For an Equalization of Chances

By Vasile Burtea, Sociologist, Faculty of Social Work, Bucharest
Source: Rromathan, Studii despre Rromi, 1997

The author raises certain problems the Roma people from Romania are facing, emphasizing the social variables that explain the peripheral situation. The application methods for programs dedicated to the Roma and the lack of a coherent strategy are criticized. He rushes an urgent intervention for stopping the degradation process of the life circumstances of this population category, after which an integrated programme is recommended.

SOME ASPECTS THAT UNDERMINE THE CHANCES OF THE ROMA POPULATION AND ELEMENTS OF A PROGRAMME FOR THE PREVENTION OF CERTAIN ANTISOCIAL EFFECTS

The 1992 Romanian national census determined a number of 409.723 people of ethnic Roma . In our estimation this number is a bit higher than the Roma population of Bucharest, thought to be of 350,000. Apart from the real situation we consider that the phenomena defining and characterizing this population differs in volume, but not intensity. Namely quantitative differences cannot produce qualitatively significant distortions. The problems the Roma population faces are in fact the same, irrespective of the numbers we use. In this moment our intention is to point out this problem, to draw attention to it, and to suggest a solution method, noticing the dangers of ignoring it. Thus we will operate with the results of the census, but, as far as possible, using their theoretic (calculated) form in order to avoid a too big withdrawal from reality. For making operations easier, in calculating percents and data connected to the Roma, I have used the census results, rounding it to 410,000 those of Roma origin.

Our conviction is that generally the Romanian Roma problem has to be treated by taking into account two aspects: an internal and an external one.

1. From an internal point of view, life of the Roma is structured based on some serious elements of demographic, social and labor- nature. These are determined by a specific way of life, based on a simple but original philosophy. In contrast to philosophies that have as central categories such verbs as "have" and "can", the Roma philosophy is essentially marked by the verb "to be", meaning "to exist" (Burtea, 1996). In other words this way of life and the above mentioned elements are structured upon a philosophy of poverty and marginalization (Burtea, 1996).

Although a bit more independent of the political factor (at least at first sight), the solution of the above-mentioned serious elements requires first of all political will, decision and intervention. Thus:

1. From a demographic aspect we mention that:
   - The average age for marriage is 17 years for girls and 18 years for boys. The national average (including the Roma population) for the same event is 21.3 years for girls and 22.8 years for boys.
   - One fifth of the Roma women give birth to children before the age of 16, and more than 50% up to the age of 18.
   - Birth-rate is 5,10 children/ women, while the national average is 1,9 children/ women
   - The Roma population under 16 gives the proportion of 43,31%. On a national level the same factor reaches only the number of 28,2%, including also the Roma population.
   - The average number of person in a family is of 6,6 members, that is more than double the national average, which also includes the Roma population (Elena Zamfir, Catalin Zamfir 1993: 66-92)

Conclusion: The Roma population in Romania is a young population, with a high demographic potential. Fertility and birth-rate much beneath the major population's average maintain these features. Thus in a very close future, their request for jobs, dwellings and life- circumstances is going to be an even more vital topic than in the present, but much more difficult to satisfy.

2. From a social aspect the situation is the following (Elena Zamfir, Catalin Zamfir 1993: 101):
   - The Roma population mainly lives in traditional forms of different degrees. The enlarged family gives home for 2-3, or even 4 generations.
   - Inhabiting takes place in bad conditions: generally there are 3.03 persons/ room, while the general average for the whole population is 1.29 persons/ room (including the Roma). In 10.7% of the families 5 or more persons are sharing one room. There are cases of 12-14 or even 21 persons living in a room.
   - 58% of men and 89%of women have no profession (either traditional or modern).
   - 80% of people have no qualification and 60% of the employed work as unqualified laborers.
   - 32% of "head of the family"-men are unemployed. It's only 3% of the Roma population that gets unemployment benefit.
   - Schooling situation is extremely bad. The number of illiterates is of 27%. A research in county town Ploiesti shows 22% of illiterates. Whatever the truth is, it is a fact, that an alarming proportion of the ethnic Roma is lacking the capacity of writing, reading, appealing to the local and national administrative organs and of learning and understanding norms of coexistence, morality and law. What's even more important, this population is lacking the possibility of learning a modern profession. Thus even the hope to participate with equal chances in the contest for obtaining a job that provides them a decent everyday life is cancelled. The percent of children under the age of 8, who never went to school or who abandoned it sooner or later, is of 40%. The lack of cloth, food and the possibility of obtaining requisites, and, a more important factor, the lack of perspectives after finishing school, being associated with the disinterest, indifference and despair of families, have lead in an accentuated way to the phenomena of absenteeism and abandonment of school.
   - There are no material conditions for acquisition and practicing of traditional crafts by the rural or even urban craftsmen.

Conclusion: At first sight the problems of the Roma are not ethnically determined. Their origin is of social nature, infused, as a matter of fact, in an ethnic co-ordinate. Thus they require a serious intervention with socially originated means, determined and directed by a political will, decision and intervention.

