In Central Europe, the young Roma face limited opportunities for education, personal development, participation and social recognition. As a socially disadvantaged group, they often face stereotypes and discrimination on the part of the majority. The non-profit organizations IQ Roma Servis, Divé maky and the Subjective Values Foundation have formed a strategic partnership that, through the Roma & Artists for Society project, wants to increase the chances of the young Roma generation for dignified social involvement through creativity and art. The main goal of the two-year project is to support the Roma and socially disadvantaged youth in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary so that they can become active and able to operate and cooperate in the community not only in times of crisis. They should achieve this through creative and non-formal methods of education and development. The project emphasizes the values of multiculturalism and an open society and seeks to build a space for respectful dialogue between the marginalized group of Roma youth and the majority society. Thanks to this dialogue, stereotypes will be overcome and the inclusion of the young Roma generation increased. The dialogue will help prevent such negative phenomena as discrimination, social exclusion and hate speech. Through the active involvement of the young Roma in civic life, it will be possible to gradually succeed in overcoming the cycle of poverty and thus create a better world for the Roma community. The target group is the young Roma in partner countries aged 15-30 interested in doing something for their community and society. These people have reduced opportunities for civic participation and come from socially excluded backgrounds. Their social, economic and cultural barriers in the majority society also reduce their chances of increasing competencies and developing creativity, orientation in the online space and subsequent inclusion in society. Thanks to the project, thirty young people from socially excluded environment will directly engage in the dialogue with peers from the majority and the general public on the topics of equal opportunities, cooperation and inclusion. In order to achieve positive change in the young Roma and the majority society, artistic actions and a social campaign will create space for cooperation and dialogue. The project will support competencies, experience and self-confidence of the young Roma through education, individual internships, an international platform for young people and international mobilities. Their involvement will be given space in artistically engaged works that they will realize in cooperation with artists. Part of the project strategy is to prepare the young Roma for potential crisis situations and to develop their competencies towards the use of technology and online cooperation. The joint solution will also involve other target groups - especially youth workers from all the participating countries, who will be given the opportunity to use innovative methods in their work. These methods will be developed and implemented in the course of cooperation between the young people and the artists. Thanks to their use, the youth workers will be able to meaningfully develop the potential of the young Roma. Associated partners - cultural and artistic organizations, art faculties from the universities in the partner countries and specific Roma and non-Roma artists - will also be involved in the cooperation on the project. This will create an international platform of minimum thirty artists. Through the presentation of young people's stories, handbook, the implementation of a social campaign and an interactive conference, the project will also address the general professional and lay public at the local, national and international levels. The project will create and openly disseminate a number of outputs through a website platform, a social campaign, cultural actions, brochures and publications, with the aim of disseminating methods of supporting socially disadvantaged youth among professionals and the general public. The creation of joint networks, platforms, international internships and training will create the potential for long-term cooperation that will continue after the end of the project.
Our goal was to empower young Roma in Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary. We aimed to help them learn about themselves, the world, common problems, and solutions that could benefit their everyday lives and their communities. One of the project’s benefits was creating bridges across various communities, enabling youngsters to create international connections and a supportive network of people from various backgrounds, places and countries. We successfully raised awareness about the challenges faced by disadvantaged Roma youth, including discrimination and segregated education. We organised various activities to bridge the gap between the Roma and the majority population, using art as a common language. This allowed the youth to express themselves and make their problems heard. By doing so, they finally had a voice expressed mainly during public events such as campaign, conference, Galaprogram, the exhibition of youth stories or in music videos. Additionally, the project provided international opportunities for the young participants, which increased their self-confidence, language skills, problem-solving abilities, and independence. This experience will undoubtedly have a positive impact on their personal growth and future activities.
In Central Europe, young Roma face limited educational and personal development opportunities, often encountering stereotypes, discrimination, and racism. NGOs IQ Roma Servis, Divé maky, and Subjective Values Foundation formed a strategic partnership via the Roma & Artists for Society project. This initiative empowered young Roma through creativity, art, civic engagement, and international collaboration. It fostered personal growth, broadened horizons, and raised awareness of societal issues across Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary. Additionally, it strengthened a network of artists, partner organisations, and socially engaged individuals in Central Europe. The international experience benefited youth, especially those in marginalised communities, and generated valuable materials for youth and Roma work in all three countries.