„Identificarea şi reducerea prejudecăţilor ca sursă de conflict între populaţia romă şi neromă - studiu comparativ al cazurilor din

Bulgaria, Italia, România şi Slovenia – REDUPRE”

Social pattern of Roma non – Roma relations and prevailing stereotypes and prejudices - in the four local communities of Romania (Timişoara, Sânpetru Mare, Sântana, Aleşd )

In Depth Interviews -• Interviews carried out in order to get an insight into

the social interactions between the Roma and the non-Roma in the four target localities: Timisoara, Sânpetru Mare (Timis County), Santana (Arad County), Aleşd (Bihor County).

• 15 Roma from the target and nearby localities in the three counties were interviewed: 2 journalists from Radio Timisoara, 3 local councilors from Santana, Timisoara, Alesd (1 from each county); 10 intellectuals / leaders from all three counties (teachers, NGO representatives, headmasters, social workers, representatives of the National Agency for Roma – West Region).

• Each interview lasted between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

Local Communities and Roma

Issues

• improper housing • unemployment• lack of education• poor health

Access to public services • Limited access due to lack of regular

income, lack of identity papers, property deeds, poor education

‘ Such services have a price; those who have money also have access to them.”(respondent from Timisoara)

Local Public Administration towards Roma issues

• Lack of coherent local strategy• Lack or insufficient budget to

address issues

NGO s• More active than public

administration• Assure minimal public

participation • Lack of follow up activities

due to absence of financing

Public Participation of Roma• Too little involved • Representatives interest is on their

own agenda rather on the problems of the community

• Absence of true leaders “Roma do not have time for public life as their only concern is survival ”“Jobs in LPA created for Roma are held by non-Roma”( Roma NGO leader, Oradea)

Proposals for Participation of Roma in Public Life• Inclusion of Roma in education • Public debates with candidates from all

political parties not only in election years

• Motivating Roma to run and be elected as mayors and/or councilors in localities where the Roma outnumber the non-Roma

• Projects by Roma for the Roma• Creating a network of Roma experts

Discrimination of Roma• Reasons for discriminating-poverty, poor

education, stereotypes and prejudices, not knowing/misunderstanding the history of the Roma, lack or no interest in knowing “the other’

• Fields of discrimination-employment,education

Prejudices of the non-Roma and Roma towards each other Non Roma towards the RomaDirty, thieves, lazy, Roma have genetic problems regardless of their achievements, not educated, commit many crimes Roma towards the non-RomaPervers, liars, thieves, “ Why do they need so much education if they earn so little money ?” , they see Roma as second hand citizens, do not understand Roma traditions

Prejudices /discrimination • Stimulated by opinion leaders, lack

of assumed political decisions, racist speeches delivered by representatives of public institutions , by lack of interest in knowing the “other’

Reducing the prejudices

Who should act ?• Roma themselves (improving

education, interacting more with the non-Roma)

• Romanian authorities (legal framework)

• NGO’s ( awareness campaigns)• Media • Local Community Groups- common

working groups

Prejudices over the past 10 years • the prejudices against the Roma have

not deepened (4 interviewees, rural areas )

• there is an ascending trend: the negative image fuelled by mass media, the low standard of living of the Roma, the social and economic uncertainty in Romania, mutual distrust, the news about the Roma abroad (5 interviewees, urban areas)

Opinion –survey Period :1 October 2012 – 31 March 2013Applied in four local communities of Romania (Timişoara, Sânpetru Mare, Sântana, Aleşd )Methodology• Conducted on a sample of 60 respondents

– 30 Roma and 30 non-Roma. • Non-probability sampling technique -

convenience sampling

-Continued-The sample units were selected on the basis of:•  their availability and willingness to

discuss the topic;• previous contacts / cooperation

established with the CED and CRCR teams;

• a level of knowledge and education allowing them to understand and answer the questions.

