The leadership of the Czinka Panna Roma Cultural Association stayed in Brussels from 22 to 26 January 2018, attending several important meetings. The occasion for the visit was the Roma Platform meeting of November 2017, which was also attended by the delegation of the Association. The high-level event of the time did not provide an opportunity to talk about the Hungarian integration processes in Hungary, the successful good practices, in order to change the distorted picture of the social convergence in Hungary. Therefore, the president of the Association and the leader of the Khetanipe Association decided to request a personal consultation opportunity from Szabolcs Schmidt, Head of the European Commission’s Anti-Discrimination and Roma Coordination Office. They received an appointment for 23 January.

At the meeting, the president of the Association reported on the activities of the Czinka Panna Roma Cultural Association so far, the projects implemented, and the implementation of the Hungarian National Social Inclusion Strategy. Many good practices were discussed in the meeting such as the Safe Start Children’s Houses (Biztos Kezdet Gyerekházakat), the Tanodas, the Roma Colleges, the obligatory kindergarten, the eradication of slums, the other projects of the Association, and the programs that are just starting (prevention of early school leaving of Roma girls, creation of the Women Public Center of Nyírség). The head of the office asked several questions of the representatives of the Association about the care of the Roma language, the issue of educational segregation, the commemoration of the Roma Holocaust, in general about the operational possibilities of Roma civil organizations.

At the nearly one-hour meeting with Szabolcs Schmidt, Head of Office, Dóra Husz, Head of Office for Roma Coordination was also present. The consultation ended with the decision that the Association and the Commission will stay in contact. At the end of the meeting, President László Jakus invited the representatives of the Commission to Hungary, to study the programs at the implementation sites.

On the following day, the delegation of the Czinka Panna Roma Cultural Association attended the European Parliament commemoration on the occasion of the Holocaust International Memorial Day, to which they received a personal invitation from Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament.

During the 5 days of the visit, the delegation took part in a business dinner twice, with Lívia Járóka, Vice-President of the European Parliament, discussing the process of creating the new European Roma Framework Strategy, the experiences of the implementation of the current Strategy and possible modifications.

Of course, the delegation also took a few hours to discover the city center of Brussels.