Association of the Roma Culture "Hitano", Olsztyn, Poland
Committee for the Protection of the Jewish Heritage in Tarnow, Tarnów, Poland
The project addresses the problem of discrimination and stigmatisation of Roma in Kraków’s Nowa Huta and Olsztyn. The Roma minority living in Poland numbers between 20,000 and 60,000 people. The problem of discrimination and xenophobia against Roma exists in both Olsztyn and Nowa Huta, but the manifestations of exclusion are of a different nature. The Roma of Nowa Huta belong to a group that is fairly integrated with its neighbours, although still experiencing stigmatisation at school or at work and aggression from right-wing groups. The Roma community of Olsztyn, on the other hand, has lived there relatively recently and is also a group that is more at risk of exclusion due to ignorance of civic rights and responsibilities, low economic status, high levels of unemployment, lack of professional qualifications and potential jobs.
As part of the project, the Project Promoter prepared various activities to integrate Roma communities in two locations – Nowa Huta and Olsztyn. Two anti-discrimination workshops were held for 20 people – Roma education assistants and adult youth workers. Two peer mediation and anti-discrimination workshops were also held for Roma and non-Roma children and youth. The workshops were attended by 39 people. Neighbourhood interviews were conducted with people from the Roma and non-Roma community. As a result, social maps of Olsztyn and Nowa Huta were created in paper and digital versions. Two neighbourhood walks were also organised, each ending in an artistic intervention in the urban space. In Tarnow, in turn, a panel discussion was held with Roma leaders participating in the project and experts. Partner Rita Lindanger AS from Oslo shared her experiences of working with minorities, including the Roma minority, and local partners supported the Project Promoter in animation activities, running workshops and organising the meeting.
The project has loudly challenged negative stereotypes and raised the visibility of the Roma community. It has succeeded in creating a positive context for neighbours from different communities to get to know each other and for conflicts between Roma and non-Roma to gradually decrease. An important result is the empowerment of Roma women through their active and decision-making participation in activities.
