Knowledge-Tolerance-Integration
Children and youth
Completed
małopolskie
Nowy Sącz
Association Bergitka Roma, Nowy Sącz, Poland
2015-03-01 - 2016-04-30
273 963,42 PLN
245 823,42 PLN
voluntary service
Project description
For some time now, in the Sądecki region there have been open conflicts between the Roma who came to live there and the inhabitants of towns and villages, e.g. incidents in Limanowa, Czchów and Maszkowice. The municipality authorities are trying to solve the conflict through finding new sites for the Roma to settle, but the hostile attitudes continue there.
According to the report prepared by the Batory Foundation (2014) on hate speech on the Internet, Roma are one of the most often affected groups. Most people perceive them as thieves, fraudsters, beggars etc. Some young people believe that they “threaten Polish values”. The Viribus Unitis Foundation also conducted a survey among young people and it shows that 10 per cent of them know a Roma custom, 70 per cent do not like Rome or are afraid of them, 80 per cent accept insulting words related to Roma as normal, and 15 per cent spend time with Roma.
The aim of the project was to increase tolerance and respect towards this ethnic minority among young people through organizing joint cultural and social activities.
In each of the 15 schools that took part in the project implantation, a student centre for monitoring hate speech directed at Roma was set up. Young people who created the centres are now getting engaged in identifying hate speech on the Internet and in conducting activities for their peers.
The students participating in the project implementation took part in sessions on Roma culture and on counteracting discrimination of this minority. Competitions on Roma culture and customs were organized. Integration and sports activities and youth volunteer actions were organized. Theatre and dance performances related to the project theme took place.
The project beneficiaries were students of schools located in towns inhabited by Roma in the Sądecki region.
Cooperation with the Bergitka Roma Association from Nowy Sącz (the project Partner) helped establishing contacts with the Roma community in the Sądecki region. The partner was responsible for cooperation with schools attended by Roma students and for conducting training sessions on promoting the knowledge of the Roma community.
We use the grant for capacity building
According to the report prepared by the Batory Foundation (2014) on hate speech on the Internet, Roma are one of the most often affected groups. Most people perceive them as thieves, fraudsters, beggars etc. Some young people believe that they “threaten Polish values”. The Viribus Unitis Foundation also conducted a survey among young people and it shows that 10 per cent of them know a Roma custom, 70 per cent do not like Rome or are afraid of them, 80 per cent accept insulting words related to Roma as normal, and 15 per cent spend time with Roma.
The aim of the project was to increase tolerance and respect towards this ethnic minority among young people through organizing joint cultural and social activities.
In each of the 15 schools that took part in the project implantation, a student centre for monitoring hate speech directed at Roma was set up. Young people who created the centres are now getting engaged in identifying hate speech on the Internet and in conducting activities for their peers.
The students participating in the project implementation took part in sessions on Roma culture and on counteracting discrimination of this minority. Competitions on Roma culture and customs were organized. Integration and sports activities and youth volunteer actions were organized. Theatre and dance performances related to the project theme took place.
The project beneficiaries were students of schools located in towns inhabited by Roma in the Sądecki region.
Cooperation with the Bergitka Roma Association from Nowy Sącz (the project Partner) helped establishing contacts with the Roma community in the Sądecki region. The partner was responsible for cooperation with schools attended by Roma students and for conducting training sessions on promoting the knowledge of the Roma community.
