MINELRES: PER Report: Roma in Multiethnic Communities in Serbia

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Alex Grigor'ev <alex.grigorev@per-usa.org>


Dear Colleagues,

Attached is a new report by the Project on Ethnic Relations.   This
report covers PER's roundtable on Roma in Multiethnic Communities in
Serbia held in the Serbian city of Nis on September 24, 2002.

For more information about PER go to www.per-usa.org.

Sincerely,


Alex N. Grigor'ev
Program Officer

Project on Ethnic Relations
15 Chambers Street
Princeton, NJ 08542-3707, USA
Tel. 609-683-5666
Fax 419-858-4443 or 609-683-5888
PER general e-mail: per@per-usa.org
PER Web Site: www.per-usa.org


________________________________________________

Roma in Multiethnic Communities in Serbia

September 24, 2002
Nis, Yugoslavia


Preface

The Project on Ethnic Relations (PER), in cooperation with the Yugoslav
Federal Ministry for Ethnic and National Communities, the City of Nis,
YuRom Centar, and other Romani organizations from Serbia, organized a
roundtable discussion in Nis, Yugoslavia on September 24, 2002.  The
objective of the discussion was two fold � 1) to explore ways in which
to improve the situation of the Roma in Serbia through greater Romani
participation in local self-government and; 2) to assess methods for
implementation of the new Serbian Law on Local Self-Government and the
Yugoslav Federal Law on Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities.

The tragic experience and legacy of interethnic conflicts in the former
Yugoslavia highlights the vast difficulties underscoring the achievement
of peaceful and harmonious coexistence. Yet, in the view of PER, there
could not have been a more opportune time to hold this discussion. 
Serbia today is entering a new, more democratic era. Having undergone
considerable change since October 2000, the country has a landmark
opportunity to break with its history of ethnic animosity and catch up
with its neighbors in the process of greater democratization.

The Nis roundtable marked the most recent of PER�s efforts to address
the problems of the Romani community within Serbia and Yugoslavia. The
predecessor to the Nis meeting, held in Belgrade in February 2001,
gathered for the first time all major Romani leaders and Serbian and
Yugoslav authorities to discuss the Roma�s political status and the
government�s strategy for the future. It allowed the Romani leadership
to express its
views and to evaluate the national minority law that was, at the time,
under preparation.  The participants urged the government to give the
Roma the status of national minority and to mention the Romani community
in the legislation.

In contrast, the Nis roundtable focused on the cooperation and
participation of the Roma in addressing and solving their problems at
the municipal level. In the view of PER, this was a critical moment for
the Roma of Yugoslavia to discuss these issues as major reforms were
underway. Both the recently adopted laws on national communities,
including legislation to advance minority rights and local
self-government as well as efforts to build up governmental programs for
Roma created a unique situation in which to find solutions to the
longstanding problems of the Roma.

The discussion, part of a series of meetings on multiethnic local
governance that PER is conducting in Central and South Eastern Europe,
was funded through a special grant by the Ford Foundation (USA).
Participating were representatives of the Romani community in Serbia;
officials from the Yugoslav government; Serbian local and republican
authorities; representatives of the Government of Hungary�s Office for
National and Ethnic Minorities; the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); the Council of Europe; the U.S. Embassy in
FRY; and various Yugoslav and international non governmental and
academic organizations. Among those present was a Deputy Prime Minister
of Serbia.

This report begins with an overview of the challenges facing the Roma
within multiethnic societies, underscoring the way in which local
government can serve as a powerful tool to both protect minority rights
and to promote peaceful coexistence. The proceedings of the roundtable
are summarized under the headings of its main themes: state policy
toward the Roma in Yugoslavia and Serbia; current Roma-related issues;
examples of fruitful cooperation between the Roma and local authorities;
and experiences from neighboring countries.

Aleksandar Vidojevic of the PER office in Belgrade and Andrzej Mirga,
chair of the PER Romani Advisory Council and co-chair of the Specialist
Group on Roma/Gypsies of the Council of Europe prepared the report of
the meeting which was edited by the PER staff.  PER would like to give
special thanks to the City of Nis, to YuRom Centar and its president,
Osman Balic for cooperation on the project.  PER takes full
responsibility for the report, which has not been reviewed by the
participants.

