C OMU NE DI U DI NE
ROMA-NET Integration of Roma population
LOCAL MAPPING – UDINE
PLACE
The demographics, economic drivers, special characteristics.
Udine is an ancient historical city in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region of North
Eastern Italy, which in recent years has experienced something of a renaissance in both
its industrial and academic capacity.
The city occupies an area of approximately 56km2 and is home to a population of
99.071 inhabitants (up-date 01.01.2009), with a population density equating to 1,769km2,
as at Jan 2009. This represents a growth rate of 1.2% on the previous year and is split
46.8% male to 53.2% female. As at 2007 the number of minors aged 18 or below
totalled 14.36% and those pensioners over the age of 65 reached 24.27%. This compares
with the Italian average of 18.06% and 19.94% respectively. The average age of Udine
residents is 47 as compared to the country average of 42. In the 5 years to 2007 the
population of Udine grew by 1.48% while Italy as a whole grew by 3.56%.
With levels of unemployment at approximately 4% (2008) as compared to country
averages of almost double that, the city boasts a relatively strong economy, dominated
by the tertiary sector and recognised as an important centre of commerce. In line with
the Region as a whole, Udine enjoys a favourable GDP per capita [i.e. 21.399 (2008), in
the Province of Udine € 21.262 (2008)] that generally far exceeds the EU average, unlike
Italy’s more Southern regions. The inflation rate is under control, following regional and
national inflation levels (3,4% on average).
In the 3 years to Jan 2009 the number of foreign citizens in Udine had risen by close
to 9% (8.812) to 12,3% (12.156), split 50.1% male to 49.9% female. The most significant
immigrant group comes from other European nations most notably Albania, Romania
and Serbia.
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Roma Population Profile
The Roma community1 in Udine currently stands at 330, representing a total of 85
family units. Of this 330 total, a significant proportion, currently 100 people or 26
families, 55 of whom are under 21 years of age, are housed unlawfully on the city’s
largest, and Italy’s oldest, unregulated camp2.
Over the last 50 years Roma families have gathered on this area of State property,
between the station and a cemetery in the North Eastern part of town, and have settled,
without permission, in either caravans or pre-fabricated houses which have no access to
standard public services such as sanitation. There are 5 other such stop-camps spread
across the municipal area. Fewer than 100 people are settled in permanent social housing
and despite the use of housing mediators to smooth the way for those concerned, the
experience has not been a positive one.
History: hints
1950s: First settling of Roma people coming from the nearest concentration camps
where Balkan people were confined during the II World War. They settle down in an
vast area in the countryside, at that time detached from the town, property of the
Ministry of Defence and used by the Army to drill the troops. The camp is also baptized
“Metallic Village”, first for the plate-barracks left by the British Army for homeless
families at the end of WW II, then for the presence of caravans and hutments of
nomadic people.
After the forced removal of Roma people from Naples camp (November 2009), Udine
camp is now the eldest in Italy.
1960s: First residences are issued by the Municipality to Roma people living in the
camp. This time the Municipality does not worry about these first Roma groups settling
down in the nearbies of the town, because of their detachment from the town.
1980s: the urban area enlarges and Roma families within the camp and in some other
parts of the town increase, do the Municipality intervenes. Baths, WCs and 2 common
fountains were built in the camp.
We use the term “Roma people” even though aware that definitions with reference to “Roma issues” are
incomplete, simplifying and often stigmatising. We will use this wording including Sinti or other selfdefining Roma groups.
2 Italy was defined “camp-land” by a European Roma Rights Centre Report in 2000: ERRC, Campland.
Racial segregation of Roma in Italy, Country Report Series n. 9, October 2000. In the late ‘80s and early
‘90s, 10 out of the 20 regions in Italy adopted laws aimed at the “protection of nomadic cultures” through
the construction of segregated camps.
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2
1987: first anti-Roma action in Rome (burning of caravan in an illegal camp) takes
the question of “security” in the spotlight and the Municipality of Udine, too,
begins to ask itself about the presence of Roma people and its potential
consequences on the life of the town.
