A warm conversation about Roma inclusion and empowerment with Florin Nasture, President of the Roma Cultural Center O Del Amença
Our organization has been working in several Roma communities for many years and we have noticed that the usual approach, based only on services in which Roma people are considered a „target group", clients of social measures, without taking into account the role the social and cultural capital plays in empowering these communities, can lead to the development of the victim mentality and social dependence. I have also noticed that politicians keep these people, intentionally or unintentionally, in a state of vulnerability because the poor are easier to handle, especially politically. Seeing all of this, we updated the mission of our organization and focused on this empowerment part, empowering members of Roma communities to hold local authorities accountable for their responsibilities. Thus, we made sure that in all our projects we included, where possible, a component of community empowerment and organization. At first, it was difficult to approach communities in this way because funding, especially from European funds, was not aimed at such an approach. We were glad to see that ACF programme was launched because we could approach communities loyal to our mission with the belief that we could change something in the long run.
An impactful project is one that produces a long-term change in mentality, behavior, society. It is very unlikely that the impact can be measured during the implementation of the project, but some signs can suggest that the project may or may not have an impact. We believe that once the members of the community are empowered with knowledge, skills and abilities for self-organization, the impact will be ensured. In addition, the approach of these communities is not a „hit and run" in which we move on after meeting our goals and indicators. We have included these communities in our organization's strategy, which has a 10-year implementation period (2020-2030). So we are particularly interested in the impact we produce and we will be there to enjoy the success of the intervention, not just the achievement of indicators over a period of 2 years, for example.
The action groups that are being formed have great potential to become active. The Local Action Groups, (LAG) members understood the need for a community organization. The project team, including the local facilitators, understand that this intervention is more than a 1 and a half year project and that it is an intervention aimed at a social transformation. We also consider the aspect of good practice in the field, to show that through a correct approach the Roma communities can be empowered so that they are transformed and their quality of life is improved.
I would like to see that Roma community is respected for their dignity and that authorities no longer drive them into political games. I would like to see that Roma people are active citizens aware of their rights but also of their responsibilities. I want women to acknowledge and fulfill their full potential in the development of communities. I want community members to have a mentality in which domestic violence and abuse are considered unacceptable. An inclusive environment in which diversity is valued without discrimination and school segregation.
The moment when together with the action groups we discussed the organization of some civic actions. We could see that the LAG members were excited and there was a vibe that gave us hope that things could change. Also, a beautiful moment was the one when I saw the children who took the violin lessons within the project performing on stage at a concert. These are times when we receive the energy and motivation necessary to continue our work.
The moment when only 5 people came to the meeting for the formation of the Local Action Group and they didn’t seem at all interested was a difficult moment. We knew it would be difficult in that community because it is a marginalized community and the more marginalized a community is, the harder it is to mobilize and organize its members. I had to tell them that if there is no interest, we will choose another community where there is interest. At the second meeting, 18 people participated and most of them were willing to get involved in the development of their own community.
In the coming period we want to activate action groups and organise communities to implement civic actions. We also want to organise some meetings between local authorities and community members to see what the intentions are for community development.
There are many projects in implementation that have as beneficiaries many vulnerable Roma. The approach of most NGOs and local authorities is one that does not take into account the specific social and cultural background of Roma communities. Thus, even if they receive some services and even some capacities, the low self-esteem of the Roma and the internalization of the stigma that they are „gypsies" will not help these communities. This is because the Roma will be still considered „gypsies" by others, including the authorities, so they will continue to be discriminated. Therefore, Roma communities can only be truly empowered if self-esteem, assumption of the identity and social inclusion are achieved.
