Call for an Intern for a Research Programme on Roma Integration Policies
Project: Faces of Roma migrants in Europe
Organisations: the S.E.G.A. Foundation, the Centre for Liberal Strategies, NGO Lynx
Mentor: Ruman Sechkov, Foundation of S.E.G.A.
Brief Job Description: The joint project of the Center for Liberal Strategies, NGO Lynx and the S.E.G.A. Foundation aims to reveal the economic, social and financial effects of the labour migration of Bulgarian Roma to Spain and the Czech Republic, focusing on the degree of labour market integration and comparative analysis of success factors through personal stories and data analysis. The accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union has led to growing concerns in the public domain in EU countries related to a massive "invasion" of Roma, increasing crime rates, abuse of social assistance systems and the expansion of the informal economy. In Bulgaria, factors favouring Roma migration include poverty, racism, the growing influence of populist parties and widespread hate speech. In this situation, EU governments have the difficult task of implementing proactive measures to socially include new immigrants and at the same time address societal fears. On the other hand, the government in Bulgaria has the task of developing programmes and measures to reduce the organised migration of Roma to the rest of the EU, while implementing integration policies in a way that is perceived as fair by all ethnic groups in the country. The project aims to explore successful Bulgarian and European practices of social inclusion through the personal stories of Roma families in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Spain. It will explore the mechanisms implemented in the three countries that contribute to tackling the informal economy, the effective implementation of employment and social inclusion programmes and the formation of entrepreneurial skills.
The project is funded by the Open Society Institute-Budapest.
The project team invites applicants from Roma background with interests in research, migration, social inclusion of Roma through the perspective of economic and employment, to join the team as interns for a period of one year. One candidate will be selected.
The main tasks are:
To assist the team in the implementation of the project;
To participate in the field research in Bulgaria;
To assist in the social media research;
To support the team in advocacy activities;
To develop a research project in the field of migration and social inclusion of Roma from the perspective of economic employment and labour integration.
Duration:1st April 2016 - 1st April 2017
Requirements:
Student, at least 3rd year or graduate in Economics, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Social Work;
Previous experience in research or work in economics, Roma social inclusion or public administration is an advantage;
Good computer literacy and willingness to work with social media;
Be willing to declare their Roma background;
Pro-activeness and motivation.
Optional Procedure: Interested candidates are invited to send a CV, a cover letter and a preliminary idea for research. Applications will be accepted between February 12 - 22, 2016 via email at :cega@cega.bg.
Interviews with shortlisted candidates will be conducted during the last week of February. Results will be announced by March 10, 2016.