Slovak Republic: NGOs involved in Roma issues, including locations, services, accessibility, and funding (2013-March 2014)

1. Location and Services of NGOs

In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Open Society Foundation of Slovakia (Nadácia otvorenej spolocnosti, NOS-OSF), an NGO based in Bratislava that is part of the Open Society Foundations network founded by the philanthropist George Soros, which provides grants to NGOs that promote human rights for disadvantaged groups, such as Roma (NOS-OSF n.d.), provided her personal view based on many years of experience working on Roma issues (ibid. 27 Mar. 2014). She indicated that there are NGOs that assist Roma in different areas of the country, including Bratislava, and in eastern and southern Slovakia (ibid.). A policy advisor for the Roma Institute, a Bratislava-based NGO that collects information, conducts research and advocates for Roma issues (Roma Institute n.d.), in a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, also provided an overview of the situation of NGOs addressing Roma issues (ibid. 30 Mar. 2014). He said that, even though the highest number of Roma live in eastern Slovakia, there are fewer NGOs working with Roma there than in central and western Slovakia (ibid.). According to the same source, the conditions in eastern Slovakia are "more difficult" and there are challenges to developing sustainable NGOs in rural areas of Slovakia (ibid.). He said that there are NGOs working with Roma based in Bratislava, and in bigger towns, such as Banska Bystrica, Vul'ky Krtis, Presov, and Kosice (ibid.).

According to the NOS-OSF representative, many of the NGOs that work with Roma are involved in educational and community projects (27 Mar. 2014). The Roma Institute representative said that some of the larger NGOs that assist Roma are involved in field social work or setting up community centres for Roma (Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014). He estimated that there are approximately 10 to 20 such NGOs and that approximately 30 community centres with programs for Roma have been established in Slovakia through NGOs, local municipalities or partnerships between municipalities and NGOs (ibid.). Similarly, the US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013, notes that NGOs implemented educational programs for Roma children through community centres operated by local councils (US 27 Feb. 2014, 25). However, the same source notes that these programs "were not widespread" and "depended on the good will, initiative, and budgetary resources of local councils and NGOs" (ibid.).

The NOS-OSF representative provided the Research Directorate with the following list of Roma NGOs, including the location of the NGOs and a description of their work, although the list is not exhaustive (27 Mar. 2014):

NGO Name Location Description

Roma Institute Bratislava National partner of the Open Society Institute (OSI) Budapest for the implementation of the Making the Most EU Funding for Roma Program in Slovakia

In Minorita and Romano Kher Bratislava Decade Watch, Roma Holocaust, Gender Issues

Cultural Civic Association of Roma in Slovakia Banska Bystrica Field work in Roma communities, education and training of Roma children

Civic Association New Way Michalovce Field work in Roma communities, education and trainings for young Roma activists

Young Roma Association Banska Bystrica Social counselling for Roma, employment and education programs

Wide Open School Foundation Ziar nad Hronom Education, social inclusion for Roma, projects for youth and children, education reform

Civic Association Club of Roma Activists in Slovakia Hnust'a Education, trainings and civic engagement projects for Roma

Agency for Supporting Social Inclusion JobPlus Ziar nad Hronom Projects focused on social inclusion and supporting employment of Roma

CESPOM--Center for Social Help for Youth Lucenec Social advice and help, training and employment support for Roma young

The County Association of Romani Initiatives Banska Bystrica Roma health mediators, employment of Roma, trainings for Roma young

Minorities Community Center Vul'ky Krtis Social counselling and support for Roma, improving housing in Roma settlements, free time activities for Roma children, health awareness campaigns

Cultural and Education Association Lacho Drom Kokava nad Rimavicou Community and social work, counselling on employment

The Roma Institute policy advisor provided examples of two "general mainstream NGOs" that also focus on Roma:

ETP Slovakia, which operates in several municipalities and works in field social work and community centres;

People in Need, which operates in 10 municipalities and works in field social work, community centres, and programs for increasing access to employment and education for Roma. (Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014)

The same source notes that both these groups work with some "segregated" Roma communities in different regions of Slovakia, but do not have the capacity to work with all Roma communities (ibid.).

