With the support of the OSI Roma Health Project (Open Society Institute), EPHA conducted a two-year programme (2012 – 2014) to train and mentor three Roma health EU advocates. The fellowship aimed to increase the capacity of the Roma community for leadership on Roma health at EU level.
With the support of the OSI Roma Health Project (Open Society Institute), EPHA (the European Public Health Alliance) – Europe’s leading NGO advocating for better health – launches a two-year programme (2012 – 2014) to train and mentor two Roma health EU advocates .
The fellowship aimed to increase the capacity of the Roma community for leadership on Roma health at EU level. The three fellows (and sending organisations) got the opportunity to develop their professional skills with a practical and European orientation, and develop contacts and cooperation with the most important European actors (e.g. European Commission, Members of the European Parliament and European networks of NGOs inter alia).
Objectives and outcomes of the fellowship
In two years time, three Roma health EU advocates were able to navigate the EU scene, interact and advocate for advancing Roma health within the EU Health scene.
The following skills and knowledge were developed:
- Developing an advocacy strategy,
- Understanding the EU decision making process, with a focus on health actors within the EU institutions, as well as within the broader European scene (e.g. DG SANCO, DG EMPL,)
- Building alliances with various organizations operating in the social and field sectors.
- Developing policy/advocacy messages targeting the EU institutions and particularly decision makers that would have an impact on Roma Health.
Duration of the project: June 2012 – June 2014
EPHA Roma Health Fellows were:
Sebihana Skenderovska, National Roma Health Centrum, Macedonia
Marius Radulescu, The Roma Center for Health Policy – SASTIPEN, Romania
Maja Saitovic, Open Society Foundation, Serbia
Find out more on the one-year EPHA EU advocacy Roma health fellowship programme (2015-2016)
