The work by ERMES Social Cooperative

Transcription

1 The work by ERMES Social Cooperative The actions implemented by ERMES Cooperative in favor of the Roma population has been developed over the years and aim at improving the conditions of Roma and Sinti in the Field of Schooling, Vocational training and Employment. 1

2 General remarks on the status of Roma and Sinti in Italy The Italian case is known as one of the most alarming in the European Union. When talking about identifying difficulties, problems, barriers, as well as good practices designed for Roma and Sinti, some aspects, determining exclusion indicators and deeply affecting the conditions of this minority in Italy, must be inevitably kept in mind: 1. non-recognition of minority status to Roma and Sinti people by the national Law n. 482 (1999) on Protection of the historical linguistic minorities. 2. deep-rooted negative perception of Zingari (It. for Gipsies, i.e. Roma, Sinti and similar categories ), reproducing a series of generalised prejudices and stereotypes affecting this population. In particular, two of them are quite diffused in Italy: - generalised nomadism (nomadic way of life) has brought about producing many other stereotypes, which led towards specific housing conditions for Roma/Sinti in Italy; this perception affects the policies addressing these people regarded as nomads. - another ethnically based and generalised stereotype is that which regards Roma as incapable people both individually and collectively; such a perception simultaneously affects their effective socioeconomic integration, beginning from the school up to the potential labour inclusion. 3. housing conditions, characterised by particular habitat, so-called campi nomadi (nomad camps, camps for nomads), which have been specifically planned and constructed for this population, and in which as a result numerous Roma and Sinti families are still dwelling. This kind of habitat highly affects their socioeconomic, political and cultural participation, and has widely nourished existing prejudices and pushed the production of new ones as well. The denunciation under the European Social Charter against Italy (2004) for the systematic encroachment on Romas /Sintis right to appropriate housing is based on this situation; the ERRC report on Italy having an eloquent title: Campland. Racial 2

3 Segregation of Roma in Italy (2000, National Reports, Italy), took place in the same scope. 4. the above-mentioned aspects have led towards a diffused discrimination against Roma/Sinti people in any field of social life. This condition has placed them among the most vulnerable groups in Italy. 5. Due to the reigning discrimination, Roma/Sinti are socially visible exclusively when depicted by common negative stereotypes and perceived as social outcasts. This means that Roma/Sinti people are stll destined to an intense socioeconomic invisibility within the Italian mainstream society, i.e. excluded from an effective socioeconomic and political participation. 3

4 Social and housing situation of Roma in Rome It should be emphasized that the policies adopted by the Municipal governments of Rome that followed each other in time have been invariably marked by a logic of emergency. For many years, up to now, the choices made in the field of Roma housing have revolved around the idea that the campi nomadi (nomad camps i.e. settlements), equipped, authorized or yet tolerated as they were, represented the only solution. The same definition generally adopted to define those (non) places camps supports the idea that their dwellers are there just passing through, according to an arbitrary and anachronistic interpretation of nomadism, ascribed to the whole Romani population, which very often diverts the attention of people operating with/among Roma from their real problems and necessities. In fact, the Roma population in Rome is sedentary and, therefore, the transient nature of their alleged stay in the camps has taken the contours of permanent condition. On May 21 st, 2008, the Berlusconi Government, in agreement with the mayors of Milan, Naples, Rome, and later Turin and Venice, has declared a state of emergency in relation to nomad settlements and appointed prefects of the cities involved Associate Commissioners for the implementation of all actions necessary to overcome the state of emergency. In Rome, on July 31 st, 2009, the Prefect, as a special commissioner for the Roma emergency presented, together with the Municipality of Rome, the Plan for nomads of Rome Capital. A considerable amount of economic resources (30.8 millions) was allocated to address this alleged emergency in the Capital and, to follow up with a campaign focused on security issues which, in April 2008, had brought the center-right administration to govern the Capital. In other words, the Plan for nomads has 4

