Patacluj news 22, noi2016 en f by Pata-Cluj

November 2016 22_Newsletter November: 16 days of activism violence

against gender-based

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence (November 25th – December 10th 2016) Education gives voice to the girls – Make education safe for all Educația dă voce fetelor – Educație în siguranță pentru toți copiii Az oktatás megerősíti a lányokat – Biztonságos oktatást minden gyereknek O 3anglipen si e vakh e chajenqi – Educacia p-e thanes0e an0ar savorre chavorren0e

Discrimination against girls and women is reflected and perpetuated through the various types of gender-based violence. In this sense, the limitation of girls’ access to education may well be the result of structural inequality, and is manifested on multiple levels. On societal level, it can be detected in the fact that living in segregated areas is being tolerated, in forced evictions, in the systemic support to domestic violence and trafficking for the purpose of sexual or work exploitation. Moreover, the limitation of girls’ access to education is coupled with the decrease of their social opportunities and resources. These are risk factors regarding the different types of exploitation, and are significant elements in the reproduction mechanism of poverty from one generation to the other. Our project joins the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence Campaign, dedicated this year to girls’ education, in order to support through the campaign’s message the access of all children to quality education and to draw attention on the active role of education as a protective factor against all types of violence. The message we display in our events raises awareness on the negative consequences which ensue when the access of all children to education is limited, and on the risks it entails, which are multiple in the case of children, especially girls living in vulnerable environments. Our attention is on all children and especially those in marginalized communities, with special focus on girls from Pata Rât. Girls coming from vulnerable, segregated communities are confronted with much higher impediments in accessing education and not being dropped out from the education system. With this occasion we organized a series of actions and events presented in what it follows. The 16 days of activism is an annual, worldwide series of events, which is organized in Cluj-Napoca as well since 2000 (http://16dayscwgl.rutgers.edu). The campaign starts on November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on December 10th, on Human Rights Day. This year the focus of the campaign is on the role of safe education in the life of women and girls.

Financial Mechanism Office, Str Joseph II 12-16 (post address) Bd du Régent 47-48, B-1000 Bruxelles www.norwaygrants.org or www.norwaygrants-povertyalleviation.org © EEA & Norwegian Grants, Financial Mechanism Office, 2014-2016

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Events and actions with and for the community The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence Campaign begun with a Women’s Café for women from Pata Rât and Cluj-Napoca

On the first day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence Campaign 2016 we organized a new edition of Women’s Café, with over 20 participants, both women from Pata Rât and members of the project team. We transformed our office into a space for celebration, attempting to create a warm atmosphere in order to be able to discuss freely. In an ambiance which alluded to the magic of the past moments of joy, we crocheted, knitted or just simply enjoyed a cup of tea and a cake, and talked about love. Respect, trust, safety and care became central concepts around which life stories spun. This set the ground for sharing more personal experiences for more than an hour. We wish and aim that such encounters help us know each other better, understand what we as women have in common, irrespective of our place of origin. We hope to see each other again soon. The Pata-Cluj project joined, for the second year in a row, the Campaign in 2016 aiming to launch a message of support for the girls’ and women education. The limitation of girls’ access to education may well be the result of structural inequality, and is manifested on multiple levels. On societal level, it can be detected in the fact that living in segregated areas is being tolerated, in forced evictions, in the systemic support to domestic violence and trafficking for the purpose of sexual or work exploitation. On institutional level, it manifests in the limitation of girls’ civic participation and their implication in decisions affecting their lives (defeating them to make their voice heard, violence and abuse in schools, or at workplaces etc.). On community level, it manifests in the insufficient access to public services (i.e. health and social services). Given these conditions, many girls and women are not/were never included in the education system, or their school attendance became difficult, and in the most vulnerable cases, this even lead to school drop-out. In this context the role of schools becomes extremely important as they have the potential to become safe spaces for girls, enhancing their access, voices and dignity.

