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Being one of the facilitators of the Stories of Rights and Dignity workshop was very challenging because we wanted to make the best out of our short time, but in the end I was very proud of our participants. Within 48 hours, they created an exhibition from the stories of the evicted Roma families in Pata Rât, by which they brought this shameful case closer to the public. Orsi Szabó
former Phiren Amenca volunteer and team member
The Process The event has been organized in a long-term preparation process involving Roma and non-Roma youth leaders from many countries. The platform of former volunteers took a great responsibility in the organization and preparation, from logistics to workshop facilitation and building the partnership with the local communities. In addition to the strong engagement of Phiren Amenca and its member Nevo Parudimos, many local NGOs contributed significantly to the process. Therefore, we would like to thank UCTRR, Romano Suno, Asociaţia Comunitară a Romilor din Coastei (Community Organization of the Roma from Coastei), Fundaţia Creştină Diakonia, Go Free and SHARE Foundation, as well as the international partners.
The March The political message of the event focused on constant and growing reality of forced evictions of Roma all over Europe. On July 17, over 500 people – young and old, Roma and Non-Roma – marched from Pata Rât to Strada Coastei to remind the city and its citizens of the evictions from 2010 and to stand up for human rights and dignity. On December 17, 2010, 76 families had been forcibly evicted without adequate notice by local authorities from Coastei Street in the center of the city. No consultation with the affected families took place prior to the eviction and no feasible alternatives to the eviction had been explored. The families did not receive any written or detailed notification with sufficient notice, nor the opportunity to challenge the eviction decision. 59