A complex situation in the country (due to war, increasing poverty, social stratification, tensions, and ineffective reforms) acts like a litmus paper, revealing the weakest points and gaps in social relationships and interethnic relations both across the country and locally. The most vulnerable in terms of social perception are the Roma community.
How does the majority of the Roma population see them?
Despite the fact that Roma have lived alongside Ukrainians and representatives of other nationalities for centuries, they become the easiest target for criticism in case of interethnic misunderstandings or simple upheavals of dissatisfied “neighbors.”
Often, the difficulties or problems of social coexistence of Roma community members are attributed to “specific characteristics” exclusive to Roma. Proposed targeted measures and even entire programs are oriented towards the socialization, social adaptation, and integration of the Roma community and Roma citizens. However, such “integration” can only truly happen if society and the state do not attempt to “adjust” the Roma, but instead ensure real rights and create opportunities for them to realize their potential on par with other citizens. Efforts solely from the Roma community are insufficient – efforts are needed from both sides. “Adaptation” also implies mutual action. The interest in integration into the Roma community should be as strong as the interest in integrating Roma into the Ukrainian community. Only in this case can harmony, solidarity, and interethnic unity exist within Ukrainian society as a whole.
Mediation – a mechanism aimed at solving the problem
The experience of Roma mediators (mediators), human rights activists, and community activists shows that under certain conditions – the presence of political will, administrative organization, consistency, personal responsibility, and interest – achieving such a goal is entirely achievable.
The “Chirikli” Foundation, with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation, initiated the Roma Mediators program in 2010. Roma social-medical mediators are primarily members of the Roma communities who are trusted and respected among Roma, and who possess a certain level of education.
The most substantial argument in favor of such work has been and remains the Roma’s need for access to proper medical and social services. Ensuring non-discriminatory treatment of Roma by those providing these services has always been a particular problem.
Mediation is one of the mechanisms aimed at solving this problem. It is used in Europe and Ukraine, including to overcome inequality between Roma and the local population, especially in areas of employment, medical services, education, and access to social services. Over several years, mediators have gained the trust of average residents of Roma settlements, social service workers, medical institutions, local and regional authorities. By assisting Roma in meeting their medical and social needs on a daily basis, the network of mediators has successfully established an information base for the social, medical, legal, educational, and other needs of Roma communities, simultaneously forming a certain understanding of their main characteristics and features.
Thanks to the work of Roma mediators, Roma obtain birth certificates and passports. For example, Roma mediator Darina Horvat, who works in Uzhhorod, helped a 93-year-old woman obtain her birth certificate and acquire a passport. The procedure was very complex and lengthy, but thanks to the mediator’s perseverance, the woman received her documents – and at the age of 93, she can finally vote. With a passport, she was able to help her sons, aged 19, 22, and 24, obtain their passports with the assistance of the mediator.
Cooperation of Roma Mediators with Authorities Yields Results
In Kyiv, the work started with the City Center for Social Services for Families, Children, and Youth and the Darnytskyi District. Oksana Safronova, an employee of the Kyiv City Center for Social Services for Families, Children, and Youth, shares her impressions and thoughts on working with a Roma mediator:
“We coordinate the work of 10 social services in the city. I am very pleased that three years ago we signed an agreement with the ‘Chirikli’ charitable foundation and got to know the Roma mediators. Our scope of work expanded because we used to practically ignore Roma families.
The mediator herself went to these places, talked to Roma, and invited them to us. We have a day center on the premises of the Kyiv Center where anyone facing difficult life circumstances can come. They don’t even need to provide their name. There, they can receive professional legal assistance. I know that such help was provided to a Roma in the past; it was challenging for him to obtain an ID because he was registered in another region – our lawyer traveled there. The efforts lasted for two years, but they finally managed to get him an ID.
Recently, within the framework of this project, documents were prepared for Roma who needed them. I know other very positive stories, there are several of them. For example, a Roma woman who came to our day center met a young man. He was an orphan and faced difficult life circumstances – his relatives kicked him out of the house. They liked each other and started a family. Now this woman has given birth to their second child. Initially, she lived in a social dormitory, and he would visit her there. It turned out that he, as an orphan, was entitled to housing, as our lawyers proved, and he got it. They helped renovate the place. Now the couple has a second child and they live happily together.
The key factor is the trust of Roma in our social workers and mediators. We receive many inquiries from other regions and districts. I am very glad because when I think about this joint project, I see that it is successful and effective.
Formalizing Mediation: Difficult but Necessary
However, this practice lacks stability due to difficulties in institutionalizing Roma mediators.
Although the program involving specialized mediator-mediators has been in operation for 6 years, accumulating extensive experience, data confirming the effectiveness of this work and approach, and even a national standard developed based on the experience of Roma mediators, formalizing this mediation proves to be very challenging. But we continue to work on it, hoping for a positive outcome.
If to continue the phrase “Roma problems can be solved if…,” I would say this: if we don’t treat the Roma community as distinct from the people living in that area, if we see Roma as the same citizens of Ukraine, if we approach them not with irony but seriously, humanly, with respect – then they also respond and are ready to cooperate.”
