ENGAGE

The project ENGAGE – Using contact interventions to promote engagement and mobilisation for social change (Grant no.: 963122 — ENGAGE — REC-AG-2020 / REC-RDIS-DISC-AG-2020) addresses the discrimination of Roma people in Europe building on the assumption that antigypsyism and a hostile normative political context create obstacles to Roma inclusion and the social engagement of Roma and non-Roma people alike. The project is supported by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship (REC) Programme (2014-2020) of the European Union.

OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO:

• Address the problem of antigypsyism and indifference among members of the non-Roma majority.
• Increase Roma activism and engagement.
• Mobilise the non-Roma population as allies for social change.

We propose to identify a new approach to contact-based interventions to fulfil the aim of creating harmony in society while maintaining awareness of social inequalities.

OUR PROJECT HAS TWO MAIN PILLARS:

• conducting and assessing contact-based intervention programs using action research and identifying best practices;
• conducting randomised controlled lab and survey experiments, and analysing data from large European surveys and using meta-analysis of previous research.

We focus on Hungary, Slovakia and Spain, but maintain a European perspective in data collection and dissemination. We will develop common methodologies for contact-based interventions and an online, interactive toolkit for evaluating interventions from the perspective of fit with the normative context, prejudice reduction, and social mobilisation. We will disseminate our findings to researchers, local and EU policy makers and practitioners, as well as to the general public.

RESEARCH REPORTS

Analysis of examples of best practices in three countries focusing on intergroup contact and collective action engagement interventions:

• National report Hungary (download report in Hungarian or English)
• National report Slovakia (download report in Slovak)
• National report Spain (download report in Spanish)
• Summary of best practices selection (download report here)

Experiments – Using Contact Interventions to Promote Engagement and Mobilisation for Social Change:

• Report of experiments in English (download report here)

Meta-analytical and secondary data analysis evidence on the connection of intergroup contact and anti-Gypsyism in Europe:

• Report of meta-analytical and secondary data analyses in English (download report here)

Interviews with Roma activists:

• Report of the interviews with Roma activists in three countries – Hungary, Slovakia and Spain (download report here)

Survey on Roma engagement in action for equal rights:

• Survey report on factors underlying Roma engagement in action for equal rights (download report here)

The Child Protection Policy of the ELTE Team is available here.

PRO-ROMA ENGAGEMENT

Our team has prepared a Toolkit for pro-Roma engagement: Guidelines for Roma activists and their non-Roma allies.

You can also watch our video below where Roma activists talk about how they see allyship, why do Roma people need allies, who can stand up for Roma rights and what makes a good ally.