Pata cluj impact report (sept 2015) en

The impact of Pata-Cluj project on the Roma population from Pata Rât

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Cluj Metropolitan Area Intercommunity Development Association Moților street, no 5, Cluj-Napoca The project “Social interventions for de-segregation and social inclusion of vulnerable groups in Cluj Metropolitan Area, including the disadvantaged Roma” Project partners: Community Association of Roma from Coastei, AltArt Foundation, Habitat for Humanity Cluj

STATUS REPORT

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NORWAY GRANTS | Pata-Cluj Project Report • SEPTEMBER 2015

Impact of the Pata-Cluj project on the communities from Pata Rât

Background

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The Pata-Cluj project promoted by the Cluj Metropolitan Area Intercommunity Development Association addresses the population of Pata Rât area, approximately 300 Roma families who live in extreme poverty and deprivation at the outskirts of Cluj, near the garbage dump of the city.

• participation in the mainstream society’s activities and life; • access to education and vocational qualification; • formal employment; • access to secure, violence-free environment; • desegregation and the improvement of the housing situation

The project aims to: • plan and implement coordinated interventions necessary for the resettlement and social inclusion of the marginalized Roma communities from the Pata Rât area; • build social apartments for decent living, de-segregation and social inclusion of marginalized Roma communities from Pata Rât area.

The activities of the project had a direct impact in the first 10 months of implementation on approximately one third of the total population of Pata Rât (about 500 people) through different activities as described further.

The intervention within the project addresses the community needs convergent with those expressed by the inhabitants of the settlements on the occasion of the consultations held during the preparatory phase of the project*: *

UNDP technical assistance project (Preparatory Phase of a Model Project. Making the most of EU Funds for Sustainable Housing and Inclusion of disadvantaged Roma (explicitly but not exclusively targeted) in Cluj Metropolitan Area, in partnership with the Cluj-Napoca Municipality and the North-West Regional Development Agency, with the

Pata-Cluj project fully named ‘Social interventions for the de-segregation and social inclusion of vulnerable groups in Cluj Metropolitan Area, including the disadvantaged Roma’ is financed through the ‘Poverty Alleviation Program’, by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 20092014, with the total amount of 3 170 500 EUR. financing of the Open Society Foundations, Making Most of EU Funds for the Roma, http://www.undp.ro/projects.php?project_id=68), implemented between July 2012 – February 2013

Project strategy The project promotes coordinated interventions necessary for the resettlement and the social inclusion of marginalized Roma in the following areas: formal and non-formal education, social work, employment, adult education, social housing, community empowerment, youth and culture, community security, project development. The focus is equally divided between the community and the institutional facilitation which run in parallel, matching the Top-Down and Bottom-Up approaches in local development. In practice, our approach is reflected in three ways of action: • horizontal networking, by involving all stakeholders and nurturing sectorial and inter-sectorial

STATUS REPORT

partnerships; • facilitating high levels of community participation, aiming to lead to citizen involvement and ownership; • community coaching through a participatory design built on the experience of the last two years of work.

We are aware of the risks which both the project-based and the policy-based approaches pose. However, in case of a policy gap and insufficient know-how in the field of integrated social interventions we still see these approaches as complementary when working with marginalized communities as Pata Rât.

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IDENTITY DOCUMENTS FOR ALL AND ACCESS TO SOCIAL PROTECTION RIGHTS Until now, 112 persons have been facilitated access to procedures for obtaining identity papers. The legal procedures of late birth certificate registration were initiated for 8 persons.

COORDINATED CASE MANAGEMENT BASED ON INTER-INSTITUTIONAL NETWORKING The case workers from the project have made complex assessment, in collaboration with the Directorate of Social and Medical Assistance,

regarding the needs and the resources of the families. They also offer assistance based on an intervention plan made for 100 families.

The intervention plan contains actions and activities to prevent child’s separation from the family and school drop-out, to search for jobs and possibilities to improve the financial situation of the families, to strengthen the parental capacities.

Within 10 months the case workers offered counseling and facilitated access to the legal assistance (legal counseling and court representation for divorce cases, custody, social rights, etc.) offered through the project for 60 persons.

NORWAY GRANTS | Pata-Cluj Project Report • SEPTEMBER 2015

Project themes

EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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During the previous school year (2014-2015) 14 children and their families who live on the landfill were supported in the process of school participation. The education team offered help with the daily school-related activities and the usage of the corresponding resources. Families are regularly visited and updated with their children’s school activities and performances.

They are constantly asked about their situations and needs. During the after school program children do homeworks and extra exercises supervised by a specialized education teacher. During the summer, children from the landfill community have been involved in different leisure activities.

