In March 1998, the municipal government of Usti nad Labem, a small town in the Czech Republic, proposed to erect a six-meter high soundproof wall, in order to separate 39 Roma families from the rest of the town’s residents. The mayor stated that these plans were in response to complaints to the City Council by neighboring Czech families about noise and refuse generated by their Roma neighbors.

The epicenter of this conflict was Maticni Street, where some 300 Roma lived in two housing projects that face a small ethnic Czech neighborhood on the opposite side of the street. The government had relocated the majority of these Roma families after their former houses were destroyed. At the time, discriminatory citizenship laws made it extremely difficult for Roma to become citizens, and thus to obtain social benefits and legal employment. Without jobs or a social net, the high costs of living on Maticni Street caused all 34 families to default on their rent payments. The local government shut off their water supply as punishment, thereby worsening the situation not only for the Roma, but also for their Czech neighbors, who were becoming increasingly angry over the condition of the street.

As a result of this developing situation, worldwide attention focused on the Czech Republic’s treatment of its Roma population. The state government, including President Havel, strongly condemned the Usti mayor’s actions and demanded the termination of the plan to build the wall. The ensuing national debate thus not only addressed the Roma situation, but also tested the decision-making authority of the local versus national government.

In an attempt to manage the conflict, the Czech Office of Roma Affairs requested the deployment of Partners-Czech’s mediators to the divided community. Partners-Czech had previously worked in the community through its initiative that established Roma Advisory positions in local governments in every city across the country; each Advisor serves as a bridge between the government and the local Roma population. Now, Partners-Czech developed a methodology to de-escalate the conflict and address two main issues facing the Roma community: how to organize and reach agreement among their own disparate positions and interests, and then how to protect their rights with the local government. In designing its intervention, Partners-Czech utilized the Usti Roma Advisor, Eva Bajgerova, as a mechanism through which to communicate and build trust with the local community.

During the week preceding Partners-Czech’s arrival, the town and its Roma population reached a silent agreement to postpone the building of the wall and to re-evaluate the situation in three months. Partners-Czech took advantage of this opportunity to work with both sides. First, staff identified the key stakeholders in the Roma community, and provided trainings in critical conflict management skills. Two of these training sessions included representatives from the mayor’s office, and focused on the development of communication skills across diverse groups. The underlying tension and low motivation of the town representatives was buoyed by the enthusiasm of the Roma and NGO representatives, which helped move the sessions forward.

Next, Partners-Czech facilitated a series of eight problem-solving sessions involving the key stakeholders, including Roma residents from Maticni Street. Partners-Czech utilized several Roma representatives from another town, Most-Chanov, which had faced similar ethnic discrimination problems and where Partners-Czech had successfully intervened, to gain credibility directly with the Roma community in order to explain the purpose of the meetings and encourage participation to protect their own interests. Partners-Czech facilitators ensured that the most controversial issues were included in the agenda for these meetings, including housing, unemployment, social services and education.

As a result of Partners-Czech’s efforts, the Usti Roma community addressed one its biggest challenges, namely, the division among Roma groups themselves. The local community elected a leader and residents initiated a dialogue with the district council, the leaders of which had historically viewed the Roma as a “public nuisance.” With the help of Partners-Czech, the Roma Rainbow organization was also created, formed to protect the rights, needs, and interests of the Maticni Street residents and to promote better communication and cooperation within the town.

Several other community improvements resulted from the facilitated sessions, including: two Maticni Street Roma residents were employed as caretakers for local buildings; portions of dilapidated Maticni buildings were renovated; four Roma women became involved in support programs for the unemployed; and residents noted a considerable decrease in noise levels and garbage on the street.

When Partners-Czech left the area in January 1999, it had successfully de-escalated the potential for violence in the community, coalesced a divided Roma community, and facilitated cross-sector negotiations during a time of severe rhetoric. Though, unfortunately, the wall was in fact built in the fall of 1999, the combined efforts of local and national NGOs, protests, debates, and national and international pressure resulted in the dismantling of the wall soon thereafter. The incident thus signaled a victory for the rights of the underprivileged and peaceful, participatory conflict resolution processes.

Additional Resources
1) Photograph from Usti nad Labem

2) Press Release Announcing Launch of Partners & USAID Roma Initiative