This publication has been produced with the financial support of the Equality & Citizenship Programme of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission.Agreement Number:
Project information Project acronym: SERCo Project title: Social Entrepreneurship for Roma Communities Agreement number: Project website: www.serco-project.eu Authoring partner: Report version: 1.0 Date of preparation: Document history: Date Version Author(s) Description 15.3.2017 1.0 ERIO Roundtable Report 2 SERCo Social Entrepreneurship for Roma Communities 2016 With the support of the Equality & Citizenship Programme of the European Union.
Table of contents Introduction... 4 Project description... 5 Welcome, introductions and the SERCo project... 7 Social entrepreneurship for Roma inclusion... 7 Testimonial of a Roma social entrepreneur... 9 Good practices... 9 Roma social entrepreneurship: identification of challenges, obstacles and needs... 10 Roma social entrepreneurship: identification of possible solutions and recommendations.. 12 3
Introduction On 3 March 2017, ERIO hosted an info day and roundtable event which focused on Roma social economy in Belgium. Participants included Roma mediators, Roma people, representatives of civil society, regional offices, European networks, a legal researcher, social economy experts, Roma NGOs, microcredit organism, and university students. The aim of the event was to: Inform about the SERCo project and its activities Exchange ideas and good practices on social entrepreneurship for Roma communities Involve Roma communities and stakeholders who have a shared interest Amongst the speakers were Marta Pinto (representing the Belgian project partner ERIO), Denis Stokkink (President of the think tank Pour la Solidarité), Claudia Piovano (Coordinator of the PRESS project) and Elvira Hassan (Roma mediator). 4
Project Description The project promotes social economy as an effective instrument for integrated development of the Roma communities by: 1) Analyzing the potential of applying social economy practices within Roma communities, from a social, economic and institutional point of view; 2) Engaging policy-makers and civil servants and training Roma mediators for developing social enterprises; and 3) Assisting Roma social business initiatives and promoting social economy within Roma communities and to the general public. The SERCo partners recognize that social entrepreneurship can be a solution to the issues of Roma people, since it: helps resolving some of the existing needs of the community; facilitates the qualification on the job; uses local resources and allows the development of more entrepreneurs; supports traditional crafts; increases the qualification and education level; 5 stimulates solidarity and lead to the improvement of the relationships between the members of the community; represents a self-help method; allows hiring people in vulnerable situations. The project s core deliverables are: guidelines for Roma social entrepreneurship Mediators training programme One-to-one mentoring for social enterprise development SERCO VLE for mutual learning Public roundtables & info days Network for Roma Social Economy
SERCO Consortium: University of Piraeus Research Center, / www.kep.unipi.gr, Greece SERCo Coordinator IDEA ROM ONLUS, www.idearom.it, Italy CESIE, www.cesie.org, Italy The European Roma Information Office-ERIO, www.erionet.eu, Belgium Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance AMALIPE, www.amalipe.com, Bulgaria Fundacio Privada Pere Closa, www.fundaciopereclosa.org, Spain Tolerance and Mutual Aid Foundation (TMAF), Bulgaria Four Elements, www.4-elements.org, Greece Association Promoting Social Inclusion PAKIV (ACPSI PAKIV), www.pakiv.ro, Romania 6
Welcome, introductions and the SERCo project Marta Pinto (ERIO) opened the event that started with fundamental background information about the Roma population in Europe and more specifically the Roma communities in Belgium, followed by an overview of the employment situation of these communities. The SERCo project was then presented. The project aims to address the problem of social and economic inclusion of Roma communities. The project will help Roma people to become self-sufficient; it will create the opportunity to become a social entrepreneur. Its objective includes the promotion of social economy, mutual learning and cultural awareness. Roma mediators will play an important role throughout the project as they will be the ones providing key information to Roma communities. Mediators can facilitate communication and close the bridge between Roma people and official services. Roma people are 3 times more likely to be unemployed 1 out of 3 Roma claim to be unemployed 26% (20-24) 35% (25-54) 16%(55-64) 7 Social entrepreneurship for Roma inclusion Dennis Stokkink, Belgian economist and president of Pour la Solidarité explained the concept of social entrepreneurship, which is an economic activity with the following characteristics: 1) Manufacturing of goods and services in a continuous manner 2) Must have a social purpose (a goal of general interest) 3) Democratic governance where all members of the entreprise are equal 4) Management autonomy 5) The enterprise s profit must be distributed fairly
It is important to draw a distinction between social economy and social aid (both needed for the Roma). While social aid is related to tackle illiteracy, poverty, social exclusion; social economy is characterized by the will to develop an economic activity with a social purpose (that has a general interest for society e.g. targeting the inclusion of Roma. It is possible to create a social enterprise and do concrete things if we have the will of all parties: from both politicians and the Roma community. Roma should organise themselves, socially and economically and demonstrate an organised will. During the discussions and questions from participants, Mr. Stokkink revealed the different types of structures available in Belgium to become an entrepreneur. The two types were: 1) Microcredit 2) Co-operative activities Some concerns were raised about the danger of lending money to people who do not know how to manage money; this could put Roma in a worst situation than before, whereas the co-operatives activities have many benefits, such as assistance providers and mentoring programs. E.g. Job Yourself (Brussels), Azimut (Charleroi), Co-Start (Brussels), and Le Mirec (Charleroi). While it has been noted that the Roma people have the will to become an entrepreneur and to be self-sufficient, Mr. Stokkink suggested that the different areas of the business activities must be well structured, for example, one entrepreneur may want to only focus on selling art while another focuses on a flower business. However, in Belgium there is not a known social economy network for the Roma community. 8 So Roma, should: 1. Try to organise themselves and find a representation at the Belgian level (taking into account the political, institutional and regional levels, i.e. Wallonia, Brussels and Flanders) since the competences dealing with employment and the economy are dealt at the regional level. 2. Think about different activity areas to work (music, painting, and crafts) Regardless of the benefits of social economy, Denis Stokkink stressed that Roma communities and mediators must not only work together in order to succeed but they must empower each other. Although Roma communities will be reinforced by mediators, it is also important for the communities to express their will.
