Tackling social exclusion of traveller communities

This recently published report from UNICEF Breaking the Cycle of Exclusion; Roma Children in South East Europe, may well have useful insights and lessons for policy makers and campaigners working on behalf of the traveller community in Ireland, who share similar exlusion, prejudice and discrimination. The report highlights key issues contributing to social exclusion of Roma children in eight South eastern European countries and identifies the most critical issues that, if addressed effectively, can break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and exclusion and create a new cycle of development, opportunity and inclusion.

'The authors argue that exclusion deprives children of their childhood and hinders them from fully developing their capacities to contribute in a substantial way to the economic and social development of their country. Exclusion is a de facto violation of the rights of children and it is with children that the intergenerational cycle of poverty and exclusion can be broken. The report calls for immediate action on social exclusion of children in middle income countries.

A range of recommendations are suggesting including:

• educated Roma should be invited to participate in public life, on radio and television, so that people get to see Roma in other roles
• the Child Ombudsman system should have a section or person supporting the rights of excluded children with special attention to Roma children
• the welfare system should, in coordination with the other social sectors, play an important role in ensuring children and their parents are not excluded from the basic services
• access to health care for Roma children is obstructed by costs, lack of registration and discrimination. All children should be registered from birth.'