1988: it’s the “Roma year” for Udine and Friuli Venezia Giulia Region: the
Regional Administration issues a regional law titled “Law for the protection of Roma
culture in FVG Region”. Although for several aspects it was quite a far-sighted law3,
since 1993 it has never been re-financed.
Special schools for Roma children were active in the ‘80s, with separated timetable
and programmes, often without heating in the classrooms.
1990s: the Ministry of Defence sells the area of the camp to the Ministry of the Interior:
the camp is still State property.
1991: the Municipality stops issuing residences in the camp, with worse
consequences upon health care registration and school application.
1998: forced removal of an illegal settling (via Friuli) and the removed families
move to the camp, with which traditionally there has been conflictuality.
1999: State civil property legal action against the Municipality of Udine: State
property asks the Municipality to pay for the rent of the area, unlawfully occupied
by people who are resident in Udine. Sentence passed in 2009 discharges the
Municipality from any responsibility. A Regional Commissary (1999-2000) relieves
the Municiality of Udine from responsibilities in dealing with Roma people on its
territory and confirms the Municipality implemented all pertaining interventions.
2000/2001: 2 projects elaborated by the Municipal Administration
1. feasibility study on the implementation of a stop-camp (in compliance with
Regional Law 11/1988): the Municipality locates an area in between a graveyard
and a railway in the General Town-Plan and singles out it for Roma people
occupation, but this provision has never been implemented;
2. feasibility study on the location of certain areas as “O-zones” (Regional Law
11/1988) dedicated to mono-parental settling, never applied.
2001 Prefect (local Government Representative) stops all forced removals.
Roma settlements in Udine
Regional Law 11/1988 foresees the protection of Roma cultural values and historical identity, the promotion of mutual respect and of
cohabitation; it finances Municipal and local Authorities projects aiming at buying of bettering camps (transit-camps or stop-camps), as
well as initiatives favouring social solidarity co-operative societies, educative and training plans, in order to facilitate Roma social inclusion,
with special care for children, on one side, and for activities of knowledge and support of Roma minority group. Moreover, the Regional
Law establishes a regional Council on Roma culture protection, including Roma people representatives.
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Policies and Administration
The formation of the 2008-2012 Administrative Mandate has identified that the
Roma community slip through the existing social services net and prescribe the need for
a unified strategy for Roma integration. As such, it has allocated resource to the
integration of the Roma community in the form of a dedicated councillor who has
studied their situation thoroughly and acts as an intermediary in their dealings with all
external institutions and associations.
There are additional projects focusing attention on mediation in social housing
and integration of the Roma juvenile population and although there is no specific
designated department, various sectors of the Municipal Administration, including Social
Services, Education Services, Registry Office, Town Planning, Municipal Police and the
Mayor’s Office are involved with addressing Roma related issues.
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Expectations
Above all it is hoped that this project will promote the strategic sharing of
knowledge and exchange of experiences, methodologies and good practice from other
local initiatives, regarding the social inclusion of the Roma community. We will benefit
from considering the relevant issues in a wider trans-national context with respect to
European and International Human Rights legislation and may be able to exploit our
strong partnership to qualify for European funding of local integration policies.
Through the existing council affiliation with members of the Roma community, it
is fully- intended that they be involved in the Local Support Group. A meeting to
discuss the ROMA-Net project has already taken place to outline the initiative and
several local voluntary associations have committed their support and pledged their
continued involvement. In addition, local Health Services, Social Services and the
Juvenile Policy Service will be included in the working group to ensure that all needs are
met.
It is critical in this process that the first aim of the Local Action Plan is to fully
involve the final beneficiaries, those being the Roma community. Any Plan which does
not involve them from the very inception of the process risks failure to tackle the core
issues.
SOCIAL SITUATION
Main features
a) Italian citizenship
The members of Roma community in the camp are all Italian citizens.
b) Residence and living conditions
Since 1991 (census-year when Udine reached 100.000 inhabitants), the
Municipality stops issuing residences in the camp, but for few registrations owing
to social assistance reasons.