Allen H. Kassof, President
Livia B. Plaks, Executive Director
Princeton, New Jersey
March 2003


Background

The Central and Eastern European (CEE) region continues to undergo
significant transformation, both socially and economically. States today
face not only the daunting tasks of democratization and economic
development, but also the challenge of greater European integration
through NATO and EU enlargement. The decentralization of state powers
and administration has played a pivotal role in this regard; countries
such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Hungary
concluded decentralization in the early 1990s � whereas others, like
Serbia, have only begun to undertake this process more recently.

The introduction of local government and enhancement of local democracy
poses a particular challenge to authorities within multiethnic
communities and municipalities. The tragic experience of the ethnic wars
and regional violence of the last decade underscores many of the
difficulties in achieving peaceful and harmonious ethnic coexistence.
Representative democracy at the local level, however, may play a
powerful role in reversing this trend, by giving a greater voice to
minorities.

Frequently among the most disadvantaged in society, the Romani community
has only recently taken a more active role in politics; since the
beginning of the 1990s, the Roma have begun to increase ethnic and
political mobilization efforts within the CEE region. Their claims to be
regarded as a legitimate minority and political entity have been
acknowledged and supported by both the international community as well
as national governments.

The past decade has witnessed the emergence of an extensive body of
literature devoted to the Roma, detailing both their situation and the
problems they face within Europe. Indeed, a number of recommendations
advanced by international organizations have helped shape government
policies toward the Romani community. What these recommendations
systematically fail to mention however, is the critical link between
Romani advancement and their involvement in local self-government and/or
cooperative relationships with local authorities. Indeed, if government
efforts to improve the situation of the Roma are to be achieved, changes
at the local level must be considered.

Advocacy efforts undertaken by Romani leaders have until now been
principally targeted toward international institutions and national
governments. Roma active at the local level have been largely involved
in small-scale projects carried out by the Romani and non-Romani civil
sector. While dealing with the Roma has become a subject of rancorous
political debate at the federal and republican levels of government,
this has interestingly not been the case at the local level. On the
contrary, Romani leaders have been particularly effective in exerting
pressure upon local authorities to address problems of concern to their
communities.

Yet it is clear that strategies to improve minority rights must be
targeted at all levels of government, since programs designed at the
federal and/or republican level must be implemented locally. It is
therefore critical not only that legal measures and institutions be put
in place in order to implement these policies, but that local
authorities have the means by which to translate these policies into
practice.

In focusing on the case of the Roma in Serbia, the principal aims of the
roundtable were to address not only issues of general concern to the
Romani population, but to provide specific recommendations to:

Increase Romani awareness of the political process;
Raise awareness among local authorities as to their obligations
vis-�-vis the Roma;
Encourage authorities to create institutions at the local level to
respondto Romani concerns;
Find working mechanisms at the local level to more effectively implement
minority laws and programs for the Roma;
Design measures to increase the level of active participation of Roma in
public life, especially in decision-making bodies at the municipal and
self-government levels;
Establish methods for better cooperation and coordination among local
authorities and the local civil sector.


Local Self-Government

According to Article 4 of the Council of Europe�s European Charter of
Local Self-Government, powers divested to local authorities throughout
the region should be �full and exclusive�; they may not be �undermined
or limited by another, central or regional, authority except as provided
for by the law.� Local authorities maintain independent legal status,
act in their own name, manage spending and establish their own
operational structures; they are accountable to the local population and
elected democratically to serve their interests. Local self-governments
are responsible for tasks delegated to them by the state on a subsidiary
basis, such as managing primary and secondary education, planning and
building, public transportation, municipal housing, heath service, etc. 
Local authorities act primarily as servants not of the state, but rather
the local public.

A recent example demonstrates the sheer extent of local autonomy.
Several years ago, local authorities from the town of Usti nad Labem, in
the Czech Republic, erected a wall separating Roma from non-Roma
dwellers. Despite widespread condemnation of this act among central
authorities and critics abroad, local authorities upheld the decision on
legal grounds; in essence, there was nothing the central government
could do to change the situation. While a compromise solution was
eventually reached, the crisis nevertheless demonstrates the unique
powers of local self-government.

