In the CR culture and art have not been systematically anchored as tools of social inclusion for a long time. This situation was demonstrated by the content of the National Programme for the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion in 2010, which was developed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the CR (MLSA).
None of the priorities took culture or art into account as tools for social inclusion. Even the Action Plan for the Social Inclusion Strategy 2021-2030 (Ministry of Social Affairs, 2021) makes no mention of creative or artistic approaches to social inclusion or of the need to include them in the programmes of the Ministry of Culture or the MLSA.
The MLSA administers the Committee for Social Integration with representatives of various ministries (there is no representative of the Ministry of Culture on the Committee), the Office of the Government, the Office of the Public Defender of Rights, regions, municipalities, trade unions and non-governmental organisations. The Committee’s role was significantly reinforced following the adoption of the Strategy for Social Inclusion 2014–2020 and of the Strategy for Social Inclusion 2021-2030. Social integration and equal opportunities are focused mostly on helping people at risk of social exclusion. Special focus is placed on members of Roma communities, migrants, and other groups from different socio-cultural backgrounds. This topic is the subject of long-term discussions and studies in the CR.
According to a new study of the CERGE-EI Poverty and Social Benefits in Socially Excluded Localities (Federičová et.al., 2022) roughly 100 000 people live in excluded localities, which is 1% of the population of the CR (in 2006 it was 80 000 persons) and only one-quarter of whom are not Roma.
The situation of the Roma minority has been one of the most pressing issues in Czech society since 1989; approximately one-third of Roma suffer from social exclusion and from a low level of education, qualifications, long-term unemployment, and poverty. On the other hand, it is important to note the fact that in the CR social exclusion is to some extent ethnicised. Being a member of another ethnicity (usually Roma) is frequently viewed in negative terms by the majority society and is the source of some discrimination, usually in the labour market, in education, and even in housing.
In 2008 the Government of the CR created the Agency for Social Integration, specifically selecting 14 communities with the biggest problems to start with. The Agency for Social Inclusion has been established by the Ministry of Regional Development of the CR to provide support to local governments in the process of social inclusion. It is now working with 66 localities in 109 municipalities. It is an instrument of the Government of the CR for supporting municipalities in the process of social integration. The specific focus lies in A coordinated approach to social exclusion 2021+. However, it contains no mention of support for culture
In December 2009, the government adopted the Concept of Roma Integration 2010-2013, followed in 2015 by the Concept of Roma Integration 2015-2020. In 2021 the Concept of Roma Integration 2021-2030 was adopted (Government of the CR, 2020a). The strategy ties in with the previous concepts and its objective is to reverse negative trends in the situation of the Roma in the CR by 2030, most notably in education, employment, housing, and on a social level. Another goal is to initiate and accelerate positive changes and achieve progress in eliminating unjustified and unacceptable differences between many Roma and the majority population. Equally it aims to establish effective means of defending the Roma against discrimination and promote the advancement of Roma culture and the Roma language.
In 2010 the Czech Office of the EU Culture Programme issued a publication titled ‘Artists and Society – Examples of Cultural Projects in the Field of Social Inclusion’. The publication contains 23 Czech projects as examples of best practice, other foreign and international projects, links to websites, and strategic and funding programmes.
The previous State Cultural Policy for 2015–2020 also considered persons at risk of or already suffering from social exclusion (including members of the Roma minority) through specific projects supporting inclusion that reflect the needs of these citizens for self-realisation, the needs of registered clients at branches of the labour office, or the needs of disabled persons and the needs of the cultural sector. These are foremost projects designed to support forms of intercultural dialogue for instance through cultural activities involving the disabled, Roma festivals, and so forth.
Special attention is paid to the issue of social exclusion and the Roma under the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021, where it is listed as one of the criteria in the Culture Programme (see also 2.5.1).
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