Call for Proposals: OSI Roma Decade Matching Fund

Date:

February 5, 2010

The Open Society Institute Roma Initiatives announces a call for a new round of proposals for its Decade Matching Fund.

In 2006, as part of its support for the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005–2015, Roma Initiatives set up a fund to support innovative projects that promote intercultural dialogue and challenge negative attitudes towards Roma. Roma Initiatives matches funds with public authorities, private foundations, television, publishers, and corporations.

To date, the Decade Matching Fund has supported a diverse range of initiatives covering education, gender, employment, cultural identity, diversity, and intercultural dialogue. Projects have taken the form of research, advocacy, capacity-building efforts, awareness-raising campaigns, art and photography exhibitions, documentaries, public debates, and seminars.

As 2010 is the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, this year the Decade Matching Fund calls for applications that align with the following objectives identified by the European Commission:

Recognition of the fundamental right of persons experiencing poverty and social exclusion to live in dignity and to take an active part in society
To promote their effective access to social and economic rights as well as to sufficient resources and quality services
To promote public support and the idea of shared responsibility for social inclusion policies
To further the idea that eradication of poverty and exclusion benefits the entire society and fosters social cohesion
To challenge stigmatization and stereotypical assumptions about poverty, and prejudices against the socially excluded.