On Thursday, March 20, 2025, the "Probationers' Voices Reviving Memories - PRO-VOCEM" project was launched at the West University of Timișoara, financially supported by the European Commission through the "Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV)" program, with a budget of 192.720 euros.
PRO-VOCEM is a 24-month international project focusing on investigating and raising awareness of the historical roots of racism, discrimination and social exclusion faced by Roma people on probation, especially Roma women. By harnessing personal narratives, examining the impact of past migration and deportation, and promoting cultural awareness within the probation system, the project aims to connect the history of oppression and forced migration of Roma communities with present-day marginalization.
The target group includes Roma people in probation services (especially women) and their older relatives (parents and grandparents), probation counselors, decision-makers and the general public.
The project is structured in five work packages that involve collecting oral accounts and testimonies from Roma people on probation and their older relatives, analyzing the connections between personal accounts and the broader historical context, organizing roundtables with experts, developing research reports and educational materials, organizing awareness-raising events, organizing forum theater sessions, organizing educational workshops for professionals and future professionals, developing and delivering training courses for probation counselors, and engaging in dissemination and advocacy activities.
The partners of the West University of Timisoara who bring their expertise to this project are: National Probation Directorate (Romania), Penal Reform International (Netherlands), General Directorate Execution of Sentences (Bulgaria) and Solidart Association – Basque Theatre (Romania). The first event of the project was attended by 51 people, mainly students at the West University of Timisoara.
