Phiren Amenca

Phiren Amenca welcomes 7 new member organizations

The Phiren Amenca is continuously growing and developing its network of Roma and non-Roma voluntary service organizations dedicated to the common mission of creating opportunities for non-formal education, dialogue and engagement, in order to challenge stereotypes and racism. The Phiren Amenca General Assembly in March 2014 accepted 7 new member organizations; thus, the network comprises 17 organizations from 12 European countries. As member organizations were accepted the following Roma organizations that developed the first practices in voluntary service programs recently, such as Nevo Parudimos (Romania), Romano Centro (Austria), Roma Active Albania (Albania), Romanitin (Romania), Združenie Mladých Rómov: Association of Young Roma (Slovakia), and the Federation of Roma Associations in Catalonia FAGIC (Spain). Moreover, the network welcomes as a member organization again the Evangelische Freiwilligendienste (Protestant Voluntary Services) from Germany, which was one of the founding members of the former RGDTS Network (Roma-Gadje Dialogue through Service Initiative) in the year 2000. As well, the new member organization Roma Active Albania has been previously involved in the RGDTS Network.

 

Member organizations play a key role in the life of the network. The organizations give opportunities to young people to participate in long-term voluntary service programs, including in additional non-formal educational learning programs, they exchange volunteers, promote volunteering and voluntary service, and bring their specific expertise into the network, from quality management to strategies against antigypsyism. Every spring, the organizations meet in an annual networking meeting in order to discuss the development of the network, they exchange experiences and practices, and plan the future cooperation.