FOSI ROM - Roma program

As one of the signatories of the Declaration on the Decade of Roma Inclusion and, since May 2006, newly independent state, Montenegro has overtaken certain responsibilities in regard to improving the socio economic conditions of life of Roma and enabling their greater integration and equality in different segments of public life.

A conference "Decade of Roma Inclusion in Montenegro – view into future" has been held on July 11, 2006, under the auspices of UNICEF and Foundation Open Society Institute - Representative Office Montenegro in partnership with the National Coordinator for the Decade of Roma Inclusion - Ms. Remzija Ademovic - and NGO "Roma Scholarship Foundation". The purpose of the conference has been to analyze current state of the affairs in sectors identified by the National Action Plan for the Decade, evaluate up to date experiences in the implementation of the Decade and offer concrete recommendations in regard to ways in which implementation of this important process may be improved. The Conference has gathered primarily representatives of the Roma NGO sector, representatives of relevant line Ministries responsible for the four thematic areas identified by the NAP for the Decade and local governments as well as other interested stake holders. The conclusions of the Conference have been made available to relevant RIO representatives.

In the educational sector, the Ministry of Education and Science successfully implements the project Roma Education Initiative. What previously used to be the project sponsored jointly by FOSI ROM and UNICEF, has become a REF sponsored three year project involving different NGOs, preschool and school institutions and Bureau for Educational Services. Notwithstanding the fact that the contract has been signed at the end of 2005, due to budgetary issues its implementation has started only in the first half of 2006. REI project, as supported by the REF, foresees enhancement of Roma education in three existing and two new sites throughout Montenegro by creating models of successful integration of Roma children into preschool and primary school education, primarily through effective NGO – school partnerships, motivating schools for Roma inclusion/supplying them with extra equipment, capacity building for teaching in a diversified environment and further involvement of the Roma assistants into the teaching/learning process. Results of the project implementation are yet to be seen.

In the line with the activities envisaged in the education related part of the NAP for the Decade, as well as the notion that illiteracy among Roma population is rather high (research estimates state 70%), the Ministry of Education and Science has also initiated in the course of last year a program of basic functional literacy which has been developed by the Centre for Vocational Education (its Sector for the Education of Adults) in cooperation with the Bureau for Educational Services. The aim of the program will be to organize catch up courses for illiterate Roma following specifically designed curricula which includes not only functional literacy skills but also some other social skills relevant for their more successful integration (e.g. education for health). The program has been adopted by the Council for Education of Adults (as the highest expert body for this segment of the education) at its session of April 18, 2006.

In the employment sector, in accordance with the ambition identified in the employment section of the NAP for the Decade, Montenegrin Bureau of Employment has initiated at the beginning of 2006 a comprehensive research with the aim to identify relevant target group for their intended program of professional development of Roma[1]. Bureau has worked as to create the data base of the unemployed Roma and their professional profile in order to be able to offer relevant programs of their professional upgrading that would make them more competitive at the labor market. The research has been finalized and its results will be presented to general public in the forthcoming days.

As stated in the conclusions of the mentioned conference on the Decade, held in July 2006, there are modest developments in sectors other than education and employment and it has been stated that still a lot needs to be done in terms of tackling successfully issues such as Roma habitation and health. The Government of Montenegro is aware of the needs and, especially in the area of habitation, has promised to make sure that the Roma habitation needs are taken into consideration while applying for the available international financial assistance schemes (e.g. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development).

[1] Research has been inspired by the existing gap between official and de facto number of Roma in Montenegro (which represents the biggest obstacle for any serious program development) and the subsequent need to identify the number of Roma potentially interested in getting employed. The purpose of the research has also been to get insight into the sort of formal obstacles to their access to employment (e.g. lack of personal documents necessary for the job applications etc.).