3. Labor and propriety relations constitute the kernel of the social problems the Roma population is facing.
   - While the working-aged population represents 51,02% of the whole, the employed population is only 22,56%. Thus we get an employment rate of only 44,20%.
   - Active population represents only 48,15% of the Roma population, while the unemployed represent 25,62% of it.
   - Out of the whole the Roma population in Romania it is only 12,53% that is employed, 0,43% have become owners, while 9,58% "find their way" on the pretext of private affairs (Elena Zamfir, Catalin Zamfir 1993:115)

The picture presented in a)-c) sections determines the researchers and analysts to ring the bells because of the process of aggravation of problems the Roma deal with (Elena Zamfir, Catalin Zamfir 1993:160). They prove that the phenomena is produced in proportion with the way these aspects are ignored or left out of any considerable official control or intervention. It is the value of the most complex demo-economical and social indicator, the relation of dependency, that answers more objectively the question whether this warning is justified or not. Its values indicate very high levels - no matter if it has been calculated in connection with the working-aged population or in connection with the employed population. Calculated in function of the employed population, its value reaches 278,09%. This value is standing for a social pressure with no precedents in the case of European populations.

These data become even more relevant if, in addition to unemployment, lack of pensions, the great dimension of families etc., we consider the defective, even discriminatory application of the Land Law.

The serious land-deficiency of the Roma population narrows very drastically down their possibilities of existence and maintenance of their numerous families. At a first analysis the situation seems to be at least weird. A population that has connected its existence even in the slavery-era to agriculture is deprived of land at the end of the 20th century. While before December '89 there was approximately 48% of the active the Roma labor-force who had worked in agriculture, after this date their existence has been in fact detached from this dominion, having considerable consequences, that is the serious effects overloading the existence circumstances.

The rural Roma population, who has never been landowner, didn't obtain allotments after 1989 either, because they have never been working within agricultural co-operatives. As they became unemployed, practically they have remained with no means of maintenance. Those who were landowners before the co-operativisation of agriculture, but worked in the industry, didn't claim in time for land, being afraid of not getting the unemployed. Their naivety has been misused, and when they became unemployed, they didn't get land, as they have not demanded it in time. The Roma, who worked in agriculture, but were employed in other co-operatives or state-owned farms, not in the local agricultural co-operatives, didn't get land because of the same reason. If to all this we add those who, because of ignorance or negligence, didn't claim for land although they had the right to do so; and the abuses against the ethnic Roma (as also against a not inconsiderable part of the majority population) when applying the Land Law, then we get a complex image.

The Roma being employed at the moment are neither satisfied with their situation. 74% of them obtain the economically minimal salary.

The immediate consequences of this situation are represented, on a social plan, by the delinquent way of living a part of the Roma population is driven to. Real misery and poverty heaps are created.

On a plan of interethnic relations we assist at a serious deterioration, through the transfer of economical-social difficulties within the ethnic domain. Thus the possibility of losing control and social explosions are created. Up to November 1995, the number of collective attacks against the Roma communities in Romania has raised to 37 (Rora Roirita 1992), and this has not been ended in 1995. As a matter of fact the intensity of these conflicts has decreased, but they have not been stopped yet. The effects roll on a scale that starts with personal attacks, deterioration of goods and ends with arsons of houses and murders.

2. From an external point of view, the Roma problem is oscillating between illusion and hope. A considerable part of the members of the Roma ethnicity is convinced that international institutions from abroad already do or intend improving their situation. It is difficult to state how good or bad this conviction is. Important is the existence of this opinion. In their formation many factors had contributed. Just to mention a few:

- The avalanche of foreign "visitors" (journalists, anthropologists, O.N.G. members) who have been interested in the Roma communities in Romania after 22 December 1989.
- Aid promises to the Roma communities or their representatives, made by a great part of the "visitors".
- Materials about the Romanian the Roma situation published in the West are more or less documented. A small part of these have been brought to the knowledge of the Roma in several ways.
- The presence in Romania of different O.N.G. and international institution members, who have treated certain aspects of the Romanian Roma situation along with the Romanian government institution members.

For a part of the Roma, all these factors gave the impression that their problem has become a question of "image", which makes us observed and interpreted abroad besides the sensible problem of minority. The Roma consider that Romania, a nation with European aspirations, at an ending phase of the transition process, consolidation of democratic institutions and constitutional state, is going to be pushed (or determined) to deal in some degree with the improvement of their social status. By right. At a certain moment, there was an intention of seriously treating the Roma problem. These intentions have been received satisfactorily, on one hand by the Roma organizations, on the other hand by other Romanian minority organizations. Foreign observers, special reporters of European and O.N.G. institutions dealing with minority problems and human rights have sensed and appreciated this fact. Unfortunately beginning with the second half of 1991, the interest for this problem has constantly decreased, this process being accelerated by the failure of the Roma in the 1992 parliamentary elections. These demonstrated that the Roma do not represent the force that they had suggested, and that they have serious organizing, homogenizing, structure, tribe conscience, and etc. problems. Practically the Roma is a nation that debuts in ethno genesis. Probably that is why the problem of the Roma has been practically abandoned after Romania became a fully entitled member of the European Council.

