Roma advocacy and research centre

The NGO was established as the Roma Advocacy and Research Centre (RAVS) in August 2014. The founders are young Roma of various professions who have worked abroad and in Slovakia for many years. Together they decided to use their expertise in one organisation to influence public discourse on the Roma minority. The main activity is focused on influencing the community development of the Roma minority through an inclusive approach. This approach is based on mutual active cooperation between the minority and the majority population. The most important area is the education of the new generation and the improvement of the social status of disadvantaged groups. We use research methods in our work, mainly qualitative, through which we obtain relevant data as supporting tools in public discourse. The organisation is based in Skalica and all members are native Skalicans which is why they have chosen the location of Skalica for their main activity. This decision is also based on the fact that the members are accepted as equal partners in the locality and have built superior partnerships with various actors. The organisation also focuses on national and international activities. We have successfully implemented a project in the locality aimed at empowering the excluded Roma community in the city and linking this community with the municipality. It proved that through systematic action it is possible to activate people who have lost the belief that they have the same rights in society