Summary of organization’s strategic orientation:
The YUROM Center was founded in 1998 to honor the cultural heritage of the former Yugoslav Roma community, with a primary focus on preserving the identity of Yugoslav Roma. Over the past 26 years, the organization has consistently carried out projects aimed at advancing Roma emancipation. Annually, YUROM Center implements 2 to 3 key initiatives that sustain its operations and address the diverse needs of the community. The organization works across various sectors, providing support to individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, including government officials, the homeless, former prisoners, and children.
Summary of the supported project:
The project aims to formalize the work of individual secondary raw material collectors (ISSS) in Serbia and promote their integration into the legal framework. It focuses on advocating for changes in the waste management law, enhancing social inclusion for Roma communities, and increasing workers’ rights awareness. The project will establish a dialogue with key government bodies, propose three models for formalizing ISSS work, and advocate for legal amendments to the waste management law.
Project goal(s):
General Objective
To formalize the operations of individual secondary raw material collectors (ISSS) in Serbia.
Specific Objectives
- Initiate a dialogue between the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the business sector, and Roma NGOs (National Union of Secondary Raw Material Collectors) to promote collaboration.
- Develop and propose amendments to the Waste Management Law, including a model for the formalization and legalization of ISSS operations.
- Propose updates to the Waste Management Program to incorporate formalized waste collection practices.
- Strengthen social capital within the waste collector community (ISSS) to enhance cohesion and support.
Beneficiaries:
- 25.000 individual secondary raw material collectors (ISSS).
Main activities:
- Establishing contact with the Ministries of ZŽS, Labor and Social Affairs, and the Coordination Body of the Government of Serbia for Roma.
- Proposing the formation of a working group to develop a solution for the formalization of ISSS work.
- Developing and harmonizing three proposed solutions for the formalization of ISSS work.
- Writing and sending a written initiative to the Government, the National Assembly of Serbia, the Coordination Body, to amend the Waste Management Law and the national Waste Management Program.
- Organizing 10 meetings in 10 cities with 20 ISSS collectors in each.
- Writing a script for a video feature.
- Filming an educational 10-15 minute video about the necessity of legalizing ISSS work.
- Creating and managing a Facebook group “Collectors – Recycling”.
- Holding two press conferences (at the start and end of the project).
- Media campaign (special episodes on public services).
