EUROPE FOR CITIZENS PROGRAMME

[Stoimen]

On 28 May 2013 the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission published on internet the list of Projects Granted.

In total 26 projects will receive a grant from the Europe For Citizens Programme; none of these 26 projects deals with Roma and Sinti! Our Face the Music project, grant application submitted on 31 January, has been rejected, in spite of the warm welcome we received in Brussels in 2012.

See for more information the files and texts below.

projects_granted_and_reserve_list.pdf

Letter to the Head of Unit of the EACEA, sent by e-mail on the evening of 28 May:

Grant%20decision.doc

More detailed information will follow. We suppose that World Artists Initiative "Khetanes" will soon receive an individual message from Brussels.

[Stoimen]

Letter sent to all Khetanes members on 30 May 2013:

Amale,

 

In summer 2011, "World Artists Initiative "Khetanes" became an official non-profit, with statutes, RISN number and a bank account. This status enabled us to apply for grants and to expand our activities. We applied for funds from various foundations in- and outside Europe and last January 2013 we asked a grant from the Europe For Citizens Programme, responsibility of the Reding Cabinet of the European Commission.

 

In spite of the fact that among our members and board members, most prominent Roma scholars, lawyers, artists, reporters and activists can be found, and in spite of the fact that our plans were warmly welcomed by the Cabinet of Androulla Vassiliou (Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism, Sport, Media and Youth) in April 2012, our project was not granted. Last week, on 28 May, the list of Projects Granted, was published on internet. None of the 26 projects that receive a grant, was submitted by Roma and realized with Roma.

 

Yet, Roma are Europe's largest ethnic minority, with 10-12 million citizens larger than the populations of 16 different EU member states. Most of the applicants that receive a grant from the Europe For Citizens Programme are from (candidate) member states with far fewer citizens! (1 or 2 or 5 million people)

 

Yet, it is a well-known fact that the 10-12 million of EU Roma citizens face social exclusion and fierce violations of rights, frequently described as apartheid.

 

Yet, Commissioner Reding is the first responsible Commissioner for Roma issues.

 

In our rejected project "Face the Music" we stressed the important contribution of Roma in Europe to classic master pieces of music. An impressive number of non-Roma composers have been inspired by already existing compositions by Roma. Their music is integrated, classic music, Flamenco, Jazz, but the composers are not! It is time to pay them off, by granting them the rights all other citizens have.

Our demand was combined with presentations of successful initiatives by Roma at grassroots levels. These initiatives, often driven by volunteers, low-budget, not EU sponsored, are not well-known in Brussels, due to the large gap between ruling authorities and workers on the ground.

 

The faith of Roma will become the Litmus Test of Europe's democracy, said late Václav Havel in 1993. Yesterday his words were true, today they are alarming. No civilization can allow to treat part of its citizens as whipping-boys for a crisis. Populism is an even bigger threat to the European Union than poverty and exclusion.

 

I call upon all of you to think about tomorrow! No use to continue asking for grants in order to spread a message that is not well-understood by the funder himself! We could keep the website, however, and try to strengthen and increase a global movement for justice and human rights. The costs of the site (NING plus) are reasonable: 200 Euros a year. I am not running away, but consider it fair that I share the cost with others. Unless others prefer to take over the site and e.g. add a Web TV, things I am not familiar with but strongly believe in.

 

I hope you all understand that I did not work for 3 years as a volunteer, investing several thousands of Euros, in site, travelling, notary etc., to win thanks and praise. I cannot stand injustice. There is nothing more to add.

 

Looking forward to your proposals, I wish all of you a good weekend, baxtalo kurko,

 

Els

 

P.S.: more information on the grant application will be published in the blog "Europe For Citizens Programme" on www.khetanes.org

 

[Alexian Santino Spinelli]

Dear Els,

we  discovered that European founds are given expecially to non roma organization several time ago. We received  a similar comunication abouth our festival some time ago.

So we can perfectly understand your feelings. Please don't give up.

This is not your (our) last chance.

Daniela

[Stoimen]

I know that our experience is not unique.

Currently a letter was sent by an official of the Reding Cabinet with alarming wordings. It was very good that so many speakers at summits and conferences were non-Roma, etc. etc.

On 15 May two Commissioners (Reding and Andor) met with large EU oriented NGOs like Amnesty and Open Society Foundations. It was announced as a meeting with Roma grassroots organisations.

Those organisations, however, were not invited!

With the funding policy a similar attitude can be seen.

Els

[Viola Hinz-Hassan Pour Razavi]

sounds to me, as if they would not respect themselves the Roma as a equal partner, and that they think it is necessary to have Non-Roma-Experts, so what does this mean, how are they seeing Roma???

[Stoimen]

They see Roma as stakeholders, who in the discussions about Roma make it necessary to involve non-Roma stakeholders, in order to have a serious exchange of information in the debates. See the discussion in the blog about the Bódvalenke Declaration!

And imagine that in the discussion on Jews, Afro-Americans or native Americans, one would also consider them to be stakeholders, which forces us to include non-Jews and whites to have a serious exchange of information...

[Viola Hinz-Hassan Pour Razavi]

... if they would say that, I am sure you could here a loud outcry!!!

[Stoimen]

PROJECT DESCRIPTION FACE THE MUSIC, submitted on 31 January 2013. The budget is not attached (we asked for a grant of 150.000 EUR, own contribution from ticket sales 66.000 EUR, total budget 216.000 EUR)

[Stoimen]

On Saturday, 15 June 2013, World Artists Initiative "Khetanes" received by post a letter from the EACEA in Brussels.

