12 Empowering Months of Volunteering in Berlin at RomaTrial e.V. – possible to begin on the 1st of march!

 

WHO ARE WE?

RomaTrial is a transcultural Roma selforganization and an interactive platform that aims at bringing the complex problems that arise from antigypsyism on stage, screen and into the ether – but foremost into people‘s heads. Our focus is on organizing film and art festivals, facilitating cultural and political education work, including seminars against antigypsyism, for young people and adults, as well as initiating creative theatre and film projects, summer schools and meaningful cultural events. We have partnerorganizations all over Europe. Volunteers will receive a pre-departure training by our partners who will also follow their activities for the full duration of the voluntary service.

 

LOCATION

RomaTrial is located in Berlin, a city that doesn’t only have a thriving community of various Roma self-organizations, but also hosts multiple cultural and historic sites that invite for exploration. It is home to people with many different stories and backgrounds and offers a multitude of ways to engage in the artistic and political life.

 

ARE YOU…?

  •  Aged between 18 and 30
  • Preferably with Romani background
  • Open-minded, warm-hearted, tolerant, curious
  • Able to communicate in English or German on a basic level and willing to take part in an obligatory German class in the beginning of the programme
  • Willing to work collaboratively and/or individually, around 30 hours per week
  • In touch with a sending organization holding a quality label as “supporting organization” in the frame of the European Solidarity Corps programme
  • Ready to speak up against exclusionary practices, prejudices and discrimination of any kind
    …and want to volunteer with us?

 

VOLUNTEERS‘ ACTIVITIES

SUPPORTING THE ASSOCIATION’S ONGOING ACTIVITIES

    • 2nd Roma Biennale WE ARE HERE! an interdisciplinary festival that assembles artistic, musical and discursive interventions by and with Roma-artists from all around Europe
    • public events on the occasion of important dates such as – amongst others – Jan 27 (Memorial Day of the victims of the Nazi Holocaust), Mar 8 (International Women’s Day), Apr 8 (International Roma Day) & Aug 2 (International Day in Memory of the Roma Holocaust Victims)
    • youth exchanges i.e. with the Domari/Gypsy Society of Jerusalem
    • AKE DIKHEA? Festival of Romani Film

CREATING YOUR OWN ACTIVITIES 

  • bring in your ideas, skills and interests to engage with the local Romani community
  • you can for example…
    • organize a concert/party/barbecue
    • go to public events (film screenings, lectures, networking meetings…)
    • write a blog or produce a podcast

 

ARTIXCHOKE – THE PROJECT

RomaTrial aims at supporting volunteers who are faced with multiple forms of discrimination – especially Romnja, young families, and queer Roma – who don’t only encounter antigypsyism in their daily lives, but are equally faced with the oppressive intersection of patriarchal structures, sexism, homophobia, main-stream public opinions or your own community’s norms. We offer a safe space for participants to deepen their theoretical knowledge on human rights, racism and discrimination, as well as a place to develop practical strategies to stand up against these systems of oppression. In actively partaking in the organization’s various projects along the lines of arts & culture, politics & knowledge and youth & education, we encourage our volunteers to try themselves out and to engage with our activities in a manner that is most suitable to their interests and skills. These can range from media design, social pedagogy, art and culture or event and project management. We hope that the experience in our association will not only be fruitful and engaging throughout the year of your stay, but also provide you with lasting and empowering resources to reflect, and counteract all kinds of discrimination to become co-creator of your respective societies.

 

WHAT DO WE PROVIDE?

  • YouthPass Certificate
  • Supervision by an external mentor
  • German class for the whole first month in order to equip the volunteer with the needed language skills from the beginning
  • staff and local volunteers who are looking forward to share their lives, communities and favourite places with you
  • Financial support: 150 € pocket money + 250 € food allowance per month
  • room in a shared, beautifully furnished flat in Berlin-Neukölln ca. 30 minutes by public transport to the RomaTrial office and city centre
  • flight/train ride to Berlin at the beginning and back home at the end of the volunteering service
  • health insurance

 

CONTACT
Anna Passlick | anna.passlick@romatrial.org

 

 

Drawing by Damian James Le Bas.