European Roma Rights Centre

Annual Roma Rights Summer School

Budapest, 21 July – 1 August 2012

The 10-day Summer School is intended for young activists and students of Romani, Sinti and Traveller (Roma) origin from all European countries. The Summer School will offer both an introduction to human rights as well as an excellent forum for the exchange of ideas, innovation and expertise for participants who are at an early stage of their careers.

The Summer School provides participants a unique chance to immerse themselves into the theory and practice of human rights, minority rights and non-discrimination, and to benefit from the knowledge and experience of committed human rights experts. This intensive programme includes a variety of social activities that allow participants to network with each other and the experts, ensuring the programme is instructive and enjoyable.

The main goal of the Summer School is to develop the capacity of a new generation of Romani human rights activists to use international, regional and domestic human rights instruments and mechanisms to advance the rights of Roma, both domestically and internationally, and to combat discrimination from grassroots to governmental levels.

Objectives of the Summer School

● Analyse issues and situations affecting Roma in their respective countries based on internationally accepted human rights values and principles; 

● Develop knowledge to use domestic mechanisms (such as national legislation) and international human rights instruments (i.e., United Nations Treaties, European Treaties, and other Council of Europe and European Union legal and political mechanisms) to protect and promote the rights of Roma;

● Strengthen skills in monitoring and reporting human rights violations as well as human rights advocacy; 

● Increase capacity to apply learning within organisations and communities; and

● Explore and facilitate opportunities for networking and developing partnerships with NGOs and government officials to further advance the cause of Roma rights throughout Europe.

Participants

The Roma Rights Summer School is a component of ERRC programming aimed at capacitating Romani, Sinti and Traveller activists. We welcome applications from Romani, Sinti and Traveller individuals who are interested in human rights. Applicants must have a sufficient command of English to enable them to participate actively in the Summer School. Applicants are preferably students of law, public administration and social sciences, or degree-holders in one of these fields. The ERRC also encourages activists who do not hold a formal degree but have several years of relevant work experience to apply. The ERRC places importance on the participation of Romani women, LGBT individuals, etc.