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The first seminar of a ten-month course in Public Diplomacy for Roma, organized by the
European Roma Information Office (ERIO) and
DiploFoundation, concluded on July 17, 2005 in Bucharest. The 9-day seminar brought together 25 young Roma activists from 12 European countries to take part in lectures and training sessions with leading academics, journalists, politicians and diplomats. Participants will continue the course via online learning and meet again in Brussels in December and Geneva in April 2006.
Speakers included Mr Rudko Kawczynski, President of the European Roma and Travelers Forum, Dr Alex Sceberras Trigona, former Foreign Minister of Malta, Mr Nicolae Gheorghe, Roma Advisor for ODIHR (OSCE), Professor Bruce Gregory, Director of the Public Diplomacy Institute at George Washington University, Mr Mircea Toma, Romanian journalist, Mr Mark Wentworth, Counselor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Bucharest and Mr Michael Guet, Head of the Roma and Travelers Division of the Council of Europe.
The programme received much attention from locally-based international and national institutions. Mr Jonathan Scheele, Head of the European Commission Delegation in Bucharest, showed a strong interest in the activities and participants and the Commission Delegation hosted a number of workshop activities. The US Embassy in Bucharest facilitated two lectures on Public Diplomacy and the Swiss Ambassador in Bucharest took part in the opening ceremony of the course. Ms Renate Weber, Counselor of Romanian President Traian Basescu, and Romanian Secretary of State Mr Anton Niculescu endorsed and supported the initiative. The Head of the National Council for Combating Discrimination (NCFD), Mr Csaba Ferenc Asztalos, lectured on the role of his institution.
The Roma Diplomacy Programme is jointly coordinated by the European Roma Information Office and DiploFoundation. Main financial support is provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, with additional support from the Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest and the Roma Participation Programme of the Open Society Institute. The Roma Diplomacy Programme aims to increase capacity and stimulate partnerships between Roma and major national and international players. For more information please visit
http://www.diplomacy.edu/roma
or contact roma@diplomacy.edu.
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Workshop Opening at the Romanian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Workshop Session
Course Participants
Course Participants
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