2006
Roma NGOs
Sabinov Institute of Sustainable Development
The project is a continuation of regional development programs and in accordance with a long-term strategy and the Decade of Roma Inclusion initiative. The goal is to mobilize, engage, and strengthen the participation of local the Roma community (10% of citizens) in building an effective partnership with the local government in the town of Lipany. A monitoring group, “Roma Civic Eye,” will be established and composed of Roma community leaders from the segregated Roma settlement. Subsequently, with the local government (members of the Social Committee), a working group will be formed to monitor, evaluate, manage, promote, and implement commonly-agreed actions and activities.
Slovak Scouting - Roma scouting area
The project will use a wide range of Roma scouting opportunities to support the goals and activities of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, with a priority on employment. The project is a follow up to a Slovak scouting effort, focused on young people aged 15-26. The main activity of the project is to support choosing a profession and training for and successful access to the labor market. The scout education program is a suitable base for gaining skills, allowing candidates to succeed in their selected professions and be flexible in the changing labor market.
Agency to Support of Regional Development - Košice
This project is a tool to implement the regional Roma communities’ development strategy, which is created in close cooperation with a number of stakeholders under the leadership of the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Government for Roma Communities. The main focus is to raise awareness among Roma about the existence of regional strategies and action plans that will be used as a basis for integrated development programs. The project is designed as a series of interactive sessions and facilitated discussions to engage Roma activists and community members in Roma community development programs.
Civic Association "New Way" - Michalovce
The project aims to establish a "Partnership of Roma of the Zemplin Region," an NGO network focused on capacity building and increasing Roma participation in the Decade of Roma Inclusion's activities and processes. The project is divided into the Decade's four priority areas: education, housing, employment, and health. Representatives of NGOs, local municipalities, and other stakeholders will receive technical assistance to better prepare them for future projects supported by EU Structural Funds. Project participants will first address the specific needs of their communities, outline their objectives, and determine ways to tackle relevant issues.
"Lighthouse" Civic Association
The project seeks to create an "Incubator of Work Resources" at the Community Center in Zlate Moravce that can significantly increase employment opportunities in the region. The project specifically targets long-term unemployed Roma adults in the community. Project participants will receive skills training, personalized work portfolios, direct contact with potential employers, and other work-related resources to better prepare them to enter the labor force. Participants' skills will more closely match the labor market's requirements, while cooperation among social workers at the Community Center will be enhanced. The project will be co-financed by the Social Development Fund.
PAKIV Slovakia
The goal of the project is to spread accurate and updated information on the Decade of Roma Inclusion at the local and community level. The focus of the project will be on turning passive acceptance of information into active cooperation and increasing Roma participation and interest in the Decade process.
"Domka" Association of Silesian Youth
The project aims to improve school marks and to raise awareness about the importance of education among Roma students. The project will support the establishment of the so-called "Preparatory Enterprise," an instrument to motivate and provide incentives for students to achieve higher marks. Students with good results would be "employed" by the Enterprise and would receive books and other school necessities as remuneration for their work. This way, they would understand that better school marks greatly enhance their likelihood to secure future employment.
Milan Šimečka Foundation
The project focuses on knowledge transfer and capacity development of selected Roma activists. Project participants would learn to effectively formulate policy agendas, particularly on Roma issues. Through regular group meetings, participating Roma activists would engage in public policy discussions on topics of major concern in their communities. In addition, they would produce policy recommendations to be distributed to relevant policymakers on both the national and local levels.
New Roma Generation
The goal of the project is to raise awareness within the Roma community about the importance of civic engagement, particularly voting in elections. The project seeks to educate eligible voters in Roma communities prior to elections by disseminating relevant information about the election, organizing workshops, and arranging public debates in the community. The success of the project will be measured by the level of voter participation among Roma.
2005
Objectives
The 2005 Small Grants Program sought to strengthen the capacity building of Roma CSOs by supporting activities focused on encouraging public dialogue, dissemination of knowledge, and information sharing on Decade of Roma Inclusion initiative. The success of the Decade requires a high level of effective Roma participation and ownership. Open Society Foundation, Slovakia provided a $34,000 matching fund for the 2005 program.
