After a year of hard work it is up to the state of Montenegro and its institutions to valorize the knowledge and experience of Roma-Egyptian (RE) mediators through systematizing the position of mediators in healthcare, employment and social welfare, it was conclusion at the meeting of the National Network of Mediators held in Petrovac.
In the past year, after passing the trainings and get a professional certificates, Help’s mediators did their best to gain the trust of local institutions, where they worked as mediators, but also in the RE community itself, which recognized them as a bridge to local services – to easier and faster fulfill of their rights.
It was jointly conclusion that the mediators in 11 municipalities in the past period of time managed to become the right hand of institutions and the community as well.
After a two-day summary of the results of the work of Roma-Egyptian (RE) mediators over the past year, their Help’s mentor, Danijela Armuš, says that she is proud of these young people who have shown how ready they are to help their community in the institutions such as office for employment, health centers and centers for social work, but also what role models they have become for the RE community with their efforts, efforts and achievements.
RE mediators or mediators for the social inclusion of Roma and Egyptians are one of the most successful projects funded by the EU in the Western Balkans, and now it’s on Montenegro’s state turn to adopt the institute of RE mediators in order to facilitate the proper inclusion of the RE population within the framework of meeting European standards into social flows and more effective realization of the basic rights that the state offers to this socially and economically most venerable category of citizens. The systematization of the position of mediator in institutions/public services at the local level is also part of the Recommendations of the EC for Montenegro, as well as part of the State Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma until 2025.
Help, in cooperation with partners, the capital – Podgorica and the municipalities of Berane and Ulcinj, implements the project “Social inclusion of Roma and Egyptians with the mediation of inclusion associates”, through which 43 mediators were trained in social inclusion.
The beneficiary of the project is the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, and a total of 34 Help mediators work from October 2021, for a period of 12 months until mid-October 2022, namely: 13 in the field of social protection, 11 in the field of employment and 10 in the field of health protection. The project is financed within the framework of the Program of the European Union and Montenegro for employment, education and social protection, and is implemented in 11 municipalities.
Below are also photos from the two-day meeting of the National Mediator Network held in Petrovac on October 6 and 7, 2022.