Policymakers seeking to implement integration policies may encounter
certain obstacles, including a lack of will on the part of authorities,
a shortage of resources, as well as conflicts arising from
majority-Romani relations. With a growing number of persons living below
the poverty line in many regions and localities, local authorities
helping the Roma may in fact face a backlash due to differences between
the Roma and non-Roma with regard to state support and subsidies for the
implementation of Romani programs. The implementation of these programs
could prove particularly contentious as local authorities choose between
principles of non-discrimination versus positive or affirmative
policies.

Observers have witnessed a disturbing trend in local politics � the
tendency among policymakers to delegate Romani issues to the local civil
sector (Romani and non-Romani) as opposed to local administration. 
Absent the visible involvement of state and local administration, the
civil sector frequently takes on many different roles, acting as a
service provider, advocacy agent, and caretaker. Moreover, where no such
civil agent exists, Romani issues are simply neglected.

The role of civil society in addressing and dealing with Romani issues
is viewed in an increasingly ambiguous light. Indeed, some Romani
activists criticize the efforts of this sector as part of a �Gypsy
industry.� State and local authorities have voiced their own criticism,
particularly with regard to the work of Romani organizations and
leadership. While some Romani activists fault the civil sector for
misuse of resources, namely, failing to reach the Romani community,
state and local officials point to the lack of transparency and
accountability among the Romani civil sector.

Such criticisms underscore the need for a clearer demarcation of the
specific tasks and obligations of state and local administrations versus
those of the civil sector. When such boundaries are blurred, those who
stand to gain the most from these services are put at increased risk.
For this reason, it is critical that representatives of the Romani
community assume a greater role in the political process within their
communities; by increasing their presence within elected bodies
(municipal councils, local self-governments) and administration, the
Roma can begin to take a more active role in shaping policies affecting
their community.


Roundtable Proceedings

Opening the discussion, PER�s Executive Director welcomed the Yugoslav
effort to address issues of importance to the Roma and stressed that the
active participation of the Roma in all levels of government would be
critical in determining the success of any such initiatives. Many such
programs failed in the past, she warned, because Romani communities
themselves had not been actively involved as partners.  She encouraged
authorities to work with Romani communities on all levels, particularly
the local level.

State policy toward the Roma in Yugoslavia and Serbia

According to the Minister of Ethnic and National Communities of the
Federal government, the central government is committed to addressing
the concerns of the Roma. As the most vulnerable segment of society, he
posited, the Roma�s status within Yugoslav society is one of a number of
criteria used to measure the level of inter-ethnic tolerance as well as
the success of the republican government�s minority policy. During
Milosevic�s rule, he maintained, the Romani community was treated
instrumentally; attention was paid to them only within the context of
upcoming elections. The present government, in contrast, has taken a
wholly different approach, he argued, by explicitly admitting the
existence of the Romani issue and the need for its resolution. While
government progress thus far may be judged as insufficient,
nevertheless, it must be considered a step in the right direction, he
said. The Romani problem, he contended, is one of enormous complexity
and can therefore not be solved overnight.

According to a participant, officials at the federal, republican, and
local levels of government are currently attempting to deal with Romani
issues in the following areas:

Legislation. Officials are developing legislation designed to improve
the legal standing and protection of Romani rights within the state and
society. Such legislation will likely include not only legal recognition
of the Roma as an ethnic minority within Serbia, but also provisions of
affirmative action toward that community. The minority rights of the
Roma, he added, have already been promulgated in the Federal Law on
Protection of Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities. In addition,
the Law on Local Self-Government, he argued, enables greater minority
participation in local authorities and administration. This law in
particular would pave the way for greater inclusion of the Roma within
local decision-making bodies.

Encouraging participation in social and political life. The
encouragement of Romani participation in institutions of local
self-government and democratic processes is critical, said the official.
The Bujanovac case provides a useful lesson in this regard. By
abstaining from the last local elections in Bujanovac, the Roma
effectively forfeited an opportunity to increase their representation in
the local government and municipal council. He stressed that
institutions must work with Romani organizations to encourage their
citizens to participate in the political process.

