MINELRES: Publication: Roma Rights 1-2/2007: Social Assistance

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Original sender: European Roma Rights Centre <errc@errc.org>


Roma Rights 1-2/2007: Social Assistance  

This issue of Roma Rights takes a critical look at the current efforts
to retool the nature of the welfare state across Europe, and how these
efforts affect Europe�s Romani population. The welfare state attempts to
enact social justice for citizens by mitigating unfairness created by
market economies through proactive social assistance schemes. In the
past, these have consisted of unemployment benefits, public health care,
and other social services. Recent labour market reforms have also
introduced �market-friendly� activation policies, which aim to reduce
public costs for social assistance by re-integrating the excluded into
the labour market. While these policies seem promising in some respects,
their real effects on the most vulnerable groups have been mixed, and in
some cases harmful. For Roma, who as a group, are most in need of the
assistance and the re-integration promised by the welfare state, these
new social assistance schemes may pose a serious danger. Due to the
interplay of multiple exclusionary factors as well as open
discrimination, Roma are often unable to access and benefit from these
measures. When these measures fail to lead to jobs, as they often do,
Roma are left with no work and no social assistance, victims of more
�efficient,� but less just, welfare policy. 

Editorial

The Changing Face of Welfare 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2805
Sinan Gokcen 

Notebook

Employment Activating Social Assistance Schemes Not Working for Roma and
Travellers 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2806
Tara Bedard 

Equal Rights for the Romani Population 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2807
Jean-Michel Belorgey 

Equal Access to Social Protection in the EU 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2808
Erika Szyszczak 

Tres Difficile: Problematic of Civic Associations� Intervention in Human
Rights Situations 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2809
Larry Olomoofe 

News Roundup: Snaphots from Around Europe
Bulgaria * Czech Republic * France * Hungary * Italy * Kosovo * Moldova
* Portugal * Romania * Russia * Serbia * Slovakia * Switzerland * Turkey
* United Kingdom 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2839

Field Report

Supporting Education for Romani Children in Bijeljina, Bosnia 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2810
Meredoc McMinn and Danijela Colakovic


Advocacy

European Social Charter Housing Rights Victory for Roma 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2811


Human Rights Education

�What Happens to Us Now?� 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2812
Tara Bedard and Larry Olomoofe 


Legal Defense

Litigating Discrimination in Access to Social Services 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2813
Andi Dobrushi 

European Court of Human Rights Delivers Justice to Romani Victims After
Seventeen Years 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2814
Constantin Cojocariu 

Strasbourg Court Finds Violation of Article 3 in the First Macedonian
Roma Torture Case 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2815
Anita Danka 


Meet the ERRC

Upcoming Priorities for the ERRC Under New Leadership 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2816
Vera Egenberger 


Romani Language Publication

Suvdipe pe rig (ekskluzija) e Rromengi katar astaripe butjarimaske
thanesko 
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2817

Chronicle
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2818

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The European Roma Rights Centre is an international public interest law
organisation which monitors the human rights situation of Roma and
provides legal defence in cases of human rights abuse. For more
information about the European Roma Rights Centre, visit the ERRC on the
web at http://www.errc.org 

To support the ERRC, please visit this link:
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2735 

European Roma Rights Centre
1386 Budapest 62
P.O. Box 906/93
Hungary
Tel: +36.1.413.2200
Fax:
+36.1.413.2201

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