Roma NGOs
"Cultural Association of Roma in Slovakia" Civic Association - Read the Project Story
Project: Access to Public Life and Community Development
The aim of the project is to provide useful basic knowledge and skills for the members of segregated Roma communities in Ružomberok and Liptovský Mikuláš through seminars and training. Seminar topics include social and sociable skills development, structure of public administration, basic principles of community administration, and methodology of project management. Expected outcome: improvement of social and communication skills of the target group, increased civic awareness, partnership building, and stimulated interest of Roma communities in community development. “Carpathian Association for Integration” Civic Association
Project: Preparing Roma students for university studies
The project's aim is to set up a network of faculties of universities who are ready to provide extra support/mentoring for talented Roma students. The cooperating institutions would develop a mentoring program to ensure that students are able to enter university and complete their studies, despite of disadvantaged social and economical situation. The mentoring program would be developed through roundtable discussions involving local government officials, representatives of the Ministry of Education, and Roma community members, primarily parents. The program would follow best practice examples from neighboring countries. "New Way” Civic Association
Project: Roma participation in public affairs
The main goal of the project is to inform the public and Roma voters about the importance of Roma participation in local elections and to identify and prepare strong Roma candidates to serve on local government boards. The program includes a public information and awareness-raising campaign and the selection of suitable candidates through community meetings with a special emphasis on young leaders' and women's participation. The last phase of the program would train potential candidates prepare an election program and campaign. “Roma Press Agency” Civic Association Program
Project: Roma Letters
Roma Letters is a periodical newsletter, targeting the majority population, informing them about Roma-related news and distributed as an attachment of a regular daily paper. The aim of the project is to continue and revitalize the newsletter in 2005 and focus on the Decade of Roma Inclusion, social reform and its impact on Roma communities, cultural heritage, Roma traditions and history, local government elections, Roma participation, and a special focus on women's situation in Roma communities. Minority Community Center Civic Association
Project: Increased Roma participation in public life
The goal of the project is increased awareness of and participation in local elections. Through community meetings, 6 activists will be identified who will be trained in preparing an election campaign and involving Roma community members in the process. Activists will work in the communities to convince people that they can participate effectively in local elections and ensure that their elected officials represent their interests. “People in Need " Civic Association
Project: We are not bad people
The goal of the project is to prepare Roma activists for work in local government, create a counseling committee for the public administration, design a strategic plan of intervention for local politics, and prepare local governments to create partnerships, especially with communities and NGOs in the municipalities Zborov, Vranov nad Topľou, and Čierna nad Tisou. Seminars, workshops, and strategic planning for community development in the region and micro-region will be included. Civic Association " Young Black Eyes”
Project: Journey to the Big Life
The main goal of the project is to train 12-15 Roma volunteers to be a network of experts supporting the less experienced and newly-established Roma NGOs. The training would cover the following topics: civil society and volunteer work, NGO legislation, strategic planning, effective communication and public relations, fundraising, organization management, team building, financial management and marketing, cross-sectoral cooperation, and understanding the European Union. At the end of the training, a framework will be set up for cooperation among Roma consultants, other professional organizations, and institutions of public administration.
2004
The Small Grants Program is a significant mechanism to maintain a productive relationship with civil society in Slovakia, enabling partnership building and promoting increased dialogue between the World Bank and civil society organizations, and providing the CSOs with extensive opportunities to influence development policies and processes in the country. Supporting civil society initiatives focused on the civic engagement of marginalized and vulnerable groups and thus contributing to capacity building, increasing public awareness about development processes, and providing a tool for the Bank to directly help those who are in need fully complements the operational priorities and programs outlined in the Country Partnership Strategy. Roma NGOs Association of Supervisors and Social Advisors
The project aimed to improve the position of the unemployed Roma from Eastern Slovakia in the labor market through education and training programs focused on strengthening personal and work-related skills. The Association's ultimate goal is to create an employment agency, particularly for Roma, that would actively identify job opportunities and sign contracts with potential employers and local governments. The project fosters links between employers, municipalities, and Roma citizens. The Association will present its results in different regions of Slovakia to corporations, businesses, and local governments to demonstrate the efficiency of the program and lobby for equal opportunity employment. Community Center of Minority - Read the Project Story
The aim of the project was to encourage Roma citizens to become more involved in and conscious of their community and environment. In cooperation with the local government and the State Health Authority, the Center established a group of seven Roma “watch officers" - on a voluntary basis - who are responsible for the maintenance and security of the housing complexes in the poor areas of the city of Velky Krtis, which has a large Roma minority. Regular meetings are organized to report on progress as well as to address concerns to the housing community and municipality. The long-term goals are to improve the majority's perception of the Roma community and open a continuous dialogue and cooperation between the Center, minority and majority community members, and the local government to ensure the sustainability of the project. Positive results are presented through regional media (weekly newspaper and TV), and a newsletter is published as an annex to the regional Roma magazine. Hope for Children - Read the Project Story
The aim of the project was to conduct a series of meetings and workshops focused on educating young Roma girls about family planning, early pregnancy, available medical services, etc. The girls learned how to develop healthy, mature, adult relationships as well as understand the value of self-confidence, self-discipline, and responsibility. The meetings and workshops were organized in cooperation with local authorities, the local community center, and professional organizations, and they enabled the girls as well as their mothers (who are an integral part of the project) to discuss the often taboo subjects of sexual education. The project also helped the Roma girls to more easily integrate into society. Equally important, the Roma population is gradually benefiting from improved relations with the municipality and the local community. Wide Open School Foundation
The aim of the project was to prepare Roma children for school attendance and train a group of 30 Roma volunteers to assist in the process in order to ensure project sustainability. There are many cultural and economic impediments: most of the inhabitants of Jarovnice are Roma living in very poor conditions. Regular gatherings were held in the community center for the children to gain the necessary skills for a successful start to their education. Volunteers regularly visited the families and facilitated dialogue among families, local government, school, and civil society organizations.
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