Amalipe Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance

Amalipe Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance is a leading Roma organization, working for the equal integration of Roma in Bulgarian Society. The organization plays a central role in organizing a Roma civic movement and advocating for Roma integration within the state institutions. Amalipe is a member of the Civil Participation Forum, the National Patient organization, the European Women Lobby. At present the organization has Community Develoment Centres and Local community clubs in 15 municipalities (women, youth and leaders clubs) and works with a network of 297 schools.

The mission of Amalipe is to stimulate the empowerment of the Roma community and particularly the Romani woman in Bulgaria. The organization will further aim to promote an active participation and equal access to the development processes and resources with a priority focus on access to quality education and healthcare and social services; to overcome the harmful traditional practices in the community and contribute to the empowerment and equal participation of Romani women.

Currently Amalipe runs more than 15 projects within the sectors of: education, social services, Romani women rights and advocacy.

Amalipe works with a network of 297 schools all over the country. The objective is to decrease the dropout rate of the Roma population, introduce intercultural education, promote life-long learning in the Roma community and raise the educational status of Roma. Essential part of this work is by empowering Roma parents to take part in the school life of their children and converting the school into a center of the community. Special focus of this work is reaction to harmful traditional practices such as early marriages and dropping out of Roma girls from the educational system.

In order to foster the self-organization of the Roma community, Amalipe has established 15 Roma Community Support Centers in the six NUTS regions of Bulgaria. Everyone of these centers operate with a network of three to six local community groups, including youth, women and leaders’ clubs. In all the localities Amalipe has established good working relations with the local institutions, including local authorities.

In addition, Amalipe cooperates with grass-root Roma organizations all over the country to organize advocacy campaigns and Roma integration activities in different fields such as: education, health care, social services, Romani women rights, etc.