Martin Mojžiš

Liaison Office of Košice Region in Brussels

Experience of Košice Region with SF for Roma

inclusion.

EU Roma meeting

11-12 May 2011, Prague

Košice Region

RoadsMotorways

1st class roads

2nd class roads

DistrictsRailways

regional capital

district town

town

• Surface -14% of Slovakia

• Population: 776 012

• Administrative centre: Košice

• Average monthly salary: 716 EUR (2010)

• Unemployment: 18,3 % (2010)

•president, council

•Nuts III, reform 2001

• responsible for culture, hospitals, transport, regional development, secondary schools...

Roma living in Košice Region

• 541 non integrated Roma communities (separated/segregated)

• 461 local governments (17 cities),195 > 500 inh.

• 70% under 1000 inh. - 17 % of SR population

• 130 169 Roma – 17% of the population – 776 012 (2005)

• largest settlements:

1. Kosice – Lunik IX - 4936

2. Trebišov - 4000

3. Pavlovce nad Uhom – 2496

4. Smižany - 2084

Roma living in Kosice Region

Project proposal „Cesta“ (Road) Purpose: to create an instrument (community centers) for the local

government in the area of inclusion of marginalized communities

4 pillars: health, employment, housing and education

Outputs:

I 20 centers of community work by local governments- community social workers, street workers, health and school assistants

I establishment of standards of community work for local governments

I impact on education and employment

Partners in Kosice Region: 17 cities, 4 villages, 34 Roma NGO and 30 non-Roma NGO, Central Labor, Social Affairs and Family Office, Public Health Office, regional and district police directorates, Office of Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities, Regional Office of Education

„„Cesta“Cesta“• Region: lead partner of the project, training of the social workers, support

to municipalities in project implementation, coordination of activities, methodology, information exchange, adaptation of secondary education to needs of Roma...

• Municipalities: social workers, identification of premises for community work, coordination of assistant services (health, school and street work), involvement of NGOs, connecting assistant services with Roma community, primary schools etc.

.

Project wanted to address:

• Lack of technical capacity for the design and implementation of projects at local level

• Lack of social work skills in Roma communities at local level

• Vertical integration (municipality-region-central government)

• Lack of information and best-practice (learning opportunities)

• Lack of political support

..but the project was not financed, despite all the praise and media attention

Reasons:

1. Not adapted to published calls- high costs, broad range of activities...

2. MA declined to make it a National project

3. No financing from other sources (state budget)

but ....

Thank you for your attention!

Martin Mojžiš

Liaison Office of Košice Region in Brussels

Square de Meeus 1

Brussels 1000

martin.mojzis@skregions.eu