ETP Slovakia--Center for Sustainable Development, an NGO that works with "disadvantaged and marginalized groups," including Roma (ETP [2013], 2), operates community centres that provide a variety of social services and educational programs to Roma from marginalized settlements in ten municipalities: Kosice-Saca, Krompachy, Moldava nad Bodvou, Ostrovany, Rankovce, Rudnany, Sabinov, Spisske Podhradie, Stara L'ubovna, and Vel'ka Ida (ibid., 11). These community centres are each staffed by an experienced ETP social worker, and each service 170 - 500 Roma clients on a regular basis (ibid.).

The Roma Education Fund (REF), provided by government donors, private foundations and multilateral agencies, provides funding for projects that assist Roma in the field of education (REF n.d.), and as of March 2014, had active projects run by NGOs in Slovakia including the following: Equalizing Chances Association (ECH); KARI; the Cultural Association of Roma in Slovakia; and Ternipe--Association for Roma Youth in Slovakia and Hungary (ibid. March 2014).

According to the NOS-OSF representative, the network of NGOs "is not strong and coordinated enough" (NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014). Both the NOS-OSF representative and the Roma Institute policy advisor commented that the NGOs assisting Roma are limited in the help they can provide given the severity of the problems facing Roma (ibid.; Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014).

1.1 NGOs Providing Legal Assistance to Roma

Sources indicate that there are very few NGOs involved in providing legal help and advocacy for Roma (ibid.; NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014). According to the NOS-OSF representative, there is only one NGO in Slovakia that provides pro-bono legal assistance to Roma, the Council for Human and Civil Rights [Poradna Pre Obcianske a L'udské Práva], which is locate in Kosice (ibid.). She said that they currently have funding for a two-year project to provide legal assistance to Roma and other disadvantaged groups (ibid.). According to its website, this NGO has won court cases related to forced sterilization of Romani women, segregation of Roma in schools, and cases related to discrimination of Roma under the anti-discrimination law (Poradna Pre Obcianske a L'udské Práva n.d.). They also work in the area of mapping police violence against Roma and state that they have provided legal representation to more than 20 victims of police violence and provided legal counsel to many others (ibid.). An assessment of measures to combat discrimination in Slovakia in 2011 by the European Network of Legal Experts in the Non-Discrimination Field, a network of independent anti-discrimination legal experts set up by the European Commission to provide them with advice and information (n.d.), describes the Centre for Civil and Human Rights in Kosice as the NGO "most active in providing legal aid to Roma," and notes that the NGO has worked in the area of Roma access to goods and services, social security, employment, education, and reproductive rights (European Network [2012], 23). The same source notes that the absence of qualified legal aid in the field of anti-discrimination is a "serious barrier" in Slovakia and that many NGOs have to refuse discrimination cases because of a "lack of capacities and resources" (ibid., 133). The Roma Institute policy advisor said that, in addition to the Council for Human and Civil Rights in Kosice, the NGO Citizenship, Democracy and Responsibility in Bratislava also provides legal assistance and advocacy for Roma issues (Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014). Regarding the work of these NGOs, he said that

[b]oth these NGOs are limited in their capacity to help Roma with their individual cases, due to lack of financing and personal resources. They must be strategic in the legal cases they take on. Citizenship, Democracy and Responsibility won a case regarding housing segregation of Roma. The Counselling Centre for Human Rights has addressed segregation in the education system and cases of racially-motivated violence. However, in many cases of everyday human rights violations against Roma, these NGOs do not have the capacity to take on all the cases and must be strategic in which cases they choose to represent. (ibid.)

2. Accessibility of NGO Services

Regarding the accessibility of NGO services to Roma, the Roma Institute policy advisor said that

[i]t depends on where the Roma person lives. NGOs are not able to reach all communities. The number of NGOs where Roma live is limited and the services they provide are limited. The need is higher than their capacity. Also, many Roma are poor and are unable to travel outside their community if there are not services in their municipality. (ibid.)

