Workshop on the Inclusion of Roma Children

Centar za edukaciju i istraživanje (CER) is once again participating this year as a partner organization of the “Vermont” Youth Centre in the Day Centre project, which is being implemented in Brčko.

The Day Centre currently has 91 users, or 38 more than last year, said Slađana Birčaković, a representative of the “Promote Positive” network.

Birčaković, the coordinator of this centre, says that the Day Centre has provided services to more than 250 children over the past two years.

She expressed her satisfaction that the local community and other organisations recognise the importance of combating child labour, getting children off the streets and, more generally, integrating Roma children into society.

The Coalition Against Hate “Promote the Positive”, with the support of the OSCE Mission to BiH, held a workshop in Brčko today on the topic “Promoting Roma Inclusion Through Equal Opportunities”.

The workshop was attended by Brčko Scouts, the “Prnjavor” cultural and artistic association, and representatives of the “Lokomotiva” Brčko women’s football club.

“Through various interactive workshops and sporting events, we enabled the children to socialise and learn together, to forget any kind of affiliation—to simply be children,” Bićanović said.

OSCE Public Affairs Officer in BiH Radmila Trifković said the workshop aims to raise public awareness of the importance of the social inclusion of Roma children, in order to improve their situation and promote positive values and diversity in the Brčko District.

The workshop was held at the premises of the Day Centre in Brčko, which opened last year with the support of the organisation "Save the Children".