LocationsCollective action tears down stereotypes, lifts out of poverty
October 17, 2024
In cultural centers across Serbia, young Roma women and men are passionately co-creating an art performance to challenge stereotypes and provoke the audience with the question “What should a Roma look like?”. Miles away, in Berat, Albania, a group of young Roma venture into their city’s neighborhoods to capture the voices of Roma returnees, determined to spark a positive change by sharing their stories with broader audiences, breaking down barriers that can impede sustainable reintegration. In Shuto Orizari, North Macedonia, Roma and returnees join forces through participatory community forums, to voice their needs for better government services. Their joint action results in a dedicated space that will bring government services closer to vulnerable groups, but also provides a space for enhanced dialogue between the government, civil society organisations (CSO) and vulnerable groups, as well as for joint action.
These are just three out of approximately 40 initiatives launched by local communities to find common solutions, to help Roma and returnees reintegrate and improve their living conditions in their hometowns. These activities are implemented under the Regional Returnee Reintegration project, financed by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in nine partner municipalities in Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia.
With the support of the EU and UNDP, Roma and returnees come together within their communities, but also reach out to broader communities and work together for a better future. Their co-operation and joint action promotes solutions to the common challenges faced by Roma and returnees. On this year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we recognise the collective power and action to make change happen as Roma and broader communities work together to improve their economic well-being and social recognition.
Collective Action - Creative Expression for Inclusion
Through collective art, young Roma men and women in Novi Sad, Serbia have come together, united in their creativity and commitment to co-create artistic expressions that challenge stigma against Roma. Asking their audiences a critical question - What should a Roma look like? they challenge their audience to not only go away with own prejudices, but also recognize prejudices in broader communities and act to tear these down. Working together and bridging their own differences, Roma youth galvanize the audience with their own examples of joint action for more equitable societies.
“People are just people, yet with different cultures, languages and attitudes,” the voice of the actress Aleksandra Milojković Novikova echoes throughout the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. Though Novikov act “Alone” is a monodrama, it is not a sole act - as yet again, collective action is called for; in this case, the audience is again an integral part of the performance, taking in and acting on the message that we all are equal and can make a change.
With EU and UNDP support, these series of art performances break down stereotypes and prejudice, showing that both as individuals and communities, we are responsible for advocating and working for more inclusive societies.
Collective Action – Giving Voice to Communities
The prevailing social media messages and media can neglect or misrepresent the voices and concerns of Roma and returnee communities. Messages from returnee communities often do not reach the public or can be misunderstood and even misinterpreted with prejudices amplified, hindering the dialogue and solutions needed to address the socio-economic challenges that Roma and returnee communities experience.
With a drive to do away with negative stereotypes and give space to and amplify voices of Roma and returnees, a cohort of young Roma joined forces to establish a group of “community reporters”, co-creating textual and visual media as a community-led solution for reporting on Roma and returnee challenges but also successes. With the EU and UNDP support, these young Roma- community reporters were equipped with skills for journalism and storytelling, learning the fundamentals of content production and audience-building.
Determined to capture the experiences of Roma returnees from multiple perspectives, Roma community reports spent time in the Roma and returnee communities, building trust with returnees, listening to and documenting narratives of Roma returnees struggling with putting their lives back on their feet upon return home in Berat. Community reports also listened to and documented hope, commitment and strength of Roma returnees, bringing to public domain inspiring examples of returnees’ hard work to build a better life back home.
For example, their community reporting led them to a story of collective work of a group of women returnees who succeeded in establishing a social business for care and cleaning services. With media coverage as a result of community reporting, this social business expects to grow their customer base and expand their services. The joint action of young Roma community-reporters demonstrates how community reporting can be one of community-led solutions that harnesses the power of media to advocate of inclusion of vulnerable men and women. We invite you to explore some of the community reporters’ products: video documentary & podcast., learn about and share Roma and returnee challenges and successes in Albania.
Collective Action - Making Public Spaces and Services Work for People
In Shuto Orizari, a municipality in Skopje, North Macedonia, a new community-space takes shape to put into practice a transformative approach of fostering stronger connections between government and vulnerable groups and enhanced delivery of public services, so no one is left behind. This is the Shuto Orizari Resource Center- a one-stop-shop for returnees and other vulnerable groups, resulting from several rounds of consultations held with local communities, its design tailored to respond to community needs.
With EU and UNDP support, in physical construction but also one that builds trust and social capital in communities - this public, dialogue and service space for returnees and vulnerable individuals is being built in Shuto Orizari. The Center is not merely about public services and provision, it is about building space for community dialogue and joint action. It is a place whose purpose and impact will be shaped over time as community members use it and adapt it in practice.
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Cooperation and community actions are vital forces in fostering inclusion and combating poverty within communities. Through collective efforts—both within the Roma community and in partnership with broader stakeholders—transformative change can occur. Cooperation and community-led initiatives enable shared resources to address immediate needs such as enhanced services, but also give power to narratives that address pressing issues like prejudices and stigma. At the same time, collective action empowers Roma and returnees to take ownership of solutions, while fostering partnerships with government and broader community, cultivating a spirit of inclusion that ripples through communities and time.
When communities come together, they can open doors to opportunities that individuals can't achieve alone. By joining forces, people amplify their impact, creating real change that helps everyone rise above poverty and fight inequality. On October 17, the International Day of Eradication of Poverty and every day, let’s recognize the power of individual and collective action to break down stigma and lift people out of poverty, so, no one is left behind.
About the Project
The Reintegration of Returnees in the Western Balkans project is focused on addressing key barriers for socio-economic reintegration of vulnerable returnees in the Western Balkans. The project is part of the EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) II Multi-Country Action, EU support to Fundamental Rights of Roma Community, and Reintegration of Returnees, entrusted to UNDP, World Bank, and the Council of Europe. In all Western Balkan economies, the project assesses policy and institutional gaps and facilitates a dialogue on mechanisms for implementation and monitoring of reintegration policies and programmes. In Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia, the project implements local level programmes and tests innovative solutions for sustainable socio-economic reintegration of returnees.
Find out more:
Reintegration of returnees in the Western Balkans project
