Project RISE and Human Rights

14 October 2025

NGO Organization Drom is in the final phase of implementation of the Roma Inclusion and Support Efforts (RISE) project. The project was launched in August 2024 and will end in November this year. It is supported by the European Union Programme „Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values”.

The objective of the call is to support a comprehensive and intersectional approach, funding specific actions to prevent and fight against discrimination and combat intolerance, racism and xenophobia, in particular on grounds of racial or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, including when this manifests itself in the form of antigypsyism, anti-black racism, antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and LGBTIQ phobia. Projects can be national or transnational. Transnational projects are particularly encouraged.

The RISE project led by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and a consortium of Roma rights defenders aims to combat anti-Roma discrimination in Europe. The project focuses on three key strategies. Firstly, it provides legal representation to victims of anti-Roma discrimination in Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Italy, Slovakia, Serbia, and Hungary. Secondly, it coordinates a network of volunteers who report anti-Roma hate speech on social media platforms to raise institutional awareness and promote policy changes. Lastly, the project organizes an in-person event to bring together Roma rights defenders, promoting cooperation, sharing of best practices, and addressing activist burnout. The consortium consists of a diverse team with members from different backgrounds, genders, and experiences of antiRoma discrimination, fostering a transnational and inclusive approach to combating discrimination against the Romani community.

What are human rights?

• Rights that affect all people in key social relationships
• Civil and political rights
• Economic, social and cultural rights

They are the same for all countries and regions and are regulated by legislation at the national and international levels.

Which are the key civil and political rights?

• Right to life
• Protection from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment
• Right to personal liberty and security
• Right to a fair trial
• Right to privacy, family life, home and correspondence
• Freedom of religion and belief
• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of assembly and association
• Protection from discrimination
• Right to property
• Right to education
• Right to participate in political life

Which are the key documents that regulate our rights?

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
• Convention against Torture
• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Convention relating to the Status of Refugees

What are the main European human rights instruments?

• European Convention on Human Rights
• EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
• European Social Charter
• European Convention for the Prevention of Torture
• Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
• Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings
• Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
• Council of Europe Recommendations
• Secondary EU Law