Cultural activities with children restarted this fall at the Paintbrush Factory In November a new series of cultural activities dedicated to children have begun: creative workshops, which will soon be coupled with acting workshops, theatre performances, and dancing workshops. Some of these workshops will take place at Reactor, Space for

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November 2016 22_NEWSLETTER Creation and Experiment, others at the Paintbrush Factory. Before beginning any new projects, we continued our cooperation with those who brought joy to the participants at past events, both children and their parents. On November 22nd the first meeting of the first series of workshops took place at the Paintbrush Factory. 9 children are enrolled in this series of workshops, 6 children from Pata Rât and 3 children from other districts of Cluj. The artist, Cristina Gagiu, was familiar to the children since august, when she lead a workshop in Pata Rât. This time she led a workshop on crafting holiday postcards using multiple techniques: cut-out, drawing, collage, moulding, thus experimenting with children a combination of techniques. At the end of the workshop Cristina guided the children around her workplace and showed them the studio she is working in. Children were much delighted, as they have never been either to the Paintbrush Factory or at the studio of an artist before. The next meeting will take place on December 7 th starting from 5.15 pm; the plan of the day is to craft angels.

The 2016 edition of YouthBuild Cluj has started! The 2016 edition of the YouthBuild Cluj program started on November 14th with 11 participants, 6 of whom are young Roma. The participants will acquire skills as hairdresser, barman, manicure and pedicure, will attend driver courses, and will participate in volunteering and non-formal education activities. The young people started the program with a warm up session intended create a space in which they get to know each other, where they could also express their expectations and concerns, their wishes to learn useful things and to meet the program’s requisites. They also had a first volunteering experience in Cojocna, where, under the supervision of priest Rednic, they laid the foundations of a community centre for children living in the vulnerable communities of Cojocna. Due to this experience, they learnt how the support they are receiving and giving is what, in small steps, makes the

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world a better place. The YouthBuild program is addressed to young people aged 16-26 years, who are not employed, enrolled in an education or training program. This program offers them a possibility to obtain a professional qualification, a job and the chance to become active and involved members of the community. Starting October 2016, the program and the team’s activity going regularly to Pata Rât, with the exception of the education team, has changed in order to conform to the need for support of the community regarding the completion of applications for social housing. The work program in the community is planned by the Pata-Cluj team in order to meet the needs and the program of the Pata Rât communities. This schedule underwent changes during October-November, in the period of submitting applications for social housing. Helpdesk:

Monday, Wednesday 12-2 pm Friday 10 am-2 pm The community facilitators and Anna from the documents team provide support for obtaining all necessary information regarding the application for social housing. Registration Office: Monday 12-4 pm Wednesday 12-4 pm, between 12.00-2 pm the lawyers are also present Friday 10 am- 2 pm, between 10-12 am the lawyers are also present The external consultants and the lawyers register the applications and provide individual consultancy to the families in order to obtain maximum score on their applications for social housing. Medical consults:

Tuesday 12-2 pm Thursday 12-2 pm The medical team helps community members to assess their health condition and provide emergency health services. ID documents: Monday 12-4 pm Mária provides support in obtaining certificates and identity documents.

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birth

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November 2016 22_NEWSLETTER Past events The students of the Gheorghe Șincai high school prepared a flash mob Education gives voice to the girls! within the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence Campaign 2016 On the occasion of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign annually organized at world level, the Pata-Cluj team, the promoter of the campaign cooperated with the Gheorghe Șincai highschool in order to create a flashmob on the campaign’s topic as this year’s theme is centred on the role of safety in women’s and girls’ education. Thus, we met 4 times during a week with the pupils and the coordinating teacher (Dorina) in order to create and stage the flashmob Education gives voice to the girls! Raluca, assistant for cultural activities within the Pata-Cluj project, worked very well with the 20 pupils interested in creating the flash mob. The participants spent valuable time together and learned how not to blame each other if something went wrong, how to communicate better, how to make efforts to accept those who are not like them. On different words they learned how to pay attention to others. Dorina, their teacher was present all along the creative work, always enthusiastic, and ensuring pupils of support and confidence, yet without imposing herself. The flash mob took place on Monday, November 28th, on the Eroilor Boulevard, near the monument, and attracted the curiosity of the passers-by. Pupils’ colleagues joined them; the atmosphere was cheerful, and the flash mob proved a beautiful choreography. After the event participants agreed speak about their experiences, about the aim of the campaign, about what the participation meant to them, and how they felt in their roles. We believe that the most important outcome of this event was that a group of young people, even if encouraged by the school they are attending, assumed a role in the campaign, understood its topic, and worked together in order to offer an authentic program as a gesture of solidarity and support for those who are in danger of school drop-out. We find it equally important that they received support from the school representatives: teachers and friends of the young participants. We also thank for their contribution to the pupils who contributed to the performance with valuable suggestions and ideas, and to the coordinators and producers of the event: Dorina Kudor (Gheorghe Șincai High School), Raluca Mărginaș (Reactor of Creation and Experiment), Apai Emese (AltArt Foundation). The Pata-Cluj project joins the Campaign in order to support through the campaign’s message the access of all children to quality education and to draw attention on the active role of education as a protective factor against all types of violence. The message we display in our events raises awareness on the negative consequences which ensue when the access Financial Mechanism Office, Str Joseph II 12-16 (post address) Bd du Régent 47-48, B-1000 Bruxelles www.norwaygrants.org or www.norwaygrants-povertyalleviation.org © EEA & Norwegian Grants, Financial Mechanism Office, 2014-2016

