Intensive exchange on Roma housing at Alliance-conference in Slovenia
On 20 September 2013, more than 80 participants from 13 countries convened in Radenci, Slovenia, to discuss the housing situation of Roma in Europe.
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© Romano Kher
On 20 September 2013, more than 80 participants from 13 countries convened in Radenci, Slovenia, to discuss the housing situation of Roma in Europe. The International Conference on Roma Housing in Europe was organized by the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion in co-operation with the Slovenian NGO Romano Kher Project Group and promoted the exchange of best practice projects at local and regional level.
“The conditions many Roma live under do not comply with the minimum standards. The significance of adequate housing touches upon many other areas of life, such as health, education and employment”, Denis Huber, Head of the Alliance Taskforce, emphasized, “Local and regional authorities play a key role when it comes to effectively improving the living conditions of Roma on the ground.”
The conference brought together representatives of municipalities, national governments and NGOs from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Hungary, “the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. Among the speakers were high-level Slovenian officials, namely Tamara Vonta (State Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office), Dejan Zidan (Minister for Agriculture and Environment), Martina Trbanc (Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) and Stane Baluh (Government Office for Nationalities). Darko Rudas represented the Slovenian Forum of Roma City Councillors.
The conference was concluded with a field visit to the Roma settlement in Murska Sobota, where a comprehensive approach taking into consideration housing, education, culture and employment had been implemented at local level successfully.