5 deepened a process already existing for many years and, in fact, produced a further deterioration of Italian Roma settlements: Commissioner, with extraordinary powers and abilities to spend out of control, cleaned numerous settlements ( tolerated or authorized ) by displacing dozens and dozens of families to the equipped villages with the only result of significantly worsening living conditions and lives of thousands of Roma. The equipped villages, seven in all the city of Rome, are reception facilities for the Roma population, which in comparison to traditional camps existing in Rome for decades, have the undeniable advantage of being provided with services for inhabitants: each family is assigned a dwelling (actually a container) of about 30 square meters provided with electricity, water and sanitation. The village is also provided with a surveillance service (the center-right Government had entrusted to armed policemen, only recently replaced by a new organization with unarmed watchmen) and Ermes social service. Even if these structures are certainly characterized by better conditions of habitability if compared to those lacking in services and mainly consisting of wooden shacks, a further remark is necessary: almost all of the equipped villages were made on the outskirts according to a clear logic seeing Roma people excluded from the social context of the city. Actions aimed at promoting social integration of Roma residents of the villages daily collide with the peripheral situation of the same that strengthens the marginalization of Roma in the collective imagination. equipped villages would make sense only if the stay of Roma families inside them were indeed temporary and directed to their final inclusion in houses placed on the territory. This, however, requires specific actions and ad hoc investments by the Public Administration that, to date, are not prior on the political agenda. 5

6 dismantlement of traditional camps which followed the approval of the Plan for nomads have determined, as already noted, the overcrowding of existing equipped villages since, despite the economic resources available, no new settlement has been built so far. It is important to recall the decision of the State Council of November 16 th, 2009, regarding the Plan, which declared the state of emergency proclaimed on May 21 st, 2008, by the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi illegal. According to the decision, there are no elements justifying a connection between the presence of Roma settlements on the territory and an extraordinary public order issue in the affected areas. Moreover, the idea of serious incidents threatening public order and public safety propaganda aside, have no basis in the reality. The Judiciary, therefore, has firmly condemned an approach that has resulted, in light of the given reasons, based not on evidence but on fundamentally ideological criteria. In any case, the plight of the Roma in Rome remains the only true emergency to deal with. 6

7 The work by ERMES Social Cooperative (a non-profit organization) The actions implemented by ERMES Cooperative in favor of the Roma population has been developed over the years within the above-mentioned context. ERMES Cooperative was founded in 2006 as a branch of the Capodarco Community from Rome, having a long experience of social, health and education work with disadvantaged persons, children in difficult condition, young people at risk or dropouts, immigrants and Roma. Ermes Cooperative consists of group of workers who have produced projects and acquired skills necessary to answer most effectively the needs of their beneficiaries. In agreement with the Municipality of Rome, Ermes runs Schooling of Roma children and adolescents aimed at ensuring the right to education for immigrant and Roma children. In detail, the activity of ERMES, the workers and mediators supplies the following services: school transport for Roma children; legal and health assistance for the children and families involved; mediation with families; mediation with schools; networking aimed at facilitating integration of families. The staff comprises intercultural mediators, educators, sociologists and social workers. The Cooperative works on strengthening education and quality schooling in classes with 7

8 immigrant and especially Roma children in various schools situated in the municipalities that the Cooperative is working in. These activities are meant as an important resource based for schools: performed in form of intercultural workshops, their goal is to call attention to the educational needs of children. The ERMES Cooperative, in agreement with the City of Rome, realizes activities as a part of the Project for management of the structures used for reception and hospitality of socially vulnerable people, mainly of Roma origin within the equipped camps of Via Salone (1000 inhabitants) and Via Gordiani (about 250 inhabitants). The service is performed by professionals such as physicians, lawyers, mediators, psychotherapists, sociologists, educationalists, educators, social workers that perform the following activities: vocational guidance and assistance for children and adults of the settlement while contacting territorial welfare and social services. health assistance with health professionals carrying out an initial disease identification and accompanying beneficiaries through territorial health services with the goal of promoting their autonomy in the sector. legal assistance and education to legality in collaboration with professionals and lawyers performing an initial screening of user needs before putting them in contact with offices dealing with administrative and legal issues. pre-professional workshops within the job training projects, implemented inside and outside the settlement. This activity represents a first step towards employment autonomy (see the next point). 8