Now 32 people in the camp do not enjoy residence and cannot therefore have
access to basic health care or children’s health care (as a consequence: frequency
of pathologies such as bronchitis, asthma, diarrhoea).
Missing residence makes school enrolment very difficult: pupils are temporarily
registered and are compelled to prove their residence registration or at least their
application to obtain it.
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There is a high level of social exclusion and a worrying worsening of living
conditions in the camp. There are also some dangerous situations, such as
electricity wires for caravan connection hanging down from a crooked bracket
pole and running close to water.
Adults support families collecting scrap-iron or begging for alms.
c) Children, teen-agers and schooling
Children and teen-agers of under-21 represent half of the people living in the
camp and few of them accomplish compulsory school.
d) Relationship with “native” population
People living in the nearbies of Roma-camp often complains about burning of
rubbish, thefts and fights attributed to Roma community members.
e) Detachment from the camp
From 2003 to 2008 the Municipality
Some initiatives were proposed against the camp and its inhabitants (public
demonstrations, signature collection, …), without a clear proposal about
alternative solutions.
The Municipal Administration now in office believes that loosening the
relationship with the camp would mean banish Roma people from possibilities of
effective social inclusion (for individuals as well as for families) or from
information about their chances to obtain social help and support. As a
consequence, marginalisation would rise and social safety would creak.
So, the Administration strongly supports positive actions and involvement of
native and Roma communities in discussing and deciding projects moving away
from a logic of geographical and social ghetto.
PRESENT ISSUES
a) Law cases
1. The State property started legal proceedings against the Municipality to oblige
it to clean the camp; the law establishes that the area has to be cleaned every 5
years and Udine Administrative Authorities, under this mandate, cleaned it
from August to October 2008;
2. request by the State to pay a 5-years’rent for the illegal occupation of the
camp, on the basis that local Administration is “competent and responsible”
for the population illegal living there: the Judge states that the Municipality of
Udine is not responsible for an illegal occupation, therefore is not compelled
to pay for the requested rent. Recently, the Municipality met the
representatives of the Prefecture and of the State property and was assured
about their commitment to solve the camp’s situation, by receiving the whole
area without paying any rent, but with the possibility to realise amenities for
the same amount. The agreement is not defined yet, but the opportunity to
talk and think together about that is meaningful and innovative.
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b) Social services and economic measures granted by the Social Service
1. Territorial Socio-Educational Service: it is assured by the Social Service to
children and teen-agers facing difficult social and family situations, risking
psycho-social distress; it is a preventive solution, aiming at granting to
child/teen-ager and to their families the conditions for their harmonic
development, at home or at school, individually or in group, in co-operation
with schools, health services and the Social Service of the ministry of Justice:
11 children living in the camp enjoy the service in 2008/2009; a Roma
educator takes care about social mediation at school.
2. Poverty Fund: it is a temporary economic measure and it aims at preventing,
overcoming or reducing personal needs due to low wages, social problems,
non-autonomy conditions, in order to promote social re-integration and
inclusion: 37 people enjoyed the fund in 2009, with monthly monetary
contribution from € 150 to € 625.
c) Requests of council houses and housing solutions outside the camp
2008: 3 families
2009: 16 families
People in the camp can be moved away only if there are effective housing
solutions outside of it: there is an area which could be arranged, but now lacks of
sewage. Meanwhile, Social Services are working together with associations to find
houses for those who voluntarily accept to move with their families.
To summarise, the major challenges faced by the Roma population in Udine
emanate from both their physical isolation and social exclusion from the rest of society.
Living on a camp without basic amenities is not a lifestyle choice that is widely
understood or accepted by the general population and thus has contributed to a fear and
mistrust of the Roma people which often results in illegal treatment by other
communities. The Roma community themselves suffer the discomfort of extremely
degraded living conditions and as a result of their lack of residency rights or official
registration, they fail to qualify for the most basic of social services such as general
healthcare and education.