Interethnic relations. Officials must work to foster a social and
political environment that promotes a better understanding of the
problems faced by the Romani community within Serbian society. According
to several studies, the Roma are now considered among the �most
acceptable� minorities in Serbian society, with the level of negative
perception toward the Roma at a comparatively low level. While the Roma
are still not largely accepted by the general public, unlike other
minorities, they are not perceived as a danger to Serbian society.

Social, economic and cultural problems. The most pressing of these
problems is related to Romani housing conditions and the dislocation of
�illegal� Romani settlements in Belgrade such as Stari Aerodrom, Tosin
Bunar, Zahumska, and Gazela.  Considerable reluctance exists on the part
of some local politicians with regard to resolving these issues, he
said. The central government and political parties must both provide
support and exert pressure on local politicians to overcome this
reluctance. The international community, he noted, is also interested in
the resolution of the housing problem of Roma in Belgrade.

According to a Serbian official, there have been some positive
developments to report in the area of Romani culture. Several radio
stations in the Romani language have been established in Serbia, and a
Romani program can now be heard on national radio � Radio Belgrade. In
addition, the government plans, he said, to increase the number of
Romani children in schools. Approximately 78 percent of the Roma never
complete elementary school while only 0.4 percent receive higher
education. The authorities will encourage all minority communities,
including the Roma, he said, to become active participants in the
educational system reform process and the formulation of curricula and
textbooks related to their specific ethnic community. Moreover, he
added, the government has formed a team of experts to formulate a
national strategy related to the Romani community.

The government approach to minorities, said this official, has been
based on the principle of full respect for human and minority rights.
These rights were endangered in Serbia during the last ten years, he
said.  The Roma have been systematically neglected and no Serbian party
has ever dealt in a serious way with their problems.  As a result, this
official argued, the Romani community has largely abstained from the
political and democratic processes. He urged the Roma to end this trend
and to take a more active role in political life.

A local official from the Nis municipality asserted that the following
were all prerequisites for a successful minority policy: legislation,
strategy, budget, political will on the part of decision-makers and
active participation of the Romani community.  Throughout the history of
Nis, he argued, the city has served as a model of peaceful coexistence
among many ethnic communities � including the Roma, who have taken an
active part in local self-government for many years. Among the
municipality�s most notable legislative achievements was its adoption of
the Program of Social Recovery of the Roma Population.

A Romani participant and member of the Nis municipal council added that
one of the most essential criteria of a flourishing democracy is the
minority�s participation in power. He said that for the Romani
community, the valid criterion of democracy was the level of Romani
participation in all levels of power. He defined three goals for the
roundtable: to promote the rights of the Roma as citizens; to define and
detect Romani problems at the local level; and to formulate concrete
methods for the resolution of these problems.

The problems of the Roma in Serbia and Yugoslavia need to be urgently
addressed, he said. One method may be through effective implementation
of the Federal Law on the Protection of Rights and Freedoms of National
Minorities, the Serbian Law on Local Self-Government, and through
international standards.  While the Federal government has been working
to establish a strategy to address Romani problems, he argued, what will
be most crucial is its implementation.  In that vein, he reminded Romani
leaders of their unique civil responsibility in ensuring successful
implementation.
.
The speaker also expressed his disapproval as to the concept of the
�integration of Roma� as the most appropriate way to address the
community�s problems. In particular, he objected to the use of the word
�integration� in that the Roma have lived in the region for centuries
and consider themselves natives like all other ethnic communities in the
country. Instead of �integration,� he advanced the need for
�emancipation� of the Roma within Serbia, mainly through greater
investments in education, as a necessary precursor for their increased
participation in society.  While the majority population and the
international community should support the Romani emancipation process,
he argued, the primary responsibility rests with the Roma themselves.

The speaker commended the organizers of the roundtable for directing
attention toward the importance of involvement at the local level �
where he believed many of the Roma�s problems could be most effectively
addressed. Moreover, he suggested that the Serbian Government pay closer
attention to its strategies related to the local level, especially the
role of local authorities in policy implementation.


