Roundtable “Best Practices and Proposals for the Regional Action Plan for the Implementation of the Roma Strategy in the Transcarpathian Region”

By Dr. Olga Donets

The Grassroots Institute Ukraine had an honor to co-organize an extremely important event – a roundtable dedicated to the development of the Regional Action Plan for 2026–2027 for the implementation of the Strategy for Promoting the Realization of the Rights and Opportunities of Persons of the Roma National Minority in Ukrainian Society for the Period Until 2030 in the Transcarpathian Region.

The event brought together representatives of state institutions, Roma public organizations, human rights activists, experts and educators for an open conversation about the current state of affairs, barriers and effective mechanisms for the integration of the Roma community into all spheres of public life.

We thank each participant of the roundtable for their concern, ideas and willingness to work together to implement real changes at the regional level. We would like to express our special gratitude to the initiator of the event, the head of the board of the NGO “KAPL “WESTED”, Prof. Maria Menzhul, for her sincere dedication to the cause, deep professional involvement and many years of consistent work in the field of protecting the rights of the Roma community. We also express our gratitude to:

• Shutanych Natalia, Deputy Head of the Department of Nationalities and Religions of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration
• Shcherba Tetiana, Representative of the Department of the Main Inspection and Human Rights of the National Police of Ukraine

All the participants actively contributed to a constructive discussion of the existing challenges and the development of practical proposals for overcoming them. During the discussion, the important issue of educational and environmental education work was also raised, in which the Roma community is currently almost not involved. It is the involvement of children, youth and parents in educational initiatives that is the key to the changes that must occur in cooperation with the communities themselves. Based on the results of the event, a Resolution was prepared within the framework of the “National Forum on the Implementation of the Roma Strategy: Valuing Diversity”, which will become the basis for further steps in the regional and national dimensions.

We are convinced that systemic dialogue, taking into account the voice of the community and combining the efforts of various stakeholders is the path to true inclusion, dignity and equal opportunities for everyone.

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