This results in poor health and high levels of illiteracy which as young Roma
people become increasingly isolated and marginalised, has a direct correlation with the
high levels of unemployment and petty crime rates being experienced. Whilst there have
been some attempts to establish social co-operatives providing gardening services, there
is no investment in the development of sustainable good jobs and as a result, the main
source of income generation has been the collection and disposal of illegal waste.
The key challenges for the city in relation to the Roma population revolve
around solutions to the identified issues. The problem of illegal habitation in camps
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must be addressed by providing alternative acceptable and more integrated solution. It is
hoped that the relationship between the Roma people and other communities can be
improved through education and knowledge sharing with regards the Roma way of life
as well as the provision of mediation services for disputes. A strategy for informing and
providing assistance with education, housing and job opportunities is necessary.
Articulation of the key issues
With relation to what explained above, it is evident that thinking about specific
actions within the key sub-themes of the project “ROMA-NET. Integration of Roma
population” is a meaningful resource for trying to overcome challenges through a Local
Action Plan.
Access to key services
1. Making the contact between Roma people and public services easier, avoiding
forms of discrimination.
Labour market inclusion
1. Promoting the overcoming of barriers in the access to the local labour market;
2. making vocational training more accessible;
3. providing for materials to start activities and informing about how to start an
activity;
4. proposing forms of self-management of places where Roma live.
Self-help programmes
1. Promoting involvement within the Project network, particularly in the Local
Support Group;
2. enhancing Roma self-entrepreneurship ;
3. reinforcing positive experiences, i.e. co-operatives.
Moreover, it would be extremely important to implement these actions that the
Project may focus on the process of involving the Roma community as a transversal
aim of the Local Action Plan: this would enhance the efficacy of the Project’s actions.
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POLICIES, PROGRAMMES, PROJECTS
LOCAL MAPPING TEMPLATE
City
Udine
Department/
Organisation
Mayor’s Office
Social Services Department
Name of author
Antonella Nonino, Anna Andrian
Date
February 2010
ABOUT THE INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS – build a
picture and showcase innovative initiatives that have already been put in place to
improve services for the general population, or specific segments, under the key
policy areas of Health, Housing, Education and Employment. Try to use examples
from the City but also take account of National level initiatives, especially EU
funded.
Health
Select two or three examples of specific projects/ programmes to showcase
initiatives that the city has applied to improve health/ health services for the
general population of the city?
 Describe the aims, the purpose, and the results; explain if and how it was
targeted for other strands of the population, how it was managed, and who
was responsible for implementation.
Health premises in Udine are recognised as part of an excellence standard in the
Region and in Italy.
The Hospital has been active for 700 years and the modern structure and
organisation was built in 1924. In 1993 the Hospital was acknowledged by the
Government as of “national importance and high specialisation”.
Health services are organised in Local Health Authorities and Health Districts:
the Health Agency of Udine includes 62 Municipalities (335.000 inhabitants) and
offers basic medial assistance, specialised services, prevention / mental health /
dependence services, emergency care; the District of Udine takes care of diagnosis,
basic care, rehabilitation, health education and prevention.
Health services work networking with other public bodies and with private and
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voluntary associations.
Some examples of programmes / projects run by institutions, with the cooperation with associations:
1. Healthy Cities: WHO project born in 1986, aimed at improving health
conditions, mainly for children and old people, ensuring access to good
quality health services and enhancing both private and public contribution.
Udine joined the international partnership in 1995 and so far managed
projects about health prevention, healthy alimentation, physical activity,
smoke prevention, school mobility and safety, sexual education,
environment protection, research and study (i.e. the elderly in Udine, health
maps, Vancouver Protocol and age-friendly cities).
2. Agenda 21: international action plan supporting sustainable development.
Udine is a partner since 1996, trying to develop successful urban and extraurban policies, elaborating a Local Action Plan aimed at improving the
quality of life in the city, with special attention to health, social cohesion and
culture.