For the current school year (20152016) 14 children of school age, identified by the case managers, have been enrolled to start formal education. 30 children and youth are enrolled to activities meant to prepare their participation in the educational program the “Second chance”. The preparatory activities begun at the end of June and just ended; the “Second chance” program starts in October.

COMMUNITY SECURITY In order to secure the safety of the community we signed a partnership agreement with the Cluj County Police Inspectorate. It stipulates the collaboration grounds between the Pata-Cluj project and the Police Inspectorate and the terms of implementing of a community safety plan. As part of the agreement we offered training on structural violence to 5 police officers and 15 social workers from the Directorate of Social and Medical Assistance.

Enrollment in vocational training programs The employment team has identified several organizations that provide vocational training suitable for the people from the Pata Rât communities’ needs and skills. Our team facilitated the enrollment for the interested persons. One of the project partners, Habitat for Humanity Cluj, developed a vocational training program in the domain of constructions. Thus, starting mid-July, 27 young people from Pata Rât have been enrolled in a four-month program at the end of which they could get employed on the Habitat for Humanity Cluj and their collaboratos’ construction sites, as well as on the Pata-Cluj project social housing construction sites.

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benefited from vocational guidance and counseling services. During the counseling sessions the employment team evaluates the educational level and the previous work experience, and teaches them new methods and techniques for finding a job. The aim of these sessions is to encourage people to find ways for self-development. Each of the 83 people was helped to build a CV and got useful information about the job interview. They also received help and support for activities as: interview preparation, hiring process, work monitoring and tutoring. In July the employment team accompanied and offered support to 37 people from the community for job interviews.

In our interactions with the employers we built a database that consists of 130 companies nowadays.

They are contacted on a daily basis to identify new job opportunities and send them new CVs. For those jobs that require a written examination we offer special training.

Job mediation

Information and counseling People from the community are constantly informed through the counseling program, during the working hours at the Mobile Unit (transit community center in Pata Rât set up by the Municipality of Cluj in the preparatory phase of the project), about the work and training opportunities. 83 people from the communities in Pata Rât

The development of the database with companies is an ongoing activity. We have established collaboration with two companies which

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NORWAY GRANTS | Pata-Cluj Project Report • SEPTEMBER 2015

EMPLOYMENT

hired 12 people so far. The employment team provided support during the whole process of preparing the documents for employment. All the employees are constantly contacted to discuss work-related issues and motivated to keep up their work by learning new methods and techniques to prevent dropout. The employment team will continue the efforts to identify new companies who have available jobs, and will further join community members to participate at job interviews. So far were mediated jobs for 15 persons.

COMMUNITY BASED INTERVENTIONS

• improving the road to the Coastei community • providing equipment for the Coastei community playground (based on toys donations)

Mobilization of the companies from Cluj-Napoca for donating school supplies for all pupils from Pata Rât Besides the school supplies we offer through the project we collected 223 fully equipped schoolbags from 13 companies from Cluj for the school-aged children from the four communities in Pata Rât. The collect was based on donations of school supplies.

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Urgent needs are community based interventions done with the mobilization of the Cluj Municipality for solving urgent problems of the communities from Pata Rât with community participation A series of actions subscribing to the list of community urgent needs have occurred so far: • collection and transportation of the waste from the Cantonului Street • improving public illumination of the Coastei community

Handling the emergency situation caused by the closing of the landfill The final closing of the garbage dump from Pata Rât on June 26th, 2015 created a difficult situation and threatened the safety of approximately 720 persons who financially depend on the garbage dump and rely on it as their only source of income.

This outcome threatened the life and health of the community members who live there, and as a result, the exceptional situation created by the closing of the garbage dump

The Pata-Cluj project called for the implementation of coordinated measures and urgent actions on behalf of the authorities and allocated additional resources aimed to reduce the effects of the closing on the directly and indirectly affected communities. Through institutional facilitation, bringing together multiple actors active in Pata Rât (community members, institutions and NGOs) the project supported the Municipality of Cluj to respond to the crisis situation.

The Pata-Cluj project paid special attention to the situation in order to meet the needs of the directly affected community members by directing resources and developing complementary activities for those mostly needing it. Persons from the two communities who lacked identity documents and could not access the emergency aid provided by the Municipality were helped through the project with food and drinkable water. The two communities mostly affected by the closing of the garbage dump had been given priority during the development of activities on all project components, i.e. job mediation, obtaining ID, educational activities for children etc.

HOUSING

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The housing component of the project is scheduled to begin in September. 32 social apartments will be built by one of the project partners, Habitat for Humanity Cluj.

In order to avoid the formation of new ghetto-type areas in the city, the project plans the construction of these apartments on four different land parcels in four different areas of the Cluj Municipality and Metropolitan Area. The areas should have access to public transportation and all the necessary utilities. The four buildings to be build will most likely have 8 flats with 2 rooms each.

