Roma and Sinti Youth Conference
When
Where
Organized by
Conference Participants
The youth of Roma and Sinti communities represent a demographic of growing importance in many participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Nevertheless, exclusionary mechanisms due to stigmatization in employment and education stop young Roma and Sinti from developing their full potential. In 2013, in its Decision No. 4/2014, the OSCE Ministerial Council confirmed that Roma and Sinti youth need to be provided with more opportunities to act as agents of change in their communities.
The OSCE/ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues continues its engagement on empowering young Roma and Sinti in the OSCE region. The Roma and Sinti Youth Conference aims to provide a platform for Roma and Sinti youth to raise their voices on the issues that concern them.
The Roma and Sinti Youth Conference will bring together youth representatives of Roma and Sinti from across the OSCE region for a two-day conference taking place on 8-9 December in Belgrade, to discuss engagement of Roma and Sinti youth at local level addressing the following three fields:
- Empowerment and social inclusion of Roma and Sinti communities through youth activism;
- The participation of Roma and Sinti youth in politics and democratic processes;
- Roma and Sinti youth and security.
Roma and Sinti youth will be actively engaged in the meeting by sharing their experiences, moderating working sessions and proposing solutions and recommendations on the listed topics.
The conclusions of the conference will be put forward as the Roma and Sinti youth recommendations to the OSCE participating States for empowering Roma and Sinti youth participation at the local level, for promoting the inclusion of their communities, as well as to help further develop ODIHR’s work with Roma and Sinti youth issues.
Up to 35 Roma and Sinti youth representatives from the OSCE area will be invited to attend the event, based on the following selection criteria:
- Young Roma and Sinti aged 20 to 35;
- Minimum two years of experience and proven track record of engagement with Roma and Sinti youth issues, especially in the areas of the conference topics outlined above;
- Gender and geographic balance;
- Fluency in English (the official language of the conference will be English);
- Availability to attend and actively participate in the Roma and Sinti Youth Conference.
Accommodation and travel costs for selected participants of the event will be covered by OSCE/ODIHR.
Please send your application (motivation letter and a CV) in English to Karolina Mirga at [email protected], no later than 9 November 2014. Roma and Sinti youth applicants should demonstrate their local level engagement to promote the inclusion of Roma and Sinti communities, their participation in political and democratic processes, or to address security concerns of Roma and Sinti youth.
Final participants of the conference will be selected by the OSCE/ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues.
Papers/Junior Experts
Application deadline: 9 November 2014
The OSCE/ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues invites interested individuals to apply for up to six Junior Experts on papers on Roma and Sinti youth initiatives.
The youth of Roma and Sinti communities represent a demographic of growing importance in many participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Nevertheless, exclusionary mechanisms due to stigmatization in employment and education stop young Roma and Sinti from developing their full potential. In 2013, in its Decision No. 4/2014, the OSCE Ministerial Council confirmed that Roma and Sinti youth need to be provided with more opportunities to act as agents of change in their communities.
The OSCE/ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues continues its engagement on empowering young Roma and Sinti in the OSCE region. Its Roma and Sinti Youth Conference, taking place on 8-9 December 2014 in Belgrade, will bring together youth representatives of Roma and Sinti from across the OSCE region, to discuss engagement of Roma and Sinti youth at local level addressing the following three fields:
- Empowerment and social inclusion of Roma and Sinti communities through youth activism (e.g. influence of youth campaigns, programs and activities on fostering youth activism, mobilization to empower marginalized communities, possible policy measures meant to address challenges, reflections on community building, role models and the personal role and responsibility of individuals to overcome obstacles, key challenges and obstacles that hinder Roma and Sinti youth activism and particularly of Roma and Sinti female youth on grassroots level).
- The participation of Roma and Sinti youth in politics and democratic processes (e.g. the processes that hinder or advance the participation of Roma and Sinti youth in public and political life, the challenges – but also opportunities – facing young Roma and Sinti women in this area, initiatives aiming to improve the current situation, etc.)
- Roma and Sinti youth and security (within the cross-dimensional understanding of security, addressing the politico-military, economic and environmental and human dimension Roma and Sinti and particularly women from these communities face in the OSCE area, in particular in crisis and post-crisis situations. Possible themes could range from transnational threats – such as trafficking or international crime – to economic development, tolerance and non-discrimination, hate crimes, forced evictions, and minority rights).
The OSCE/ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues is calling for applicants to fill up to six positions for Junior Experts on Roma and Sinti youth issues. Each Junior Expert will prepare a 10-15 page background paper or case study on issues affecting Roma and Sinti youth, in one of the abovementioned thematic areas. The applicants are invited to submit their own proposals for the specific themes their papers will address, falling within the overall thematic framework of the conference presented above. We welcome proposals on a wide area of issues; local or regional case studies, regional and comparative overviews, social research, presentations of existing civil society initiatives. Paper proposals can also include proposals for artistic work, performances, documentary clips and films, etc. which would accompany their conference presentations.
Timeline: First drafts of background papers must be submitted by 30 November 2014. Junior Experts will present their papers at the Roma and Sinti Youth Conference on 8-9 December 2014 in Belgrade. Final versions of the papers must be submitted by 23 December 2014.
Location: Junior Experts would be home-based, in addition to travel to Belgrade to participate in the Roma and Sinti Youth Conference.
Qualifications:
- Initiated or completed university degree in sociology, political science or a related field;
- Minimum two (2) years of work experience on Roma and Sinti issues;
- Documented ability to research and analyze complex social matters as well as to present them in an audience-appropriate and user-friendly manner;
- Knowledge of issues affecting Roma and Sinti youth, direct experience of working in Roma and Sinti communities on youth issues is an asset;
- Excellent knowledge of English (speaking and writing skills);
- Excellent writing and presentation skills;
- Microsoft Office proficiency (including Word, Excel and PowerPoint);
- Flexibility, ability to work under minimum supervision and deliver against tight deadlines;
- Availability to attend and actively participate in the Roma and Sinti Youth Conference.
"For Roma, with Roma": ODIHR promotes Roma and Sinti inclusion with active participation of Roma and Sinti. Therefore, young Roma and Sinti activists and scholars, including women, are strongly encouraged to apply.
Please send your application, consisting of a cover letter, CV and your paper proposal (maximum two pages) in English to [email protected], no later than 9 November 2014. Please state “Call for Junior Experts” in the subject line of your message; please note that this call for Junior Experts and our current call for conference participants are not mutually exclusive, yet each call requires a separate application. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Junior Experts’ fees will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.