In every community, there are common problems that impede and negatively affect living conditions. Some of the main problems are related to the low level of domestic, residential, cultural and educational social services. Usually, people are waiting for someone to come and solve their problems. Svaliava’s Roma community decided that only they know what their problems are and how to solve them. They decided to mobilize their forces to create the body of self-organization of Roma community in Svaliava.

However, the next obstacle in obtaining the ability of the Roma community to solve their problems was the lack of a basic framework to organize functionaliy within the body of self-organization.

Therefore, members of the Charitable fund “Progress”, who provided expert assistance to the Roma of Svaliava, began to develop a manual – which will include the theoretical foundations and practical advice on how to set up the body of Roma community self-organization and information for the Roma communities who want to create it. “The main purpose of this practical manual is to provide information and legal support on how to effectively work in the field with an established body of self-organization”, said Oleg Grigoryev.

The following topics are to be considered:
• Organized Roma community: threats and prospects of functionality;
• Improving the institutional capacity of the Roma communities and local authorities;
• Organization of the Roma community: to act together;
• To create a Roma community self-organization: comments of lawyers;
• Samples of local authorities normative legal acts to integrate Roma communities.

“We believe that the creation of this guide will contribute to optimum dissemination of good practice among the Roma community”, says the lawyer of the Charitable fund Renata Balog. “Because we felt a demand for the creation of the Roma community self-organization in other places of Roma settlements. And, we believe that this organization will be not only exist on paper; it should also function effectively. Government officials, community activists, the Ukrainian community all need to understand how things are understood by Roma. The self-government bodies will be designed to solve the problems that for centuries have never beensolved. Only by strengthening local democracy, our country will be able to reach a higher level and quality of development”.

This manual is designed not only for members of the Roma self-organizing body of Svaliava and the Roma communities of the Transcarpathian region who decided to create it. But, it is also useful for deputies of local councils, and for those who will participate in the practical implementation of legal provisions to strengthen the capacity of local communities.

The press center of the Charitable fund “Progress”