The phenomenon of drug abuse has affected the European Roma
community in a singular way due to its large young population
and the impact of drugs use on its social structures, damaging
even more the deteriorated image of the Roma population, which
amounts to near 4, 7 million population within the six partner
countries (Spain, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania
and Bulgaria).
This project intends to promote co-operation between drug-related
entities working with the Roma minority with the aim of encouraging
the mobilization of the social agents for the generation of
prevention/intervention initiatives, exchange of information,
significative experiences and good practices. Through the
membership of the leader partner (FSGG) to the Network SASTIPEN
(European Network for Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS Prevention in
the Roma Community), which comprises organisations from 6
EU Member States, this project extends the network’s activities
to Eastern countries and offers a meeting point for mutual
learning and a platform to promote actions aimed at reducing
the impact of drug use on the Roma community.
OBJECTIVES
1. Consolidate and strengthen a forum for exchange, contact
and mutual support that promotes know-how and information
regarding the situation of Europe’s Roma population in relation
to the phenomena of drug abuse and health-related issues in
all partner countries.
2. Develop shared know-how and a discourse based on elements
of common interest on the Roma population and drug abuse,
intervention methods and strategies and transfer this significant
body of knowledge and experience to the rest of the action
partners through the European Network SASTIPEN, as well as
to other drug abuse networks and ethnic minorities organisations,
NGOs, public administrations and entities from other European
countries that have a Roma population.
3. Mobilise all of the different agents that intervene in
drug abuse (experts, social entities, institutions, etc.)
as well as the Roma community itself with a view to developing
prevention and intervention initiatives with this population
sector within the project partner countries. These initiatives
should be specially tailored to account for specific lifestyles
and cultural characteristics.
4. Training actions that initiate the capacitation of professionals
working in the field of drug-related issues in order to guarantee
an appropriate care to the Roma minority.
5. Facilitate Roma drug-abuse patients´ access to mainstream
drug centres and lend support to relations and mutual understanding
between drug treatment services and Roma population.
6. Produce, disseminate and apply prevention materials and
instruments specifically adapted to the Roma population.
