Център за междуетнически диалог и толерантност "Амалипе"
CIEDT Amalipe
Amalipe Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance is a leading Roma organization, working for the equal integration of Roma in Bulgarian Society.
ID: 98535315829-78
Lobbying Activity
Response to Assessing the implementation of the Member States' national Roma strategic frameworks
1 Feb 2024
No significant advance was observed in the overall policy for Roma equality, inclusion and participation and the implementation of NRSF. The consultative process with Civil Society and Roma community is in crises. The only consultations happen within the European funds Monitoring Committees. Regarding the NRSF implementation there is no specific consultative process.The The National Council on Ethnic Issues does not function. Consultative process is organized mainly within Ministry of Education. Monitoring of the NRSF implementation happens mainly within the Roma Civic Monitoring project. The RCM consortium in Bulgaria is composed by ten NGOs, including the most vocal and influential NGOs. In the Roma policy implementation we stress the following strenghts: 1. Financial sustainability of the educational mediators: in 2022 and 2023 we managed to achieve important transition - financing from ESF was transmitted to financing from the state budget. In 2022 National Program Supporting school mediators was financed by the state budget in order to insure the salaries of the 940 educational mediators previously employed by Support for Success project. After July 2023 the state budget started to provide special funds for employing educational mediators in schools and kindergartens with concentration of vulnerable students. Funds for employing 1260 mediators are insured by the state budget in the following years. It was achieved in a difficult way after strong advocacy undertaken by Amalipe and support by many stakeholders. This success was achieved in a difficult way after strong advocacy (Amalipe, Network of educational mediators) and support by many stakeholders. 2. ESF engagement with Roma integration: Roma investment priority was selected in both ESF co-funded programs, future upcoming calls are expected. 3. At present Bulgarian parliament discusses changes in the Public Education Act. They will include points for accelerating language integration, special working group on language integration is formed within Ministry of Education. Amalipe, Trust for Social Achievement and Teach for Bulgaria foundation participate in the working group. Answering suggestion of Amalipe the Parliamentary Commission on Education plans als At the same time serious challenges remain: Lack of real consultative format the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Demographic Issues needs profound reform! The legal status of the NRSF is very low, stronger political will is necessary! The NRSF implementation is uneven, it depends on the NGO advocacy in certain fields and the political leadership in these fields The misapplication of de-minimis limits the participation of NGOs in the ESF calls
Read full responseMeeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and
21 Jun 2022 · Roma inclusion, early child development.