Given the fact that the housing situation is complex and sensitive, a special attention needs to be given to the distribution criteria of these houses, to the evaluation and the selection of the beneficiaries.

Therefore, a stakeholders’ commission will be formed and constantly consulted on methodological and procedural issues. The housing component will be closely related to the employment component. As for the administration of the new social houses, the project promoter will own and administrate them.

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NORWAY GRANTS | Pata-Cluj Project Report • SEPTEMBER 2015

requires, with no doubt, the implementation of coordinated measures and urgent actions, as well as the need of allocating additional resources aimed to reduce the effects on the directly and indirectly affected communities.

ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL INTERVENTIONS Community consultations The topics of interest for cultural activities have been identified during the consultations that took place in March 2015. During these consultations people from Pata Rât showed interest in: traditional dances and theatre, cooking, movies, music, ballet, drawing, cultural exchanges with the majority, traditional clothes and crafts.

Rât and Cluj-Napoca neighborhoods and create direct interactions among the persons who live in the two communities.

International Roma Day

Call for arts and culture

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The launch of the first open call for artistic and cultural interventions has been preceded and prepared by a series of consultations, cultural activities and actions developed for and with the community. They aimed to offer a space for manifestation of community creativity and to practice the instruments of participatory curating. The call was launched in August 2015, and the projects are currently being prepared for implementation. The contest was opened on the one hand for common cultural manifestations, activities that create gathering spaces, human contacts and common experiences between the persons who live in Pata Rât and Cluj neighborhoods. On the other hand there have been invited artistic interventions which encourage the reflection upon the themes connected with the relationship between the community from Pata

A first cultural activity was set to happen on International Roma Day with children and youth from the community performing traditional dances. For the traditional dance performance and the organization of the artistic event a dance trainer was identified from the communities of Pata Rât. The dancers, selected as well from the four communities, were equipped with stage costumes and proper dancing shoes.

They practiced two dances for four days before the event.

Thus, on April 8th, the International Roma Day, a special event was organized. The program included a dance show of the newly formed group, Kelen Amenza. 20 members from the community were actively involved in the organization of the cultural event. An audience of around 200 persons from Pata Rât and from Cluj participated at the event.

At the end of May we organized creative workshops for children. For two days 87 children from Pata Rât had the opportunity to draw and paint side by side with young artists from Cluj, specialized in graffiti and street art. Film and cartoon screenings also took place in Coastei community house.

STATUS REPORT

building work. Following these two, at the beginning of July there was a request from the Dallas community to organize a similar construction session in their community. After consultations with the community members regarding the needs that could be covered by this action, "Marea Construială/The Great Building Action" III aimed to rearrange one of the community fountains. 40 people worked for two days to cover with a tile roof one of the public fountains in the community. During the construction and work activities a special attention was given to the children by creating a safe environment for them to play.

The football championship for the youth from Pata Rât

Urban furniture design and building sessions

The event took place on September 4th at the Secondary School Alexandru Vaida Voievod. After a week full of intense preparations in the community, 8 mixed teams registered. The players were

Two design and construction sessions of urban furniture, "Marea Construială/The Great Building Action" I and II, for the Mobile Unit have been organized during the first part of June. Around 60 people, from both Pata Rât and Cluj have been actively involved in the design and

accompanied by friends, supporters and parents prepared to encouraged them. At the end, after the teams on the podium were awarded prizes, a couple of individuals have received public recognition (and prizes) for the best goalkeepers (girl and boy), the best player, the best

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NORWAY GRANTS | Pata-Cluj Project Report • SEPTEMBER 2015

Creative workshops for children and youth from Pata Rât

goalgetter and the fairest player. At the end of the day approximately 80 children went home excited, wanting a rematch.

ACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES FOR RAISING AND INCREASING AWARENESS

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The raising and increasing awareness strategy of the Pata-Cluj is developed on two dimensions.

On the one hand we use creative communication campaigns using the language of arts to reach different groups, i.e. inhabitants of the neighbourhoods where first families from Pata Rât will move in to, Cluj inhabitants, local authorities, youth, international public. And on the other hand, we use specialized language to reach the professional stakeholders from institutions and general public interested in Roma issues. We thus aim to improve the image of Roma people and of the communities from Pata Rât by making more visible their situation, their voices and struggles and to involve more people (institutional stakeholders, professionals, activists etc ) in the work for de-segregation and social inclusion. Thus, Pata-Cluj team members and members from the community participate at different actions and activities to talk about these issues.

Community facilitators and members of the education team moderated and facilitated the discussions during the “Let’s play Europe!