Current Roma-related problems

For many Romani participants, the official recognition of the Roma as a
national minority (in the recently adopted Federal Law on Protection of
Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities) represents a major
breakthrough, specifically in establishing conditions for better
protection of the rights and interests of the their community. New
provisions enabling minorities to form national councils have inspired
hope among the Roma. In addition, some participants expressed particular
optimism at the Law on Local Self-government�s establishment of
�Councils for Interethnic Relations� among ethnically mixed
municipalities. Some Romani leaders worried, however, that they might
actually be prevented from forming such �councils� due to existing
census data that provides an unreliable measurement of the size of the
Romani minority. The legislation stipulates that in order to form such
councils, the minority community must account for more than 5 percent of
the municipal population (or more than 10 percent if all ethnic
communities are counted collectively). Roma have not reached that
percentage anywhere, said Romani representatives, and this could put
them at a disadvantage.

In the view of some Romani activists, establishing institutions to deal
with Romani issues will improve the Roma�s present situation as well as
their overall position in society.  Yet this is not enough. The Roma
must also increase their representation in municipal bodies, they
argued. The reality in this regard is grim, they noted, as there are
still large Romani communities living in ghettos who remain
under-represented in local institutions or bodies. Moreover, any
positive gains to be acquired by the Roma from the Law on Local
Self-Government will be on hold at least until after the 2004 elections,
when the law is scheduled to be implemented.

Several participants raised the issue of adequate or proportional
representation of the Roma in elected bodies and state administration.
Romani participants in particular were of the opinion that they should
have at least two or three representatives in the Serbian Parliament and
much stronger representation at the level of local self-government.

A Serbian expert on interethnic relations counseled Romani leadership to
pay closer attention to legislation at the republican level since the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a state will soon cease to exist. In
this participant�s view, citizens are likely to see problems arise from
the fact that certain laws have been adopted at the federal level while
others have been adopted at the republican level�a problem which could
be further exacerbated once those laws are implemented. He argued that
financial issues would be central in this regard and suggested greater
allocation of budgetary resources to the local and municipal levels. He
agreed that the Roma should have greater political representation in the
republican parliament.

Several Romani participants expressed their displeasure with the current
state of education and employment policy, suggesting that the government
should formulate policies and adopt specific measures to benefit the
Romani community. As loyal citizens of Serbia, they argued, the Roma
deserve a speedy resolution of their problems.

Most Romani participants recognized the need for fostering greater
Roma-to-Roma and Roma-to-non-Roma dialogue. The mentalities of both
communities must be changed, they posited, building upon a shared
tradition of tolerance and coexistence. The Roma-to-Roma dialogue in
particular should work to formulate better Romani political objectives.
Moreover, efforts must be undertaken by Romani leaders to better
organize their communities.

Addressing the broader question of capacity, another Serbian expert from
Novi Sad cautioned that Yugoslavia�s status as the poorest country in
Europe in terms of per capita income would not necessarily influence the
resolution of Romani issues. He advised participants to target donors
with a particular interest in Roma-related projects, including Romani
emancipation.

Addressing the contentious issue of �illegal� Romani settlements in
Belgrade, Romani participants decried the recent actions of Serbian
authorities in attempting to expel the Roma from settlements in Stari
Aerodorom, Zahumska, and Tosin Bunar. In the view of these participants,
Belgrade authorities did not show a sufficient level of understanding in
dealing with this issue. They argued that the Roma have consistently
suffered discrimination with regard to urban planning and the building
of infrastructure. Moreover, they are always last to get new roads,
water, and electricity in their settlements.

One Serbian official acknowledged that inadequate laws were the main
obstacles to resolution of the problems of Romani �illegal� settlements.
Laws governing estates and urban planning, designed in 1995, need to be
urgently amended, he said. The official acknowledged that attitudes on
the part of local authorities toward the Roma represent yet another
obstacle. Local authorities frequently mistrust the Roma, he suggested,
and to a large extent are reluctant to deal with their problems. He
urged Romani NGOs to take on the necessary task of educating local
authorities about the Romani community and its needs. The participant
reiterated that it would behoove the Roma to better organize themselves
and to elect representatives to fight for their interests.  Further, the
official suggested the following concrete steps, which would, in his
opinion, accelerate the resolution of many Romani problems:

Local authorities should come up with plans and regulations to address
the problem of affordable housing;
Steps should be taken to better educate authorities about Romani
problems;
The Roma should increase its legitimate representation in government;
and
Discrimination against the Roma should be prevented by all means.

