who are !

The Roma, mostly, EU citizens, form the largest “ethnic minority” group of the EU with a population of 10-12 millions across Europe, with the biggest number living in, Romania, Turkey,Bulgaria and Spain. In Turkey they live all over the country but mostly in Trakya, Çanakkale, Edirne, Tekirdag, Mersin, İzmir and İstanbul.
The biggest challenges that Roma are facing in their daily life are: Unemployment, poverty, lack of education, lack of acceptance by the society which creates obstacles for their integration and
employment in public organizations. Roma are discriminated and their rights are violated on daily basis by their neighbors, friends and colleagues.
This project aims to help the understanding of the history, cultural structure, difficulties and injustices of the Roma people from Europe. The project aims to develop the knowledge and understanding of participating youth about active European citizenship connected to the values of Europe but also to build an ability to interpret real (mostly untold) stories from the Roma realities.

The objectives of the project are:

 

• The acquisition of specific social inclusion competencies for 10 volunteers with fewer opportunities.
  -performing volunteering activities using non-formal education methods during a 12-month EVS
  stage, by 10 volunteers with reduced opportunities.
  -the acquisition of participatory behaviors by 500 young Roma and 10 EVS volunteers.
• Creating a long-term partnership between youth organizations and other social actors in order to
  exchange information specific to youth work and to promote the European Solidarity Corps.
  The project aims to implement a 12-month volunteering activities for 10 young people with fewer opportunities from: Spain, France, Portugal, Turkey and Germany.
  The main activities of the EVS mobility will be focused on testing, developing and implementing a media campaign, commonly called “Mobile Roma Books”, and educational workshops for young people from 6 Roma communities in Valcea County.
  For the implementation of EVS activities, non-formal education methods will be used: living library, storytelling, theater-forum, photo-voice, debates, knowing each other games, energies.
  The results of the project will be:
• 8 month volunteering mobility for 10 young persons with fewer opportunities.
• The project’s web page, which will also serve as a platform for the exchange of good practices in the field of volunteering activities for young people from socio-economically disadvantaged communities, including Roma communities.
• The final conference magazine, which will include contributions and examples of good practices regarding the social inclusion of young people from Roma communities.
• The “Roma Mobile Books” media campaign, which will be used as an example of good practices in order to implement a media campaign to support young people with fewer opportunities.
  On the long term, the project will contribute to increase the motivation of young people from Roma communities, to participate at volunteering activities and to participate at the democratic life of the local community.