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Summer school Prejudices and stereotypes held by European nations against Romanies can be divided into two different groups according to values:
Hatred with unbelievably intolerant, xenophobic and genocidal feelings evolved from the second group of prejudices. In contemporary Balkan states latent and more often than it would be expected at the end of the 20 th century open intolerance is observed. According to investigations carried out by the BBSS Gallup International in 1994 in Albania , Romania and Macedonia and by Marketing Consult OOD in Bulgaria Balkan nations showed the highest level of intolerance of the members of the Romany ethnic group. Tendencies of contemporary post-socialist states to improve the position of the members of the Romany ethnic group mainly in a normative way are motivated more by pressures of the regional European organizations (CE, OECS, EU) than by conscious efforts to overcome the anguish of ethnocentrism. Attempts to hold Romanies personally responsible for the unfavorable social status of their group confirm already mentioned tendencies. Thus the stereotype of Romanies as people incapable of drawing themselves out of material and cultural poverty exclusively because of their group anthropological and socio-psychological predisposition has recently been revived. It is however forgotten that in the last decades economic basis of East-European Romanies has been completely destroyed. Decollectivization, transition to market oriented economy, competitive conditions of employment, increased expenses of public services and impoverishment of social funds affected not only the marginal groups but a considerable part of the middle social stratum as well. Earlier unattractive and low profit jobs have become a necessity for poverty-stricken members of the majority population who owing to solidarity inside the group pushed Romanies to the margins of society. Some investigations warn that more and more frequent attacks on Romanies in post-communist states represent a reaction of the impoverished society to economically, socially, and politically weakest group which is blamed for its own increasingly worse social and economic status. At the same time a generation of intellectuals and activists able to recognize and articulate national and political goals has grown. Strengthening of the progressive movement of Romanies with preservation of traditional animosities of other ethnic communities towards them will encourage strengthening of nationalism and deeper ethnic homogenization of Romanies. Anachronous models of ethnic primordialism are acceptable to the majority of cultures in the South-European region. Under such circumstances new conflicts can break out and already fragile stability of the region can be further violated. Polarization and political instrumentalization of ethnicity in contemporary pre-democratic societies represent frequently a threat to interethnic tolerance. The bases of political engineering and. sheer exploitation of ethnicity rest on preconceptions, prejudices, and inherited ethnic divisions. Strengthening of ethnic movements and political parties demonstrates that the entire political community is incapable of separating a political sphere, which naturally should be open to all members of the society. Improvement of interethnic relations can be achieved through education of people in the region for life in multicultural, limitotrophic communities in which ethnic exclusionism can be relatively successfully dealth with. Limitotrophic environments can be a source of misunderstandings, disputes and divisions and at the same time places of saturation and meetings of the people of good will. Tolerance and respect for differences between ethnic, linguistic, religious and other ethnic groups can become a natural barrier to dictatorship of uniformity and extremely stressed specificity. Tolerance, tendency towards compromise and initiation of dialogue are the skills possessed by rare individuals and by great nations, which in their collective memory keep remembrances of evil committed by their predecessors. Prejudices in favor of one's own eminence and inferiority of others are acquired in childhood in family environment. However, in programs of educational institutions one could rarely find contents suggesting the students how to live without threat to other peoples' right to freedom and without belief that there are purposes of higher order because of which freedom of the smallest ethnic group should be placed in jeopardy.
