Menschliche und soziale Entwicklung
Initiatives de développement

Vulnerable communities with large percentage of Roma population or other minorities

The Roma community is the largest minority in Romania and is characterised primarily by the situation of social exclusion and wide ranging poverty experienced by a significant proportion of its members. Inadequate access to housing, education, health, employment along with the existence of cultural barriers are the main difficulties that the Roma community is facing. One can say that the Roma community is historically disadvantaged and discriminated.

The objective of the Thematic Fund „Inclusion of Roma and other Vulnerable Groups“ is to promote social inclusion and participation in socio-economic life of vulnerable minorities namely of the Roma community. In accordance with the Framework Agreement, priority shall be given to the improvement of living conditions, particularly in the education and health field and in empowerment and awareness building measures.

The activities shall be bundled into 3-4 projects under the part "Improvement of Living Conditions", submitted by Romanian-Swiss consortiums (NGOs). Priority shall be given to education for children as well as to health for children and women. Under the part "Empowerment and Awareness Building", priority will be given to strenghtening Roma and other minorities' cultural identity and integration and enhancing their participation in decision making.

The expected results are:

• Four programmes improve sustainably, the quality of education and health in a number of vulnerable communities
• 15 to 20 local and regional projects have contributed to strenghten cultural identity, mutual understanding and integration of Roma and other vulnerable minorities.