- WORKSHOPS in 3 Primary schools in Albania
During the period time January – April 2021 Roma Versitas Albania completed all the Workshops in six Schools three High Schools and three Primary Schools in Tirana, Albania. These Workshops aim to raise a learning environment of tolerance, diversity and intercultural understanding among youngsters.
These sessions started with the presentation of ladders and students who participated in the meetings we had and then we ask them with questions about “What they know about Roma community?
Students did not have much knowledge of the Roma community, other than the offensive names that were labelled on this community. But after the presentation of an animated video that we have prepared especially for the group of pupils in primary schools, they were informed with the basic knowledge they need to know about a national minority in Albania such as: (Their origin, the difficulties that this community has gone through as Holocaust, Culture and Traditions of this community)
Aiming to fight the stigma towards the Roma community and on the other hand knowing that generally such education is missing, we have explained even more the origin of the name ROM and the First World Congress of Roma. All students in this school were attentive to the new information they were receiving and the closing of this Workshop was done with some activities and educational games. In total we have inform to 91 pupils in 3 Primary schools.
1.1: 1st workshop in elementary school in Albania
Participation: The event involved 27 citizens, from the city of Tirana, Albania
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Gjon Buzuku Primary School, Tirana, Albania, on 17 February 2021.
The First workshop was placed in Gjon Buzuku Primary School in Tirana, Albania, and gathered a total of 27 participants. Participants were pupils of the Gjon Buzuku Primary School from 7 to 9 classes and most of them were non-Roma because that was our object to inform non-Roma pupils about our culture and history.
The workshop entitled: “ Roma Culture and History” was organized on February 17, 2021, starting at 11 am ( until 1 pm) in Tirana. The focus of this workshop was on educating non-Roma students about the rich history and culture that their Roma friends have in school.
The workshop leader was:
- Franko Veliaj – Roma Activist and Social Worker
- Brisilda Taco – Executive Director of Romano Kham Organization
1.2: 2nd workshop in elementary school in Albania
Participation: The event involved 30 citizens, from the city of Tirana, Albania,
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Vasil Shanto Primary School in Tirana, Albania, on 19 February 2021.
The second workshop was placed in Vasil Shanto Primary School in Tirana, Albania, and gathered a total of 30 participants. Participants were pupils of the Vasil Shanto Primary School from 7 to 9 classes and most of them were non-Roma because that was our object to inform non-Roma pupils about our culture and history.
The workshop entitled: “ Roma Culture and History” was organized on February 19, 2021, starting at 12 am ( until 2 pm) in Tirana. The focus of this workshop was on educating non-Roma students about the rich history and culture that their Roma friends have in school.
The workshop leader was:
- Eriglisa Lami – Roma Activist and Works as a representative of Roma at Ministry of Health and Social Protection
- Elvi Nako – Student of Roma Versitas Albania
1.3: 3rd workshop in elementary school in Albania
Participation: The event involved 34 citizens, from the city of Tirana, Albania
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Androkli Kostallari Primary School in Tirana, on 22 February, 2021
The third workshop was placed in Androkli Kostallari Primary School in Tirana, Albania, and gathered a total of 34 participants. Participants were pupils of the Androkli Kostallari Primary School from 7 to 9 classes and most of them were non-Roma because that was our object to inform non-Roma pupils about our culture and history.
The workshop entitled: “Roma Culture and History” was organized on February 22, 2021, starting at 11am (until 1 pm) in Tirana. The focus of this workshop was on educating non-Roma students about the rich history and culture that their Roma friends have in school.
The workshop leader was:
1- Erjon Xhaibra- Representative of the State Committee for Minorities and Roma Activist
2- Ismail Jakupi – Executive Directors of Ushten Organization in Durres, Albania
3- Olivia Basri – Student of Roma Versitas Albania
2. Workshops in 3 HIGH SCHOOLS IN TIRANA, Albania
In conducting workshops with high school students, we focused on disseminating information to students in the third academic year. Initially, to invite students to the discussion, some questions were asked about the history and culture of the Roma minority. Most of them had no information, while some of them said they knew the Roma language and flag.
