise existing problem in the situation of Roma in Ukraine. 

- An important prerequisite would be the involvement of the Roma
community in implementing the programme with a view to creating
efficient mechanism for  carrying out and  monitoring planned actions.

Olena Semjorkina (Institute of Legislation of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine)
told about necessity of creation integral conception of politics on
Roma. Absence of certain laws and legal acts creates additional
obstacles in solving practical problems. One of such gaps is absence of
precise legal regulations on creating and existence of Sunday schools.
Schools, which national societies establish, are different from those,
established by religious societies.

Very important is still the problem of mechanism of Roma participation
in governmental bodies, which are involved in issues of improvement of
life of Roma community. This also regards to state program being
discussed. Government puts all responsibility to city/town councils.
They can solve some of the problems, but not great number of others. 

The Council of Europe represented Mr. Henry Scicluna (coordinator of
Council of Europe activities for Roma, Gypsies and Ttravellers), Ms.
Eleni Tsetsekou (Joint project "Roma under the Stability Pact", Joint
project "Roma women and access to public health care"), they present to
participants experience of other counties in developing and implementing
Program for Roma, and also they present good examples and policy papers
concerning Roma (ECRI general policy recommendation about combating
racism and intolerance against Roma/Gypsies, Recommendations of the
Committee of Ministers to member states on improving the economic and
employment situation of Roma/Gypsies and Travellers in Europe and on the
education of Roma/Gypsy children in Europe).

Mr. Henry Scicluna, Council of Europe, noted that from one side it is
very good that the State created the program "Social and cultural
renascence of Roma", the program has a very good recommendations, but
the main question - how it will be implemented. The main criticism is
that the program is general. It is very important now to create a group
of specialist, which will work in cooperation with Roma community and
Leaders, and will develop working plan on the basis of Roma communities
needs. 

Eleni Tsetsekou, Council of Europe, noted that for the last years
European community more and more often addresses to problems of Roma.
This is connected with several aspects:
- Protection of rights of minorities;
- Struggle with racism, xenophobia and connected types of intolerance;
- Elimination of social exclusion.

While elaborating recommendations for government, it�s important to make
a stress on active and leading role of Roma in the process of
realization of state program. For this a special body should be created
(coordinative council, advisory committee, working group or other
structure).

At the end of work of the Round-table a resolution was taken. It
contains thoughts and ideas, expressed during the meeting.