WHAT ARE PURPOSES OF THE SCHOOL? Only comprehensive and permanent education of the members of a community in a multicultural society can in due course of time help people exceed the existing prejudices and affirm the idea of toleration, dialogue and mutual respect. The summer school "Romanies - prejudices, misconceptions and multiculturalism" offers young people, members of the Romanies and other ethnic groups a special curriculum meant to help them overcome existing prejudices and misconceptions and establish new systems of values. Providing "education" for a more tolerant relationship with others the curriculum includes subjects on the culture and mentality of both Romanies and non-Romanies . Participants in the program of the summer school could be competitively included, with appropriate orientation, in the work of social, humanitarian and non-governmental organizations, which could provide corresponding programs for them. The school would certainly contribute to the improvement of knowledge on problems in the life of Romany people. One of the objectives of the school is the establishment of a center for permanent studies of Romany problems in Yugoslavia. Oriented towards relevant objectives of the project:
METHODS OF WORK AND ATTENDANTS Attendants of courses would improve knowledge they gained from the mentioned education blocks through lectures and workshop activities where they would be encouraged to present their opinions, attain new experiences and actively participate in attempts to overcome mutual prejudices; Attendants of the summer school should be selected from among post-graduates, students of the last grades of various orientations (ethnology, law, linguistics, political science, sociology, literature, history, economic sciences, philosophy, Faculty of Dramatic Arts and the like). Besides attendants from Serbia and Montenegro two participants from the neighboring countries - Albania , Bulgaria , Romania , Macedonia , Croatia , Bosnia-Herzegovina , Slovenia and Hungary should be included. It is desirable to have approximately the same participation of Romanies and non-Romanies . Care should be taken to select one Romany and one non-Romany attendant from every foreign country to ensure more efficient contributions to workshop activities. It is recommended to let participants from Yugoslavia attend a three-year courses in order to be gradually involved in curriculum realization. About 30 participants are expected.
EVALUATION OF THE SCHOOL SUCCESS Attendants will be given opportunity to present their opinions about school activities in general, about some aspects of teaching, about lecturers and demonstrators, and to improve its results by their proposals and observations. Questionnaires for that purpose would be provided.
COORDINATORS OF SCHOLL ACTIVITIES AND LECTURERS • Prof. Dr. Djurdjica Petrović, Dr. Aleksandar Mitrović and Goran Bašić will take care about establishment of the summer school and effectuation of its curriculum as coordinators. • University professors, science advisers and specialists from Yugoslavia will take part in effectuation of the curriculum (Prof. Dr. Vladimir Macura, Prof. Dr. Sulejman Hrnjica, Prof. Dr. Ivan Ivić, Prof. Dr. Djurdjica Petrović, Prof. Dr. Ksenija Petovar, Prof. Dr. Vojislav Stanovčić, Prof. Dr. Nevena Djaković, Aleksandar Erdeljanović, M.A., Prof. Dr. Sreten Vujović, Prof. Dr. Bora Kuymanović, Dr. Natalija Mićunović, Prof. Dr. Svenka Savić, Prof. Dr. Vesna Vučinić-Nešković, Prof. Dr. Dragoljub Djordjević, Dr. Gradimir Yajić, Prof. Dr. Adrijana Gojković, Sunčica Macura, M.A., Danijel Pantić, M.A., Mr. Trifun Dimić, Dragoljub Acković, M.A., Mr. Jovan Nikolić, Prof. Dr. Ratka Marić, Slobodan Naumović, M.A. and others) as well as scientists and specialists from abroad (Prof. Dr. Silvo Devetak and Prof. Dr. Mladen Tancer from Slovenia and Prof. Dr. Veselin Popov and Dr. Elena Mariuškanova from Bulgaria and others). The course of Romany language will be held by Mrs. Slavica Vasić. Demonstrators will be Marija Vidović, Dejan Marković and Dragan Ristić. Coordinators will try, if circumstances would allow, to engage several lecturers from USA , Great Britain and other European countries: Thomas Acton, University of Greenwich ; Michael Stewart, London School of Economics; Ian Hancock, University of Texas ; Nicolae Gheorghe, University of Bucharest ; Dimitra Petrovna, ERRC; David Crowe, UCLA, and others.
Round Table on "EDUCATION OF ROMANIES: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES" At the end of every summer school a round table devoted to the problem of education of Romanies will be organized. Through official education system and its compensation whenever it is possible Romanies should achieve quicker social mobility and attain enough collective strength to draw themselves out of the "poverty circle ". This problem has already been studied and currently preparation of several compensation programs is under way the methods and problems of which should necessarily be reconsidered. Establishment of a corresponding system of education in multiethnic communities is a precondition necessary to overcome prejudices and constitute a society of citizens who are equal. Besides attendants of the summer school competent specialists involved in these projects will take part in round table activities.
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