The NOS-OSF representative said that

[t]here are many Roma communities that do not have access to projects or other assistance from NGOs .... There are also many Roma who live in segregated communities outside municipalities, who do not have access to basic services, such as health care, water, electricity etc. The number of Roma living in these very bad conditions is estimated at 150,000. (NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014)

She also explained that

[t]he NGOs are not able to cover the needs of the Roma--which are huge. The Roma need many basic services and infrastructure support that NGOs are not in a position to provide and are not being provided by the government. (ibid.)

The Roma Institute policy advisor noted that NGOs that assist Roma often have difficulty setting up programs or services for Roma in municipalities where the leadership is "anti-Roma" (30 Mar. 2014). Similarly, the NOS-OSF representative noted that some mayors "totally ignore the situation of the Roma" (27 Mar. 2014).

2. 1 Roma Participation

A "Roma NGO" is described by sources as one with Roma leadership (Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014; NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014), or one in which at least half of the employees are Roma (ibid.). Both the NOS-OSF representative and the Roma Institute policy advisor said that there are some Roma NGOs in Slovakia, stating, however, that they are "very small," consisting of one (Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014; NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014) to three employees (ibid.). According to the Roma Institute, the Roma NGOs are usually culturally-based rather than rights oriented (30 Mar. 2014). According to the NOS-OSF representative, Roma NGOs are "very weak and not very active," and are particularly challenged in accessing systematic funding (NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014).

The Norway Grants' "NGO Programme" in Slovakia is a major source of NGO funding, supported by financial contributions from the governments of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (ibid.). An assessment by Norway Grants of the NGO Programme in Slovakia states that

[u]nfavourable development has been noticed with regard to the Roma participation in addressing the issues concerning the Roma minority. There is almost no Roma voice concerning the conceptual solutions of the Roma issue. Small Roma associations are rather decimated. Absence of a strategic and integrated approach and cooperation of all respective actors make the Roma issues as well as other social issues complicated. Although this is a chronic issue, the NGOs' effort to implement a change has not been efficient over the last few years. (Norway Grants [2014]).

3. Funding

Sources indicate that the Slovak government, the European Union (EU) and the Norway Grants are potential sources of funding for NGOs that assist Roma (NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014; Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014).

The NOS-OSF representative said that "a lot of the work of NGOs assisting Roma is project-based. The NGO may receive a grant for a specific project but lack enough money to run their offices, so the NGO may be inactive in between projects" (27 Mar. 2014). Similarly, the Roma Institute policy advisor said that "many NGOs have had to cancel programs or have become inactive due to a lack of funding" (30 Mar. 2014).

3. 1 Funding from Slovak Government

Sources indicate that the Slovak government provides some funding for NGOs that work on Roma issues (Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014; NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014; Slovakia 8 Nov. 2013). Slovakia's submission to the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review in November 2013 states the following about government funding of Roma NGOs:

The Strategy for Roma Integration up to 2020 defines the necessary impetus and conditions for strengthening capacities of Roma NGOs by improving and supporting internal functioning of Roma NGOs, strengthening their administrative capacities, financial planning and sustainability. Emphasis is placed on human resources, mainly through the education and increasing credibility of NGOs, building NGO networks and partnership at regional and local level. No special funds have been allocated for these purpose from the state budget so far; NGOs may apply for subsidies within subsidy systems of individual ministries and at regional or local level. (ibid.)

The policy advisor for the Roma Institute said that the government of Slovakia's Office of the Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities has a funding budget of approximately one million euros (EUR) [about C$1.5 million (XE 4 Apr. 2014d] per year, and that the funding on NGOs is a "small portion" of this overall budget (Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014). According to a report by the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, in 2010, NGOs received approximately 130,000 EUR [about C$196,000 (XE 4 Apr. 2014a)] in grant schemes through the Slovak government's Strategy for Roma Integration, which supported 22 projects targeting Roma (COE 20 Dec. 2011, 25). In 2011, NGOs received approximately 200,000 EUR for 12 projects targeting Roma (ibid.). Information on funding of NGO projects targeting Roma in 2012, 2013 and 2014 could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Regarding funding from the Slovak government, the NOS-OSF representative stated that

[t]he Slovak government provides some project money to NGOs through the grant scheme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for supporting human rights including projects for Roma. The Plenipotentiary for Roma has a "grant scheme" but funding is very delayed, not systematic and the funding is once a year. (27 Mar. 2014)

According to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) report 2012 CSO Sustainability Index for Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, the financial viability of NGOs in Slovakia "continued to deteriorate" (US June 2013, 183). The same source, published in June 2013, specifically mentions that the Office of the Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities cancelled several initiatives during 2012 (ibid.).