We delivered a presentation in PowerPoint that summarized Roma history, culture, and traditions. The presentation was adapted into a language understandable to the focus group to make sure the dissemination of information could reach the participants.
These Workshops concluded with the distribution of the PowerPoint presentation to the students as well as inviting the participants to share the information received, with their peers, so that together we can preserve and inherit the precious value of Roma history.
As feedback, we made a game at the end of the workshops which is called ‘Roma Bingo’. In this game were included some questions about the information we had presented and the students were divided into groups of 10-15 people, the group which would end first ‘Roma Bingo’ was the winner of the game. The students were highly involved in this game and almost all the groups managed to answer the questions. In total we have managed to reach and inform 165 Roma and Non-Roma students in High Schools of Tirana, Albania.
Evaluations` results show high level of satisfaction by the participants. We could understand that the stigma mostly comes from a general perception of the public, media were also mentioned and what can they see from a daily live of Roma Community. It is indicative that 80% never had contact with Roma person before and 93% first time to hear information about the Roma. Mainly they pointed out as useful the information about culture, history, tradition, and the Roma Holocaust (Samudaripen).
2.1: 1st Workshop in HIGH SCHOOL in Albania
Participation: The event involved 45 citizens, from the city of Tirana, Albania
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Eqrem Cabej High School in Tirana, Albania, on 26 February, 2021
The first workshop with High Schools was placed in Eqrem Cabej High School in Tirana, Albania, and gathered a total of 45 participants. Participants were students of the Eqrem Cabej High School in the third academic year. Only in this school we had more Roma Participants because of the place of this schools that is located in a Roma neighbourhood.
The workshop entitled: “Roma Culture, History and Tradition” was organized on February 26, 2021, starting at 1:30 pm (until 3 pm) in Tirana. The workshop was based in education games and academic information with facts and history about the Roma.
The workshop leader was:
1- Siljana Hyseni– Student of Roma Versitas Albania
2- Ram Hadroj – Executive Directors of “Vish Kepucet e Mia” Organization in Tirana, Albania
2.2: 2nd Workshop inHIGH SCHOOL in Albania
Participation: The event involved 58 citizens, from the city of Tirana, Albania
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Eqrem Cabej High School in Tirana, Albania, on 03 March, 2021
The second workshop with High Schools was placed in Eqrem Cabej High School in Tirana, Albania, and gathered a total of 58 participants. Participants were students of the Andon Zako Cajupi High School in the third academic year and most of them were non-Roma because that was our object to inform non-Roma pupils about our culture and history.
The workshop entitled: “Roma Culture, History and Tradition” was organized on March 03, 2021, starting at 12 am (until 1:30 pm) in Tirana. The workshop was based in education games and academic information with facts and history about the Roma.
From this workshop we understood from the answers and from the presentation made that all students had managed to absorb information on culture, history, tradition and the Roma Holocaust (Samudaripen).
The workshop leader was:
1- Donald Myrteli- Student of Roma Versitas Albania
2- Roni Gashi –Program Menager at Roma Versitas Albania
2.3: 3rd Workshop in HIGH SCHOOL in Albania
Participation: The event involved 62 citizens, from the city of Tirana, Albania
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Sami Frasheri High School in Tirana, Albania, on 05 March, 2021
The third workshop with High Schools was placed in Sami Frasheri High School in Tirana, Albania, and gathered a total of 62 participants. Participants were students of the Sami Frasheri High School in the third academic year and most of them were non-Roma because that was our object to inform non-Roma pupils about our culture and history.
The workshop entitled: “Roma Culture, History and Tradition” was organized on March 05, 2021, starting at 3pm (until 4:30 pm) in Tirana. The workshop was based in education games and academic information with facts and history about the Roma.
The workshop leader was:
1- Robert Gajda – Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination
2- Bukurie Karoshi – Program Menager at Roma Versitas Albania
3- Rexhino Lufta – Program Menager at Roma Versitas Albania
Stop Roma Stigmatiyation 