Street citizens

A training program for mediators with the purpose of promoting Roma integration along with a document, the “Strasbourg Declaration”, which reiterates priorities and guidelines to combat discrimination against this minority group (11 – 12 million in Europe, which includes some 5 million children) whilst advocating their economic and social integration. These are the achievements of the top-level meeting held October 20 at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg, on the initiative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland. The meeting brought together CoE Member States representatives, along with representatives of the European Union, international bodies, NGOs and Roma and Sinti communities. Among the participants figured Viviane Reding, vice president of the European Commission responsible for justice and citizenship; the president of the Ministers’ Committee Antonio Miloshoski and the president of the European Roma and Sinti Forum Rudko Kawczynski. European citizens. “Today’s meeting – Thorbjorn Jagland said – will bring concrete help to the Roma population in our Continent. The Roma are European citizens”. Commissioner Viviane Reding informed that the reports on the expulsion of Bulgarian and Romanian Roma from France are being examined by EU Commission experts to establish whether French authorities adopted “discriminatory measures”. The Commissioner pointed out that “the careful analysis” of the documents “will take no more than four weeks” and assured that the Roma will be “a priority of the EU Hungarian presidency in the first semester of 2011”. The question of the Roma is attentively followed in Hungary. The Church, which supports various projects in favour of their integration, co-organized with the Sant’Egidio Community an international conference in Budapest past January (Cf. SIR Europe n.07/2010). In order to promote their integration within society and along with access to services, Jagland announced training programs for mediators, which, he explained, “represent the most direct link between our standards and the reality of the Roma present at local level”, whether they are “members of the Roma communities or professionals actively working in schools, hospitals, in job placement agencies and commissaries”. The Commissioner said that the training programs will be activated in 2011 in the Youth Centres of the CoE in Strasburg and in Budapest. “We have the possibility of training some 1400 mediators a year. However, at least in the first year, their number will depend on the amount of available resources and job placement possibilities of national and local institutions”. In 2011 the Council of Europe will form some one hundred lawyers expert in this fied. The Strasbourg Declaration. The “Strasbourg Declaration” was adopted at the end of the meeting. Non-discrimination, citizenship, the rights of children and women, free access to justice; social inclusion – notably in the field of education, employment, housing and health assistance -; to promote CoE – EU- OSCE pan-European international cooperation; along with the joint effort of Member States, regions, local bodies encompassing cooperation with Roma communities at all levels, are among the priorities listed in the blueprint. Moreover, the document prescribes to “adopt and effectively implement criminal legislation against racially motivated crime and “take effective measures to avoid statelessness” and “to grant Roma legally residing in their national territory access to identification papers”. Another priority underlined in the document is “to promote effective participation of Roma in social, political and civic life, including active participation of representatives of Roma in decision-making mechanisms affecting them”. The undersigning States pledge to “promote through effective measures the equal treatment and the rights of Roma children” especially “the right to education”. Urgent measures are needed to “ensure equal access to the mainstream educational system” and “provide Roma, as appropriate, with possibilities to validate their skills and competences acquired in informal settings”, whilst ensuring “equal access to housing”. The Roma question was tackled also by the Presidents of the European Bishops’ Conferences during the 40th general assembly (Zagreb 30 September – 3 October). The Bishops’ Conferences have been committed in the support of the Roma minority with pastoral initiatives. CCEE announced an upcoming meeting for a reflection on the ways and the tools that could best promote the dialogue between pastoral needs, community rights, and political requirements.