This change of attitude worried the Roma organizations determining them to conclude that the initial attitude had only a propaganda aim.

We might say that the problems raised by the Hungarian minority have concentrated the official efforts. Though, we might say at the same time that the Hungarian minority by its global social situation and structures is able to solve its problems much more easily. Their power to solve their specific problems has considerably raised, since the representatives of this minority take part in governing. Anyway, sooner or later, the problem of this minority will not need such attention.

We cannot state the same about the Roma problem. This will persist and negatively influence not only the Romanian society's general perception abroad, but also the improvement of this society, in case the attitude remains ignorant. We want to make comprehended the fact that the serious social and labor problems the Roma are facing, will constitute a long-lasting problem for the Romanian society, in case they will not be objected to an official programme. The Global Work Organization proposed to the Romanian Government in 1992 a series of solutions in a special document. That is the Conclusions and Recommendations of the O.I.M. Research Committee about Labor Discrimination in Romania. The recommendations of this document were meant to assure equality of chances and of treatment of all members of Romanian society, besides the labor problem.

Concerning the Roma population, the document stipulated the following:

- Elaboration of "methods meant to assure equality of chances and of treatment regarding work and preparation for the members of this minority" (par.601., p.236.), as this objective has been formulated in the 111/1958 Convention, ratified by the Romanian Government as well.
- Development of a "vast campaign" (par.617/13, p.243.) for making the traditionally negative attitude towards The Roma (Gypsy) vanish from mentality".
- Par.617/14., p.243. recommends that "the Roma's social situation should be ameliorated within an integrated programme, conceived together with their representatives, which should contain in a whole education, labor, dwelling and all the other elements necessary for their progress. "
- Furthermore, the document prescribes in par.617/17. (p.244) a series of "special procedures" as the ones controlled in the art. 5 of 111/1958 Convention."

Unfortunately, since the reception of the document by the Romanian Government up to the present, neither of the cabinets succeeding in government took any "special care" for assuring "their progresses" and they have not developed any "vast campaign" with a benevolent aim. Moreover the integrated programme conceived by the representatives of the Roma has not been submitted either to a group or public debate, as it has been recommended in par.617/14 of the report. (p.243.) Immediately after receiving the report the Roma representatives agreed about compelling a programme (Vasile Burtea, 1993:27), as a recommendation, in order to give a common discussion and action base. It has been approved to build a partnership relation that should assure the success of the action. As already mentioned, this programme, presented to the executive, the presidency, and to the parliament, has not been objected to any discussion, corrections, additions until now. In turn, they acted for easing and boycotting even the shy actions that were initiated:

- The Roma inspector employment was cancelled for the jobs obtained by the Roma organizations in order to solve certain social and labor problems of the Roma.
- The employed Roma inspectors were submitted to pressures, for they should abandon the already occupied working places.
- As a consequence of the extremist party's press offence, the places accorded in pedagogical high-schools (normal schools) for forming the Roma educators and teachers have been withdrawn in the years of 92/93, 93/94 and 94/95. When these places were offered again in the year 95/96, the Roma children did not show up because of the bad experiences of their colleagues.
- With the exception of one single Roma organization, extradited to power, that has got a headquarter, none of the Roma organizations obtained any office.

All these factors urge for a quick and serious intervention in order to stop the degradation process of this population's life circumstances. It seems absolutely necessary to start the gradual process for improving their situation and approaching the level of other populations living within the national borders of Romania. A first step would be debating and applying the integrated programme proposed by the Roma representatives. This could be completed, facilitating the access of this population to projects that would be addressed to them, to direct external financing, instructing, etc. An important step would be to instruct the Roma communities how to create, present and maintain projects for solving the problems they are facing, to support a promotion of these projects. Democratization of the access to projects would mean surpassing the monopoly controlled by 2-3 representatives of this ethnic group, which leads to dependence of the whole Roma population in need, and other persons aspirating the improvement of their fellow-beings, but who lack lobby, experience, expertise. Nothing can substitute serious, official action of the executive, sustained by political will, decision and intervention.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• *** Population and Dwelling Census. Preliminary results from 7th of January 1992. Bucharest: National Statistics Committee
• Burtea Vasile Historical Periphery and Social Co-operation for the Roma population, Social Research Magazine, year 3. No.3.
• Promotion sociale et solution aux problemes d'emploi de la population rrom?, Claire Auzias, Les familles rroms d'Europe de l'est.Paris:I.D.E.F.
• Zamfir Elena and Zamfir Catalin Gypsies Between Ignorance and Worry. Bucharest, Alternative
  Roirita, Rora 1992 Presentation at the seminar "The Roma, the foreigners near us", Târgu Mures: Liga Pro Europa