Professional education of experts for better future of intellectually disabled Roma – Exp-Rom
The Roma with intellectual disabilities are double marginalized.The Roma in general are being stigmatized by the society on a daily basis which can be seen through non-acceptance in the general society,very poor or lack of education,high level of unemployment,poor living standard,etc.The situation is even more worrying with regard to the Roma with intellectual disabilities.Due to the above mentioned factors,especially poor education and lack of information, intellectually disabled Roma are often not accepted in their own society.Due to the fact that their families and the Roma society in general are not familiar with the intellectual disabilities,intellectually disabled Roma are often not included in everyday life of the Roma on an equal basis,furthermore they are left to the family care which is often inappropriate.What makes this issue even more concerning is that professional staff-experts (for example defectologists,social workers) that work with people with special needs and their families or with the Roma are not properly qualified to work with intellectually disabled Roma who,due to the above mentioned facts and different culture are the target group that needs a different approach.In the project we will develop an innovative pedagogical curriculum for professional education of experts (e.g. social workers, defectologists) on professional treatment of intellectually disabled Roma . The curriculum will be implemented through a 50-hour course for experts. After taking the course they will be qualified to offer suitable counselling, monitoring and support to this target group and their families, fascilitate their integration in education, raise awareness among the Roma about intellectual disabilities and by that combat the discrimination based on intellectual disabilities and enhance the acceptance of intelectually disabled Roma in their own society and society in general.
Total duration of the project
Start date: 1.11.2012 End date: 31.10.2014
Project Gallery
The main aim of this project is to develop an innovative pedagogical curriculum for professional education of experts (social workers, defectologists) on professional treatment of intellectually disabled Roma who already work with people with intellectual disabilities or with the Roma and who already have a wide range of knowledge in connection with the field of intellectual disabilities or the Roma but lack the knowledge of the special target group of intellectually disabled Roma population. The curriculum will be implemented through a 50-hour course for experts. By educating experts on the Roma with intellectual disabilities they will be acquainted with the special characteristics of this target group so they will know how to approach them, give suitable counselling and direct them and their families in different educational programmes. Experts with the knowledge on the Roma with intellectual disabilities will be qualified to offer suitable counselling, monitoring and support to this target group and their families, facilitate their integration in education, raise awareness among the Roma about intellectual disabilities and by that we will contribute to combat the discrimination based on intellectual disabilities and enhance the acceptance of intellectually disabled Roma in their own society and society in general. During the course the experts will gain a concrete knowledge on specific characteristics of the Roma culture and their perception of difference, how Roma perceive people with special needs, how to raise awareness among Roma about Roma with intellectual disabilities, how to approach them and their family members, how to help family members cope with the stigmatization from the Roma society and the society in general.
The concrete aims and objectives of the project are: Firstly, identification and analysis of intellectual disabilities among Roma population will be made. Then we will prepare the questionnaire for surveys and implement surveys. Each country will provide 50 completed questionnaires. According to questionnaire analysis the project guidelines will be prepared. Afterwards a conceptual development of the curriculum will be prepared (drafting the educational goals, minimum requirements for successful finishing of the programme, ways of examination, methods of teaching, the criteria of educational standards, the educational content of the curriculum) followed by the development of the curriculum for professional education of experts (development of the educational goals, minimum requirements for successful finishing of the programme, ways of examination, methods of teaching, the criteria of educational standards, the educational content of the curriculum) and didactic materials (teachers and students/experts manual and a teaching DVD). The curriculum will be practically implemented through a 50-hour course held in Slovenia. For the purpose of possible improvement of the programme the evaluation of pilot activities will take place and a pilot implementation activities report will be prepared. In order to promote the project an integrated graphic image of the project will be developed which includes development of a logo, powerpoint presentation template, letterhead, fax template, correspondence template, overall graphic image of the project, graphic image of the free-standing banner, leaflet and DVD envelope, 500 leaflets will be printed in each participating country in local language and 500 in English version, 5 contributions in the print media in each participating country will be published, at least 5 public presentations (20 all together) of the project will be implemented in each partner state and the final conference will be implemented in Slovenia. With the purpose of informing the general public on the project we will develop a project web-page. With an aim to ensure project sustainability exploitation materials will be developed and positive effects and values of the curriculum will be presented to institutions concerned. Exploitation materials will be presented to 4 institutions concerned in each participating country (20 all together). With a view to ensure sustained project value, a plan for future application of materials and multiplication in other countries will be developed. In the project internal evaluation will also take place: evaluation criteria and plan will be developed, ongoing assessment and internal project evaluation will take place and two evaluation reports will be prepared (mid-term and final).
