Project launching Step by Step towards an Inclusive Society

Working together for an inclusive Europe.

Project presentation

The project is implemented by UNOPA (The National Union of Organizations of People Affected by HIV/AIDS) in partnership with COPAC (Coalition of Organizations of Patients with Chronic Diseases in Romania) and benefits from a 214.929 euros grant from Active Citizens Fund Romania, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants 2014 -2021. The content of this page does not necessarily reflect the official position of the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021; for more information visit www.eeagrants.org. More details about Active Citizens Fund Romania are available at www.activecitizensfund.ro.

COPAC (Coalition of Organizations of Patients with Chronic Diseases in Romania) is an organization whose mission is to support patients and patient organizations to act in a united and effective way to defend and promote patients’ rights. More about COPAC here: www.copac.ro

Project context:

„The fear of difference is manifested in a high level of distrust in people LGBT (74%), Roma (72%), […] people living with HIV/AIDS (58%), […]” shows the CNCD-IPP-IRES (2018) survey, highlighting the main categories of people at risk of discrimination in Romania. The same survey shows that “identity reporting to people with different characteristics is done mainly by health status (61%)”, this fact being also confirmed by the study “Romanian Society and Chronic Diseases” conducted by COPAC (2015), which indicates that patients with chronic diseases face also the discrimination associated with the disease (36%). Also in Romanian society, according to the study conducted by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (2014), 30% of women say that they have been affected by physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, these behaviors also representing human rights violations.

The purpose of the project:

Increasing the capacity of small non-governmental organizations working in under-served geographic areas and with under-served target groups, to be involved to defend and promote human rights and equal treatment, through active citizenship programs.

Empowering small NGOs in mobilizing young people from the represented target group, but also those in the general population, to get involved in the life of the local community through actions that promote respect for human rights and equal treatment.

Project objectives:

1. By the end of the project, the capacity of 15 small NGOs working with underserved vulnerable groups at risk of discrimination, in the 8 development regions of Romania, to carry out active citizenship programs on human rights, non-discrimination and equal treatment and to provide assistance and support to victims of discrimination, have increased. The assistance and the support service will also be put into operation at the level of UNOPA and COPAC, so there will be a total of 17 NGOs that will provide services to victims of discrimination.
2. During the project, 40 young people from vulnerable underserved groups at risk of discrimination, will develop  skills in active citizenship, human rights, anti-discrimination and equal treatment – but also will demonstrate skills for social integration and active involvement in the community. Some of the young people trained in the project, will become mentors of volunteers in conducting information, education and counseling (IEC) campaigns in the field of human rights, while others will provide direct support to victims of discrimination.
3. By the end of the project, 54,000 citizens in the 8 development regions of Romania are more informed and aware regarding human rights, non-discrimination, and equal treatment.

Project beneficiaries:

– 40 young people (15-35 years old) from 5 categories of underserved people, at risk of discrimination: LGBT, Roma, PLHIV, chronic patients, VIF survivors, from small NGOs, from the level of the 8 development regions, that will participate in training courses. They will be identified from NGOs that have low human resources capacity and limited experience, but which show increased interest and motivation in organizational development and training their own beneficiaries. 30 young people from among those trained, will be activated as resource persons within the organization to which they belong

– 75 young people from the general population, motivated to participate in volunteer activities, who will benefit from mentoring and will be involved in the creation and implementation of local campaigns on human rights, non-discrimination and equal treatment.

– 54,000 citizens from the general population – beneficiaries of IEC activities from local campaigns

Project implementation – duration and geographic area:

The project implementation period is 20 months. The implementation starts on 01.04.2021 and will be completed on 30.11.2022.

The project is carried out at national level and will mainly involve beneficiaries from the 8 development regions of Romania, with an emphasis on the underserved areas.

The main activities of the project:

A1. Project management

A2. Information and communication

A3. Capacity building of 15 small NGOs working with underserved target groups in order to develop and implement active citizenship, human rights, non-discrimination and equal treatment programs

During this activity, there will be identify small NGOs working with underserved target groups, at risk of discrimination, interested in developing competence in active citizenship and implementing campaigns on human rights, non-discrimination and equal treatment, through training of resource people at the level of the communities they belong to. There will be organized 2 online training courses with an average of 20 participants / course, from the 15 selected organizations

A4. Development and implementation of local campaigns on human rights, non-discrimination and equal treatment, by the NGOs participating in the project, specific to the field in which they operate

Following the training courses, the 15 NGOs will form teams with at least 5 young motivated volunteers from the general population. Together they will create local information, education and community awareness campaigns on human rights, non-discrimination and equal treatment, specific to the field in which they operate, which can be carried out online or in the community, if the pandemic situation allows it.

A5. Providing assistance and support services to victims of discrimination and human rights violations

This activity involves the development of assistance and support services for victims of discrimination and human rights violations, by phone and online. This services are offered mainly to the 5 target group categories: LGBT, Roma, PLHIV, chronic patients, VIF survivors.

A6. Capacity building for UNOPA and COPAC in human resources and volunteers management

The activity involves the organizing a training course in the field of human resources and volunteers management, in accordance with the legislation, for UNOPA and the partner COPAC.

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