Examples of effective cooperation between the Roma and local authorities

Despite offering minor criticisms of the Law on Local Self-government,
most Romani participants acknowledged the benefits the law could provide
for their communities.  They cautioned however that the receipt of such
benefits will likely depend on the good will of local authorities. One
Romani participant pointed to the policy of authorities in Nis as a
positive example of such leadership. As a gesture of both good will and
political inclusiveness, the municipality of Nis elected to disregard
the fact that local Roma did not meet the 5 percent census threshold
required by law when deciding to grant them recognition as a multiethnic
entity. Moreover, local authorities� unique interpretation of the
Serbian Law of Local Self-Government has paved the way for better
resolution of Romani problems. This has been the case particularly with
regard to the protection of the individual and collective rights of
national minorities, the public use of language, and representation in
the media, he said. The municipality of Nis has in fact developed a
strategic and long-term program for the socioeconomic recovery of the
Romani community. Supported by the municipality, Romani NGOs, as well as
a variety of other institutions, the program receives its funding from
the Municipality of Nis as a budgetary line item.

Another encouraging example of cooperation between the Roma and local
authorities was offered by a participant from the municipality of
Leskovac, home to one of the largest Romani communities in the region.
According to the representative, Leskovac serves as a model of
interethnic cooperation, as the Roma have traditionally played an active
role in local self-government.  Recently, the city decided to include
two Romani representatives on the Executive Committee of the Municipal
Council of Leskovac, he said.  The results, he argued, have been
astounding. Working in tandem with international organizations, relief
agencies, and NGOs, the municipality has succeeded in making measurable
improvements in the living conditions of Roma, including the removal of
illegal dunghills in the surroundings of Roma settlements.  Cooperation
has also extended to the cultural arena, where programs in the Romani
language can now be heard on both local radio and television. Local
authorities, he added, have assigned a portion of their budget to
implementing cultural, social and recreational projects for the Romani
community.  Constant communication between local officials and
representatives of the Romani community has worked to alleviate most
tensions arising from relations between the Roma and the municipality.

Highlighting his own municipality�s tradition of Romani participation in
local government, a local official from Vranje, home to some 8000 Roma,
noted that the Roma of Vranje have a longstanding tradition of
involvement in local government. The Romani presence on the municipal
council, he argued, has helped to enhance the communal infrastructure as
well as the housing conditions of Romani settlements. Moreover, unlike
the vast majority of Romani communities in the region, many Roma in
Vranje regularly finish high school. Addressing the representative from
Nis, the official expressed his willingness to facilitate the expanded
transmission of private Romani TV into Vranje, thereby allowing Roma
from Vranje to view Romani programming from Nis.

Finally, the representative of the Permanent Conference of Cities and
Municipalities of Serbia stressed that she was encouraged by the
discussion and that her organization would make every effort to support
all sensible initiatives directed at the resolution of concerns unique
to the Romani community.

Experiences from neighboring countries and closing remarks

The purpose of this segment of the agenda was for representatives from
other Eastern- and Central-Eastern European countries to share best
practices in state and local policy relating to the Roma. In that vein,
several participants representing Hungary and Bulgaria delivered brief
presentations. The Hungarian representative pointed to the institution
of elected self-government as a system which has greatly enhanced the
position of the Roma in Hungary. Elected self-government, he said, has
allowed the Roma to better communicate their needs to both local and
state authorities. Moreover, these authorities are obliged by law to
consult with Romani elected self-governments when discussing issues
related to their welfare.

