Y.M.D.R.A.B.
Dear friends,
We are glad that we have the opportunity to invite you to the next Youth Initiative which will implement our organization "Youth Movement for Development of the Rural Areas in Bulgaria"/ YMDRAB /.
1. Background
Traditionally the Bulgarian villages are multi-ethnic, but in the last years there is a tendency of increasing number of young Rroma and in many villages they became majority of the youth population. Among the main problems of the young Rroma are: high level of unemployment, early school drop outs, early marriages, lack of permanent job and secure income, etc. As a result often they live in great poverty, in ghettos and are isolated from the social life of the local communities. They consider themselves discriminated when applying for job and the majority population considers that the Rroma are not respecting their civic responsibilities and therefore they are perceived as burden for the rest of the society.
The high level of unemployment and the great poverty affect also the relations between all young people in the villages. There is lack of mutual understanding between young Rroma and Bulgarians and the tensions often escalates into aggression and intolerance. YMDRAB already implemented one project “NO to Poverty - YES to Labour” aimed at increasing the employability among young Rroma www.ymdrab.eu). This project idea was developed during TC "AHEAD for Convivencia" in 2010 in Barcelona where we explored issues around living together between Rroma and Non-Rroma in Europe.
2. What is the current project?
“Human rights for all, equality of opportunities and social responsibilities”. This is a training course for young Rroma and Bulgarian people from rural areas in Bulgaria.
3. What is our target group?
These are 20 young Bulgarians and Rroma from the municipalities Botevgrad, Pravets Etropole and Velingrad, aged 18 to 30 years.
4. What are the objectives of the training?
To develop intecultural sensitivity and dialogue between the young Rroma and Bulgarian people from the target villages and to develop their human rights awareness as a preconditions to develop more inclusive rural communities.
The objectives are:
- To share and analyse the reality of the young people in the rural areas and to identify the challenges and the opportunities to develop a more inclusive villages;
- To break mutual stereotypes and prejudices and to develop awareness on concepts such as identity culture and intercultural sensitivity;
- To develop participants' awareness and understanding of human rights and social rights;
- To increase participants' understanding of the local context (including institutions, authorities, relevant progammes, legislation, ect.), which can faciliate their access to social rights;
- To identify ways and to generate ideas to decrease the level of unemployment between young Rroma and other youth in rural areas;
- To identify ways to overcome the mutual exclusion and to increase the involvement of the Rroma community in the social life of these villages.
5. Where will the training take place?
The training will take place in the beautiful mountain town of Velingrad.
6. When?
From 01.04 to 08.04.2011.
Dear friends, it is a unique opportunity to spend a lot of interesting, useful and pleasant moments together.
Greetings and see you soon!