RomPar

Promoting equal participation of young Sinti and Roma

Amaro Foro e.V., in cooperation with Sozialfabrik e.V., is executing the project RomPar, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). The project aims at promoting equal participation and equal opportunities of young Sinti and Roma in their specific living enviornment in Berlin. In order to reach this goal, the project supports civil society commitment of young Sinti and Roma, fosters their sense of self-esteem and offers networking opportunities.  

Activities

In the framework of RomPar we are conducting workshops and events aimed at advancing informal education of young people with and without Sinti and Roma background. Offers are oriented at providing young people with instruments which are enabling them to improve their options to equally participate in society. Among other, workshops and events covering the following topics will be offered:  

• Anti-Discrimination
• Antigypsyism
• Project management
• Proposal application
• Execution of workshops (training the trainers)
• Preparation and implementation of radio-features and short movies

In addition, we are organizing readings, movie screenings and cultural events. Focal points are the subjects discrimination and social exclusion, the history and historiography of Sinti and Roma, the preservation of Romanes as a living language as well as possibilities of political advocacy and/or issues around (vocational) training and education. Alongside, we are undertaking monthly joint leisure activities (e.g. excursions, cinema).

Weekly Meeting Point

For some years already, Amaro Foro e.V. is offering a weekly meeting point young Sinti and Roma. The youth group is meeting every Monday between 4 and 8 p.m. in the facilities of ReachOut, Hobrechtstraße 83 (Berlin Neukölln, close to the tube-station Hermannplatz). This is an opportunity to meet other young Sinti and Roma from various countries and with different migratory histories. The young people speak Romanes, Macedonian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Italian, Bosnian, Turkish, German and/or English.  The meeting point offers the opportunity to meet and get to know each other, to prepare joint events and to be and become constructive and creative

Cooperations

In order to successfully promote the equal participation of young Sinti and Roma, more than motivating and educating young people themselves needs to be done. It is essential to develop offers allowing youth to play an equal part free from discrimination.  This part need to be taken over by governmental and civil society organisations. We are hence trying to establish cooperation with relevant institutions and organisations and to develop targeted offers. These may include joint theatre projects with other migratory groups, anti-discrimination facilities and programmes at schools, access to political decision makers, and joint political campaigns with other associations and organisations.