3. Protected dismissal from hospital: managed by Hospital, Health District and
Social Services, aimed at promoting care continuity between hospital and
home, mainly for old people, though the co-operation of different services,
in order to support the families.
4. UdineBike: bike sharing project for people moving by bike within the city.
Bicycles are placed in specific spots (i.e. station, squares, parking).
5. Voluntary services: the Municipality co-ordinates more than 60 association
to offer small services in ordinary life (do the shopping, medicines from the
chemist’s, little house-repairing, small transport, information, company,
aggregation places) to old people living alone and without family supports,
or to temporarily non-self-sufficient people, or to people with economic
problems; the Health Department included voluntary health clinics for
migrants, aimed at health prevention and screening after their first arrival.
6. Overnight street service: the Social Service Department promotes an
overnight street service, realised by the local Caritas through an educator and
voluntary people, aimed at offering support and basic necessaries to
homeless people or people who find themselves in heavy distress situation.
 Are there any special element that contributed to the success of the projects,
please explain.
The following elements contributed to the success of the projects mentioned
above:
a) a strong commitment of the Municipality and of other institutions,
such as the Hospital and the Health District, both from the political
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side and from the technical one, resulting in shared methodologies
and good practices;
b) a profitable co-operation between public bodies and private/voluntary
association, with an on-going process of community work;
c) the voluntary participation of citizens in planning and implementing
the activities.
 Has the city any new health project/programmes in the pipeline and in
which priority areas will these services/actions target.
The programme is to enhance the efficiency of what is on-going, reinforcing the
features dealing with community work, in order to involve in the process not only
institutions or associations, but the same final beneficiaries.
The LSG members propose to reinforce some prevention measures, such as health
screening for women and children, as well as training for mothers and parents,
information about health services and implementation of voluntary nurse service.
 Have there been any health projects specifically targeted at the city’s Roma
population to improve their health and health services. If so please provide
information including how successful the interventions have been.
Health care for Roma population has not been organised through separate projects,
however Health Authorities have been active in the Roma camp and in other Roma
settlements, in order to ensure – quite successfully – that children are vaccinated
and to take care about the hygienic aspects.
Emergencies are covered by the Hospital, as for the whole population.
The expectation would be to extend the role of the Health Authorities dealing with
the wider aspects of health protection for the camp and promote a better access to
health education information, since over the years it has proven to be difficult to
positively engage the camp community and to keep them interested in any
initiatives.
EDUCATION
Select two or three examples of specific projects/ programmes to showcase
initiatives that have been applied to improve education provision and
education services for the general population of the city. Try to use
examples from the City but also take account of National level initiatives,
especially EU funded.
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 Describe the aims, the purpose, and the results; explain if and how it was
targeted for other strands of the population, how it was managed, and who
was responsible for implementation.
At national level, primary and secondary schools join European projects dealing
with intercultural issues, environmental matters and twinning. The Friuli Venezia
Giulia Regional Administration implements plans to widen the educational supply,
involving Universities, School Directions and single schools, mainly supporting
information, intercultural awareness-raising, after-school services, cultural and
linguistic mediation.
Some examples of programmes / projects run by institutions, schools, also in cooperation with social co-operatives and associations:
1. Local Socio-Educative Service: assured by the Social Department of the
Municipality to children and teen-agers facing difficult social and family
situations, risking psycho-social distress; it is a preventive solution, aiming at
granting to children/teenagers and to their families the conditions for their
harmonic development, at home or at school, individually or in group, in cooperation with schools, health services and the Social Service of the Ministry
of Justice: 11 children living in the camp enjoyed the service in 2008/2009; a
Roma mediator/educator takes care about social mediation at school.
2. After-school services: homework support, aggregation and leisure activities,
individual capabilities reinforcing, mainly for Italian and migrant pupils with
school problems, often promoted by the Municipality or by the school
through Regional funds and implemented by social co-operatives or
associations.
