The Advocacy Network for Systematic and Permanent Solutions for Roma Integration in the Republic of Northern Macedonia, within its activities in the past period, sent letters and requests to several Ministries. The specific request was whether some of the appointed ministries started programming the planned budget funds for 2022 for Roma integration?
First of all, we mean the requests and letters sent to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
The Network for Systemic and Permanent Solutions, which includes 12 Roma NGOs, associations and associations from the Republic of Northern Macedonia, thinks and refers to irregularities as well as inaccuracies in the laws and inadequate representation of the Roma community in those sectors. It primarily refers to jobs and positions in the public administration intended for the Roma community and does not reflect its percentage representation. An example is that in the state and public administration there are currently 1% of Roma employees together with the employees in the utility companies who perform communal work as hygienists. Just a reminder, according to the 2002 census in the Republic of Northern Macedonia, we Roma did not have 2.6%.
At the same time, the problem with housing is emphasized, in terms of legalization of their homes, are part of the realized goals that the ministry together with the partners has been working on in the past period. The legalization of Roma homes is an unattainable dream full of nightmares and corruption. Everything can be legalized, but only the homes of the Roma do not. Most mayors claim that Roma neighborhoods are in the green belt where a park was to be built.
In the field of health, the long-standing problem with a gynecological practice in the municipality of Suto Orizari is generally known, which unfortunately still has no solution for that problem.
In the field of education, there are many problems and inconsistencies, both from preschool age and kindergartens, as well as in primary, secondary schools and higher education institutions.
In the field of justice, the problem still exists and there are legal inconsistencies in the realization of persons without documents.
As for the field of culture, an exemplary example is the burial of Roma culture, where in the last competition of the total fund of 17 million euros for the Roma community, only 30 thousand euros were allocated for 13 projects.
Otherwise, many projects in the field of culture that have their own continuity, tradition, quality and international significance have been rejected. In that context, this move of the Ministry of Culture is assessed as "Cultural genocide of the Roma"
At the same time, it must be noted that the Strategy for Roma, according to the view of a large part of the Roma NGO sector, has many omissions and illogicalities, but there are no corrections by the Government of RS Macedonia.
The Network itself has submitted a request to the competent Ministries from most of those Ministries, to date there is no response or reaction.
According to this, the question arises as to how long this ignorant attitude towards the Roma community in general will last.
And worst of all, these problems drag on for a long time without any specific explanation or appropriate solution for them.
Does this "nose-pulling" of the Roma community mean that patience is running out and it is necessary for the Roma community itself in these really difficult times to take some other alternative methods to address them.
