Action Plan for the Implementation of the National Roma Inclusion Strategy (2013 – 2015)
The key objective of the strategy is to encourage and support the process for social and economic inclusion of the Roma minority though involvement and coordinated action by all bodies and organisations at each level of the Croatian society and, thus, ensure a better quality of life for the Roma and reduce disparities and gaps between their socio-economic status and that of the rest of the population.
Among the eight strategic policies is the policy of ‘Inclusion in social and cultural life’ aimed at bringing the Roma culture and traditions closer to the rest of the community. The Action Plan has 14 measures to achieve this strategic goal out of which six are related to the cultural and media field specifically.
The strategic policy of ‘Inclusion in social and cultural life’ is set in compliance with the observed cultural and social needs of the Roma community. The goals were formulated through a dialogue between state administrative bodies and representatives of the Roma community and NGOs. The Action plan has six measures with which this strategic goal is to be achieved. These are:
Creating the conditions for active participation of Roma cultural and social activities in all areas with a significant proportion of the Roma national minority;
Establishment of multi-purpose centres in areas with a significant proportion of the Roma national minority;
Funding of programmes dedicated to the original Roma culture, language, traditions and artistic expressions, as well as collecting and publishing of Roma historical, literary and cultural materials (in Croatian and Roma languages);
Publishing of a tender for the funding of programmes for the preservation of Roma traditional culture;
Intensifying of informing on the Roma national minority, as well as of the affirmation of the Roma culture in all public media (the Croatian Radio Television, especially local radio stations in areas with a significant proportion of the Roma national minority), and research by independent experts thereon;
Organising seminars with media representatives and members of the Roma national minority on the affirmation of Roma people through media, and on the means of promotion of the positive aspect and equal reporting on Roma people, as well as of the rights and obligations in the field of combating discrimination, with special emphasis on the position or Roma women.
The implementation of the measures is expected to empower members of the Roma national community to participate in social, cultural and public life in order to bridge the gap between the Roma and the rest of the population.
One of the positive results of the multi-stakeholder process in this regard is the proclamation of the ‘World Day of Roma Language’ in the UNESCO, an initiative started by the Association for promoting education of Roma people in Croatia ‘Kali Sara’ and supported by the Croatian Commission for UNESCO together with the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. The ‘World Day of Roma Language’ was proclaimed at the 38th session of the UNESCO General Conference in November 2015.
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