Demographic and Relevant InformationEmployment

EMPLOYED

PROFESSION

OCCUPATION

ROMA 90% -project manager-school mediator-councilors

-Mediation

NON ROMA 100% -councilors-project coordinators -sociologists

NGO workerEngineerSociology

Ethnicity, Gender, AgeETHNICITY GENDER AGE

ROMA 100% Men 80%Women 20%

Over 44- 50%35-44- 40%25-34- 10 %

NON ROMA -Romanians 80%-Hungarians 20%

Men 100 % Over 44- 50 %25-34- 50%

Where they liveTOWN/CITY RURAL

ROMA Middle town- 60% 40%

NON ROMA Big town 70 % 30%

Perceptions of the RomaStrongly agree

Agree

Neither agree/nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

There are too many Roma in Romania

0 10 10 20 600 0 26,7 0 73,3

Romanians treat/consider the Roma as second hand people.

40 10 10 10 300 26,7 0 73,3 0

Roma are not law-abiding citizens and because of that they are dangerous for the society.

10 10 10 20 500 0 50 26,7 23,3

Romanians who live in villages are victims of thefts and violent offences committed by the Roma

20 10 10 0 600 0 26,7 46,7 26,7

Perceptions of the RomaStrongly agree

Agree Neither agree/nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

The Roma are discriminated

20 60 10 0 100 0 73,3 26,7 0

Police officers are more likely to resort to violence towards a suspect of Roma origin than towards a suspect from the majority.

50 10 20 0 20

0 26,7 73,3 0 0

To a very high degree the Roma people create insecurity in the public space through thefts, begging, fraud and vandalism

10 20 20 20 30

0 0 50 50 0

Perceptions of the RomaStrongly agree

Agree

Neither agree/nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

Roma take advantage of the social payments funds at the expense of the elderly, the disabled, the children and the single parent families

0 0 20 10 70

0 26,7 20 26,7 26,7

To a very high degree the Roma people create insecurity in the public space through thefts, mendicancy, fraud and vandalism.

10 20 20 20 30

0 0 50 50 0

Media often use hate speech when it comes to Roma matters.

40 20 20 10 10

0 50 50 0 0

Characteristics of the RomaDefinitely accurate

Slightlyaccurate

Slightly inaccurate

Definitely inaccurate

Intuitive 70 20 0 1073,3 26,7 0 0

Vindictive, revengeful

10 40 20 10 MV26,7 26,7 26,7 0 MV

Creative, constructive

80 10 10 026,7 46,7 26,7 0

Wild, rude 20 30 10 30 mv 26,7 26,7 26,7 0 mv

Impulsive 50 30 0 MV26,7 73,3 0 0

Preserving their self-identity

30 50 10 1026,7 73,3 0 0

Characteristics of the RomaDefinitely accurate

Slightlyaccurate

Slightly inaccurate

Definitely inaccurate

Manipulative 30 50 10 1026,7 73,3 0 0

Solidary 50 20 10 20

26,7 73,3 0 0Smart/Intelligent 70 30 0 0

73,3 26,7 0 0Handsome/beautiful

60 40 0 0

26,7 73,3 0 0

Aggressive 40 20 20 20

26,7 73,3 0 0

Discrimination of RomaStrongly agree

Agree

Neither agree/nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

Employers prefer to hire employees of different ancestry but no Roma people.

30 30 30 10

26,7 267 46,7

Roma people live the way they live their lives because they are discriminated by the rest of the society

30 40 30 0 0

0 0 73,3 26,7 0

Non-Roma people cannot imagine how painful and humiliating is to be despised and rejected only because you are a Roma.

50 30 20

73,3 0 26,7

Roma people like the way they live their lives.

0 50 10 10 300 73,3 26,7

Future actions Strongly agree

Agree

Neither agree/nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

The government should provide more money for poverty reduction among the Roma people

80 0 20 0 0

26,7 26,7 46,7 0 0

We need special educational programmes supporting the education of the Roma.

80 0 20 0 0

26,7 73,3 0 0

The social programmes for employment should be expanded so they can reach all Roma people

80 0 20 0 0

26,7 26,7 46,7 0 0

Data presented by Ilona MihaiesEuroregional Center for DemocracySemenic Str.,10Timisoara, RomaniaEmail: imihaies@regionalnet.org