The representative from Bulgaria offered an example from the
municipality of Lom, one of the nation�s least developed, and home to a
population that is more than 35 percent Romani, the highest
concentration in Europe. In order to help combat the problems of vast
unemployment and poverty, he said, the government has adopted the
Framework Program of Integration of Roma in Society, a program which has
allowed municipal authorities in Lom to create an advisory commission to
the local Lom municipal assembly consisting of Romani representatives,
local MPs, and different institutions in the town. The commission�s
action plan was later adopted by the local assembly and funded in part
by a special budgetary line item for resolution of Romani problems. In
addition to these efforts, he added, representatives from the Romani
community, experts, and local authorities have also produced special
programs and worked to amass substantial material resources. In fact,
local authorities are now aiming even further in working to obtain a
loan from the Development Bank of the Council of Europe in order to
finance concrete projects for the Romani community.

Echoing a theme touched upon by many at the roundtable, the
representative from the Council of Europe underscored the need for
greater Romani participation in local self-government. The Council of
Europe�s policy, she stressed, is to facilitate this process by both
encouraging state and local authorities to be more receptive to the
needs of the Roma, and by helping to create the conditions for the
inclusion of Roma within structures of local self-government. She
counseled authorities also to pay closer attention to issues of gender
equality, ensuring that Romani women be provided with the necessary
conditions to increase their participation in different institutions.
The representative also called for a change in the mentality of the
majority population, including authorities, in order to increase
tolerance toward minorities. She emphasized that the resolution of the
Romani housing problem was the most urgent one facing the Serbian
government today. She also stated that the Council of Europe stands
ready to assist in various projects related to the Romani community.

The representative of the Federal Ministry of Ethnic and National
Communities thanked PER for organizing the roundtable, adding that it
was instructive to hear from all parties involved and particularly to
learn from the experiences shared by neighboring countries. She
expressed her optimism that the national councils and new institutions
envisioned by the law would help protect both minority rights and their
identity overall. As an institution working on behalf of collective
rights, the national councils, she argued, would enable national
minorities to be represented in official governmental structures. She
emphasized that it would be a long road ahead to achieve more
significant results and that much sensitivity would be required.

Closing the roundtable, PER�s Executive Director noted that since the
Roma had participated in developing democracy in Serbia, they should
therefore benefit from it. The Roma should play an active role in
democratic processes and their participation should be encouraged by
greater cooperation at the local and republican levels. International
institutions such as the World Bank, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and
the European Commission, she added, support specific programs fostering
such cooperation. Authorities should avail themselves of these
possibilities.

This participant concluded by listing other conditions for effective
resolution of Romani issues, including the good will and commitments of
central and local authorities. Financial commitments in particular will
be pivotal, she noted, as will the role of both Romani and
majority-operated media. Finally, she highlighted the need for
establishing more Romani local authority structures in order to spur
greater participation of the Roma in public life. She further expressed
her hope that at least one of the benefits of the roundtable will be the
establishment of a network of municipalities to exchange information
including best practices in dealing with Romani issues.


Conclusions

Participants of PER�s Nis roundtable reached the following conclusions:

Awareness of both cultural diversity and tolerance should be the twin
pillars of public policy in multiethnic communities. There is a need for
greater understanding of Romani problems among local authorities.

Education is among the most significant issues of concern within the
Romani community. Romani leadership must find effective ways to bridge
the education gap that exists in relation to the majority. This will
likely require permanent and coordinated action among Romani
organizations and activists, authorities and the Serbian society in
general.

While many Romani leaders advocate the �emancipation� of Serbian Roma,
the precise definition of this concept remains unclear. Authorities
invite the Romani leadership to provide a definition of their objectives
and expectations of the government.

State authorities should continue to:

Develop legislation to improve the legal position and protection of
Romani rights;
Encourage greater Romani participation in institutions of local
self-government and democratic processes overall;
Create a social and political environment conducive to better
understanding of Romani problems within Serbian society;
Work toward the resolution of problems affecting the Roma, namely Romani
housing conditions and the forced dislocation of �illegal� Romani
settlements;
Encourage all minority communities, including the Roma, to take an
active role in the reform of the educational system and the formulation
of curricula related to their specific ethnic community.

The Roma should be educated as to how to better protect their rights.
Local Romani organizations should be given an orientation of domestic
and international law designed to protect human rights and promote local
self-government.

The capacity of Romani organizations must be strengthened in the areas
of: local self-government, protection of human and minority rights,
management, democracy-building, human resources management, and
lobbying.

Municipal budgets should contain line items dedicated to promoting the
welfare of the Romani community.

