Advocacy through education and empowerment – that was the Charity Foundation “Progress” strategy for roma rights advocacy campaign in Zakarpatska region

The campaign focused on empowering local Roma community through education and motivation. 15 young motivated Roma leaders actively participated in 3 advocacy trainings that resulted with specific outcomes – 3 micro advocacy campaigns plans. The young leaders as well as other communities members trained their skills while flash-mob on September 5th. The event aimed to attract public attention to Roma stigmatization and labelling, the newsbreaker was recently installed monument to Roma street sweeper which retranslated negative stereotypes about the Roma. The project resulted with increased cooperation of Roma activists in the region and increased advocacy capacity of local Roma NGOs. The Project had high media support, the list of publications regarding the project in media includes 84 links to various channels.

Ida Smyrnitska, crane machinist. “My father and grandfather used to be famous musicians. The whole world know Roma people as singing folks, many among us are outstanding musicians and dancers, but not street sweepers. I feel ashamed for this monument”