3. Cultural and linguistic mediation within primary and secondary school:
aimed at offering a first linguistic support to children whose migrant families
have just arrived, in order to include them in the ordinary school classes.
4. Promotion of the participation to aggregation centres to make socializing
among youngsters easier.
 Are there any special element that contributed to the success of the projects,
please explain.
The following elements contributed to the success of the projects mentioned
above:
a) a strong involvement of the Municipality and schools;
b) a profitable co-operation between public bodies and private/voluntary
association, with an on-going process of community work;
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c) the involvement of migrants’ associations, specialised in linguistic
mediation and intercultural education, which helped building trust
among institution.
 Has the city any new education project/programmes in the pipeline and in
which priority areas will these services/actions target.
The Municipality is committed to improve the Local Socio-Educative Service and,
starting from 2010, to start the implementation of an integrated educative service,
with strong social features, aimed at supporting adult people in distressed situation
(homeless, evicted, facing economic problems, lacking family or friendly supports):
this is quite a meaningful project, since it arises from an experimental programme
involving – for more than 2 years – different institutions and many associations,
such as the Municipality of Udine, the Health Authorities (Health District,
Departments for Mental Health, for Dependences and for Prevention), the
Ministry of Justice and associations working for marginalized people. They shared
views and planned an innovative and integrated form of intervention in an area
where services have been not co-ordinated so far, trying to offer a better service to
final beneficiaries.
The LSG members propose to enhance support services and training courses and
measures. Some project ideas have been presented by UNICEF and other
associations.
 Have there been any education projects specifically targeted at the city’s
Roma population to improve their health and health services. If so please
provide information including how successful the interventions have been.
A Mediation service has been set: a Roma mediator / educator works at primary
school and within the Local Socio-Educative Service; she is considered as a
facilitator on primary schooling of Roma children.
Specifically, for Roma children and teenagers, one of the priorities – through the
ROMA-NET project – is to think and implement strategies and practices to grant
continuous education from the very beginning, with a strong link to primary and
then secondary schools. Moreover, the plan involves prevention of Roma
youngsters from dropping-out and enhancement of vocational training, as a bridge
to labour market.
Thanks to regional funds, the Social Department manages a specific project aimed
at promoting the integration in the labour market of young Roma people, mainly
under 21-years-old. The project, named “Lacio Drom”, focuses on the following
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actions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
educative accompaniment to labour and social inclusion;
working measures;
vocational training;
collaboration with Confederations/Organisations of Crafts, Small
and Medium-Sized Enterprises, with the Ministry of Justice and with
private voluntary association.
Aware of the obstacles faced by Roma youngsters at school and at work, the
projects wants to tackle on one side education and training and on the other
working measures, in order to try to remove barriers coming from poor education,
dropping-out, lack of information, labour discrimination.
It is an experimental project the aims of which are very close to ROMA-NET
objectives, so the Administration is trying to find the way to integrate one into the
other.
Since 2006, the Youth Agency of the Municipality of Udine managed working
measures for teen-agers and 3 Roma youngsters joined the programme, with very
good results, mainly in co-operation with the aggregation centres in the city.
HOUSING
Select two or three examples of specific projects/ programmes to showcase
initiatives that have been applied to improve Housing provision and housing
related services for the general population of the city? Try to use examples
from the City but also take account of National level initiatives, especially
EU funded.
 Describe the aims, the purpose, and the results; explain if and how it was
targeted for other strands of the population, how it was managed, and who
was responsible for implementation.
Housing is a key issue when dealing with marginalized people, since together with
good health condition and decent job, proper housing is one of the elements
characterizing the individual well being.
Recently, due to economic crisis, renting and loaning costs became crucial
problems, affecting middle-class and, heavily, weaker categories of the population,
even lodged in Council Houses.
The Regional Administration promotes policies and projects about social housing
and economic support, both for natives and for migrants.
