Developments In Mediation Current Challenges And The Role Of Romed

The training programme for Roma mediators, launched in 2011, is unique in terms of the fundamental effects it produces, both in Europe at large and in the 47 member states of the Council of Europe. This work sets out to contextualise the initiatives taken, highlight their utility and evaluate them. It is intended to provide guidance for the programme leaders, enable active participants - trainers, mediators, employers and others - to see their efforts as part of an overall scheme, help policy makers to take the right decisions and describe and explain the operation to a broader audience. The programme's activities concerning Roma are a model for positive action. They make an effective contribution to European co-operation, action to combat discrimination and marginalisation and the search for ways to improve difficult situations. ROMED therefore helps to fuel the development of intercultural policies capable of managing present-day societies, of which diversity and pluralism are the hallmarks.

The training program for Roma mediators, launched in 2011, is unique in terms of the fundamental effects it produces, both in Europe at large and in the 47 member states of the Council of Europe. This work sets out to contextualize the initiatives taken, highlight their utility and evaluate them. It is intended to provide guidance for the program leaders, enable active participants (trainers, mediators, employers and others) to see their efforts as part of an overall scheme, help policy makers to take the right decisions and describe and explain the operation to a broader audience. The program's activities concerning Roma are a model for positive action. They make an effective contribution to European co-operation, action to combat discrimination and marginalization and the search for ways to improve difficult situations. ROMED therefore helps to fuel the development of intercultural policies capable of managing present-day societies, of which diversity and pluralism are the hallmarks.

This book discusses how Europe’s Roma minorities have often been perceived as a threat to majority cultures and societies. Frequently, the Roma have become the target of nationalism, extremism, and racism. At the same time, they have been approached in terms of human rights and become the focus of programs dedicated to inclusion, anti-discrimination, and combatting poverty. This book reflects on this situation from the viewpoint of how the Roma are often ‘securitized,’ understood and perceived as ‘security problems.’ The authors discuss practices of securitization and the ways in which they have been challenged, and they offer an original contribution to debates about security and human rights interventions at a time in which multiple crises both in and of Europe are going hand-in-hand with intensified xenophobia and security rhetoric.

Commemorating the life and work of Dr John Bennett; his lifelong contribution to Early Childhood Education and Care, and his ongoing influence on policy, research and practice in this field, In Search of Social Justice is a tribute to a preeminent scholar and his vision for an equitable and high-quality start for all children. Working tirelessly to raise the profile of Early Childhood Education and Care, and prioritise the rights and well-being of children and families in national and international policy, John Bennet played an invaluable role in improving the position of young children globally. In Search of Social Justice takes John’s legacy as a starting point for critical examination of the changing discourse on Early Childhood Education, and argues for the continued relevance of his approach. Drawing on personal reflections, vignettes and testimonials from eminent authors who shared their professional lives with him, the book foregrounds John’s insistence that we must continue to shape policy and provision through inquiry, high-quality evidence, passion and persistence, improving the early experiences of all young children. As much a celebration of John’s work and achievements, as a call to collective action towards achieving his vision for equitable, quality early childhood education and care, this is a fascinating read for students, researchers and activists in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care.

Gary Craig and his contributors blend theory and practice-based case studies to review how different community development approaches can empower minority ethnic communities to confront racism and overcome social, economic and political disadvantage.

Thought-provoking insights on the nexus of migration and integration beyond the national context Across the world, and due to ongoing globalisation, migration is increasingly becoming a part of daily life. But more than ever, migration can no longer be viewed as a simple linear trajectory from A to B. The emergence of transnational communities and intense interactions between regions of origin and of destination have led to new forms of social–cultural praxis and (sub)cultures which exert an important influence on the integration of immigrants. The case of Flanders, the northern part of Belgium and a reference point for the impact of these processes across Europe, is presented as a case study in this book. Migration and Integration in Flanders is structured in three thematic parts, opening with chapters on the imaginaries and perceptions of people in changing migration contexts. The book then proceeds with chapters which present theoretical and empiric data on changing integration dynamics in multicultural societies. The final chapter concludes with a discussion of social networks’ mediating role. The growing complexity of migration leads the contributing authors to look beyond borders, both of national frontiers – as migration by definition implies cross-border research – and of disciplines and research methods. In doing so, the present volume offers thought-provoking essays on topical issues that stir public and political debates across Europe, and contributes to fundamental discussions on changing societies. Contributors: Didier Boost (University of Antwerp), Noel Clycq (University of Antwerp), David De Coninck (KU Leuven), Godfried Engbersen (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Steven Groenez (KU Leuven), Kenneth Hemmerechts (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Dries Lens (University of Antwerp), François Levrau (University of Antwerp), Ive Marx (University of Antwerp), Joris Michielsen (University of Antwerp), Ward Nouwen (University of Antwerp), Edith Piqueray (University of Antwerp), Christiane Timmerman (University of Antwerp), Falke Tibax (University of Antwerp), Rut Van Caudenberg (University of Antwerp/Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Anneloes Vandenbroucke (KU Leuven), Sanne Van de Pol (University of Antwerp), Dirk Vanheule (University of Antwerp), Gert Verschraegen (University of Antwerp), Sunčica Vujić (University of Antwerp) GPRC label:

This book addresses the legal feasibility of ethnic data collection and positive action for equality and anti-discrimination purposes, and considers how they could be used to promote the Roma minority’s inclusion in Europe. The book’s central aim is to research how a societal problem can be improved upon from a legal perspective. The controversy surrounding ethnic data collection and positive action severely limits their use at the national level. Accordingly, legal and political concerns are analysed and addressed in order to demonstrate that it is possible to collect such data and to implement such measures while fully respecting international and European human rights norms, provided that certain conditions are met. Part I focuses on ethnic data collection and explores the key rules and principles that govern it, the ways in which this equality tool could be used, and how potential obstacles might be overcome. It also identifies and addresses the specific challenges that arise when collecting ethnic data on the Roma minority in Europe. In turn, Part II explores positive action and the broad range of measures covered by the concept, before analysing the applicable international and European framework. It reviews the benefits and challenges of implementing positive action for Roma, identifies best practices, and gives special consideration to inter-cultural mediation in the advancement of Roma inclusion. The book concludes with an overview of the main findings on both topics and by identifying three essential elements that must be in place, in addition to full respect for the applicable legal rules, in order to combat discrimination and achieve the inclusion of Roma in Europe by complementing existing anti-discrimination frameworks with the collection of ethnic data and the implementation of positive action schemes.

The general aim of ROMED1 is to improve the quality and effectiveness of the work of school, health, employment and community mediators, with a view to supporting better communication and co-operation between Roma and public institutions (school, health-care providers, employment offices, local authorities, etc.). The ROMED1 trainer’s handbook was developed over five years of implementation of the ROMED1 programme, and is generally intended for trainers who followed a course of training for trainers in the framework of the programme. However, it can also be used by organisations − governmental or non-governmental − as a basis for new or adapted curricula for those working in a mediation context with or within Roma communities. It contains the key information trainers need to give a training course based on the ROMED1 methodology and on the human rights-based approach. The content of the materials should be adapted to the specific context of each country and to the profile of the mediators.