ACADE-ME: from European Union, a project to combat anti-Gypsyism and discrimination in education
The ACADE_ME project, launched in May 2024, is an ambitious and necessary initiative to tackle one of the most complex and deep-rooted problems in Europe: the social inclusion of Roma people. This project, a collaboration between Italian, Greek, Hungarian and Serbian partners, aims to combat anti-Gypsyism and discrimination through education, awareness-raising and the promotion of positive role models. Funded by the European Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values programme (CERV), ACADE_ME is an important step towards a more inclusive and fair Europe.
The initiative will run for two years, from 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2026, and will be led by the Slovenian AEC Lendava – Ljudska Univerza Zavod za Izobrazevanje Odraslih. A number of European partners are involved in the project, namely EDRA – SCAMG Social Cooperative Activities for Minority Groups and REVMA – Roma Educational Vocational Maintainable Assistance in Greece, Programma integra and ROMNI APS in Italy, Amalipe Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance in Bulgaria, Amrita Palyaorientacios Barati Kor in Hungary and Know How Center in Serbia.
ACADE_ME aims to achieve a number of key objectives to promote Roma inclusion in education and beyond. Firstly, the project aims to improve understanding of the impact and manifestations of anti-Gypsyism in education through access to up-to-date data and information. This is a crucial step in order to be able to develop effective strategies against discrimination.
Secondly, ACADE_ME aims to create and disseminate specific teaching materials to address discrimination against Roma students. These materials will be used to improve educators’ skills in recognising and combating injustice in their classrooms.
The project also aims to strengthen the capacities of graduates, university students and high school students of Roma origin, turning them into ambassadors against discrimination. These young people, with the appropriate support, can become promoters of positive change in their communities.
Another key objective of ACADE_ME is the empowerment of Roma women with an academic background. The project provides for the creation of a video library of positive narratives, where these women can share their experiences and become influencers inspiring and guiding other young Roma women.
Finally, ACADE_ME aims to raise awareness of the importance of education as a crucial tool for the social inclusion of young Roma. This will be pursued both within the Roma communities and externally, involving a wider audience.
To achieve these ambitious goals, ACADE_ME has planned a number of concrete activities. One of the first actions will be to conduct research on current manifestations of anti-Gypsyism in education in several European countries. This research will provide a solid basis on which to build the next steps of the project.
Subsequently, training models for Roma high school students, university students and graduates will be developed and tested in order to support them in becoming positive role models for their communities. In parallel, a specific training programme will be created for educators and practitioners in the Roma integration field, with the aim of providing them with the necessary tools to recognise and combat discrimination.
Another important initiative will be the creation of six national clubs of Roma women with an academic background in Slovenia, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and Serbia. These clubs will become platforms for supporting and exchanging experiences, promoting the empowerment of Roma women at academic and professional level.
A communication strategy will also be developed to disseminate and exploit the project and its results. This strategy will aim to reach not only Roma stakeholders and communities, but also the general public by raising awareness of the importance of inclusion and anti-discrimination.
ACADE_ME represents an extraordinary opportunity to combat anti-Gypsyism and promote inclusive education that respects human rights. The success of the project relies on the active collaboration between all partners involved and the enthusiastic participation of Roma and non-Roma communities.
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