On December 16, at Hotel Spa "Bon-Bon" in Skopje, the Advocacy Network for Systemic and Permanent Solutions held a working meeting.
That meeting was attended by members of the Roma NGO sector who participate in the Network. At the meeting, the topics were discussed: What are the main topics and issues that will have to be jointly strived for in 2024. How to approach the working groups for EU integration and setting the agenda for the realization of Roma rights and participation in society and how to cooperate between representatives of political parties, civil society organizations, public and state administration employees, Roma experts and individuals and how to build a common platform for the integration of the Roma in the Republic of North Macedonia.
Network coordinator Zoran Dimov gave an introduction to the meeting. He emphasized that it is useful to debate issues affecting the Roma in 2024 for their social-economic and cultural integration and participation in society.
The main point indicated that key things will happen in 2024 at the political level, so it is good for them as a civil sector to build an attitude and agreement on which issues to pay the most interest to and how opportunities for integration through all those processes will be sought.
He called on all those present to share their views so that we have a more realistic picture of
Nadir Redzepi gave an introduction about the socio-political situation and the Roma in 2023 and the expectations for 2024 at the local and global level.
He emphasized that he is not waiting for a year when more than half of the world's population will be in elections. That extreme right-wing parties have a trend of conquering the political scene in European countries and thus the EU parliament.
He pointed out that this may result in the abandonment of our Roma who are in Western European countries to work and this will create additional social changes and movements.
He especially emphasized that in the past years there have been no improvements at all in the social and political position of the Roma. He pointed out that we have a crisis in all sectors and we are still at the project level of servicing or helping the community without ideas on how to move to a higher stage in the integration of the Roma in society.
The meeting was facilitated by Samet Skenderi.
The following were present at the meeting: The meeting was attended by: Zoran Dimov - International Roma Union, Ramush Muarem - Roma Business Information Center - Skopje, Nadir Redzepi - Association Initiative for Social Change InSoK - Skopje
Samet Skenderi - Association Initiative for Social Change InSoK - Skopje, Besnik Sulejmani - Roma Educational Center - Umbrella - Skopje, Susana Amet - Association - Mir - Skopje, Zekir Abdulov - Non-Governmental Organization KHAM Delchevo, Ahmet Jasharovski - Roma Community Center DROM - Kumanovo , Ferdi Ismaili - Association for Democratic Development of the Roma - Sonce - Tetovo, Sebihan Demirovski - Roma Resource Center - RRC - Skopje and Zorana Kostovska - Roma Cultural Center Esma and Stevo Teodosievski - Skopje
All participants gave their opinion on the three issues that are on the agenda, and in relation to that, several priorities and areas that should be realized for 2024 were noted.
At the end, Samet Skenderi informed the audience about the amount of the budget of the Republic of North Macedonia for programs and projects for Roma and gave his opinion that he agrees with most of the proposals but is against the political differentiation of the network and believes more in an informal structure of the network but with the possibility of consolidating into one common global network at the national level in which all networks could be members of it.
