municipality of menemeni policies towards roma social inclusion
TRANSCRIPT
MUNICIPALITY OF MENEMENI
POLICIES TOWARDS ROMA SOCIAL INCLUSION
CONTEXT
• The Municipality of Menemeni is situated in the west side of
Thessaloniki City, an area that displays social inequalities in
comparison to the rest of the City and is inhabited by populations
that face the danger of social exclusion due to low educational level,
poverty, unemployment etc. The Municipality has around 20.000
inhabitants, of which almost 15% are ROMA that mainly live in
the district of Agios Nektarios (Saint Nektarios), and co-exist
without any major problems with the general population.
MAIN OBJECTIVE
• Actions not only for the benefit of the sensitive population
group of ROMA, but in favor of the general population and
other vulnerable social groups as well. The Municipality
attempts to formulate an integrated approach by responding to
as many issues as possible and collaborating with local social
partners and other bodies in order to achieve cohesive responses to
the poverty challenge. Some of the activities are still in
operation, whereas others stopped functioning with the ending
of the programs.
SECTORS OF INTERVENTION
• Promotion to employment/Vocational Training
• Education• Health• Social welfare• Housing
• Civic situation
FUNDING SOURCES
• National Funds (i.e. Housing Policy)
• Municipal Funds( i.e. Health, Civic situation)
• European Social Fund ( i.e. Community Initiative Equal, Social Welfare)
PROMOTION TO EMPLOYMENT/ VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Office of Social and Supportive Services
Provision of counseling concerning vocational training,
techniques of job seeking, information about vacancies, etc.
Psychological support
Facilitation in liaison with other units of employment and social
provision (Greek Manpower Organization, Social Welfare Services,
Educational services, Centers of Vocational Training etc)
PROMOTION TO EMPLOYMENT/ VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Community Initiative Equal: ¨ROM- ACTION FOR THE
EQUIVALENT PARTICIPATION IN EMPLOYMENT¨. The Project
was implemented by the Development Partnership “Network for the
encounter of discriminations against ROM¨. The partnership
involved the cooperation of ROMA which was achieved mainly
through their associations and Network ROM, institution of
networking and representation of Greek ROMA. Τhe main problem
this project faced was the integration of ROMA in the labour
market.
EQUAL PRODUCTS
2 one-stop shops in the Municipalities of Menemeni and
Echedoros.
Provision of counseling concerning vocational training,
techniques of job seeking, information about vacancies, etc.
Psychological support
Participation of mediators, derived from the ROMA population
who provided information to the target-group and facilitated the
access of the ROMA to the counselling structures.
EQUAL PRODUCTS
Development of the Electronic Observatory for the ROMA.
Information regarding the target-group, such as:
The products of the Partnership
Sectors which are very important, employment, health, education
etc.
The Observatory is cited in the following address: www.rom.net.gr
EQUAL PRODUCTS
Awareness and Dissemination Activities for the promotion of the
objectives of the project and also the awareness-sensitization of the
dominant population, as well as the public servants.
RESULTS
Around 300 ROMA people have benefit from
provision of counseling by expert consultants
concerning employment and vocational training, of
which almost 30% have been promoted to professional
training seminars, according to their needs and skills.
HEALTH
Medical care is provided by personnel including a pathologist,
a gynecologist, a pediatrician and a nurse. Every year around
900 people visit the unit, 65% of those are ROMA and 3.500
sessions are provided. The main issues to be faced are the
following: respiratory problems, cardiological problems, juvenile
diseases, holding of TEST PAP for ROMA women, prescription
writing.
SOCIAL WELFARE
Development of a Municipal Nursery School. The nursery
provides services to children from 2.5 to 5 years old. Non-ROMA
and ROMA children have the opportunity to coexist, as 30% of the
35 enrolled kids per year, are ROMA.
Development of a Centre for Creative Activities for Children.
The unit addressed children from 6-12 years old, with the main aim
of engaging them in creative activities, drawing, music, handicraft
etc. The unit hosted 30 children per year, all of them were
ROMA.
SOCIAL WELFARE
Help at Home unit at the level of Municipality. The unit’s staff
provides services to old lonely people and handicapped individuals
that cannot attend to their own needs, but also to families with
elderly suffering from long-term illnesses. The program services
65 people and 10 of those belong to the ROMA population. The
reason for the relatively low percentage is the fact that most ROMA
do not meet the requirements of the program, as they live with their
families that take care of them at home.
EDUCATION
Seminars of Greek language for the illiterate ROMA,
who have dropped out of school
Acquisition of the diploma of primary education
2 multi-cultural primary schools for students with
cultural and social particularities, such as the ROMA.
HOUSING
Τhe Municipality carries out a funding program by the Ministry of
Interior, Decentralization and Electronic Governance which
concerns the provision of loans up to 60.000€ per ROMA family,
with the aim of purchase, construction or reconstruction of an
apartment or house in general, that will ameliorate the conditions of
living. From 2002, 448 ROMA have benefit from the program.
CIVIC SITUATION
Βranch of the Center of Civic Service, in the area where the
majority of ROMA live
Issuance of :
Birth/death certificates
Certificates of family status, single state, social security numbers,
permanent residence etc.
Approximately 120 people visit the structure every month, 95%
of them are ROMA.
LOCAL CHURCH’S INVOLVEMENT
Activities in benefit of the general population and other
social groups as the ROMA:
A daily meal is scheduled and offered in favor of the people in
need, among them a significant number of ROMA.
Courses of English Language for children and adults and Greek
Language especially for the ROMA.
Courses of Byzantine music and Theology.
MAIN OBSTACLES
• Lack of funding sources • Special characteristics of the ROMA population: marginalization,
fear and distrust towards the good intentions of the general population and the realization of supportive activities
• Distrust and uneasiness of the general population towards the ROMA, such as employers, institutions etc.
• Difficulty/Reluctance of the ROMA people in adapting to the way of thinking and acting of the general population ( mainly concerning employment and education)
• Parallel existence of multiple factors that contribute to the social exclusion of ROMA, such as family status, great number of dependent members, low school attendance, poverty, unemployment, inappropriate housing etc.
CONCLUSIONS
• In conclusion, the confrontation of the ROMA problems
should be based on an integrated intervention with a
long-term perspective. This is possible when there is – Continuous funding to guarantee the sustainability of
policies. – Change of mentality of the general and the ROMA
population – Activities should be planned and materialized for the benefit
of the basic element of the Roma communities, the family.
CONCLUSIONS
• In essence, working with the family, we can guarantee better
perspective for the ROMA children, the target should be the
amelioration of the future of the ROMA family and especially
the youth. This is a great social problem that we have to approach
from all its dimensions and not separately. The planning and
realization of a complete intervention is required.
Thank you for your attention!