A dialogue in Dnipro was held to develop recommendations for the Regional Action Plan for implementing the Roma Strategy, initiated by Voice of Romni.

As always, we spent two intensive days working alongside Roma leaders, representatives of local authorities — including the Department of Social Protection of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, the Department of Culture, the Department of Health, the Child Protection Service, the Regional Employment Center, the Police — as well as the Office of the Ombudsman in Dnipropetrovsk Region and local experts.

We began by reviewing the draft National Action Plan for 2026–2028 and analyzing gaps in the implementation of the Regional Action Plan for 2024–2025. After that, we jointly developed targeted recommendations for the Regional Plan for the coming years across thematic areas.

The discussions were intense, emotional, and filled with practical solutions grounded in real experience and the challenges faced by local Roma communities. We examined each topic thoroughly, which allowed us to work through every sector in depth and prepare well-substantiated recommendations. Through this dialogue, it became even clearer how crucial it is to conduct such meetings across different regions of Ukraine. We are grateful to our partners CARE Ukraine and the Government of Germany for supporting this work.

When you listen to people who work with communities every day, one thing becomes evident: the overall concept of the Roma Strategy is important, but its effective implementation is only possible when local context is considered and efforts are coordinated among Roma civil society organizations, community activists, leaders, local authorities, and international partners.

Recently, we held a similar dialogue in Zaporizhzhia and saw that even neighboring regions may have different needs and challenges. This diversity must be taken into account when preparing Regional Action Plans for the Roma Strategy.

Ahead lies work in five more regions. We continue moving forward to ensure that the voices of Roma communities are heard and reflected in decision-making — so they can finally receive the support that is currently lacking.