Europe

European Project 2001 - Pictured above is Sylvia Dunn (left) with Spanish delegates for a DGLG Education project that linked Portugal, Spain and Romania.

Conference report : Equal Opportunities for All - Multiple Discrimination Matters
Conference Proceedings Report (Doc)

The conference presentations and speeches are available online on the website of the European Commission's anti-discrimination unit : English : German : French

Events in this region:

GYPSY AND TRAVELLER COMMUNITIES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO POLICING - This workshop falls within the general programme 'Policing and Criminal Justice: Toward Safety for Multi-ethnic Communities' which is supported by the OSCE ODIHR.
27th and 28th November 2006
Derbyshire, UK (exact location tbc)
Western European Regional Workshop (Doc)

The outcome of this meeting can be viewed in this report:
POLICING IN RELATION TO ROMA, GYPSY AND TRAVELLER COMMUNITIES

Groups in this region:

BCRE - British Committee on The Romani Emancipation
The British arm of the European CRE (ECRE). ECRE was founded in 1998 to create work projects for Eastern European Romani mainly in Hungary. BCRE were co-founders of the Traveller Law Reform Coalition (later changed to the Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform Coalition).
Len Smith - parnobal2@smithl62.fsnet.co.uk

Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues
Jennifer Mitchell
Associate Program Officer
OSCE / ODIHR
+48 22 520 0600 x 1115
jennifer.mitchell@odihr.pl

European Roma and Traveller Forum

Roma Virtual Network - Overview, needs, perspectives:
www.erionet.org

Roma Virtual Network is a public, non-partisan, non-profit grass-roots initiative currently under the auspices of European Roma Information Office.

It is aimed to provide the international Romani community and friendly non-Roma organizations and individuals with useful information on Roma issues in variety of languages via the Internet.

Date of establishment: 19 July 1999

It has been started as a private initiative and gained the recognition of many national and international, governmental and non-governmental NGOs dealing with Roma issues, especially in Europe. It contains 42 electronic mailing lists with the total membership over 7200 e-mail addresses.

The activity of RVN is actively helping to facilitate the cooperation and exchange of information within Roma organizations and individuals, between Roma and non-Roma organizations and individuals and also between Roma NGOs and official institutions. It relates with the variety of Roma-related political, cultural, economic and social issues on local and international levels. It is aimed to support the improvement of the Romani situation in Europe and other regions of the world.

Implemented and current information projects:

- Net support to "Domari: The Society of Gypsies in Israel" (based in Jerusalem, Israel). Dates: 21.10.1999 - 21.09.2001.
Result: Affirmation and promotion of Israeli Gypsy organization via e-mailing lists and two web pages in cooperation with Domari Research Center (based in Cyprus).

- Net support to RomNews Network (based in Hamburg, Germany).
Dates: 01.07.2002 - until present.
Result: providing the clients of RomNews Network with the articles and essays on Romani issues.

- Providing of informational support to Russian Romani families living in Israel with European Romani magazines and printed copies of articles in Romanes, German and Russian. Started in November 1999.

- Net support to "International Romani Union" (based in Prague, Czech Republic).

Dates: 27.07.2000 - until present.
Result: Affirmation and promotion of IRU`s activities via e-mailing lists.

Activities done on behalf of IRU: Distribution of useful information regarding other Roma organizations and communities worldwide. Reply on inquiries. Information research upon requests.

PERSPECTIVES WITHIN THE NEXT 5 YEARS:

1. Establishment of international Romani media corporation on a basis of already existing "Roma Virtual Network".

2. Formation of all-Romani database with video-archive and library as an integral part of European Roma Information Office`s structure.

3. Persistent development of "Roma Virtual Network" as a helpful and useful tool of communication between Roma in CIS & Baltic States and Roma in other parts of the world.

Until today the activities of Roma Virtual Network were financially supported with occasional donations by friendly individuals, churches and NGOs, but there is a need in a permanent sponsor already familiar with Roma issues.

This report has been prepared by Mr. Valery Novoselsky, Editor of Roma Virtual Network.

Mr. Valery Novoselsky
Str. Yehuda Halevi 4, app. 14
Kiryat-Shemona
Israel 11572

Tel/Fax: 00972-4-6904085
Mobile: 00972-54-7878797
Email: romale@zahav.net.il