Activities Within the ROMACTED Program
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ROMACTED program, “Promoting good governance and Roma empowerment at local level”, is a Joint Program between the European Union (DG NEAR) and the Council of Europe. The program is implemented by the Council of Europe’s Roma and Travellers Team and the Office of the Directorate General of Programs in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey for a period of 36 months, starting in May 2017. The aims of the program are to: Strengthen political will and support local development through capacity-building of local authorities and effective participation of Roma citizens in local plans and projects; Empower the Roma citizens- on the individual level (assisting people to practice their basic rights and to expand their capacity and skills), as well as on the community level (assisting people to get organized to voice their interests around community problem-solving); Improve and expand the institutions' commitment, capacities, knowledge and skills in working for Roma inclusion, putting into practice the concepts of good governance. Activities within the ROMACTED program The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, as a national coordinator of the ROMACTED Program in Macedonia, organized consultative meeting with the ROMACTED municipalities, the EUD and the municipality of Shuto Orizari! The meeting addressed some of the major issues of the Roma communities face at local level and explored possible solutions to improve the living conditions of the communities. On 16th of January Mr. Hadis Redjepi- ROMACTED project officer and Mr. Ferdi Ismaili - National focal point of ROMACTED program meet with the new Minister without portfolio Mr.Muzafer Bajram! The purpose of the meeting was to represent the program and continue the cooperation and coordination at local level including policies and activities targeting the Roma! On the 17th of January the Municipal Mr.Hadis Redjepi - ROMACTED Council of the Municipality of Debar adopted the Local action plan for program officer and Mr. Ferdi Ismaili - Roma, prepared by the Community National Focal point of ROMACTED action group and institutional group of th ROMACTED program! Thanks to all program had a strategic meeting on 24 members and the team of January with the Mayors of Municipality ROMACTED in Municipality of of Strumica and Berovo! Debar - for first time are adopted local policies targeting Roma issues! The Delegation of the Council of Europe responsible for the ROMACTED program in Strasburg together with the team of ROMACTED in Macedonia on 4th of February held a meeting with the mayor of Strumica Municipality, the institutional group of ROMACTED in the municipality of Strumica and a representative of the community. At the meeting it was discussed about the so far activities taken from ROMACTED, the methodology, the challenges and the recommendation for further implementation of the program. A meeting was held with the mayor of Advisory meeting with 12 Municipalities Veles Municipality Ace Kocevski, the ROMACTED was held on 5th of February! delegation of the Council of Europe and Opening speech by Delegation of European Sonce association in the frames of the Union, program office of Council of Europe th ROMATED program on 4 of February. in Macedonia, ROMACTED team from CE In the meeting participated Markos - Strasbourg, Ministry of labor and social Andrade, manager of the program, Marina policy, Ministry of education, Ministry of Vasik, project coordinator, Hadis Redjepi education, Cabinet of the Minister without manager of the program in North portfolio Mr. Muzafer Bajram and Ministry Macedonia, Ferdi Ismaili, executive of local self-government! director of ADRR Sonce and Nazmie ` Ramadanovic from the NGO „Romska sila“- Veles. On February 13, 2019, the representatives of the Roma Education Fund (REF) were on a Coordination meeting with monitoring visit in Tetovo and ROMACTED facilitators took Gostivar. place on 9th of February! th On the 14 of February, Mr. Ferdi Ismaili - Executive Director of Sonce and Mr. Nezir Huseini program manager for employment and program director of Sonce, in the Head Office of Sonce we had a meeting with Ms.Tara Sharafundheen from World Bank Washington! The purpose of meeting was to support vulnerable women especially Roma women in labor market in! We found our sinergies under the ROMACTED program as a one of the program when we have structures in 12 Municipality! Within the framework of the ROMACTED, we th visited Vinica today, in order to offer strategic On the 4 of March, we visited the Municipality of Debar and Kicevo. We had a support and discuss the local and joint action th meeting about the joint plan between the plans. The meeting took place on 26 February community action groups and institutional was attended by Kiro Dovichinski - Local working group of the ROMACTED program Economic Development and Mitko Ilievski – and the possibilities for funding! Secretary of the municipality including Demir Osmanov - ROMACTED Contact Point and CAG representative. On the 25.03.2019 in the Municipality of ROMACTED received a Certificate of Appreciation from the mayor of the municipality of Gostivar - Mr Kichevo within the ROMACT ED program we had a meeting with the (CAG's) Arben Taravari. This meeting was initiated from the Comunity Action Group where we Community Action Group and organized by the discussed organizing activities for 8 April municipality in its premises. The aim of the meeting and preparing the community for a meeting was to celebrate the #RomaDay2019, discuss the with the municipal officials in order their implementation of the Program and to offer strategic activities to be financed by the support to Gostivar. As part of the strategic municipality. Also, we discussed the future cooperation, the Cabinet of the Minister without steps and activities that should be Portfolio was represented by Ms Mersiha Usein, who undertaken by the community in presented the funding opportunities and Mr Elvis cooperation with the municipalities. Memeti from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, who spoke about the Roma Information Center and the kindergartens. On the 28th of March at the Municipality of Kocani, within the framework of the ROMACTED program of the Council of Europe, we had a meeting with the Mayor of the Municipality of Kocani and the municipal working group of the Municipality of Kocani where we discussed several points: 1. The adoption of the Municipality Council of Kocani of the Joint Action Plan for Development of the Roma Community in the Municipality of Kocani for the period 2019 and 2020. 2. Adoption of the Municipality Council of the Local Action Plan for Roma Education for the period from 2019 to 2021. 3. The Municipality of Kocani’s application to the call by the European Delegation for Roma Housing 4. Activities of the Municipality of Kocani to mark the International Day of 8th of April. 5. Accomplished activities for the Roma community with the received funds from the Ministry of Local Self-Government. It was also talked about the future steps and activities that will be undertaken by the Municipality for the implementation of the Joint Action Plan for Development of the Roma Community in the Municipality of Kocani! Induction training was organized From action to equal rights for Roma on 18th of April in Skopje for the new members of the ROMACTED Support team, which have been This project seeks to increase the participation selected in the last Call for Tenders of Roma communities in the FYROM in for facilitators and experts. decision-making that affects their lives. Through consultation and cooperation between Roma mediators, civil society organizations (CSOs), national and local authorities and legal bodies, the program aims to reduce discrimination against Roma and demand recognition and implementation of their basic rights. Activities within this project On March 6, 2019 in the premises of The Advocacy meeting with representatives from the Bella Mia restaurant in Tetovo, a Municipality of Debar held on 26th of March focused on workshop was held with NGOs that issues affecting the local community determined during are sub grantees from the third call for the field visits in the settlements in the municipality of granting small grants. This workshop Debar, where the community lives and the identification of was realized as part of the project the necessary steps for dealing with the issues. The From Action to Equal Rights for Roma meeting was attended by representatives of the Funded by the European Union, Municipality of Debar, mediators from the Roma implemented by ADRR Sonce in community working on the field, representatives of the partnership with the Minority Rights Roma community from the respective local communities Group in London. as well as the project team from the Association for Democratic Development of the Roma Sonce-Tetovo. This meeting was realized as part of the project From Action to Equal Rights for Roma funded by the European Union, implemented by ADRR Sonce in partnership with the Minority Rights Group in London. In the framework of the project From Action to Equal Rights for Roma, small grants were awarded to four organizations in connection with the third and last call, namely: Roma Cultural and Educational Center Ternipe MK- Delcevo, Humanitarian and Charitable Association of the Roma Intelligence - Anglunipe , Roma Association "AVENA" and Humanitarian and Charity Association of Roma "Mesecina" Debar. On April 17, 2019, a meeting was held with the Meeting with the Pro-rector of SEEU, the dean and the Deputy Ombudsman and representatives of the pro-dean of the Law Faculty at the South East European National Preventive Mechanism and pro -bonno University in Tetovo within the project From Action to attorneys. This meeting was realized as part of Equal Rights for Roma Funded by the European Union, the project From Action to Equal Rights for implemented by ADRR Sonce in partnership with the Roma Funded by the European Union, Minority Rights Group in London.