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of all children to education is limited, and on the risks it entails. These risks are multiple in cases of children, especially girls living in vulnerable environments. Our attention is focused on all children, especially those from marginalized communities, especially on girls from Pata Rât. Girls coming from vulnerable, segregated communities are confronted with much higher impediments in accessing education and higher drop-outs from the education system.

Networking The employment team attended the evaluation of the REDI program in Romania meeting On November 11th the employment team participated in a meeting organized by the REDI team at the City Hall of Cluj-Napoca. The aim of the meeting was to evaluate the impact of the project after one year of implementation in Romania. Moreover, the representatives of REDI proposed to create a regional network of Roma entrepreneurs, this possibility being evaluated at the meeting. The invited participants were Roma entrepreneurs from different counties, the community facilitators of the REDI team, members of the Brussels REDI team, NBFI and Transylvania Bank representatives. During the event, our project manager Gabriella presented the cooperation between the Pata-Cluj project and the REDI project, the phases and the process of mapping and selecting the business ideas of entrepreneurs from Pata-Rât. Our colleague Emilia argued for the necessity that Roma entrepreneurs cooperate and create a business club of Roma entrepreneurs which would help them become more visible among the local companies and business clubs, and to obtain funding for their businesses. REDI Romania is an initiative supported by the Council of Europe, the Development Bank, in cooperation with the Open Society Institute – Roma Initiative Office and CoopEst – Social Investment Fund.

A Pata-Cluj team member talked about the life of people from Pata Rât within the event People, towns, environment At the second session of the People, towns, environment series of meetings the proposed topic was waste from the perspective of the lack of segregated collection of waste and of recycling in Romania, with emphasis on the situation in Cluj-Napoca.

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November 2016 22_NEWSLETTER The questions raised for debate were: What can we do in order to improve waste collection and recycling? How can we intervene in the favour of people who are selecting waste in Pata Rât and of people living in a polluted area, in the close proximity of the waste dump? Alex, our colleague doing community work talked about the history and the existence of the communities in Pata Rât, a history of 40 years, which, besides being the history of a series of forced evictions (the UNDP study issued in 2012 estimated that approximately 42% of people living in the Pata Rât area got there as a consequence of forced evictions), is also a history of inequality, poverty and exclusion. Although the official rate of recycling in Cluj is almost zero, the actual rate of recycling actually done by people living in Pata Rât (but not only) refers to a history of exploitation and exclusion. People providing for their subsistence by working on the city’s waste dump moved there “voluntarily”, expelled by poverty and marginalization suffered in their places of origin. Searching for alternative work and living conditions, different from the poverty they encountered in the counties neighbouring Cluj, Roma people moved to ClujNapoca hoping to a better life. The discussions focused on the fact that people living in Pata Rât are paid with extremely small income for their work; moreover, as they work and live in a toxic environment and conditions unsuitable for work, they are exploited on a daily basis for delivering a work without any formal acknowledgement. The monthly event People, towns, environment aims at approaching important issues about the city through workshops, debates and/or screenings regarding local and global issues of ecology, the production and consumption of food, traffic versus green areas and other issues related to the future of towns, communities, environment and the Planet.

Meeting with the volunteers recruited in autumn On Friday, November 11th took place a meeting in our office organized by the case managers. They gathered the selected volunteers of the Pata-Cluj project. They met those volunteers who showed interest in volunteering for Pata Rât at different fairs and events, like the CIVI or Job Fair and the NGO Forum, or subscribed on our website for different activities. We presented our future volunteers our vision, aim and fields of action of the project in a relaxing and friendly atmosphere. Case managers talked about their professional experience, challenges and achievements in the field. They asked the volunteers about their motivations for volunteering in the Pata-Cluj project, about the activities they would be interested in, and also about the possible challenges they feel they might face. The new energy and enthusiasm brought by volunteers made us realize yet again that getting involved is the key solution. We thank them for their support for our activities, and we hope to have as a good cooperation as possible.

