Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ZAGREB836
2003-04-15 15:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:  

ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED? -- CROATIA FLOATS NATIONAL

Tags:  PHUM HR 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000836 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2013
TAGS: PHUM HR HRPHUM
SUBJECT: ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED? -- CROATIA FLOATS NATIONAL
STRATEGY FOR ROMA

CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF MITCH BENEDICT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000836

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2013
TAGS: PHUM HR HRPHUM
SUBJECT: ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED? -- CROATIA FLOATS NATIONAL
STRATEGY FOR ROMA

CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF MITCH BENEDICT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: THE GOC INITIATED A COMMENT AND DISCUSSION
PERIOD FOR A DRAFT NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR ROMA IN MARCH, AND
WOULD LIKE TO FINALIZE THE PLAN BY THE FALL. NGOS TELL US
THE DRAFT PLAN IS A WELCOME EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE SEVERE
OBSTACLES FACED BY THE ROMA IN CROATIA, BUT FALLS SHORT ON
THE DETAILS AND FUNDING. PRONE TO RELY ON EXPRESSIONS OF
INTENT WHEN IT COMES TO ADDRESSING BROAD SOCIAL PROBLEMS,
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PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00836 01 OF 02 151548Z
SUCH AS ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL STRATEGY, IT REMAINS TO BE
SEEN IF THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE MEANINGFUL ACTIONS TO
IMPROVE THE LIVES OF ROMA IN CROATIA. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) ANTE SIMONIC, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, ASSEMBLED A
WORKING GROUP LATE LAST YEAR TO DRAFT A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR
ROMA. THE GOC OFFICE FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES IS PLAYING A
COORDINATING ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL
STRATEGY, AND HAS RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM OSCE/OHIDR AND THE
COUNCIL OF EUROPE. ON MARCH 12 THE GOVERNMENT HELD A PUBLIC
ROUNDTABLE TO PRESENT THE DRAFT NATIONAL STRATEGY, AND
SIMONIC ANNOUNCED THERE WOULD BE A PERIOD OF PUBLIC
DISCUSSION AND COMMENT BEFORE A FINAL REPORT WOULD BE
PRESENTED TO THE GOVERNMENT. ONCE THE GOVERNMENT APPROVES
THE REPORT IT WILL BE PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT FOR ADOPTION.
MLENA KLAJNER, ACTING HEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE FOR
NATIONAL MINORITIES, TOLD US THE NATIONAL STRATEGY IS NOT
LIKELY TO BE ADOPTED BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.


3. (U) THE DRAFT NATIONAL STRATEGY CONTAINS A LONG LIST OF
LARGELY GOVERNMENT-DIRECTED ACTIVITIES IN EDUCATION,
GOVERNANCE, SOCIAL WELFARE, EMPLOYMENT, INTERNAL AFFAIRS,
CULTURE, AND HOUSING. THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES CONSIST OF
LONG-TERM, MEDIUM-TERM, AND SHORT-TERM TASKS THAT ARE TO BE
UNDERTAKEN BY GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS, NGOS,
AND THE ROMA COMMUNITY. ROMA REPRESENTATIVES ARE TO BE
SYSTEMATICALLY INVOLVED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN
THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT, AND THROUGH
THE COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAM
FOR ROMA. THE COMMITTEE, TO CONSIST OF NINE REPRESENTATIVES
OF RELEVANT MINISTRIES AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES, SEVEN
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PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00836 01 OF 02 151548Z

REPRESENTATIVES FROM ROMA COUNCILS, AND ONE REPRESENTATIVE
FROM A HUMAN RIGHTS NGO, WILL MEET "AS NECESSARY" TO MONITOR
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL STRATEGY.


4. (C) THE CROATIA HELSINKI COMMITTEE (HHO),THE MOST ACTIVE
HUMAN RIGHTS NGO IN CROATIA WORKING ON ROMA ISSUES, TOLD US
THAT WHILE THE GOVERNMENT IS WELL-INTENTIONED THE NATIONAL
STRATEGY IS REALLY ADDRESSING "LUXURY ITEMS" RATHER THAN
BASIC NEEDS, AND IS BETTER SUITED TO A DEVELOPED COUNTRY
RATHER THAN CROATIA. HHO FURTHER FAULTED THE GOC FOR NOT
TAKING A HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACH TO THE DOCUMENT, AND FOR NOT
INCLUDING ANYONE FROM OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT IN THE INITIAL
DRAFTING. ON THE OTHER HAND, HHO PRAISED THE GOC FOR THE
EFFORT, CITING IT AS THE FIRST SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS
PROBLEMS FACING THE ROMA POPULATION IN CROATIA. HHO WILL
CLOSELY MONITOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL STRATEGY.
"CHILDREN FIRST," A LOCAL NGO WITH LONG EXPERIENCE IN WORKING
WITH THE ROMA, REJECTED WHAT IT TERMED THE "GHETTOIZATION"
INHERENT IN SEPARATE SOLUTIONS FOR THE ROMA PROPOSED IN THE
NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR PROBLEMS FACED BY ALL THOSE IN POVERTY.
WHILE WELCOME, PROPOSED EFFORTS TO EXPAND EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION WERE CRITICIZED AS NOT GOING FAR ENOUGH.


