Through the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups (NFGLG), Isaac Blake of the Romani Cultural Arts Company (RCAC) was selected to represent the United Kingdom at the Roma Youth Conference held in Bratislava in October 2016.
The invitation, extended on behalf of the EU Slovak Presidency and the European Commission, was a significant recognition of the work undertaken by NFGLG and RCAC to improve the life chances of some of the most vulnerable young people within Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
The conference brought together approximately 200 participants, including representatives of national authorities from EU Member States and enlargement countries, international organisations, EU and national NGO networks, Roma and non-Roma youth, and members of the media. The programme commenced with a series of workshops focusing on Roma youth leadership and participation, personal empowerment, and access to social rights. On 11 October, a political debate took place involving decision-makers from Member States and representatives of the European Commission.
Following the conference, Siobhan Spencer MBE, Coordinator of NFGLG, said:
“We were delighted that Isaac was able to attend this important meeting. He has been a committed member of the Gypsy community and an active advocate for improving opportunities for young people. It is vital that we continue working together to improve life chances for our communities, and the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups remains committed to developing strong networks for future collaboration. We looked forward to hearing Isaac’s reflections on his return and to continuing our partnership work with RCAC.”
Isaac’s participation in the conference provided an important opportunity to contribute to discussions on the future of Roma youth engagement and to ensure that the experiences and perspectives of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in the United Kingdom were represented at a European level.