3.2 EU Funding

According to the website of the EU's European Network on Social Inclusion and Roma under the Structural Funds (EURoma), there have been EU Structural Funds provided to Slovakia for programs that specifically target Roma in the areas of support to socially excluded people and promoting access to the labour market (EU n.d.). The EURoma website indicates that the coordinating government agency in Slovakia for the EU Structural Funds is the Office of the Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities, and that the budget for the time period 2007-2013 totalled approximately 152 million EUR [about C$230 million (XE 4 Apr. 2014b)], although it did not specify the amount allocated to NGO programming and projects (ibid.).

Several sources indicate that Slovak NGOs face bureaucratic obstacles to accessing EU funding (Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014; NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014; US June 2013, 183). The Roma Institute policy advisor explained that

[t]he EU provides funding for Roma-related projects but it is technically difficult to access EU funding and requires professional experience. The Slovak government requires obligatory financing (financing from other sources) in order to access the EU funds. Many of the smaller NGOs that work with Roma are unable to access EU funding because they don't have access to any other funds. (30 Mar. 2014)

Similarly, the NOS-OSF representative stated that

[a]ccessing EU funding is very complicated and bureaucratic and there are many obstacles for smaller NGOs due to the budgetary requirements. Few NGOs assisting Roma in Slovakia are able to access EU funding. (27 Mar. 2014)

A 2012 assessment by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) of the effectiveness of the EU's European Social Fund (ESF), in terms of impacting Roma social inclusion in Slovakia, indicates that the funding did not reach the smaller Roma communities with the greatest needs, which are located in the less developed eastern and southern regions of Slovakia (UN 2012, 9).

3.3 Funding from Other Sources

According to the NOS-OSF representative, the main source of funding for NGOs that work with Roma is the Norway Grants funding, provided by the governments of Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland (NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014). The NOS-OSF administers the Norway Grants funding, and its budget for Slovakia for 2009-2014 is approximately 2.8 million EUR [about C$4.2 million (XE 4 Apr. 2014c)] (ibid.). The NOS-OSF representative provided the following description of the "NGO Program" funding through the Norway Grants mechanism:

The overall priority of the Program is the development of NGO capacities and improvement of their position in the society. The Program will address horizontal concerns such as: hate speech, extremism, racism and xenophobia, homophobia, anti-Semitism, tolerance/multicultural understanding, Roma, sexual harassment, violence against women and trafficking.

At least 10% of the total eligible expenditures will be dedicated to support children and youth at risk. The Program will also focus on the specific needs of minorities including the Roma.

Support Areas:

Democracy, good governance and transparency

Human rights including minority rights

Gender equality and gender-based violence

Anti- discrimination, combating of racism and xenophobia (NOS-OSF 27 Mar. 2014)

She also provided examples of Roma projects funded by the NOS-OSF, such as

capacity building, services for children and youth, improving the image of Roma in the media, developing an affirmative action plan (in general and in specific for Roma), preparing Roma to participate in politics, and a project targeting women and children in a Roma Ghetto in Kosice (Lunik 9). (ibid.)

The Roma Education Fund also provides funding to NGOs for Roma-related projects, including approximately 400,000 EUR [about C$600,000 (XE 4 Apr. 2014e)] in secondary school scholarships in 2014, approximately 70,000 EUR [about C$105,000 (XE 4 Apr. 2014f)] to an NGO providing after-school programming, and grants of less than 5,000 EUR [about C$7,500 (XE 4 Apr. 2014g)] to three NGOs providing "good start" programs (REF [2014]).

In addition to funding from the Slovak government, local governments, and the Roma Education Fund, funding sources mentioned by ETP Slovakia in their annual report from 2012 for their work with community centres for Roma, include the Swiss Financial Mechanism, US Steel Kosice, the Dutch Embassy, the British Embassy, and the US Embassy (ETP [2013], 11).

