Roma Civil Society, a Stakeholder Involvement in Public Policymaking

Supported by European directives and legislation on minority's rights, Roma NGOs assume the mission of promoting democractic values and practices, economic, social and cultural rights of this ethnic minority in the national and European context. This study aims at exploring the involvement of three Roma NGOs in Romania in public policy programs on raising living standards, equal access to education, decent housing, health and labour market. This analysis highlights the critical factors affecting the effectiveness in public policymaking and questions Roma NGOs acting as catalysts for policy implementation. The results help identify these policies as a source of social cohesion. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.