Roma Rights in Turkey
06 February 2006
Roma Rights in Turkey
Starting from January 2006, the ERRC will implement a two-year project aimed at promoting Roma rights in Turkey. The project is funded by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights of the European Commission and is implemented in partnership with the Istanbul-based Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly (hCA), Bilgi University’s Human Rights Law Research Centre (HRLRC) and Centre for Migration Research (CMR), and the Edirne-based Romani Cultural Research, Solidarity and Development Association (EDÇİNKAY).
The action proposed by the ERRC seeks to build capacity of Roma and other civil society actors to engage in effective advocacy for the rights of Roma and to raise awareness in Turkish society about the human rights problems facing the Romani population. The ERRC will conduct human rights training of Roma activists aimed at capacitating rights advocates to seek promotion of Roma rights through a range of actions including legal defense, advocacy for governmental social inclusion policies and international advocacy. Furthermore, through anti-discrimination advocacy training of human rights groups and through strategic litigation challenging racially-motivated violence and abuse of Roma, the proposed action will mobilise resources into the broader civil society to challenge racial discrimination affecting Roma and other minority groups.