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Future events

Events in December within the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign For December we have planned:  a creative workshop for crafting banners for youth, on December 5th at the Mobile Unit in Pata Rât, with the aim to emphasize the role of activism and its teaching among youth;  an action for dressing up a bus on line 8 (which connects the centre of the town with Pata Rât) with blankets and warm accessories as a sign of solidarity with parents from Pata Rât who send their children to school; this would happen on December 8 th;  a workshop on maternity in case of teenage mothers, at the Wonderland day Care Center, on December 9th;  a cooking workshop for girls and boys, in order to support the early education on distributing household tasks and overcoming the related gender stereotypes, at the Paintbrush Factory, on December 9th. You can find details on the workshops and the complete program on the website of the PataCluj project and on the facebook page of this year’s campaign.

Pata-Cluj participates at the international conference organized by INE with a work on the role of the participatory approach in reducing the social vulnerability of marginalized communities Between 7th and 8th of December a team of the Pata-Cluj project attend the international conference Preventing Victimization in Vulnerable Communities, organized by the Institute of National Economy within the project PDP 4 – Integrated approach for prevention of victimization in Roma communities. Our colleagues will held a presentation in

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November 2016 22_NEWSLETTER Section V (New technologies and policy instruments and measures for prevention of victimization), entitled The role of participatory approach in reducing social vulnerability; example of a social intervention aiming at re-housing of families belonging to a marginalized Roma community. The study was written by Gabriella Tonk, Júlia Adorjáni and Olimpiu Bela Lăcătuș, co-authors being teachers at the Babeș-Bolyai University, Imola Antal and Ágnes Dávid Kacsó. You can find further information on the site of the conference. Pata-Cluj commemorates six years since the evictions of Roma from the Coastei street at a theatre performance followed by a discussion on housing and evictions On Friday December 16th, Pata-Cluj and its partners commemorate six years since the Roma families from the Coastei street were evicted to Pata Rat at a discussion following the theatre performance Refugii. The performance approaches the forced and often illegal evictions effectuated by local public authorities. The discussion will also address the marginalization and social exclusion of Roma, moved near the waste dump of Pata Rât after eviction. Shelters is 90 minutes long theatre performance which displays different perspectives on forced evictions and the situation of homeless people in Romania. The actors bet on the play between detachment and implication, a play meant to produce critical discourse, to raise question marks and initiate new discussions. Built on the methods of devised theatre, the performance aims at familiarizing the public with these issues through a presentation which generates empathy among the public. The audience at the first performance, but also the people present at the second one, reacted with high sensitivity to the issues raised by the performers. The production of Shelters was realized in the framework of the Pata-Cluj project financed by the Government of Norway through the Norwegian Grants 2009-2014, within the Poverty Alleviation Programme (RO25). It was realized within the open call for cultural manifestations and artistic intervention works, launched by the AltArt Foundation, in the framework of the Pata-Cluj project. Through the artistic works produced within this call we wish to encourage reflections upon issues related to the relationship between the communities in Pata Rât and Cluj-Napoca.

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Announcements for the community Information campaigns regarding the Pata-Cluj social housing The term for submitting applications for the social apartments provided within the Pata-Cluj project was extended until November 29th 2016. During the working hours of these 11 days of extension, our colleagues make appointments for requesting information and submitting applications. After this period, between th th December 5 -9 , the Registration Office will still be open at the headquarters of the ADIZMC in Unirii square for those who still have certain document to submit to the registered files, or for those who can submit complete files. The Registration Office will be open between 3 pm and 5 pm. You can ask for information and appointment at the following phone numbers 0786.375.816 or 0786.375.810. You are welcome!

Monthly sessions for providing photos for identity documents and information about social allowances On the last Monday of each month, our colleague Roland is taking photos for the identity documents for members of the Pata Rât community, during the working hours of the team offering support for the submission of files for identity documents. In November, Roland and Mária, our colleague from the social services/ID documents team took 2 ID card photos. In November, Mária and people from Pata Rât submitted 6 requests for ID card renewal, 5 requests for birth certificate copies, 1 of which for tardive birth registration. Moreover, they completed 2 requests for social allowance. During the following period, Mária will support and council people who need ID documents for submitting their application for social housing.

