“Integrated Roma are Invisible” - Discussion in New Bulgarian University

On 2 April 2015 Health mediators and Roma students in medical specialties took part in a seminar, organised in New Bulgarian University, Sofia, by Department Political Sciences, Department Health and Social Work and Department Cognitive Science and Psychology jointly with Ethnic Minorities Health Problems Foundation and the National Network of Health Mediators.

Prof. Ivayo Tournev, Chairman of Ethnic Minorities Health Problems Foundation, presented the development of Health-mediation programme in Bulgaria. Prof. Tournev pointed out that the main factors for improvement of the Programme are the strong motivation, stubbornness and desire for change ofhis associates, colleagues and Health mediators over the past 15 years.

Assoc. Prof. Anna Krasteva - leading the seminar - underlined the importance of daily attempts to overcome the increasing speech of hate. In response to her appeal young Roma students in medicine and Нealth mediators shared their experiences on the road from the neighborhood to the university, the municipality and health institutions.

Miroslav Angelov, who is living in Roma neighbourhood Hristo Botev in Sofia said that he had never dividedpeople and soon he will becomea doctor for both - Roma and ethnic Bulgarians.

For Diana Chobanova, a graduate student in the Master's Program in Political Management and Public Policy at the NBU, the meeting with Health mediators years ago  inspired her to develop a Diploma Thesis devoted to their experience.

The Health-mediation model in Bulgaria is well-known and valued at European level as well. During the two-years project Roma MATRIX, 18 European organisations shared experiance, information and good practices that contributed to integration of Roma in 10 EU countries. Tsveta Petkova, project manager, presented project results and the campaign video “WE ARE NOT AN EXCEPTION”. In the public space analysis of the problems related to the integration of Roma is superficial, so it is difficult to understand its importance. The main objective of the campaign “WE ARE NOT AN EXCEPTION” is to show successful young Roma, to focus the attention to the positive examples among Roma communities.