Public awareness against Romani discrimination should be raised within
the majority population.

In order to take advantage of greater opportunities for political
representation, the Romani community must take steps to better organize
their citizens.  The secretary of the Permanent Conference of the Cities
of Serbia has proposed the formation in 2003 of a network of Romani
leaders and municipal authorities.  PER has pledged to assist in
establishing and working with this network.


List of Participants

Romani Participants:

Dragoljub Ackovic, President, Roma Congress Party
Radovan Askovic, President, Cultural Information Center, Pirot
Aleksandar Bakic, Roma Cultural Center, Leskovac
Osman Balic, President, YuRom Centar; Vice-President, Executive Board,
Municipality of Nis
Stevan Beljic, Municipal Association of Roma, Sabac
Salim Demirovic, OSCE Civic Center, Bujanovac
Osman Ibrahimi, Member, Municipal Assembly, Presevo; Democratic Union of
Roma
Miroslav Jovanovic, President, Committee for Protection of Human Rights
of Roma in FRY
Tane Kurtic, President, League of Romani Societies of Serbia
Dejan Markovic, Member, Rakovica Municipal Council, City of Belgrade
Slobodan Mitrovic, League of Romani Friendship, Krusevac
Dragan Music, Secretary, Fair of Cultural Achievements of Roma of Serbia
Petar Nikolic, Editor, Romani programs, TV Novi Sad
Ferhat Saiti, Co-Chairman, Democratic Union of Roma; Radio Nisava
Zavadin Salijevic, President, Roma Association Sait Balic, Nis
Ratko Silistarevic, Association Rom-Vranje; Member, Municipal Council,
Vranje
Djura Simic, President, League of Roma of Yugoslavia
Slavica Vasic, Romani Women Center Bibija, Belgrade

Local, Republican, and Federal Officials

Goran Ciric, Mayor of Nis; President, Permanent Conference of Cities of
Serbia
Branislav Cvetkovic, President, Municipal Assembly, Niska Banja
Dijana Hasanagic, Secretary, Committee for International Cooperation,
City Council of Belgrade; Secretary, Permanent Conference of Cities of
Serbia 
Agnes Odri Kartag, Deputy Minister for Ethnic and National Communities
of FRY
Zarko Korac, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia
Rasim Ljajic, Minister for Ethnic and National Communities of FRY
Aleksandar Manojlovic, President, Municipal Council, Pirot
Meho Omerovic, Chairman, Committee on Interethnic Relations, Parliament
of Serbia
Radoslav Pavkovic, President, Municipal Assembly, Aleksinac
Sinisa Stamenkovic, President, Municipal Assembly, Gadzin Han
Dragoljub Zivkovic, Mayor of Leskovac

Non Governmental and Academic Organizations from Yugoslavia

Dusan Janjic, Member, Project on Ethnic Relations Council for Ethnic
Accord;
Director, Forum for Ethnic Relations, Belgrade
Vladimir Macura, Director, Town Planning Institute of Belgrade
Aleksandar Vidojevic, Representative in Serbia and Montenegro, Project
on
Ethnic Relations

International Participants

Lee Brown, Second Secretary, Political Section, Embassy of the USA in
FRY
Alex Grigor�ev, Program Officer, Project on Ethnic Relations (USA)
Jelena Jokanovic, Coordinator for Ethnic Minorities, Mission in FRY,
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Allen Kassof, President, Project on Ethnic Relations (USA)
Judith Kiers, Adviser, Catholic Organization for Relief and Development,
Novi Sad (Netherlands)
Nikolai Kirilov, Expert, Community Council, Lom, Bulgaria
Maria Arpadne Kovacs, Head, Roma Department, Office for National and
Ethnic
Minorities, Government of Hungary
Andrzej Mirga, Chairman, Project on Ethnic Relations Romani Advisory
Council; Co-Chair, Council of Europe Specialist Group on Roma/Gypsies
(Poland)
Stephan Muller, Minorities Officer, Mission in FRY, Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe
Livia Plaks, Executive Director, Project on Ethnic Relations (USA)
Eleni Tsetsekou, Migration and Roma/Gypsies Division, Council of Europe