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November 2016 22_NEWSLETTER Pata-Cluj social inclusion calendar: December December 2 - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949). The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. December 3 - International Day of Disabled Persons International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is held on 3 December each year. IDPwD is a United Nations sanctioned day that is celebrated internationally. It aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with disability. December 9 - International Day for Prevention and Repression of Genocide The General Assembly of UN adopted the Convention for prevention and reprimation of genocide crimes, declaring the genocide done during peace or war, as international crime. This document of UN aims to protect human rights against racist and discriminatory actions, the participant countries having the obligation to adopt and promote corresponding law to punish those involved in genocide. December 10 - International Human Rights Day It commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1950, the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V), inviting all States and interested organizations to observe 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day. This year's Human Rights Day is devoted to the launch of a year-long campaign for the 50th anniversary of the two International Covenants on Human Rights: the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966. December 18 - The National Minorities Day in Romania In 1998 on December 18th was declared the National Minorities Day in Romania through a Government Decision so that Romania observes the National Minorities Day celebrated internationally. On December 18th 1992 the General Assembly of United Nations ratified the Declaration on rights of national, ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities – international document guarateeing general minorities’ rights. (These informations are gathered and edited by Ghe. Sarău in a Roma calendar (in Romanian Roma's vision) that has mainly an educational purpose. © Ghe. Sarău, 2006)

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International Migrants Day On 18 December 1990, the General Assembly had adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. On 4 December 2000, the UN General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed 18 December as International Migrants Day. This day is also dedicated to the uprooted and / or nomad people (Jews, Roma, Tatars, Armenians, etc) and to the Roma migrants working abroad.

Media Video on Women’s Café On the first day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign 2016 organized by Pata-Cluj, we met women from Pata Rât and ClujNapoca at Women’s Café, in a warm and welcoming space, in order to discuss about love and the way this manifests in our everyday lives.

Flashmob “Education gives voice to the girls” – video and testimonials On November 28th, students of the Gheorghe Șincai High School of Cluj-Napoca participated in a flash mob aiming to raise awareness on girls’ education. The action took place within the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 2016 organized by the Pata-Cluj project and its campaign partners. Please also check the feed-back of the organizers, of the coordinating teacher and of some of the participating students.

Video Soft Guerilla Pata-Cluj On December 6th we dressed up with hooked scarfs and blankets, during a soft guerrilla action, a bus on line 8, which connects the Pata Rât to the city center. The action aimed to show a sign of solidarity with parents, especially mothers, who manage to prepare and send their children to school despite the difficult conditions they are living in. The event is part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence Campaign, its aim being to raise awareness on and acknowledge the effort of mothers living in Pata Rât for supporting their children in attending school, and the importance of girls’ education.

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November 2016 22_NEWSLETTER

The Pata-Cluj project, fully named Social interventions for the de-segregation and social inclusion of vulnerable groups in Cluj Metropolitan Area, including the disadvantaged Roma is implemented by the Intercommunity Development Association, Cluj Metropolitan Area, in partnership with the Community Association of Roma from Coastei, Habitat for Humanity Cluj and AltArt Foundation. The project is financed by the Government of Norway through the Norway Grants 2009-2014 within the Poverty Alleviation Program (RO25).

*** About the Norway Grants Through the Norway Grants and EEA Grants, Norway contributes to reducing social and economic disparities and to strengthening bilateral relations with the beneficiary countries in Europe. Norway cooperates closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). For the period 2009-2014, Norway’s contribution is €1.7 billion. Grants are available for NGOs, research and academic institutions, and the public and private sectors in the 12 newest EU member states, Greece, Portugal and Spain. There is broad cooperation with Norwegian entities, and activities may be implemented until 2016. Key areas of support are environmental protection and climate change, research and scholarships, civil society, health and children, gender equality, justice and cultural heritage.

The content of this material does not necessarily reflect the official position of Norway Grants 2009-2014.

Camelia Badea Comunications coordinator for Pata-Cluj project Tel.: 0786/375 825 E-mail: camelia@patacluj.ro patacluj@gmail.com Website: www.patacluj.ro Facebook: www.facebook.com/PatadinCluj Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQVqL CQJ4ozYqZtRtTlcAnQ Issu: https://issuu.com/pata-cluj2 NORWAY GRANTS | 22_NEWSLETTER • November 2016