MINELRES: Moldova: Training for Roma on Public Policy Negotiation Skills

MINELRES moderator [email protected]
Sun Sep 19 21:01:46 2004


Original sender: Nicolae Radita <[email protected]>


ROMA NEGOCIATION GROUP 

Al. Mattevici 109/1. of. 013, 
Chisinau, MD 2009, Republica Moldova,  		      
tel./fax: 24 46 67, sau tel. 22 70 99,  
E-mail: [email protected] 	

Press release
18 September 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 

Addressing the endemic lack of Human Resources within the Moldovan Roma
Community

On the 2nd and 3rd of September 2004, the Council of Europe organized
the Conference "Monitoring and Evaluation Methodology of National
Programmes/Strategies for Roma or Travelers: A Brainstorming Seminar
between Key Practitioners to Share Ways Forward".

The meeting in Strasbourg was attended by delegations from 21 countries
and discussed the stages of implementation regarding the National
Strategies for Improving the Situation of Roma and Travelers.

The Moldovan Delegation was composed of a government representative and
a Roma civil society representative Nicolae Radita, Secretary of the
Roma Negotiation Group (RNG).

The quasi total failure of the policies meant to improve the situation
of Roma and Travelers requires a much stronger commitment from the
International Organizations and National Governments, a rethinking of
the actual policies and structural changes were the conclusion of the
meeting in Strasbourg.

A need for better participation of Roma in the process of designing Roma
related policies was also a clear output of the meeting and accordingly
the RNG is holding a training between the 16th and 18th of  September
2004 in Chisinau, Moldova. The training will focus on Public Policy
Negotiation Skills and will address the endemic lack of human resources
within Roma civil society targeting 25 Roma leaders and students. The
aim is to prepare the participants and strengthen their abilities to
contribute to the negotiation of an effective National Action Plan for
Roma as required by Governmental Decree  No 131 of 16 February 2001.
 
The Action Plan should include strategic and time-bound measures to
improve the Roma situation in the country, should be participatory in
its content and methods of execution and should provide concrete
indicators and benchmarks to advance the implementation of the
international human rights standards to which Moldova is bound.

The trainers are Mr. Valeriu Nicolae, deputy-director of the European
Roma Information Office, Brussels, and Mr. Ciprian Necula, Council of
Europe consultant. The event is supported financially by the Council of
Europe through the joint project Roma under Stability Pact Project of
Council of Europe and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights for South East Europe of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, and by the Moldovan SOROS Foundation through its
"Civil Society" Program.  


For further information please contact Nicolae Radita, Secretary of the
Roma Negotiation Group or Valera Gavriluta, RNG Program Assistant. 
Tel: (+373 22) 22 70 99, 
Tel/Fax: (+373 22) 24 46 67. 
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]  

---------------------------
  The Roma Negotiation Group is a network of more then 20 Roma NGO's
from Moldova, and was established on 24-25 July 2003. Its main
objectives are to improve and better coordinate the activities of Roma
NGO's in Moldova as well improving cooperation among themselves; to
represent Roma interests in relations with Government and its
institutions as well with International Organizations; to elaborate,
propose and negotiate with relevant institutions the mechanisms
necessary to implement the Action Plan for the Roma and the Moldovan
Governmental Decree # 131 from 16 February 2001.

  Republic of Moldova Governmental Decree No. 131 stipulates that the
Government will create necessary conditions for social-cultural
development of Roma in the country, engaging the Ministry of Education,
the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the
Ministry of Health, the State Department for Interethnic Relations, the
Academy of Science from Moldova as well as local public administration
including in the implementation of the measures.