The Participatory process
Interviews – Future Search Conference – Electronic Town Meeting
The participatory process is managed by Avventura Urbana Srl, a consultancy company with thirty years of experience in the management of inclusive decision-making processes and the mediation of public conflicts. The activities are carried out in collaboration with local partners and under the coordination of the project lead body.
Activities carried out in 2023
In 2023, a series of participatory activities took place in each of the three partner countries, to involve citizens and local stakeholders in the analysis of local factors linked to the theme of the project (the recognition of Samudaripen and the fight against Roma discrimination) and in the development of a shared vision of change.
The activities included, in each country:
1. the conduct of individual and anonymous semi-structured interviews with approximately 25 local strategic stakeholders representing a broad and diverse range of points of view and resources on the topic of the project, aimed at exploring the context.
2. The creation of a participatory event aimed at around 60 citizens and stakeholders, called to develop a shared action plan through the Future Search Conference (FSC) method.
The selection of participants paid particular attention to creating a group balanced in terms of the perspectives represented, gender, ethnicity, and age. Representatives of civil society, the academic world, educational institutions, the media, public institutions, and citizens (Roma and non-Roma) therefore participated in the activities.
The 2024 event
The final deliberative event takes place in Rome and constitutes the “convergence phase” of the participatory process because after having explored the multiple dimensions of the topic from a local perspective, the participants from the three countries work together to develop intervention strategies and shared actions to the future. To involve participants from all three countries, it is a hybrid event: it takes place simultaneously in person with Italian participants and online with Romanian and Croatian participants (100 participants per country).
Training with adolescent
Toolkit
The Samudaripen was the Nazi-fascist genocide of Roma and Sinti. It is a tragic event that has been overlooked in our collective memory. Only recently, since the early 1990s, light has been shed on this dark chapter of European history. Thanks to the efforts of Roma and non-Roma scholars and activists, this event is now receiving the attention it deserves, and we can honor the hundreds of thousands of innocent victims who lost their lives simply because they were Roma or Sinti.
It’s important to recognize that forgetfulness can be a form of discrimination and anti-Gypsyism or Romaphobia. Unfortunately, this negative stereotype has been perpetuated for over six centuries, creating a sense of otherness and danger towards the Romani community. These harmful mental automatisms have no place in our society and it’s important to work towards breaking them down.
The Training with Adolescents project aims to create an agile and easy-to-read tool for information and training. It aims to fill the gap that still exists in history textbooks, where the Samudaripen is often ignored or only briefly mentioned.
Furthermore, we am pleased to share that, in line with the views expressed by various European and international bodies such as the EU, CoE, ERIAC, and HIRA, REGARD takes an innovative approach by considering Roma as active and equal citizens in history. This approach recognizes the value and contributions of the Roma community in te European history and promotes a more inclusive and equitable society. The toolkit has a section that focuses on the contribution of the Roma and Sinti, in the Resistance and Liberation movements against Nazi Fascism in te Countries of the REGARD project. This is information that is often unknown to the general public.
Finally, the toolkit concludes with a third section dedicated to the unique aspects of the ‘Roma World’ (Romanó Thèm or Romanipen, in Romaní language), including its origins, language, and artistic and cultural expressions. It’s great to acknowledge the significant role that the European Union plays in defending the Romani identity and promoting the economic, social, and cultural inclusion of this minority, which is both the largest and most discriminated against. Thank you so much for reading!