“The work in the Roma community is not an easy task, but it is the most rewarding one” – this was one of the key messages from the local facilitators who participated at the National Workshop on Participatory Local Strategic Planning, which was organised in Belgrade after the launch event with stakeholders in Serbia within the framework of Phase II of the Joint EU-CoE ROMACTED Programme.

The workshop gathered together the delegated municipal contact points from 14 cities and municipalities in Serbia and 15 local facilitators and was aimed at building capacities on the ROMACTED II methodology, principles of strategic planning at local level, and working methods through the four steps of the ROMACTED methodology.

The opening words of the workshop were addressed by the EU Delegation in Serbia, the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade/ Roma and Travellers Team and the ROMACTED Support Organisation – the Foundation BFPE for Responsible Society. The event was facilitated by the members of the ROMACTED Support Team.

Participants received specific instructions on drafting and implementing joint action plans within ROMACTED II. In the next trimester, the municipal contact points and facilitators will work together in establishing two programme structures – Community Action Groups and Institutional Working Groups - within the methodological STEP 1 of the Programme. STEP 2 will require mapping the needs and priorities within both programme structures and will take place by the end of 2021.

The Joint EU-CoE ROMACTED II Programme will be implemented in the following 14 cities and municipalities in Serbia: Aleksinac, Apatin, Bač, Kostolac, Kragujevac, Kruševac, Lebane, Niš, Pirot, Prokuplje, Subotica, Vrnjačka Banja, Zaječar and Zvezdara (Belgrade).