Testimonial of a Roma social entrepreneur Elvira Hassan a Roma mediator, residing in Charleroi explained the challenges that she has faced in the attempt to start her own social enterprise (an NGO) and relevant information that might be useful for the Roma communities. According to her, there are little resources available for the Roma community living in Charleroi. She noted that children and adolescences living in Charleroi did not have any support or encouragement to help them succeed in school. Her first objective was to create an environment where young Roma children could receive weekly support to complete their homework and to encourage them to continue attending school. However, while looking for a location she encountered many challenges that Roma entrepreneurs might face; such as discrimination once her identity was revealed, the lack of support, lack of resources, and misinformation. Elvira Hassan s second objective was to create a coalition where Roma communities can be informed of their rights. She believed that some Roma people are accepting some of the stereotypes that they have been identifying with; perhaps school is not for them, or accepting the labels that others associate with them. She believes that it is important for Roma to learn about their history and cultures to understand what it is to be a Roma. 9 Good practices One of the main focuses of the event was to exchange good practices. The European Social Funded "Bad Boy Bakery" has gained many positive feedbacks. The creation of the bakery is in an attempt to break the common cycle of prisoners reoffending, help inmates to develop a new skill and to provide employment. Its aim is not only to promote social entrepreneurship but it is as well to create social entrepreneurship for people leaving prison. Claudia Piovano, Coordinator of the project PRESS Promoting European Social Economy Strategies and Social Entrepreneurship for the inclusion of disadvantaged women in the labour market, joined the meeting via Skype where she shared information about the project. The project aims to fight against poverty and social exclusion especially of disadvantaged women, with attention to young Roma women.
Roma social entrepreneurship: identification of challenges, obstacles and needs interactive session During the second half of the event, participants were divided into small groups where they were able to discuss the following questions: 1. What s working? Mediators / Facilitators Social economy - structured in Belgium Policy for diversity / minorities Cultural identity - opportunity Working in community / team by mission Informal network The Roma mediator Social service title Informal economy - recycling 2. What is missing? 10 Money External network Administrative procedures Unveil ones identity Self-discrimination of Roma Lack of self-confidence among Roma Willingness Policy Discrimination Access to information Degree Language Qualification Accessibility Lack of experience Illiteracy Lack of interest
3. Identify challenges and obstacles Communication Education Trust with local government Empowering the community Training Mixing Language courses Practical training Policy implications Information Stability in housing 4. Who do we need to work with? Practical trainer Structure of exchanges between different cultures Alternative sources of funding Media Community / Roma associations Administration (all levels) Terrah Association Schools etc... Practical trainers Eco-social cluster Valorisation CPA's Charleroi Minister of Employment 11
Roma social entrepreneurship: identification of possible solutions and recommendations interactive session After discussing their findings, the same teams chose 3 key challenges and provided different solutions and recommendations to address these issues. Challenge: Auto discrimination / Lack of confidence Combating discrimination in hiring Diversity Ways to showcase culture Cultural exchanges Working with women Mediators / Role models Education / Teaching Diversity Policy Challenge: Access to information / support / funds 12 Support to develop a project Ombudsman Information points Website that groups news translated into different languages Administrative simplification Developing links between associations and administration Challenge: Response Policy Discrimination Identify needs Mapping to better meet needs Communication Exchange/dialogue with communities, associations and politics Community consultation Cultural exchange
Challenge: Education vs culture of marriage -Men must support the family Practical training Evening classes Idea: Allow young married women to study - Young couples sensitization: Cycles of training adopted: Sectors: cooking, house retirement, schools, crèches Courses for women. Challenge: Positive identity/ Breaking stereotypes: racism Give positive visibility: implement initiatives (e.g., videos, social networks) Confidence in self-esteem E.g.: school of dances that show the beauty of the Roma culture. Challenge: Complex administration 13 Changes in Belgian legislation (e.g. management). Challenge: Qualification Training + Compensation (experience) Accessible to people who have no income Challenge: Thinking for the long term Stability: Housing Revenue Work Informing: right and duty
Challenge: Finding a profitable and accessible sector (low qualifications) What are the areas in which the Roma are already active: Solutions Scrap metal Street trade Flowers Music 14