Ethnic Civil Society: The Case of Roma Community in Turkey

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Omer Caha  

This paper focuses on civil society developed by Roma people in Turkey. Following the “Roma Initiative” started by the Turkish government in 2009 Romani leaders have established nation-wide as well as local associations which organize and bring Romani people together. In almost all cities that Romani people live there is an organization which established and affiliated by the Romani people only. City-based associations are the branch of nation-wide organizations which have been organized under the title of federation or confederation. Based upon the findings of a project supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) that I conducted with a group of my colleagues in twelve cities, my paper analyzes how Romani civil society organizations construct the case of what can be called “ethnic civil society”. Civil society is assumed to be based upon voluntary participation of individuals in reaching certain aims. Common hobbies as well as joint political, ideological, or religious values are the motives that bring participants together. In such organizations we expect that the participants of civil society organizations have different backgrounds. In the case of Roma civil society organizations, however, we see a homogeneous profile of the participants. In my paper I will shed light on such questions as how active Roma civil society organizations are, how they bridge between government and Roma community, and how they can succeed to mobilize the Roma people in defending their rights and in benefitting from public services?