9 socio-professional integration of youths at risk of delinquency by creating a network of companies willing to offer job training under a permanent monitoring (tutoring). training guidance and implementation of courses in collaboration with local universities. children s area and nursery service within the village in Via Salone: activities for preschool children of the settlement aimed at facilitating their access to school. In this area, a training program for childcare women from the Roma settlement has been performed. In recent years, particular attention has been paid to the activities aimed at gaining employment autonomy, and leaving the camp by finding autonomous housing for the families having an economic autonomy and a good level of self-promotion. Exclusion from the labour market is the last stage of a more general and complex process of social exclusion suffered by the members of Roma community, hence the need to enhance the processes of labour integration. In a final analysis, the most salient aspects of the situation are the following: high average age of beneficiaries for finding a placement, being often the first working experience too. low level of education and even lower professional training. very little work experience; 9

10 restricted social support networks, lack of knowledge related to the territory and to actual opportunities, limited social skills and high frequency of psychological problems. Within the Project for management of the structures used for reception and hospitality of socially vulnerable people, mainly of Roma origin, vocational guidance service has been developed in the equipped camps in Via Salone and Via dei Gordiani after twenty years of experience in the field of schooling projects. This experience has allowed to create structured courses with the goal of meeting demands of beneficiaries, and their actual needs; individuals play a central role in the success of the project. The general purposes are: improving social inclusion and enhancing individual skills; including both educated youth and non educated adults in professional training; improving the quality of life conditions and autonomy of individuals. In particular, the activities carried out are aimed at: being able to move in the labour market and to choose among available opportunities the most suitable one according to one s professional history; facing the labour market by using one s own abilities and skills; becoming independent from services of both public and private sector so as to employ one s own social capital. 10

11 This activity generated the project Job Training aimed at labour inclusion through a training activity with attendance allowance responding to specific situations. Tutoring activity, conducted in group mode and by specific objectives, is fundamental for success of the action. After being involved (as a part of the project) in maintenance and cleaning of common areas inside the settlement, some of the participants were hired for a training by construction companies, food suppliers or cleaning services. Some of them have successfully completed their professional training on the job, and were hired by the companies involved. In conclusion, the activity aimed at providing employment has different advantages in the field of: Education: contributes to knowledge and sharing of rules, especially in the field of cleaning and maintenance of common areas by residents. training: acquisition of specific skills functional to labour inclusion; acquisition of general skills such as preconditions for taking individual responsibility required for a job placement. economic situation: contributes to income creation and to stable employment as a precondition for overcoming the necessity to stay in municipal camps. Another objective in the broad gamut of actions implemented by the Cooperative in favor of Roma people is to make Roma families gain a socioeconomic autonomy and to make their stay in the camps temporary and not permanent as it actually occurs. Recently, some first steps aimed at leaving camps have been undertaken with the families having a good level of self-promotion. 11

12 Nevertheless, a number of complex issues are not overcome by this action alone: the mechanisms of access to public housing on one side and prohibitive conditions imposed by the real-estate market on the other, are still there. This discrepancy between the aspiration to find a housing alternative and factual obstacles to its realisation has actually gave rise to actions supporting different housing solutions. We believe that the action of mediation and support in these contexts is as important as the one oriented at labour integration: similar experiences of other cities have produced significant results in the process of getting out from the camps. Families are being identified on the basis of their economic autonomy and level of selfpromotion, and provided with financial support for a 12-month period for rent or mortgage payment, and with all the mentoring they need, so as to leave the camp for a decent housing. 12