Partner organizations

Amaro Foro e.V., Germany www.amaroforo.de
„Amaro Foro“ is a transcultural youth self-organization of Roma and non-Roma, which creates space for young people to become active citizens through empowerment, mobilization, self-organization and participation. We believe in the mutual efforts to create trust and mutual respect between Roma and non-Roma youth. Amaro Foro is active in the field of youth work, adult education, social inclusion and art and culture, including non-formal education, empowerment of young women, capacity-building of young adults and youth leaders, and the promotion of volunteering, voluntary service and active citizenship. Recognizing that stigmatization and marginalization constitute the root causes of social exclusion, Amaro Foro creates dialogue on all levels, and raises the awareness of society, media, schools and authorities about stereotypes, antigypsyism and discrimination. Moreover, Amaro Foro works for the social inclusion of migrants, especially Roma, from new EU Member States in Berlin through advisory and education support, as well as empowerment, enabling the people to address their own needs and interests towards local authorities to enjoy the full citizens’ rights and responsibilities. Amaro Foro e.V. is member of the youth organization “Jugendbund djo Deutscher Regenbogen LV Berlin”, of the national umbrella organization Amaro Drom e.V., as well as partner of ternYpe – International Roma Youth Network, and Phiren Amenca, the network of Roma and non-Roma volunteers and voluntary service organizations.

Youth Network for Development, Bulgaria www.ynd-bg.org
“Youth Network for Development“ association is a non-governmental youth organization founded in 2007 by a group of active and motivated Roma and non-Roma University students. The main goal of the NGO is to change exclusionary processes like segregation and the lack of participation of the Roma youngsters on local level. Our mission is to create opportunities for young Roma and non-Roma to became active citizens and their voice to be heard, so by common efforts and understanding Roma and non-Roma to be able live together in mutual respect and tolerance. The YND team consists of young Roma and non-Roma students. For the last two years the activities of the association include more than 200 youngsters from 15 different locations in South-Western Bulgaria. Currently the association supports the activities of 6 self-organized initiative groups on local level in the whole region. We plan to enlarge and strengthen our organization’s network on national level. YND has supported young people and helped them participate in different international events.

Roma Onlus, Italy www.romaonlus.it
Romà Onlus is an NGO established in 2008, based in Rome and composed by both Roma cultural mediators and non Roma people. Romà’s Method is active participation. Romà’s Mission is to promote good aspects of roma culture and roma skills to interact with general collectivity by rediscovering and enhancing roma history and traditions and fight every form of discrimination. Its aim is to support the integration process of Romani community by mean of projects and activities directed toward the empowerment of Roma and Sinti in different fields: education, cultural awareness, social and cultural mediation, support to employment. Romà Onlus devotes a large part of its efforts to long-term empowerment practices such as schooling support and tutoring aimed to improve the access to higher education and the creation of gathering places for youngsters of roma and non roma background. Romà Onlus is a a promoter member of “Coordinamento Rom a Roma”, a founder member of “Federazione Romanì” (Italian Romanì Federation), a founder member of Ternype (International Roma Youth Network) and a member of RGDTS - Phiren Amenca.

Roma Education Center, Slovakia www.mladez-ocr.sk
OCR (REC) was based in 1999 in connection with a governmental conception for Roma issue - solving in Slovakia. The members of the non-governmental organization “Roma Education Centre” are young Roma and Non-Roma, volunteers and professional youth workers from Slovakia. Our mission is to facilitate communication and understanding between Roma communities and the majority and to support mobility, civic participation, education and empowerment of Roma and non- Roma youth on local, national and international levels. We believe in creating a common good based on trust and mutual respect between Roma and non-Roma youth. Most members of our our association work voluntarily. Partly we prepare leisure time and educational activities for children and teenagers in Nové Mesto nad Váhom Roma community which is segregated and located outside of the town, where we have Roma assistants employed in a children and youth club in school. On regional level we work on networking of NGOs and we closely cooperate with Regional Leisure Time Center from Trenčín. Most of our volunteers on regional level are non Roma high school and university students who are interested in the work with Roma but they miss knowledge about Roma culture and habits. On national level we support a network and capacity-building activities of potential young Roma adults who would like to develop their skills. Those people don't have many possibilities and resources to travel and their mobility and opportunities to learn are therefore very low. OCR is founding organization of ternYpe - International Roma Youth Network through which we are developing learn-term programs and strategies.

RGDTS – Phiren Amenca: www.phirenamenca.eu 
RGDTS (Phiren Amenca) is a network of Roma and non-Roma volunteers and voluntary service organizations creating opportunities for non-formal education, dialogue and engagement, in order to challenge stereotypes and racism. RGDTS (Roma-Gadje Dialogue through Service) had nearly ten years of experience as an informal network of voluntary service organizations, helping to facilitate the sending and hosting Roma and non-Roma young adult volunteers in Europe, and gathering them for seminars or special occasions. We believe that volunteering is a powerful tool of social change, as volunteers dedicate their time and energy to contribute to society. Based on national and international voluntary service programs, the network creates opportunities for young Roma and non-Roma to live and engage in local communities and projects for up to one year. In exchange for their engagement, the volunteers can benefit from an unforgettable life experience, intercultural learning, non-formal education, and new language skills. Our network wants to support and encourage volunteers in this learning experience through seminars on intercultural learning, conflict-management, Roma history and cultures, civil rights activism, as well as discrimination, mechanisms of exclusion, antigypsyism and extremist movements today. In May 2009, RGDTS was recognized as one of seven Ambassadors for Democracy and Tolerance by the Alliance for Democracy and Tolerance, a campaign sponsored by the German federal government. In March 2010 RGDTS was one of 21 EU-funded projects selected to be displayed at the conference: “European Union Projects in favour of the Roma Community” held in Brussels.