Discrimination and social exclusion” youth initiative on February 27th 2015. The topic of the debate was

discrimination and social exclusion, but the group activities focused on specific issues like assistance for the young people „not in education, employment, or training" (NEETs), support and social inclusion of ethnic minorities, disabled people and other disadvantaged groups.

40 pupils and representatives of the County Council of Pupils and 5 teachers participated at the discussions.

Eva Fahlstrom Borg held on April 23rd a public workshop entitled “Working with trauma and resilience through restorative practices”. She presented, in front of an audience of 80 people, a series of instruments and techniques for addressing injustices against members of marginal communities as the one in Pata Rât and creating safe spaces for vulnerable people.

The participants at the workshop were professionals in the field of social inclusion of marginalized groups, sociology and pschychology students, and people interesed in Roma issues.

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On the occasion of the International Conference on Restorative Practices held in Budapest during 10-12th of June a team representing the project presented together with Eva Fahlstrom Borg the restorative

The colleagues working in the employment team participated at a couple of small business events (National Conference of Agriculture Clusters, Summer Meeting of the German Firms, World Café) where they presented the project and made lobby for the contribution to one of the occupational activities the project develops: to offer trainings and/or jobs, work with the social enterprise the project will develop. They reached approximately 50 people directly interested in the business sector and a general public of at least 150 participants to all three events.

Our partners from Habitat for Humanity Cluj launched in July a four months pilot project on professional development for youth from Pata Rât called YouthBuild Cluj. Within their program they offer a training course in constructions, nonformal education and personal development activities for 27 participants.

While promoting the program they talked about and raised awareness about the employment situation of people from Pata Rât and briefly presented the Pata-Cluj project.

The discussion had echo in the local

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NORWAY GRANTS | Pata-Cluj Project Report • SEPTEMBER 2015

A large team took part at the spring edition of the Global Career Fair in Cluj between 12-13th of May to present the project (its aim, the community from Pata Rât and the project themes) and connect with future employers. There was a stand set up for discussions with the general public and a presentation made for 30 potential employing companies. During the 12 hours over the two days of the event, the stand was visited by approximately 150 people (student, youth and adults looking for jobs). 30 of these registered for receiving Pata-Cluj newsletter and 14 offered their time for volunteering activities.

techniques used within the project.

Thus, they made the international audience aware of the existence of the Pata Rât community and of the work done for the integration of its members back in the Cluj community life. They had an allocated slot of 50 minutes for presentation and addressed to an audience of 180 participants, all practitioners in the field of restorative practices.

press and regional TV at the beginning of September and reached on social media at least 1800 people.

At the end of July two members of the team met with the French activist journalists from the Le Chat qui Fouine to talk about the recent situation of the Pata Rât community caused by the closing of the waste dump. They collect material about different minority groups in Europe to make a documentary film that aims to document the context of marginalization of these groups both in their origin countries and in the destination countries where they travel to find a better life. The photographic material about Pata Rât prepared after the meeting reached at least 200 people.

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Two representatives of the project put the Europ’Raid team in contact with the representatives of Traian Dârjan school where they brought some educational material.

The French team, who was on an European tour for a whole month in August, whose aim was to visit different school communities became aware of the Roma situation from Pata Rât after visiting the school where almost 150 pupils from the community study. The visit was documented and presented both in local and international press. On social media the news reached at least 200 people.

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ON THE NORWEGIAN FINANCIAL MECHANISM (NORWAY GRANTS) Through the Norway Grants and EEA Grants, Norway contributes to reducing social and economic disparities and to strengthening bilateral relations with the beneficiary countries in Europe. Norway cooperates closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA).

For the period 2009-14, Norway’s contribution is €1.7 billion. Grants are available for NGOs, research and academic institutions, and the public

and private sectors in the 12 newest EU member states, Greece, Portugal and Spain. There is broad cooperation with Norwegian entities, and activities may be implemented until 2017.

Key areas of support are environmental protection and climate change, research and scholarships, civil society, health and children, gender equality, justice and cultural heritage.

Published by: The Cluj Metropolitan Area Intercommunity Development Association Editors: Camelia Badea, Gabriella Tonk Photographs: Roland Vaczi, Călin Ilea, Kay Kyungsun Yu Design: Erika Kramarik September 2015 The Cluj Metropolitan Area Intercommunity Development Association Moților 5, Cluj-Napoca, Romania www.patacluj.ro info@patacluj.ro tel. 0786 375 825

Project financed through the Norway Grants, within the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009-2014, “Poverty Alleviation” program (RO25).

The content of this material does not necessarily reflect the official position of Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009-2014.

NORWAY GRANTS | Pata-Cluj Project Report • SEPTEMBER 2015

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