NOMADA is a non-profit organization that combats structural discrimination and racism by promoting inter-cultural dialogue and challenging governmental policies and cultural norms that negatively impact vulnerable communities. Engaged in delivery of socio-economic support to the most marginalized groups living in Poland the organization seeks to uphold the universal human rights of every human being to education, health, housing and other social and cultural rights essential to human dignity and well-being.

Main Objectives:

• Build solidarity between people with different backgrounds and social status

• Break down stereotypes and prejudices

• Deliver comprehensive socio-economic support

• Promote empowerment of those excluded from all aspects of socio-economic life

• Develop new methodologies for coherent and sustainable integration measures

• Facilitate open debates about critical issues and developments in Poland

Settlement, Kamienskiego

Street, Wroclaw Romanian Roma Migrants – 80/100 persons

Residing in Poland – 4-10 years

Status - No registration permits, no formal employment, not involved in formal education, illegal occupation of public property

Settlement - no access to electricity, water and sewage

Houses – self-made from recycled material, self-made heating devices

City’s involvement – provision of water, portable toilets, garbage disposal

Lawsuit – commenced in November 2013/ ongoing

Proposition to create ‘working group’ composed of public authorities, NGOs, experts, Roma representatives

Intervention - one family re-located to standard flat, unclear process, resulted in failure

Settlement, Kamienskiego Street, Wroclaw

Settlement, Kamienskiego Street, Wroclaw

http://roma.nomada.info.pl/en/

Nomada’sInvolvement

Individual/Family assistance

Mediation

Awareness Rising

Empowerment

Intercultural cooperation

Integration Events

Human Capital Human capital is the stock of competencies, knowledge, habits, social and personality attributes, including creativity, cognitive abilities, embodied in

the ability to perform labor so as to produce economic value

• Roma – focus on deprivation (lack of education, unemployment, living conditions)

• Individual/Group capacities overlooked

• Cultural traits challenged or ignored

• Essentialism - living in ‘cultural silos’

• Roma constitute ‘target-group’ or ‘object of policies’

• Potential to ‘contribute’ limited

Good Practice or Good Process?

EMPOWERMENT

Motivation

Awareness

Reciprocity

Respect/Pride

Building on endogenous capacities

Overcoming ‘paternalism’, ‘patronization’, ‘superiority’

Swiatoslaw Wojtkowiak spent a day with Romani gypsies in his local community, finding out first hand what insults they’re fed up of hearing – and why they’re living proof that just like all of us, they’re so more than a stereotype

Housing Issues • Construction of self made housing – skills, imagination, functionality,

role division

• Attachment to ones dwelling – modernization/re-location controversy

• Understanding different ‘esthetics’

• Communal living versus individual living

• Motivation/Contribution – slow but positive process

Three Initiatives 1. “Baraca” - Ethnographic Museum in Wroclaw/Aleksandra Kubiak

2. “Stacja Wolimierz” Festival – Workshop Participation

3. “Do it yourself” – Izerska Cooperative/ cooperation

Project ‘Baraca’

Wolimierz festival

Izerska Cooperative

Thank You For Your Attention Joanna Kostka

NOMADA

Adress: ul. Paulińska 4/8 Wrocław 50-247 Polande-mail: nomada@nomada.info.pl

office phone: 71 307 03 35