Network

We have started the development of the Roma Matrix network. The network was organized from August 2013 with the aim of involving Roma individuals in network cooperation and training to help other Roma people. These Roma assistants use the acquired knowledge and experience in their own communities and learn the civic modes of action against discrimination and breach of the principle of equal treatment.

The network is designed to increase civic awareness, disseminate conscious action to combat discrimination and allocate communal resources by the trained network members.

The trainings were organized around the following topics:
• basic concepts of equal treatment,
• equal treatment in public education,
• administration,
• civil society and freedom of assembly,
• communication.

By the time of the completion of the program, the Manual for Roma about combating racism, reporting and redress brochure was ready, which contains all the knowledge and information that the network members have mastered.

MEMBERS OF THE NETWORK

The candidates were selected so as to have women, youth, people from both rural areas and the capital city, experienced and less experienced activists. With the selection the program network was created.

We used a support coordinator in the program who was responsible for the flow of information and continuous communication in the period between the training.

She worked as the "host" of the program, an administrator. Like other members of the network, she had mentoring tasks because she could be turned to at any time for any kind of matter; she was responsible for monitoring a variety of professional initiatives and their dissemination to the network members: applications, programs, calls for dissemination among network members.

She was responsible for the operational and professional running of the program, for cooperation among the network members and for feedback.

A leaflet was also created to share and distribute contact data of the memebres.

We also used the devices of circular e-mails and phone calls, and in the Facebook group set up to facilitate the activities of the network we were also able to make decisions by community consultations.