5. (C) ROMA NGOS SUCCESSFULLY HELD A FIRST CONGRESS OF ROMA
IN CROATIA IN FEBRUARY 2003 AND UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED THE
NATIONAL STRATEGY. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO HHO, ROMA VIEW THE
NATIONAL STRATEGY AS "TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT." AS A
DISEMPOWERED COMMUNITY, ROMA SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNMENT IS A
GIVEN. UNFORTUNATELY, ROMA NGOS ARE FRACTIOUS AND NUMEROUS
-- CERTAINLY IN COMPARISON TO THEIR SMALL NUMBER, PERHAPS
30-40,000 IN THE CROATIAN POPULATION AS A WHOLE -- AND HAVE
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PAGE 04 ZAGREB 00836 01 OF 02 151548Z
DIFFICULTY IN WORKING TOGETHER IN PURSUIT OF COMMON GOALS.
NON-ROMA NGOS THAT ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED ON ROMA ISSUES ARE
UNANIMOUS IN THEIR VIEW THAT THE ROMA ARE INCAPABLE OF
EFFECTIVELY WORKING ON THEIR OWN BEHALF. BOJAN MUNJIN, WHO
FOLLOWS ROMA ISSUES FOR THE HHO, SAID THE ROMA WERE A "SAD
AND DEPRESSED COMMUNITY" WHO ARE SO POORLY EDUCATED THAT THEY
HAVEN'T "THE TOOLS OR IMPLEMENTS" TO FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS.
KLAJNER TOLD US THERE ARE OVER 50 ROMA NGOS, AND THAT A
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY GIVEN TO THOSE NGOS ENDS UP IN
PRIVATE POCKETS, AN ASSESSMENT SHARED BY MANY IN THE DONOR
COMMUNITY. SHE SAID IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR DIFFERENT
BROTHERS IN THE SAME FAMILY TO HEAD UP SEPARATE AND COMPETING
NGOS.


6. (C) BLANKA SHEGOVIC, DIRECTOR OF "CHILDREN FIRST," HAS
WORKED WITH THE ROMA COMMUNITY FOR AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS,
ESTABLISHING PLAY GROUPS AND PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO
HELP ROMA CHILDREN STAY IN SCHOOL. SHE TOLD US THAT FEW ROMA
NGOS ARE ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ROMA
COMMUNITY, BUT RATHER EXIST AS A MEANS FOR THE LEADER TO
ESTABLISH A POWER BASE SECURED BY FUNDING PROVIDED BY DONORS.
MANY ROMA DO NOT WANT NON-ROMA NGOS INVOLVED IN ROMA ISSUES.
SHEGOVIC RECALLED AN ENCOUNTER THAT ILLUSTRATED THE POINT,

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL PTQ0567

PAGE 01 ZAGREB 00836 02 OF 02 151548Z
ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00
EB-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 NSAE-00
NSCE-00 OIC-02 OPIC-01 PA-00 PRS-00 P-00 SP-00
SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 ECA-00 PRM-00 DRL-01
G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /005W
-------------- 563401 151646Z /38
R 151547Z APR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9965
INFO EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 000836

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2013
TAGS: PHUM HR HRPHUM
SUBJECT: ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED? -- CROATIA FLOATS NATIONAL
STRATEGY FOR ROMA

AND LEFT HER SPEECHLESS: A ROMA NGO LEADER COMPLAINED TO HER
"YOU ARE GETTING RICH ON OUR CHILDREN WHEN IT SHOULD BE US
GETTING RICH ON OUR CHILDREN." MOST ROMA NGO LEADERS NEVER
COMPLETED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND SEVERAL ARE ILLITERATE. OF
THE ENTIRE ROMA POPULATION OF CROATIA, ESTIMATES ARE THAT NOT
MORE THAN 100 CHILDREN ARE ATTENDING SECONDARY SCHOOLS.


7. (C) COMMENT: THE GOC HAS A RECORD OF TRYING TO ADDRESS
BROAD SOCIAL PROBLEMS -- GENDER, TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, AND
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PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00836 02 OF 02 151548Z
NOW THE ROMA -- VIA NATIONAL STRATEGIES. INVARIABLY THEY
DESCRIBE A LARGE NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES, BUT ARE SHORT ON
DETAIL, AND CONTAIN UNREALISTIC DEADLINES AND VAGUE LINES OF
RESPONSIBILITY. IN ADDITION, FUNDING FOR ACTIVITIES IS
USUALLY NOT ADDRESSED. THE ROMA STRATEGY INCLUDES SOME
SPECIFIC BUDGET ESTIMATES; WE COUNTED OVER $4 MILLION FOR
ACTIVITIES IN 2003 ALONE, BUT THERE IS NO INDICATION WHERE
THAT MONEY WILL COME FROM, OR IF THE GOC WILL BE ABLE TO
ALLOCATE FUNDING FOR ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR. NATIONAL
STRATEGIES SOUND GOOD IN THEORY, BUT AT THEIR BEST THEY
REMAIN AN EXPRESSION OF INTENT -- WHETHER OR NOT THE GOC WILL
FOLLOW THROUGH WITH CONCRETE ACTION ON ISSUES OF CONCERN TO
THE ROMA REMAINS TO BE SEEN. END COMMENT.
ROSSIN

CONFIDENTIAL

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