PROJECT COORDINATOR: CIK TREBNJE
The Trebnje Centre for Education and Culture (CIK Trebnje) was established in 1959 by the Trebnje municipality, initially as People’s University with a view to promote and develop adult education. Today we offer a comprehensive range of education programmes: from elementary school for adults to secondary and tertiary education programmes, as well as numerous non-formal education programmes (general education, training and courses). There are 12 people employed in our organization. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to various projects that develop and encourage lifelong learning among different target groups, especially the socially weak (elderly persons, rural residents, members of the Roma community, special needs persons, the unemployed, persons serving a prison sentence, etc.). Special emphasis is put on education of Roma population. There is a quite large Roma community in the vicinity of Trebnje, where there are a number of Roma people who are not included in any form of education. We offer primary education and VET programmes for Roma, all kinds of courses for improvement of their life standards (cooking courses, personal hygiene, presentation of different occupations, computer courses, etc). We are closely connected to our social centre and employment agencies in order to offer the best support to them.
ZVEZA SOŽITJE
Association Sožitje – The Slovene National Association of Slovenia for Mentally Disabled People and Their Families (Address: 1000 Ljubljana, Samova 9, Slovenia; e-mail: info@zveza-sozitje.si, tel.: 00 386 1 43 69 750, Fax.: 00 386 143 62 406; http://www.zveza-sozitje.si) has been established as the Republic Society for Mentally Disabled People and Their Families in 1963. Today Association Sožitje associates 52 local societies and Special Olympics of Slovenia with 15,000 members. Association Sožitje operates under the provisions of Law of societies. It is recognized by the Government of R Slovenia as the representative disability organization in the field of mental disability, as well as the organization of special public importance in the field of education, culture, health care, and social welfare. Mission of Sožitje is integral and holistic inclusion of people with mental disabilities and their families into mainstream society, as well as enforcement of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities within the Slovene institutional and cultural framework. The main activities and tasks are participation and cooperation within the political process in the field of institutional system creation and/or changes, performing the special social programs at the national level, publishing, transportation services, special assistance in expert areas to families and other publics, and assisting local societies at their activities. Social enterprise Želva Ltd., owned by Sožitje, carries on employment rehabilitation and employment of disabled.
AMRITA OBK
The Amrita is a Roma youth organization in Pécs, south of Hungary. This is a self-help group set out in 1994. The community house is run by roma students and young roma intellectuals. Amrita Association provides support and training for young Romas. Amrita is a well-known, very good brand name among the Hungarian Roma organisations, this is the largest Roma student network of the country, abundantly sponsored by EU. Amrita Association has a member of 650 roma students and experts. The Association’s main activity consists of extracurricular programs in which we provided for students language lessons (English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Beás and Lovari gipsy language), leisure activities (sport, excursions, computer classes – ECDL course, multicultural programs) and the possibility to participate in one of our summer camps.
We also have organized trainings for social workers, teachers, and young people to prepare them working together with roma children and their families. We skill people working with the target group to be qualified to the work (learning about their culture, using new teaching methods understanding their basic needs). Therefore we involve our trainees in visiting families and schools.
Amrita Association’s model inspired a lot of other organization so they adapted its program and founded similar associations with our help. Amrita spread in the country in the last 18 years, it’s operating now in South and North-East of Hungary. Among our ‘classic’ projects we had housing project, and helping disadvantaged roma people to be able to appear in the labor market.
RCC
Vilnius Roma Community Centre was founded in July 2001 m. as a result if implementing the State Programme of Roma Integration to Lithuanian Society for 2000-2004. RCC was opened on 3rd of September 2001. It is public institution. The aim of the Centre is to help Roma community living in Kirtimai camp to integrate into Lithuanian society. RCC organises its activities solving concrete tasks:
To change standpoint of the members of Roma community on the process of integration to the society;
To help Roma people to evaluate the problematic situation of themselves, showing the ways of solving social and financial problems;
To organise permanent occupation and upbringing of children and teenagers, using RCC possibilities and space, to form and stimulate motivation of Roma children, teenagers, their parents, families to education, self-education, self-upbringing;
To preserve and foster Roma traditions, keep Roma community as ethnic group from assimilation and marginalisation.
Directly closed to Roma settlement, where the criminal situation is very dangerous, there is the RCC with the wide range of possibilities to organise occupation of children and teenagers. There are different hobby circles – languages, computer skills, Internet on-line class, music, art, sport etc. The arrangements of holiday both for children and their parents became traditional.
Great attention is paid on occupation and consultation of adults. 11 Roma people work in RCC. The courses of state Lithuanian language, computer skills are arranged. Different programmes of vocational courses are proposed to Roma. Roma music group “Roma de drom” successfully performs all over the country. RCC provides social and legal help.
The RCC is involved in several projects for Roma adults and children with an aim to improve their quality of life.
Special measures are taken to strengthen community initiatives. RCC coordinates its activities in dependence of the needs of Roma community. Wide spectre of social services is offered. Great efforts are taken to involve Roma to society life.