Roma

[EPT] Roma NRIS – Policy Framework – National Roma Integration Strategies (16 May 2013)

National Roma Integration Strategies (NRIS) Many of the estimated 10-12 million Roma in Europe face prejudice, intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion in their daily lives. They are marginalised and live in very poor socio-economic conditions. This EU Framework seeks to make a tangible difference to Roma people’s lives. It is the EU’s response to the current situation and does not replace Member States’ primary responsibility in this regard. With this EU (...)

Fundamental Rights to Promote Public Health

The Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) has organised the 6th Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP), its flagship event to meet with civil society representatives working on fundamental rights. The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) participated in the event for the first time, bringing the public health community’s voice in substantive discussions about Fundamental Rights. What about Fundamental Rights? Fundamental Rights are rights that are recognised and guaranteed by international (...)

European Year of Citizens: Are Roma people European citizens like any others?

The ’’citizenship gap’’ between Roma and non-Roma was taken up by a conference organised by the European Roma Information Office (ERIO) at the European Economic and Social Committee on 22 April 2013. The International Romani Day 8 April is a good day to remember what happened recently to members of the Roma community in Europe. In France alone, about 10,000 Roma were sent back to Romania and Bulgaria in 2009. The following year, at least another 8,300 Roma were (...)

[Public Statement] International Romani Day - the curse of being Roma in Europe and getting proper healthcare

It is high time for the EU and national leaders to fix all what is wrong with the social factors that trap the Roma population in a vicious cycle of ill-health. Policy-makers can do a better job to make sure that Roma people across Europe do not have to endure an additional series of obstacles to become healthy and productive members of the societies in which they live. Six million Roma live in the EU (1), in what represents Europe’s largest ethnic group. The Roma are one of the most (...)

Breaking barriers - Roma students can become doctors!

Since 2010, the Roma Center for Health Policies – SASTIPEN has been implementing a Tutorship Programme to help Roma students in several European countries (like Romania, Macedonia, Serbia, and Bulgaria) who want to become doctors and whose social and financial support is limited. This Tutorship Programme offers preparatory courses for Roma students in biology, chemistry and/or physics. Roma students also receive mentoring and technical assistance to help them pass admission exams (...)

Poverty and inequality in societies of human rights - the paradox of democracies

The two-day conference involved a discussion on the subject of poverty and inequality in societies with human rights policies and brought together institutional actors, researchers, activists, associations, and networks, as well as people living in poverty and precariousness and other citizens involved in the themes raised by the Conference. The first day of the discussion was devoted to the analysis of the current situation in terms of poverty, inequalities and precariousness of living (...)

Governments should act in the best interest of stateless children

Citizenship is the “right to have rights”. Without citizenship, one lacks not only political rights, but often social and economic rights as well. On a symbolic level, citizenship implies being a full member of a national community, and even further, of humanity. On his statement Nils Muižnieks, Commissioner for Human Rights argues in favour of the protection of stateless children. Key messages The best interest of the child is to have citizenship There should be no (...)

Health Mediation Programme in Romania

This article provides information about a vital programme implemented by EPHA partner organisation SASTIPEN Roma Center for Health Policies, based in Romania. Their ’’Health Mediation Programme: Opportunity for increasing the employment rate amongst roman women” is an example of how economic and health objectives can be tackled simultaneously. Health Mediation Programme The health mediation programme represents the “business card” for Romania when discussing (...)

[Seminar report] Tackling Health Inequalities through Investing in Housing

The event ’Tackling Health Inequalities through Investing in Housing’ focused on the connection between health inequalities and affordable housing. It emphasised that investment in good quality housing can bring returns in health and environmental outcomes. Evidence shows that decent housing is an important social and environmental determinant of health These determinants lie outside of the health sector . Nevertheless, neither health professionals nor health policymakers (...)

Eurobarometer reports: Discrimination in the EU 2012 (1) & Accessibility (2)

European anti-discrimination legislation is among the most extensive in the world. In 2000, the European Union adopted two very far-reaching laws [Directive 2000/43/EC and Directive 2000/78/EC] to prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. As far as racial and ethnic origin is concerned, this legislation extends to other aspects of daily life, such as education and social services. These reports (...)