See below why our project has not been granted:

[Stoimen]

Dear Pit,

Thank you very much for your warm and kindhearted words! Not a single Roma organization was awareded a grant in the Europe For Citizens Programme. Only 4.5 % of the applicants saw their grant awarded, true... The chances were small, even in a programme managed by Commissioner Reding, first responsible Commissioner for Romani issues...

Most probably her Cabinet did not know about the very prominent presence of Khetanes during a conference in April 2012, organized by another Cabinet (Education and Culture). In April 2012 we were strongly encouraged by the Commission officials to apply for funds.

Unfortunately, one EU official is different from another. There is no coherent policy in Brussels. The only coherence is that officials in general prefer to work with non-Roma experts and large EU oriented NGOs, led by non-Roma activists.

For (pro)Roma organizations and Romani experts, it seems to be quite hard to get through. See for more information the blog on the Bódvalenke Declaration on this site.

Els

[Stoimen]

SEE BELOW THE CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE HEAD OF UNIT, MR PHILIPPE COVA:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mail received from Brussels on 21 June 2013, reply to our mail of 29 May 2013:

 

 

 

 

Dear Mrs de Groen,

 

I thank you for your message of 29th May related to your project proposal "Face the Music".

 

I understand your disappointment for the results of the selection of the Action 2.3 "Support to projects initiated by civil society organisation", for which around 600 applications were submitted and only 26 could be granted taking in consideration the budgetary availability.

 

The letter that Mrs Pérez de Albéniz addressed to you on 10 June details the scoring  assigned to your proposal on the basis of the double analysis carried out by external independent experts in charge of the projects' evaluation. Despite the interest of your application, unfortunately it did not reach the score needed to be listed among the 26 projects mentioned above.

 

I understand the difficulties that this decision can engender for structures as yours, and I regret it even more knowing the quality of the work realised by your organisation, notably fighting against  xenophobia and raising awareness on right of minorities, in  particular of the Roma's one.

 

I can guarantee  that the Europe for citizens programme is sensitive to the Roma issues and different projects dealing with Roma and minorities matters have been financed in this framework in recent years, actions aiming at promoting the participation of Roma to democratic life and fostering the debate and reflection on existing policies in Europe on ethnic minorities.

 

I do not have any doubt that within the new "Europe for citizens" programme for the period 2014-2020 - which will be the object of a Decision in the next months - those efforts will be carried on.

 

It is in this perspective that we have to work since now; this is the reason why I think that it can be convenient to fix a meeting in the light of better knowing your actions in 2014.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

                                Philippe Cova

 

 

 

From: Artists Initiative [Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 12:29 AM

To: COVA Philippe (EACEA); EACEA-P7-CIVILSOCIETY

Cc: Roberto Malini; Paul Rafferty; Viola Razavi; Ian Hancock; LAITENBERGER Johannes (CAB-BARROSO); Gordana Radulovic; Zoran Tairovic; stephane karo; Union Romani; Paco Suárez; Ciprian Necula; Robert Kieft - SICA; Andrei Georgescu; SELMAYR Martin (CAB-REDING); CASSIO Laura Giulia (EAC); HILL Jonathan (CAB-VASSILIOU); SUCHA Vladimir (JRC)

Subject: 541002-EFC-1-2013-1-NL-EFC-CSP

Importance: High

 

Dear Philippe Cova,

 

Three weeks ago, beginning of May, I asked your Agency at least some information about the decision on the projects granted in the Action 2, Measure 3, Support of projects initiated by civil society organisations.

 

The reason for this request was that we risked to lose the free theatre venue (capacity thousands of seats), which was an important part of our budget, as it enabled us to fully profit from ticket sales in order to cover our own financial contribution of 30 %.

 

Your Agency explained to me that no exception was made in informing grant applicants, who would all be informed at the same day.

 

Today, 28 May, I received a list of Projects Granted, Selection 2013 (see attachment), and understand that we do not belong to the group of 26 applicants whose application has been awarded.

 

None of the 26 applicants is a Roma organisation, though Roma are Europe's largest minority: 10-12 million of people. World Artists Initiative "Khetanes", warmly welcomed at the Conference "From Segregation to Integration, the role of Culture in Roma Inclusion" (April 2012), will not be supported, though its project "Face the Music" includes many components that were presented in April 2012.

 

I kindly but strongly remind you of the statement by four Commissioners on 8 April 2013 to involve more Roma organisations. "Khetanes" is a non-profit with mearly 900 members, out of whom 80 % are Roma: artists, scholars, reporters. Together they form the elite with prominent members as Ian Hancock, Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia, Rajko Duric, Ferenc Snétberger, Paco Suarez, and many more.

 

Maybe tomorrow, 29 May, or the day after, 30 May, we will receive the official decision on our grant application. This evening already, I want to inform some of our most active members.

 

Integration of socially excluded citizens derives a top-down and a bottom up approach. For almost three years we invested all our private means in our organisation. Site, design, logo, posters, press packs, translations, all work was done by volunteering citizens. In 2012 we were encouraged by the Commission itself to develop our plans and ask for support. Music was a central issue, a key to open the door to inclusion and integration.

 

It will be hard to explain your decision.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Els de Groen

 

 

 

 

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