Within the Social Services Department, he Municipality of Udine introduced two
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specific Units, namely the Receiving Co-ordination and Social Inclusion
Interventions Office and the Immigration, Social housing and citizenship rights
promotion Office, mainly dealing with:
- planning of reception policies for migrants and natives;
- coordination with institutional and associative resources;
- organisation of employees training;
- collaboration with services taking care of violence/harassment on women;
- promotion of education, support and social inclusion of detainees and
former-detainees;
- coordination of the local Round table on Immigration;
- implementation of international cooperation projects.
Some examples of programmes / projects run by institutions, schools, also in cooperation with social co-operatives and associations:
1. Social Housing Agency: since 1994, a local association (called Vicini di casa,
meaning “Neighbours”) manages original actions and measures to support
disadvantaged people needing house or shelter, i.e. social rent, house
restructuring, temporary housing solutions, information about private
market opportunities and help with the first duties when renting or loaning
house. The association, in close collaboration with institutions and with
professional employees, implements technical, social and economic services,
in order to make the access to housing services easier to those facing
problems. Between 2008 and 2009, the Social Housing Agency realised 1690
contacts in Udine and in its neighbourhood, registering an increasing rate of
requests from Italian people – mainly problematic (socio-sanitary problems,
unemployment, debts, ), which represents a difference with respect to the
previous decade, when migrants were the most interested by housing
difficulties – mainly for linguistic reasons, low wages, discrimination. The
service is implemented in collaboration with Social Services and private
agencies.
2. Overnight shelter: from September 2006, the Municipality and Caritas
manage an overnight shelter, aimed at homeless and marginalized people
reception at night (from 22.00 p.m. to 7.00 a.m.). On average, the overnight
shelter receives 100 people per year, Italian and migrants, with different
individual situation, from forced eviction to economic problems, from
homeless condition to temporary family crisis, from recent migration to lost
of job. This service proved to be precious for the methodology used: the
personalised project, made by the Social Service, by educators/operators
together with the interested person, represents the base for reciprocal
collaboration and for the strong commitment about reaching one’s own
possible autonomy.
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3. Receiving communities: resources for the Municipality and the
neighbourhood, receiving asylum seekers and refugees, as well as
unaccompanied minors, both autonomously and through Ministerial or
regional funds (e.g. Centro Balducci, Casa dell’Immacolata, San Pio X, San
Domenico, SPRAR).
4. The Municipality manages apartments for marginalized people and has keeps
in close contact with the local Council Housing Agency. Many meetings with
the Direction of the local Council Housing Agency have been organised,
resulting in some indications about Roma families living in Council houses.
After these indications and after evaluating each individual situation, a
Council House Mediation service has been set up. Working for the whole
community, this service proved to be efficient in providing information,
reducing conflicts, preventing discrimination and promoting mutual
knowledge in the houses.
In the Municipal apartments for marginalized people have been received 3
families travelling on the Municipal territory.
 Are there any special element that contributed to the success of the projects,
please explain.
The following elements contributed to the success of the projects mentioned
above:
a) the commitment of the Municipality and of the local Council Housing
Agency;
b) a profitable co-operation between public bodies and private/voluntary
association, with an on-going process of community work, mainly
regarding the criteria for receiving people in difficult housing
conditions;
c) the involvement of social agencies and associations ready to propose
and manage innovative solutions.
 Has the city any new housing project/programmes in the pipeline and in
which priority areas will these services/actions target.
In the context of the Social Housing Agency, it would be useful to set out and
develop an Observatory on housing resources and needs, so to have a thorough
and precise view of what exists and to plan social answers better. The Regional
Administration has not financed this action yet.
Moreover, the vision is to promote not previously “dedicated” apartments or
ghetto-areas (i.e. for mental ill, or deviant, or marginalized people) but to focus on
the individual needs in order to find out a proper solution.
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 Have there been any housing projects specifically targeted at the city’s Roma
population to improve their health and health services. If so please provide
information including how successful the interventions have been.
Recently, 5 Roma families obtained council houses and in 2008 the camp’s area was
cleaned up by the Municipality.
