Phiren Amenca International Network aisbl
Phiren Amenca
Phiren Amenca is a network of Roma and non-Roma volunteers and voluntary service organizations creating opportunities for non-formal education, dialogue, and engagement, to challenge stereotypes and racism.
ID: 388429736784-66
Lobbying Activity
Response to European Year of Youth (2022)
15 Dec 2021
The Phiren Amenca welcomes the following efforts of the European Commission, clearly stated in the draft document for:
• Putting a focus on young people with fewer opportunities, from disadvantaged backgrounds or belonging to vulnerable groups, to become active and engaged citizens as well as actors of change, inspired by a European sense of belonging.
• Referring to the EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation as one of the main documents the European Year of Youth should be consistent with.
• Launching the new initiative ALMA (Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve) as a cross-border youth mobility scheme focusing on disadvantaged young people aged 18-30 who are not in employment, education or training.
However, many important aspects with regards to the effective inclusion of young Roma are missing. To better reflect these challenges in the decision for the European Youth Year 2022 and its related activities, the European Commission should take into consideration the following points:
• Mention explicitly young Roma. While the European Commission is referring to disadvantaged and vulnerable young people, it fails to address explicitly young Roma bypassing the major issues they are facing: antigypsyism and discrimination. Not putting these core issues on the agenda of the European Youth Year 2022 will result in activities that are directed at treating the negative effects of antigypsyism but not the issue at its core.
• While the European Commission is specifically referring to “the contribution of young people from diverse backgrounds and also belonging to vulnerable groups in key consultation processes, such as the Conference on the Future of Europe” it misses to explicitly mention and review the existing consultation processes where these young people should be (but they are not) included: National Youth Dialogues, National Youth Councils, high-level political events such as the Conference on the Future of Europe which is ending in yearly 2022. The European Commission must fundamentally link European funding to national youth forums and national youth dialogues to the presence of proven organizations working with young people from diverse backgrounds and also belonging to vulnerable groups, including young Roma as well as ensure the transparency of these processes.
• Make sure that youth civil society organizations, and particularly Roma youth organizations are considered as an equal part of the design and coordination of the activities of the European Year of Youth 2022.
• Employ young people from disadvantaged groups and vulnerable backgrounds, such as young Roma, as contract staff of DG EAC and establish a traineeship program for such young people at EU level.
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