Home for everyone

November 2016 – April 2019

Funded by FOUNDATION OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE

The join project of CEGA, IPED, LEADER – Blagoevgrad, Links, Roma-Lom and Youth Club Stolipinovo is set out to showcase policy decisions that may allow to protect effectively the right to housing for Roma. A comparative desk research will juxtapose the different aspects of the problem – human rights, legal and political ones. It will sharply define the legal grounds on demolition of the houses and will propose legislative amendments to solve the issues. The project will advocate for policy alternatives at local level – 3 participatory action plans to set into regulation the illegal Roma ghettos involving the major stakeholders – local governments, Roma communities and the majority. Based on the research and the practical experience at local level the project will bring on the agenda of the Parliament a proposal of amendments to the legislative framework that will guarantee right of housing and protection of the unique building for housing needs. It will further explore the legal grounds preventing the legalization of Roma neighborhoods. Based on a broad consultative process engaging Roma NGO-s, local communities, local governments, representatives of the state institutions in charge with the housing policy, it will draw regulatory amendments aimed at creating an environment enabling the further legalization of the illegal Roma settlements.

„Support to National Policies for Inclusion of Roma and Marginalized Groups in Education and Labour Market through Promoting Innovative Systems, Integrating Mainstream and Community Development Interventions” – DTP-SMF1-118

September 2018 – February 2019

Funded by the European Union within the framework of the Danube Transnational Program.

It is implemented in Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary by C.E.G.A. Creating Effective Grassroots Alternatives Foundation in partnership with three Roma NGOs: Roma-Lom Foundation (Bulgaria), Local Initiative Association Roman 2002 (Romania) and Alliance of Roma minority representatives and advocates of Nograd County (Hungary). The project duration is 6 months.
This project is targeted to identify and tackle the obstacles to inclusive education systems and labour markets in order to develop a future Main Project, intended to address the issues in the field. Innovative systems and models will be designed to increase the inclusiveness of the state policies through integrating the mainstream measures with community development approach, aimed at mobilizing the internal community potential. The models of support services will be focused on improving educational outcomes and labour integration of isolated Roma communities and marginalized groups through integrated holistic measures, addressing both the communities and educational and labour environments, and involving all relevant stakeholders in multi-level partnerships and joint actions.

Final Report on the Situation in Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary

Crossing city borders: promoting spatial desegregation of Roma

January 2016 – August 2017

This project has received financial assistance from Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union.

The general aim of the project is to support the integration of Roma by promoting housing policies which provide for spatial desegregation of Roma in Bulgaria and other European countries, trough:

• Identifying the motivations and attitudes of Roma towards arranging their living outside segregated Roma spaces and the obstacles they face in such arrangements;
• Studying the policies and social phenomena which have allowed for spatial desegregation of compact Roma communities in Spain;
• Engaging representatives of authorities and civil society in a process of rethinking housing policies which promote spatial desegregation of Roma;
• Putting spatial desegregation of Roma communities on the social and political agenda on local, national and European level as an integral part of living conditions policies and measures.

The Faces of Roma Migration to the EU

December 2015 – January 2017

Funded by the Think-Thank Fund and „Open Society“ Foundation.

The joint project of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, NGO Links and CEGA Foundation sets out to unveil the economic, social and financial effects of the labor migration of Bulgarian Roma to Spain and the Czech Republic putting a special focus on the levels of labor market integration and carrying out a comparative analysis of the push/pull success factors through data study and life history case studies.

The project is aimed to explore the successful European and Bulgarian social inclusion policies via the individual life stories of Roma families in Sofia, Prague and Madrid. It is designed to study the mechanisms in place in the three countries which contribute to resolving the gray economy issues, to effective use of the employment and qualification programs, to sustainable labor market integration and to the formation of entrepreneurial skills. The project is aimed at revealing the successful and unsuccessful approaches concerning the Roma in Bulgaria and abroad with an emphasis on the interaction of the Roma population with the business community, the government institutions and the civil society organizations.

Map Your Meal – EYD 2015

January 2015 – December 2017

Funded by EuropeAid Programme of the European Commission

The goal of Map Your Meal is to enable consumers to trace the origins of their food through the usage of a mobile phone application, by scanning the barcode of a product; an action which will in turn bring consumers vitally closer to the production process, and an understanding of the conditions and standards producers work. More specifically, the project aims, based on a comprehensive smartphone application and accompanying interactive learning materials exploring the origins of our food, their individual components, and the socio-economic and environmental impact of these, to increase young people’s awareness about global interdependencies and injustices, as well as about the need for more sustainable food systems. The project is implemented in Bulgaria, Austria, Greece, UK and Cyprus with C.E.G.A. Foundation being a partner.

More info: www.mapyourmeal.org

Youth of the World! Mainstreaming global awareness in the youth work

March 2013 – February 2016                                                          

Funded by EuropeAid Programme of the European Commission

The overall aim of the project is to raise awareness among young citizens on development issues and build critical understanding of the globalized interdependent world we live in through: 1) developing educational materials and methodologies tailor-made for young people on global issues; 2) building a critical mass of experts in the respective countries, adequately prepared to train young people on global issues; 3) providing easily-accessible training opportunities for youth organizations and young people on global issues. To mainstream awareness about global issues within the activities of youth organizations, working in different spheres of youth work. The project is implemented in Bulgaria, Austria, Scotland, Lithuania, Estonia and Cyprus with C.E.G.A. Foundation being the lead partner.

Changing habits for good – learning and teaching for a fairer world

February 2013 – January 2016  

Funded by EuropeAid Programme of the European Commission

The project aims to improve young people’s critical understanding of the interdependent world in which we live and yo develop the competencies of young people to address issues of global justice and sustainable ways of living. The specific objective of the project is to give young people a critical understanding of how our behaviour as consumers in a globalised world contributes to poverty and environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa and motivate them to take action for change. The project includes a number of training and expert activities, aimed at schools, teachers and students in Scotland, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Poland. The leading partner is the Scottish center for development education SCOTDEC, while C.E.G.A. Foundation is a partner for Bulgaria.