27-06-2011

ECMI provides lectures for visiting scholars and interns of the German Federal Parliament on Roma issues in Europe, 19 and 26 June

ECMI Deputy Director Ewa Chylinski and ECMI Junior Research Associate Dr Timofey Agarin provide  insights into the situation of Roma in Europe and the European Union (EU) policies directed towards better Roma inclusion and integration.  The last year's events of Roma discrimination and expulsion prompted a reaction of the EU to work our a specific Roma inclusion strategy to mobilize the EU member states to work on national strategies to improve Roma integration and inclusion.

Sankelmark Academy under the auspices of the Federal Parliament is introducing the theme of “Ethnic groups and minorities in Germany”  by arranging meetings with minorities and institutions dealing with minority issues, also including research centres such as ECMI.

The audience is made up of scholars and interns of the German Federal Parliament programme on developing democratic  ideals and building capacity of mainly Central,  Eastern and South Eastern young scholars in the beginning of their careers.  In those regions the Roma population is a traditional component of multiethnic societies, often subjected to discrimination and related to the negative connotation of Gypsy.  ECMI expertise is based on the investigation of the Roma situation in the European states, particularly in those with the largest Roma populations – e.g. Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain. The ECMI approach relates both to general non-discrimination policies, which cover the basic human rights aspects, but also to the policies of recognition of Roma as a national minority and its consequences.

The current group of 57 participants represents 24 countries .

For more on the EU Roma inclusion strategy, see here.

For more on ECMI Roma programme  please click here.
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Place and date: 21.06.2011  For further information, please  contact:
Ewa Chylinski, Chylinsk i[a] ecmi.de or Timofey Agarin at t.agarin [@] ecmi.de.