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| HUNGARY Roma Rebuild their Neighborhood in Tatabanya Once a prosperous coal-mining city, Tatabanya now faces high unemployment and inter-ethnic tensions. Poverty and crime levels have risen as workers have been driven out of their jobs with the closing of mines. In order to defuse these escalating tensions, Partners-Hungary, in cooperation with the Hungarian Minority Office and the Ministry of Labor, implemented a unique Public Employment Program to reintegrate unemployed workers into the workforce. The project was designed to encourage citizen participation in local affairs while also renovating an underdeveloped section of the city. Partners-Hungary’s project aims were fourfold: to involve citizens in local decision making through a cooperative planning process; to renovate houses in Mesztelep, a poor region of Tatabanya that is home to many disadvantaged Roma; to publicly employ previously unemployed Roma for a six-month period; and to foster community building for the entire neighborhood. Cooperative planning sessions were held to select project participants, bringing together a diverse group of local government and social welfare organizations. The group selected 200 citizens to work in two groups of 100, for two six-month periods. Most of the workers selected were Roma, had been unemployed for a lengthy period, and lived in the area chosen for renovation. The collaborative selection process contributed to strong production from the work teams, and the Roma workers completed a successful renovation in Mesztelep. The second phase of the project focused on evaluating and addressing workers' concerns about permanent employment possibilities. The project group organized a meeting with local government officials and local employers to discuss ways to keep participants permanently employed. The National Council of Public Employment evaluated this program as the most successful public employment initiative ever in Hungary. The first of its kind, the project successfully found jobs for disadvantaged minorities, fostered communication and cooperation among local organizations, and helped to reduce biases against Roma community members. Additional Resources |