New Initiative Aims to Boost Roma Inclusion in Slovakia
“We want to prevent stereotypes and prejudices, and for people to know about the positive sides of Roma culture and history. We believe that this is a part of our common cultural heritage,” says Jozef Facuna, Director of the Department for Supporting the Inclusion of Marginalised Groups, a department of the Slovak Ministry of Education.
Jozef leads the Advisory Group, a coalition of Slovak and Norwegian experts who have joined forces to address key challenges in including Roma in Slovak society – as well as develop practical steps toward establishing a Centre for Roma Language, Culture, and Intercultural Understanding in Slovakia.
In February 2025 they gathered in Oslo for a study trip and workshop.
“We were here to find synergies between the situation in Norway and Slovakia,” he smiles.
PHOTO: Jozef Facuna, Director of the Department for Supporting the Inclusion of Marginalised Groups in conversation with EWCs Caroline Gebara, Head of Section for Teacher Education and Civil Society
As a partner in the bilateral project “Together with Roma We Will Achieve More,” EWC hosted the Advisory Group at its Oslo office. The study trip, organized by EWC, aimed to foster collaboration among Advisory Group members, providing them with opportunities to learn from each other and engage with experts in the field.
EWC has extensive experience in Roma inclusion in Europe and has collaborated for years with the National Institute for Education and Youth (NIVAM) in Slovakia, to train educators and promote inclusion in and outside of school – particularly at schools with a high number of Roma students.
“True inclusion begins with education. Discrimination should not have place in education,” says EWC Senior Advisor Larisa Leganger Bronder. “Together with our Slovak partners we aim at improving school culture where inclusion is not just a goal but a reality, where diversity is valued and celebrated and where every child’s voice matters.”
Read also: All students need a safe school environment
PHOTO: EWC Senior Advisor Larisa Leganger Bronder (right) in coversation with Roma activist Natalina Jansen and Kai-Rune Myhrer from the Roma Cultural and Resource Centre Romano kher
The Roma community in Slovakia faces significant challenges related to social exclusion, discrimination, poverty, and limited access to education, employment, and healthcare. While some progress has been made in addressing these issues, many Roma still live in marginalized conditions.
“The situation has improved compared to ten years ago. But I cannot say that it is stable or very good for the Roma community,” says Alexander Daško, Government Plenipotentiary with the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities.
“We want to showcase Roma who contribute significantly to society,” he adds. “Unfortunately, there are some extreme right-wing parties that build their political careers on spreading hate against Roma. When a Roma steals something, the whole group is labelled. Mainstream media in Slovakia help also to spread this negative image and they distort as it suits them.”
“Despite many efforts and some progress made, there is still ample evidence showing that Roma and Travellers in Europe continue to suffer from widespread and persistent anti-Gypsyism, which is recognised as a specific form of racism fuelled by prejudice and stereotypes.
In addition, Roma and Travellers remain victims of various forms of discrimination, including school segregation and a forced sedentary lifestyle, as well as hate speech and hate-motivated violence in many member States.”
The Council of Europe’s Strategic Action Plan for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2020-2025)
The bilateral project between Slovakia and Norway primarily targets teachers in kindergarten, primary, and secondary schools, as well as supporting staff such as teaching assistants, educators, and special education teachers.
For Jozef and Alexander, education is crucial to improving the living standards of Roma communities across all areas, including housing, the labour market, and the fight against racism. Like many Roma communities in Europe, the Roma minority in Slovakia faces challenges with school attendance. Many teachers lack knowledge about Roma culture and Romani language, which leads to children feeling insecure and missing out on their right to receive education in their mother tongue.
To change this situation, the Slovak delegation wants to organize all inclusion and integration efforts under one overarching structure: A centre which may provide teacher training, develop audio and visual media in the Romani language, and promote and celebrate the rich history of the Roma community.
The idea for the Centre for Roma Language, Culture, and Intercultural Understanding in Slovakia originated during a previous study trip, when Jozef Facuna visited Romano Kher, a Roma culture and resource centre in Oslo.
As members of the Advisory Group, Balder C. Hasvoll and Kai-Rune Myhrer from Romano kher shared invaluable insights on establishing such a centre during the study trip.
To enrich the discussion further, Roma activist Natalina Jansen was invited to provide her perspectives. Natalina, who played a key role in both the establishment of Romano Kher and the research project that laid the groundwork for the centre, told of the long-standing desire of the Norwegian Roma minority for their own cultural centre, a goal that had long been denied by Norwegian authorities.
However, that changed when EWC’s partner, the Norwegian Center for Holocaust and Minority Studies, published a research paper which showed that Norwegian Roma had been systematically discriminated against during the lead up to World War II. This eventually led to entire Norwegian Roma families being sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau where only few survived.
