| Project summary “Colourblind Caravan” aims to get together in Targu Jiu, Romania, young people from 3 different European countries in order to bring them closer to the Roma community culture. The 8-day long youth exchange will be a journey through the Roma culture: from history, music, traditional values and crafts to nowadays perceptions and discrimination issue. Through non-formal educational methods, the participants will learn about different aspects of the Roma culture. They will actively take part in workshops, debates and open forums that will help them better understand this community, beyond the aspects presented in the media nowadays. To the youngsters participating in the event will be facilitated the possibility to meet representatives of a Roma organization that will complete the introspection in the Roma community. The final and main stage of the project will be a role playing game in which the participants will be able to use all the information gathered throughout the project and “live” a chapter of the Roma history. This will help them better understand and empathize more with the Roma people. After the play, there will be debates and discussions with the purpose of identifying causes and solutions for integration.” Project description and objectives: Roma represent the largest trans-national minority in Europe. Meanwhile, the community is the poorest in Europe, are often excluded from the initiatives of the majority population of that state. The Roma minority is undoubtedly subject to stereotypes and prejudices. Mass media – with a key role in informing the public – outlines a generally negative image over this community. Therefore, information that encourages young people are exposed many times (although indirect) discrimination. What people know about the Roma minority is usually only a small part of onedimensional reality. Therefore, our project has the primary objective to educate and inform about the other side of reality, one where young people do not have access – from history to Roma culture, traditions and Romanipen. Roma is an important minority in many European countries. This leads us to our natural need to understand as many aspects of their culture. Our project meets this need, offering participants access to relevant and interesting information and giving them the opportunity to discover a new world within the world they live. A project for young people in Europe that offers comprehensive information on the significance of the concept Romanipen is necessary for the process that it brings to our attention. Details can be accessed by everyone with free access to internet but to bring young people closer to the Roma community and explain the concepts defining the approach will determine the real changes. The final result of this process of deepening the vicinity to Roma culture, getting closer to the road map of Roma in space and time is needed to understand Roma issues and find solutions to facilitate their integration, one of the strategic axes of the country and the Youth in Action program. |