The European Youth Centre Strasbourg of the Council of Europe is hosting 18 young people during 11-16 September 2017 to discuss and learn about antigypsyism and its impact to the participation of young Roma. The training course on combating antigypsyism through Roma youth participation is organised within the Roma Youth Action Plan project of the Council of Europe.
The training course aims to develop participants’ competences in understanding and responding to antigypsyism and its negative consequences on European Roma youth today and will support the development of initiatives and actions for supporting youth participation and access to rights of young Roma at all levels of society. Participants will explore the inter-connection among antigypsyism and Roma youth participation and will aim to elaborate on the minimum conditions for project development and implementation in combating racism and supporting Roma youth participation.
Antigypsyism is a specific, widespread and complex form of racism towards Roma, which heavily impacts on the social, economic, political and cultural disadvantage of Roma. With Roma youth encompassing a larger part of the European Roma community, it is significantly important that opportunities are available for understanding, analysing and responding to such human rights violations. The participation on young people is an important process, which among other, promotes inclusion, equality and autonomy of young people. It is an approach and opportunity to address the issues of antigypsyism and promote the well-being and social and economic development of young Roma.
The Youth Department of the Council of Europe, through the Roma Youth Action Plan project has been actively working to raise awareness of antigypsyism and its impact on the inclusion and participation of young European Roma. Mirrors –manual on combating antigypsyism through human rights education was developed to provide essential information and methodological tools to address antigypsyism with young people of all ages and in various social setting. The manual is currently available in English, French and Greek. A Bulgarian and Hungarian version of the manual is expected to be produced by the end of 2017.
Podcast recorded with Irina Spataru
Photo gallery on Human Rights Europe Facebook page
Interviews with participants:
Being #Roma and a police officer in #UK - Pete's experience
The situation of # Roma communities in #Greece
The fight against anti- #roma prejudice