On November 30th, we held a webinar event in which we launched our new policy paper on Roma child poverty and social exclusion. The event brought together speakers engaging with this issue at different levels for a valuable discussion about the development and implementation of strategies designed to change the trajectory for Roma children growing up in poverty and socially excluded.
The webinar began with a presentation on the policy paper from Ms. Abriel Schieffelers, Eurodiaconia’s Policy Officer for Roma inclusion. The paper brings together the experiences of Eurodiaconia members and our work at a European level and includes policy recommendations to break the cycle of poverty and exclusion. In particular, it focuses on educational segregation, the over-institutionalisation of Roma children, digital poverty and how to effectively implement and monitor EU-level strategies including the Child Guarantee and Roma Strategic Framework on Equality, Inclusion, and Participation.
The panel discussion began with Ms. Lavinia Banu, Policy Officer at the Roma Unit within DG Just. She gave us insights into the latest developments at the European Commission regarding the European and national Roma frameworks. We then heard from one of our members, Ms. Roxana Sandu, a Major in the Salvation Army Romania. She brought an in-depth and encouraging contribution, showcasing the work being done by the Salvation Army to promote social inclusion and lift families out of poverty.
Our final speaker was Ms. Elena Iordanescu, from the National Roma Contact Point within the Romanian Ministry for Investments & European Projects. She updated us on the development of Romania’s national strategy for Roma inclusion and what they see as the priority areas in tackling Roma child poverty within the country.
The webinar concluded with a Q&A session, in which attendees had the opportunity to put their questions and reflections to our panel of speakers.
You can find a more detailed summary of the event in our Webinar Report.