But some of the most worrying issues for the Municipality are making the camp’s
area safe, overcoming illegality and finding alternative housing solutions, respectful
of one’s own choice.
EMPLOYMENT
Select two or three examples of specific projects/ programmes to showcase
initiatives that have been applied to tackle unemployment and generate
employment opportunities through training/ re-training. Try to use
examples from the City but also take account of National level initiatives,
especially EU funded.
 Describe the aims, the purpose, and the results; explain if and how it was
targeted for other strands of the population, how it was managed, and who
was responsible for implementation.
According to its institutional responsibilities, the Municipality of Udine has been
active in promoting employment, mainly through individual projects for
marginalized people set up in a networking process, that is in collaboration with
economic and social territorial subjects.
This commitment is even more reinforced in an economic crisis period, when the
poor people rate rises and when “new poors” emerge due to unemployment.
Many projects were promoted in the last decade, for instance:
1. Job information desks: places located in institutions or in associations where
people can get information about job supply and can offer their
competences; first dedicated to migrants, then they spread their services to
everybody. For example, the family assistant desk receives foreign as well as
native supply.
2. Training courses: the Municipality favours the organisation of training and
vocational courses by training centres, above all for youngsters and
unemployed people;
3. “Socially useful jobs” in the Municipality for unemployed people;
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4. vocational measures;
5. social co-operative institution assistance and vocational measures activated in
co-operatives (grass-cutting, green-house, waste collection, house furniture
removal, …)
 Are there any special element that contributed to the success of the projects,
please explain.
The following elements contributed to the success of the projects mentioned
above:
a) European funds (Integra, Equal, ESF);
b) collaboration with educational/training organisations;
c) public/private collaboration.
 Has the city any new employment project/programmes in the pipeline and
in which priority areas will these services/actions target.
Together with health, house and training, employment is one of the pillars of a
thorough social policy and is represents a crucial issue in a critical socio-economic
period.
The Municipality is committed in reinforcing a close relationship with the
economic categories and with local social agents in order to shape some measures
limiting the worst effects of the crisis on disadvantaged people and preventing
other categories from sliding into poverty.
In the context of LSG meetings the Province of Udine described some hints about
a project to enhance Public Useful Jobs, aimed at promoting the labour inclusion
of people who are unemployed or with very low income; the project wis planned to
start next Autumn.
 Have there been any employment projects specifically targeted at the city’s
Roma population to improve their health and health services. If so please
provide information including how successful the interventions have been.
- Lacio Drom project;
- Vocational measures for youngsters.
ABOUT LOCAL ACTIVISTS AND RESOURCES
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- National level: e.g. OsservAzione, Opera Nomadi, Sucar Drom, Law
Department – University of Florence, not delivering services, but
providing for studies and researches dealing with Roma issues
(physical segregation, community discrimination, childrens’ education,
…)
- Local level: no specific associations or organisations are active for the
local Roma community, but single professionals are working with
Roma people
- Main focus of local activity:
1) make the area safe;
2) overcoming illegality;
3) take care about children’s education and youngster’s vocational
training;
4) proposing alternative housing solutions.
- Local initiatives at this stage could be organised within the camp or in
its neighbourhood, as well as in schools, and with the collaboration of
the members of the Local Support Group. LSG members propose to
organise local meetings to explain the Projects to the population and
to promote mutual knowledge between Roma and non-Roma people.
ABOUT THE PUBLIC SECTOR
- Levels: Municipality (political trends) / quarter-suburbs (local
representation)
- Local committees could obstacle the main political decisions on Roma
camp, by organising demonstrations and complains;
- National level: discriminatory strategy (fingerprints proposals, forced
removals in Naples, Milan, Rome; removal from schools; camp-policy
without credible solutions) – see Report “Security a la italiana –
Fingerprints, extreme violence and harassment of Roma in Italy”, European
Roma Rights Centre, 2009
- Regional level: unapplied Regional Law, no policy, economic
contribution available;
- Far-sighted local initiatives can nowadays hardly enjoy national or
regional support.
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