According to the Roma Institute policy advisor, private funding of charities is "not a tradition" in Slovakia, and private funding of NGOs that work with Roma only occurs in "very exceptional" circumstances (Roma Institute 30 Mar. 2014).

3.4 Effects of the Economic Crisis on NGO Funding

The Roma Institute policy advisor stated that

[m]unicipalities have received cuts in funding and don't have the money to support NGOs. The situation is harder now than it was 5 years ago due to the economic crisis. The economic crisis has also affected NGOs involved in helping Roma to access employment, since there are fewer jobs and many job cuts in recent years. (ibid.)

USAID notes in its assessment of Slovak NGO sustainability that negative attitudes towards Roma have increased as a result of the economic crisis, and that NGOs involved with Roma issues have been adversely affected as a result (US June 2013, 186).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Council of Europe (COE). 20 December 2011. Commissioner for Human Rights. Report by Thomas Hammarberg Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe. Following his Visit to Slovakia from 27 to 27 September 2011. (CommDH(2011)42) [Accessed 24 Mar. 2014]

ETP Slovakia--Center for Sustainable Development. [2013]. Annual Report 2012. [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]

European Network of Legal Experts in the Non-Discrimination Field. [2012]. Janka Debreceniova and Zuzana Dlugosova. Report on Measures to Combat Discrimination. Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC. Country Report 2011 Slovakia. [Accessed 24 Mar. 2014]

_____. N.d. "Introduction." [Accessed 3 Apr. 2014]

European Union (EU). N.d. European Network on Social Inclusion and Roma under the Structural Fund (EURoma). "Slovak Republic - Facts by Country. Slovakia, Structural Funds and Roma." [Accessed 28 Mar. 2014]

Nadácia otvorenej spolocnosti (NOS-OSF). 27 March 2014. Telephone interview with a representative.

_____. N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 20 Mar. 2014]

Norway Grants. [2014]. Slovakia NGO Programme 2009-2014. [Accessed 20 Mar. 2014]

Poradna Pre Obcianske a L'udské Práva. n.d."Achievements." [Accessed 1 Apr. 2014]

Roma Education Fund (REF). March 2014. "Updated Active Projects March 2014." [Accessed 24 Mar. 2014]

_____. N.d. "History of REF." [Accessed 24 Mar. 2014]

Roma Institute. 30 March 2014. Telephone interview with a policy advisor.

_____.N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 28 Mar. 2014]

Slovakia. 8 November 2013. National Report Submitted in Accordance with Paragraph 5 of the Annex to Human Rights Council Resolution 16/21. (A/HRC/WG.6/18/SVK/1) [Accessed 28 Mar. 2014]

United Nations (UN). 2012. UN Development Programme (UNDP). Bratislava Regional Support Centre. Uncertain Impact: Have the Roma in Slovakia Benefitted from the European Social Fund? [Accessed 20 Mar. 2014]

United States (US). 27 February 2014. "Slovakia." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013. [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

_____. June 2013. US Agency for International Development (USAID). 2012 CSO Sustainability Index for Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia. 16th edition. [Accessed 20 Mar. 2014]

XE. 4 April 2014a. "XE Currency Converter." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]

_____. 4 April 2014b. "XE Currency Converter." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]

_____. 4 April 2014c. "XE Currency Converter." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]

_____. 4 April 2014d. "XE Currency Converter." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]

_____. 4 April 2014e. "XE Currency Converter." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]

_____. 4 April 2014f. "XE Currency Converter." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]

_____. 4 April 2014g. "XE Currency Converter." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to contact the European Roma Rights Centre were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response.

Internet sites, including: Council of Europe - European Commission against Racism and Intolerance; Citizenship, Democracy and Accountability; Decade of Roma Inclusion; ecoi.net; EUObserver; European Union - European Roma Information Office; European Roma Rights Centre; Factiva; Freedom House; National Democratic Institution; People in Need Slovakia; romea.cz; Slovakia - Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, Office of the Plenipotentiary for Roma; United Nations - Refworld.