One of them was Natalina’s grandfather, Milos Karoli.
PHOTO: Balder C. Hasvoll from Romano kher and Roma activist Natalina Jansen
The life story of Natalina Jansen shows the importance of education. Natalina could not even write her own name when she was a teenager. She had to teach herself how to read and write, receiving only five years of schooling as a child.
The Norwegian Government issued a formal apology in 2015, and as part of the reparations paid to the Norwegian Roma minority for past wrongs, they finally had the opportunity to establish the centre they so had longed for.
But despite the official apology, establishing the centre proved a challenge. The existing Roma organisations did not have the capacity to run a such a centre, so the Norwegian Government asked the Church City Mission to include the centre as one of their outreach programmes. The Church City Mission is a Norwegian NGO that for many years has worked with social issues and marginalised communities.
Finding a location was not easy either, as many landlords were loath to rent to people with Roma heritage. The matter was eventually settled when the Norwegian Government agreed to sign a lease alongside the Church City Mission and a group of Roma representatives.
PHOTO: The Advisory Group visited Romano Kher during the study trip in Oslo
During the workshop at the EWC’s office in Oslo, Balder and Kai-Rune talked about suspicion and uncertainties on both sides, and how difficult it was for the different parties to understand and trust each other.
“It was very important to make it clear that it would be the Roma themselves who would run the centre,” explains Kai-Rune. “They had the competence, they knew the culture and they were aware of the rules and the codes of the Roma, whereas we only know part of it. This is a kind of respect that makes a foundation for confidence.”
Jozef believes that the challenges and solutions faced by Romano kher will provide valuable lessons as the Slovak authorities work to establish their own centre.
Read also: All students need a safe school environment
The Culture and Resource Centre Romano kher was finally opened in 2018. Today it hosts a wide range of activities, including programs for children and young people, TV and podcast production, film and music workshops, language development, cultural events, and community outreach. It also provides counseling for minority members and has become a centre for politicial advocacy.
In autumn 2023, it launched a permanent exhibition exploring the history of the Norwegian Roma minority.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so we had to dream big and reach for the stars,” explains Natalina.
“We have to believe that if we know each other better, we will understand each other better,” says Balder. One way Romano kher does this is by training youth ambassadors that visit schools to talk about Roma culture and history and dispel stereotypes young Norwegians might hold. Our experience tells us that it is easier to work with children and youth, because they are more open.”
The Advisory Group held its first meeting in Oslo at the study trip in February 2025. During the visit, they had ample opportunities to tour Romano Kher, the Nobel Peace Center, and the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, while also engaging in discussions about the challenges and opportunities involved in establishing a Roma resource centre in Slovakia.
During the study trip, the Advisory Group discussed several ideas and potential challenges ahead. There was unanimous agreement that fostering strong relationships between teachers and parents are crucial, as it would help parents recognize the importance and benefits of a school education.
To help integrate the Roma minority into society and promote their culture as part of Slovakia’s national heritage, the Advisory Group suggested developing audio and video resources in both Romani and Slovakian. They also recommended hosting family days and celebrating international days dedicated to Roma history and heritage at the centre.
Other ideas included combining formal and voluntary activities, showcasing successful Roma individuals as positive role models for younger generations, and involving the local community in both the development and operation of the centre.
However, significant challenges were also identified. Due to rising energy costs, Slovakia’s economy is currently facing a substantial deficit. To ensure stable funding for the centre, alternative sources would need to be explored, such as partnerships with other organisations or local businesses, or generating revenue by producing and selling goods at the centre.
Read also: “Romani Language is the Main Identity Element in our Heritage”
Jozef wants children from both the majority and minority populations to learn about each other’s culture and history, and for Roma to learn both their mother tongue and Slovak to improve their chances for a decent future.
While the inspiration for the centre is Romano Kher, the centre in Slovakia will be more centred around education and schooling.
Larisa Bronder is thrilled to have hosted the Advisory Group, and to have shared EWC’s expertise in Roma inclusion to get the initiative off the ground:
“The Advisory Group plays a crucial role in advancing the initiative of establishing a Centre for Roma Language, Culture and Intercultural Understanding in Slovakia. With Norwegian stakeholders joining workshops and meetings, we are creating a space for knowledge exchange, best practices, and joint commitment to advancing Roma inclusion,” she says.
Based on the recommendations of the Advisory Group, as well as study trips to the Coucil of Europe in Strasbourg and a Roma culture centre in Berlin, the Slovak government will make a visibility study, which will be presented at a press conference in April 2025.
This initiative is part of the bilateral project between Norway and Slovakia – “Together with Roma We Will Achieve More” – which is led by Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of Slovakia, and financed by the EEA and Norway Grants, the Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Roma Inclusion Program, as well as the state budget of the Slovak Republic.