Resilience, Sustainability and Future Visions – RISE project conference (15-16 May 2025, Vienna)

30 May 2025

Mr. Rumyan Russinov (expert with NGO Organization Drom), together with representatives of over 25 NGOs throughout Europe, took part in the conference “Resilience, Sustainability and Future Visions Resilience, Sustainability and Future Visions”, which was held on 15-16 May 2025 in Vienna.

Mr. Jonathan Lee, European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Advocacy and Communications Director, welcomed the audience. Mr. Michael O' Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, gave a video congratulatory address to the conference participants. During the first session, entitled "Roma Resistance Day and the Resilience of Roma Rights Defenders", speeches were also made by Ms Siobhan McInerney Lankford, Director of the Equality, Roma and Social Rights Unit at the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, as well as by Mr. Djordje Jovanovic, ERRC President. Mr. Jovanovic elaborated on the problem of "burnout" of Roma activists and human rights defenders. He noted "A movement that consumes its people cannot endure”.

The following sessions of the first day of the conference were interactive and focused on the main theme of resilience and sustainability of Roma rights activists. These sessions were moderated by Dr. Ksenjia Joksimović, psychotherapist and ERRC associate. Dr. Joksimović gave examples from different fields of how the crises of our time can be transformed.  She elaborated on the topic of resilience, giving explanations on how the concept of resilience should be understood and what it means in times of crisis. In her analysis of the broader meaning of resilience, she pointed out that resilience can be understood not only as passive coping with difficulties arising from the environment, but also as the activist taking an active stance to change that environment. 

For the interactive session "The sources and barriers of resilience and sustainability of human rights activists: the losses and victories of our movement", the conference participants were divided into several working groups. Barriers to the resilience of activists and NGOs were identified.

The session "Lessons Learned and Sources of Hope for Human Rights Defenders" featured the views of Ms. Dafina Savic, a human rights expert specializing in Roma rights, and Mr. Zhihane Elatifi, a creator of ecosystems bridging inovation, policy and investment in emerging technologies.

In the last session of the conference, entitled "The Future of Roma Rights", the President of the ERRC, Mr. Djordje Jovanović, stressed the importance of partnership between Roma rights organisations.