The
Roma Initiatives Office invites Roma-led national coalitions and
networks (formal or informal) among Roma and pro-Roma organizations from
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia,
and Turkey to apply for support for national-level monitoring and
advocacy aimed at ensuring that Roma-specific targets are included in
major policy reforms and national budgets.
Building on the lessons and spirit of the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005–2015, a new intergovernmental initiative, Roma Integration 2020, is being started in 2016. It will be implemented within the framework of the Regional Cooperation Council and cofunded by the European Union and the Open Society Foundations. This initiative provides for a regional structure for Roma inclusion in the Western Balkans and Turkey. It aims to contribute to closing the socioeconomic gap between Roma and non-Roma and to strengthen the institutional obligations of governments to incorporate and deliver specific Roma integration goals within mainstream policy developments. The initiative is grounded in the EU accession process, complementing and feeding the activities of the European Commission.
Roma Integration 2020 is not intended to integrate Roma communities but rather to assist national governments with integrating Roma-specific policy measures into: (1) mainstream socioeconomic policies and public service delivery; and (2) national budget planning and service delivery processes.
Building on the lessons and spirit of the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005–2015, a new intergovernmental initiative, Roma Integration 2020, is being started in 2016. It will be implemented within the framework of the Regional Cooperation Council and cofunded by the European Union and the Open Society Foundations. This initiative provides for a regional structure for Roma inclusion in the Western Balkans and Turkey. It aims to contribute to closing the socioeconomic gap between Roma and non-Roma and to strengthen the institutional obligations of governments to incorporate and deliver specific Roma integration goals within mainstream policy developments. The initiative is grounded in the EU accession process, complementing and feeding the activities of the European Commission.
Roma Integration 2020 is not intended to integrate Roma communities but rather to assist national governments with integrating Roma-specific policy measures into: (1) mainstream socioeconomic policies and public service delivery; and (2) national budget planning and service delivery processes.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicant organizations must fulfill the following criteria:
- The Roma Initiatives Office will provide only one grant in each of the countries covered. National coalitions are expected to develop projects that take into consideration national contexts and policy priorities, and to work within the structure of the overall aims and objectives of Roma Integration 2020. Coalitions must demonstrate a commitment to Roma inclusion and be democratic and transparent.
- Coalitions must demonstrate Roma leadership or partnership with a Roma organization on an equal footing in all phases of the project. Roma should also benefit from the policy change targeted by the project.
- Coalitions must include at least one partner with a strong track record in budgetary processes, including budget planning and monitoring of spending at the national and local levels.
- Coalitions must demonstrate that they work through broad and diverse membership bases. They are expected to demonstrate substantial involvement of Roma women and youth in project management and activities as well as geographic coverage that is as wide as possible.
- Projects must take place in the eligible countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey.