Roma youth leaders, youth workers, human rights activists, and members of civil society organisations across North Macedonia gathered in Mavrovo for a training course “Roma Youth Combating Antigypsyism” from 24 to 27 July 2024.

The training course was organised by the Institute for research and policy analysis – Romalitico Skopje, together with the Association of Citizens “Romaverzitas”, in cooperation with the Council of Europe Youth Department and the joint EU and Council of Europe ROMACTED Phase II Programme on “Promoting good governance and Roma empowerment at local level”.

The training course empowered participants to act as trainers and multipliers of human rights education addressing antigypsyism within their national and local contexts using the Compass and Mirrors manuals. Through non-formal education, participants practiced identifying and responding to human rights violations, addressing antigypsyism, and advocating for human rights in their communities. By strengthening the capacity of young Roma activists, this training course contributes to the implementation of the Recommendation CM/Rec(2023)4 on Roma Youth Participation and reflects the Reykjavík Principles for Democracy.

The programme of the activity also included discussions on national Roma and youth policies, as well as the Council of Europe's standards and actions to promote Roma inclusion in member states, including North Macedonia. Fatmir Limani, Minister of Social Policy, Demography, and Youth, and Fatmir Sabriu, State Secretary, Oleg Soldatov, Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Skopje and Anna Aranzhii, Programme Manager in the Youth Department engaged in the discussions with the group on these topics.

The Compass Training Courses are the integral part of the Human Rights Education Youth Programme  and play a central role in the implementation of the Council of Europe 2030 Strategy of the youth sector.