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Key policy programmes concerning national minorities and Roma integration
The strategic policy planning via means of specific programmes in the public
administration entered the agenda in second half of the 1990s, and first programmes of
national minority integration were implemented since the year 2000. The Department of
National Minorities and Lithuanians Living Abroad under the Government has a central
role in setting the governmental policy in the area of minority integration and in
coordinating the programme implementation.
The Department runs a large scale Programme for the Integration of National
Minorities into Lithuanian Society 2005-2010. The representatives of minority
organisations had opportunities to participate in drafting process. The Department
coordinates the activities that are being implemented by various ministries. The
Department itself provided support to specific projects, to Saturday and Sunday schools,
organised awareness raising concerning the combating of discrimination. In terms of
allocations for the projects of the minority NGOs and ensembles, the funding increased
from 80,000 EUR in 2004 to 100,000 EUR in 2007.
The complicated situation of Roma was recognised through implementation of the
Programme for the Integration of Roma into Lithuanian Society 2000-2004. Within this
programme, administered by the Department, there were attempts to establish individual
working places for Roma, there was financial support to Lithuanian language courses and
to preschool education activities. One of the main achievements was establishment of the
Roma Community Centre in Kirtimai, which became a key institution having direct links to
Roma families and individuals. Responsibilities for the measures concerning children and
youth were distributed as follows:
Name
To establish the Roma community centre.
To establish preschool training classes/ groups and assure
their work
To organize children’s supplementary education.
To organize free of charge nourishment for Roma
children attending pre-school training classes.
To organize summer recreation for Roma children.
To provide Roma children who attend pre-school training
classes and secondary schools with textbooks and other
learning devices.
To prepare individual educational programs for Roma
children.
To prepare a textbook of the Romany language.
Executor
Department of National
Minorities and Lithuanians
Living Abroad; Municipality of
Vilnius city
Ministry of Social security and
Labour; Municipality of Vilnius
city
Head of Vilnius district
Ministry of Education and
Science
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