RomaNet Cooperation Network

RomaNet Co-operation Network
 
The project is supported by the Hungary-Slovakia Cross border Co-operation Program (HUSK-CBC http://www.husk-cbc.eu).
 
Project partners:
Carpathian Foundation-Hungary (HU)
Civil Alternative Initiative in the Slovak Republic (CAISR) (SK)
Roma Community Development Organization (RCDO) (HU)
 
The duration of the project: 1st February 2010- 28 February 2011
 
The Roma organizations have lower capacities than other non-Roma organizations, although their willingness of self-organization and preparedness is very important from the view of the development of the Roma communities. The deficiencies, competences of Roma organizations need to be further developed by different kind of trainings, seminars, joint actions and by best practice sharing.
Our project is focusing on the empowerment of staff of Roma NGOs by establishing and developing a strong, professional network among them for cross-border cooperation.
The development of the human resource potential of the Roma NGOs operating in the North-Hungarian Region in Hungary-Rimavská Sobota /Rožňava /Košice Region in Slovakia is absolutely essential for the social and economic development of the above mentioned region. As these Roma NGOs are working for the promotion of the local Roma communities. Our experiences show that there is no dialogue and joint actions in the target region for improving Roma communities’ life conditions by empowering Roma civic leaders and active stakeholders. Although a huge infrastructural and financial investment is also needed in order to treat this situation in this bordering region effectively, out standpoint is that the common statement, dialogue and cooperation of the stakeholders, decision makers from both side of the border could help to contribute to the situation.
 
 
The project objectives are:

  • Improve the skills and capacities of representatives of approximately 10-20 Slovak and Hungarian Roma NGOs   (30 members) by providing them different kind of trainings and seminars in the following topics: human rights and freedom protection, interest representation and public participation, project idea development, proposal writing, project implementation, communication, PR, fund raising and negotiation practices.
  • Support more effective cooperation among Roma organizations on both sides of the border (by empowering them to create a network),
  • Improve the absorption capacity of Roma organizations participating in the project,
  • Enhance cooperation’s and common projects among representatives of Roma NGOs participating in the project;
  • Develop project implementation capacities of the 5-10 involved Roma organizations from Slovakia and Hungary.

The main events of the project:

RomaNet Opening Conference

On 30th of April 2010 the ope­ning con­fe­rence was suc­cess­fully orga­ni­zed with 50 par­ti­ci­pants in Rimavska Sobota. The con­fe­rence was held both in Hun­ga­rian and Slo­vak lan­gu­a­ges. Bog­lárka Bata, the exe­cu­tive direc­tor of the Lead Part­ner (Car­pathian Foun­da­tion– Hun­gary) pro­mo­ted the pro­ject. After it, the pre­si­dents of the pro­ject part­ners (Mr. Antal Far­kas– Roma Com­mu­nity Devel­op­ment Orga­ni­za­tion; Mr. Béla Kökény– Civil Alter­na­tive Ini­ti­ative in the Slo­vak Repub­lic) int­ro­du­ced their orga­ni­za­ti­ons and their tasks in the pro­ject. The 4 invi­ted pre­sen­ters, experts (PhD. Zsu­zsanna Far­kas– socio­lo­gist; PhD. Ladi­slav Fizík– pre­si­dent of the Slo­va­kian Roma Par­lia­ment; Mr. László Teleki – Minis­ter Pleni­po­ten­ti­ary (HU); Mgr. Alena Hor­vathova — Minis­ter Pleni­po­ten­ti­ary (SK)) spoke about the situ­a­tion of Roma mino­rity in Hun­gary and in Slo­va­kia and about the govern­men­tal poli­cies, prog­rams, achi­eve­ments of the integ­ra­tion of the Roma communities.

RomaNet Trainings in Slovakia and Hungary

 On 21-22nd of May the first Hun­ga­rian tra­i­ning was suc­cess­fully imp­le­men­ted in Felső­tár­kány. On 23rd of May 2010, in Felső­tár­kány as the clo­sing event of the Hun­ga­rian tra­i­ning a com­mon semi­nar was orga­ni­zed with the par­ti­ci­pa­tion of the Hun­ga­rian and the Slo­va­kian sta­ke­hol­ders, trai­ners, and pro­ject part­ners . The par­ti­ci­pants got to know each other and each other’s orga­ni­za­ti­ons with the rele­vant con­tri­bu­tion of the pre­sen­ters, experts who led the tra­i­nings before (from both side of the bor­ders), and by for­mu­lating multi-national (Hungarian-Slovakian) gro­ups the par­ti­ci­pants had to col­la­bo­rate and exchanged their expe­ri­en­ces and lear­ned from each other which was pre­sen­ted later on.The second Hun­ga­rian tra­i­ning and commmon forum was suc­cess­fully imp­le­men­ted in Kis­köre and Kokava Háj on the 16-17th and 24th of July, 2010. The third Hun­ga­rian tra­i­ning and commmon forum was suc­cess­fully imp­le­men­ted in Mezőkövesd on the 7-9th of January, 2011.
 
Best Practice Visit
 
The best prac­tice visit was orga­ni­zed and imp­le­men­ted with the par­ti­ci­pa­tion of Hun­ga­rian and Slo­va­kian sta­ke­hol­ders, trai­ners, and pro­ject part­ners, all toget­her 41 par­ti­ci­pants in Sirok on 10th of Sep­tem­ber, 2010. Mrs And­rea Csiki, the direc­tor of the SIROMA Asso­ci­a­tion pre­sen­ted the suc­cess­ful integ­ra­tion pro­ject on the abo­li­tion of gypsy colo­nies in Sirok to the Slo­va­kian and Hun­ga­rian par­ti­ci­pants. This pre­sen­ted pro­ject was imp­le­men­ted by the SIROMA in coo­pe­ra­tion with the Sup­port the Poor Foun­da­tion (SZETA) Eger and the local self-government of Sirok.
 
On 28th February, 2011 the RomaNet Cooperation Network (supported by supported by the Hungary-Slovakia Cross border Co-operation Program) project has been closed successfully.  
On 26-27th February a closing conference was successfully held in Eger. Boglárka Bata,  executive director of the Carpathian Foundation - Hungary summarized the results of the projects, and its success. And after that the Hungarian and Slovakian trainers (Zsuzsanna Farkas, Melinda Vartik and Jana Luptáková, Ladislav Fizik) and the participants presented their experience.
The participants signed a Protocol of cooperation, which was expressed a willingness for future cooperation in the project and a long-term maintenance of a network.

 

 

 

 

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