Project: Roma in Serbia: How safe they feel and do they see improvements?29Nov2013
Press Conference “Social Inclusion: Progress and Challenges”
On the occasion of the completion of three-year project “Contribution to Social Inclusion and Combat against Discrimination of Marginalised Population in Serbia”, funded by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Praxis held a press conference “Social Inclusion: Progress and Challenges” in the Media Centre in Belgrade. The report on improvements in the field of exercise of status and socio-economic rights was presented at the conference.
Praxis implemented the project in partnership with the Roma Educational Centre from Subotica and Roma Women’s Association Osvit from Nis. The undertaken activities were aimed at improving the position of and reducing discrimination against marginalised population groups in Serbia through providing equal access to rights and through advocacy directed towards overcoming systemic obstacles to accessing the right to be recognised as a person before the law and socio-economic rights.
It was assessed that by adopting laws or amending the existing ones, by developing a strategic framework for improving the position and fighting against discrimination of marginalised groups, and by undertaking various actions and activities, an important step has been taken towards improving their status and raising awareness of the unacceptability of further marginalisation. Nevertheless, the adopted legal provisions are often not implemented or they are implemented in an uneven manner, while many of the undertaken measures can be described as short-term and ill-adapted to specific needs of vulnerable groups.
Finally, it was concluded that there was still a need to advocate for overcoming the systemic obstacles in exercise of rights, and to pay attention to raising awareness of the public about the problems of vulnerable groups, but also to work on empowerment and education of marginalized groups and sensitization of state officials in public administration with an aim of better understanding and prevention of discrimination.
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