Policies and Measures for Roma Integration – the European

Experience

Assoc. Prof. Georgi Bardarov

Assist. Kaloyan Tsvetkov

Sofia Universtity “St. Kliment Ohridski”

Origin and Resettlement of Roma People

• The most common hypothesis suggests that Roma people have Indian origin from

the Pariah caste (Istvan Vali, 1763)

• They were sent away by the White Huns in the IV-VI century?

• The Indian origin was proved by linguists – comparison between Romani and

ancient Sanskrit language

• Later Roma people were resettled in the Persian, Arabic and Byzantine Empire – VI-

VIII century

• The Egyptian hypothesis – descendants of Christians expelled from Egypt – X

century

• Ethnonyms related to their Egyptian origin – gyupts, egyupts, gypsies

Resettlement in the Balkans and Europe

• The first Roma wave to the Balkans – XII-XIV century (Mount Athos – XI century,

in Bulgaria – XV century)

• They stayed in the Balkan peninsula for several centuries before leaving for

Western Europe

• Many researchers call the Balkans their “second motherland of the Roma” and the

Romani language – „balkanized Indian language”

• The second wave (XIX C.) is named as „the great Kaldarashi (Kalderar) invasion”

• The Kırklareli sandzhak

• They speak Walachian dialect/Christian orthodox

The Settlement of Roma People

Distribution of Roma People in Europe

Myths, Stereotypes and Prejudice

• The first and most basic level of social organization of the Roma people is their

family, which can be very large and include several generations

• “The family” is the center of Roma life, connected with the devotion of relatives

• Roma people??? – a complex social stratification: by crafts, social stratum, origin,

status, clans - endogamy! (yerlii, kaldarashi, ludari, horahane roma, dasilkane roma)

• Stereotypes about Roma can be divided into two groups: positive and negative

• Positive: musicans, freedom-loving, skilful, inventive, loyal to “their” people

• Negative: thievish, lazy, dirty, wild, aggressive, revengeful, abusive

• The „learned helplessness“ of the Roma people

Ethnopsychology which is typical for the

Indian subcontinent!!! – very difficult

integration into the European value system

European policies for Roma integration

Hungary – Multicultural Approach in the Schools

• The experiment at the Gandhi school in Pécs, – teaching in bish language, which

leads to a sharp increase in the success rate, BUT with compulsory learning of

fluent Hungarian language. School Library!

• Multilinguistic school – the key to success (intercultural education)

• Extracurriculum activities aimed at exploring different cultures (dance club,

gardening, cooking). Medical person every Thursday – lectures!

• Roma system of dormitories and Catholic Teacher Training of Zsámbék for Roma

teachers

• Roma National Academy „Kalyi Jag“ – mathematics, history, languages, computer

literacy. Maintaining their identity (children and parents together!)

• Cenejet school project– literacy courses for adults!

• Education, Education, Education („It’s the education, stupid!")

Experience from Finland - Measures and Policies

• Desegregated schools

• University scholarship for roma students

• Roma teachers – role model in the society! - increased student interest in the

learning process

• Tax benefits for employers who hire Roma on a permanent basis

• Social enterprises and social entrepreneurship oriented to the employment and

realization of the Roma and to the improvement of their social and living conditions

Hungary – when the Government takes over

László Bogdán – the miracle of Cserdi (2006)

• Before – 430 Roma inhabitants, unemployment, dirt, diseases, crime, illiteracy

• After two mandates as a mayor – well-maintained houses,

employed residents and lowered crime rates

HOW?

• Drastic reduction of social benefits

• Visual examples – prison – Universities!

• National programs– over 100 new working places in agriculture

• The municipality encourages the construction of bathrooms in the houses

• Ensuring that the parents work with active participation of children in the

educational process

• Municipal police, including Roma leaders, guarding agricultural production

• People say that a miracle happened in Cserdi and the mayor Bogdán replies:

• „What is the miracle if gypsy people work and live

normally in a developed and modern European country?“

„The Iceland Model“ in Straldhza

Essence of the model:

- Iceland in the early 1990s – aggression, alcohol and drugs in schools

- Prof. Milkman formulates and implements the model “Youth in Iceland”

- 100% of students are engaged with sports, arts, music, dancing

- The team work!

- Rigorous monitoring

- For 15 years, alcohol and drug use among Icelandic youths has fallen over

20%. Mass sports lead to great sports success of the small nation (football)!

The case of Straldzha – Nothing is Impossible!

WHO? – the local government and the school principal

WHERE? – the middle school in the roma ghetto „Saints Cyril

and Methodius “

WHEN? – the beginning of 2017/2018 school year

HOW?

- 100% of the students are engaged with extracurriculum team

activities – (football and boxing for boys, a volleyball and

cheerleading team for girls / playing brass and percussion

instruments for boys, traditional folk dances for girls).

-It is obligatory that children attend all classes all day long and do

not play truant

- Six Roma mediators, appointed by the municipality to support the

learning process

THE RESULTS:

40% increased attendance of Roma

children in school for one year!!!

– Nothing is impossible!!!