Razlog
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Razlog Municipality administratively belongs to Blagoevgrad District. The municipality occupies part of the northern half of Blagoevgrad district and with its area of 506.47 km2. The municipality consists of 8 settlements. The general trend in the municipal economy is to reduce the levels of production and sales. With relatively stable levels of change in the number of enterprises and assets, the ongoing processes of restructuring the economy have had a serious impact on output and, accordingly, on operating income and employment.
The ethnic composition of the municipality is 90.7% Bulgarians, 4.04% Roma and 0.1 Turks. The Roma community in the municipality lives mainly in the town of Razlog and the village of Banya.
The ROMACT Process
ROMACT Process started in April 2021 with the signature of the Letter of Agreement.
The Taskforce for Roma inclusion was created following Mayor's approval in November 2021.
The Municipal Action Plan for Roma inclusion was adopted by the Local Council in April 2022.
Trainings
ROMACT experts provided the following trainings between October 2021 - February 2022:
For the local authorities:
* Analysing the Municipal Plans for Roma Integration
* Partnership management for implementation of municipal policies for social inclusion
* Data collection and preparation for the needs assessment of Roma community
* Information meeting on "Erasmus+ Program - KA1 Learning Mobility for Individuals; KA2 Cooperation between Organizations and Institutions ”
* Reinforcing the local partnerships for more effective practical implementation of children's rights and the protection of children at risk
For the Community Action Group:
* Participation within the municipal budgeting process
* Community Action Groups: Understand and Participate in CLLD strategies
The Municipality benefited from ROMACT expertise to apply for the following projects:
* "Nature needs our care!" - Funded by FM of EEA and Norway grants - Budget 22 128 € - Status: Not approved (2022)
* “Preventing disinformation among young people in Razlog’s schools” - Funded by the US Embassy in Bulgaria - Budget 25 575 € - Status: Under evaluation (2022)
* "A contribution to the future of Razlog: diversity and tolerance in school" - Contest for concepts/initiatives under the "Together" fund, administered by the Foundation "Workshop for Civic Initiatives” - Budget 20 000€ - Status: Under evaluation (2023)
The expertise provided by ROMACT for municipalities involves training and guidance on preparing project proposals and implementing inclusive policies aimed at improving the living conditions and social integration of vulnerable populations, including the Roma.
ROMACT Small Grants Scheme
ROMACT offers small grants scheme to support the efforts of the municipalities and Community Action Groups to respond together to the needs of the most vulnerable and to multiply the good practices across ROMACT municipalities.
Under the scheme of small grants, the following project was supported by ROMACT between November 2021 - May 2022:
We grow, play and succeed together – Razlog Municipality
ROMACT supported the municipality with 5000 €, reaching around 90 children in Roma neighbourhood. The project covered the renovation of an old playground to provide a pleasant and safe environment where children can develop social, physical and cognitive skills through games and activities.