Breaking the Roma Poverty Cycle in Serbia and Montenegro Young Roma Leaders Study Tour Washington DC, November PETAR ANTIĆ

Priorities  Education  Poverty Reduction  Decent housing  Discrimination _________________________ Multidisciplinary approach is required

Education Roma Education Fund should financially support:  Pre-school education for children of Roma nationality complemented with state enforcement of on-time enrollment  Affirmative action in next 10 years (7 % enrollment quota in high schools and universities with scholarship support)  Training teachers in multi-cultural context and Roma cultural material in the curriculum  Desegregation of children of Roma nationality

Roma Educative Fund Participation of Roma is essential  National and international experts groups including Roma  Qualified specialists of Roma nationality should be employed within the secretariat of Roma educational fund to prepare the Fund program and coordinate the activities.

Poverty Redaction  Firms who employ Roma should receive tax exemptions for a certain period of time as an incentive.  Affirmative action in employing Roma in civil services  Provide promised grants for self employment& income generating activities. Plus small business training.  Special attention to give young Roma vocational training  Simplify the process for getting necessary documents

Decent housing  Improve slum settlements up to basic European standards  Involve municipalities in urgent resolution of living conditions for Roma IDPs from Kosovo  Registration of illegal houses as possible  It is necessary to define by the law the duty of the authorities to find the alternative accommodation for the displaced persons both with legal and illegal habitation.

Discrimination  Adopt the Law against discrimination and create Commission against discrimination  Media campaign for tolerance  Advocacy training program for young Roma activists  Anti-racism courses to be included in all public institutions