Human Rights Project (HRP) - Bulgaria

Major activities of the HRP include:

• field research into cases of human rights violations against Roma, as well as documentation and reporting of these cases;
• provision of legal representation and legal services on behalf of Roma victims of human rights abuse;
• education of volunteer human rights monitors from the Roma community throughout the country; and
• public advocacy to support Roma rights carried out through publications about the human rights situation of Roma and the process of legal advocacy; public discussions with law-enforcement and other authorities; letters of concern to relevant institutions; press conferences; participation in international forums of intergovernmental organisations and NGOs that focus on the problems of Roma in Europe; and promotion of Roma participation in public processes through the media.

Specifically, work with the media is a key part of the HRP strategy for altering negative prejudice against Roma in Bulgarian society. The aim is to call the public's attention to the way in which Roma are portrayed in Bulgarian press and to facilitate the involvement of Roma journalists in the mainstream and regional media. In this context, the media programme of the HRP was initiated in April 1995. It involved monitoring the mainstream media and analysing patterns of hate speech towards ethnic and religious minorities, like the Roma. This research inspired the organisation of a public debate on the public image of minorities that focused on hate speech toward Roma. HRP also conducted the international conference 'Minorities in the Media: Realities and Prejudices' in October 1997.

"The Voice of the Roma" project involved contracting six local radio stations in Montana, Sliven, Blagoevgrad, Pleven, Sofia and the village of Gromshin, district Montana to accept two or three Roma for training in radio communications within the EUROMA Program. Eight radio programmes produced by these journalists and focusing on the Roma culture were then broadcast. In 1997 the HRP negotiated with several radio stations to allow free access to Roma journalists. In April 1999 the HGP initiated Roma broadcasts on Radio Domino, a private radio station in Stara Zagora. Later this programme was supported by the radio station. From 1999 to 2000, HRP conducted a joint programme with the Bulgarian national radio entitled "Hristo Botev", producing 12 one-hour messages urging diversity among Roma community in Bulgaria. In 2001, HRP conducted local human rights seminars for Roma and journalists from local media in five Bulgarian cities, which culminated on March 1, 2002 in a second national conference. HRP and its partner, the Interethnic Initiative for Human Rights, proposed a Code of Ethics of the Bulgarian journalists for fair representation of ethnic minorities in the media.

In addition to advocating changes in the uniformly negative portrayal of Roma in the media, HRP has worked to promote the access of Roma journalists to the media. Twenty-five Roma were trained in radio journalism at a special course organised by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications at Sofia University.

The HRP provides legal representation on behalf of Roma in a select number of cases that concern police violence, racially motivated violence, and discrimination practised by state officials. In 1997, HRP launched a legal clinic for Roma in the village of Bukovlak, district Pleven, where 80% of the population are of Roma origin. The clinic, which is run by the branch coordinator of the HRP and one lawyer, offers advice on a broad range of issues (labour, housing, human rights, etc.).

In late 1995 the HRP launched a programme for human rights education of members of the Roma community, holding seminars throughout the country aimed at training volunteers to monitor the human rights situation and to work with local authorities, police and journalists. The seminars were focused on international and domestic human rights documents and mechanisms for enforcing rights. In 1998 the HRP drafted a policy document to define the principles for a comprehensive government strategy to address the Roma problem. The document was entitled "For Equal Participation of Roma in the Public Life of Bulgaria," and proposed government measures to be undertaken in order to guarantee the equal status of Roma in politics, economics, education, culture, and the media. The central message of this document was that elimination of discrimination toward Roma should become one of the prime political priorities of the Bulgarian State.

Rights.

An ethnic minority, Roma are regarded as foreign by their fellow Bulgarians. They suffer many kinds of prejudice - prejudice that could be eliminated by greater exposure of the majority to Romani culture and traditions. However, representatives of the Roma community have limited access to the mainstream media, and are therefore obstructed from presenting an alternative perspective. The Roma press, on the other hand, has a merely symbolic circulation and is not able to seriously counteract negative stereotypes.

Roma suffer violent attacks as a result of these stereotypes. For the period 1996-2001 the HRP investigated more than 100 cases of police brutality toward Roma, four of which ended with the death of the victims. Roma neighborhoods are frequently raided by police officers, resulting in the destruction of whole communities. However, Roma who complain about police brutality are often intimidated by the police with threats of retaliation if they seek legal recourse. Roma are the most vulnerable victims of mass lynching, which some claim are encouraged and often condoned by representatives of the local administration.

As a result of the negotiations between the HRP and local and national media, Roma journalists now participate in radio and TV programmes around the country about the culture, traditions, and current problems of the Roma community. The Roma radio programmes, which target both the majority and Roma audiences, are meant to inspire self-knowledge on the part of the Roma by helping them see themselves as an ethnic group with an ancient culture and traditions.

By endorsing the document For Equal Participation of Roma, the government vowed to combat discrimination against Roma and to launch positive action programmes to ensure equal participation of Roma in all spheres of social life. Apart from its pragmatic value, the document of the Roma community also had great symbolic importance.

Future efforts will be directed toward promotion of respect for the fundamental rights of Roma people; empowerment of the Roma through the legal system; and integration of Roma in society with the help of Roma non-profit organisations.