Principles and charter

Urba-Rom functions according to rules set by the steering committee. This charter aims to regulate the relationships within the observatory, to co-ordinate the activities of its different parts and to ensure the transparency of its functioning from the perspective of external parties.

Section 1 : OBJECTIVES

Generally based on stereotypical images, the policies towards groups known as Roma/Gypsies are more and more numerous: the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, sector-based activities (housing, schooling, training, health, fighting discrimination), controlling mobility, local reception and integration policies, etc. These policies all seek to resolve the "public problems" generated by the presence of groups in insecure situations or those characterised by mobile housing. To achieve this, they most often put forward specific responses which oscillate between rejection and assimilation.

In this context, the Urba-Rom observatory has the objective of carrying out a critical analysis of the policies towards groups known as Roma/Gypsies and the processes of categorisation which underpin these policies, while closely examining the strategies and practices of integration which are first and foremost the acts of the populations themselves.

But Urba-Rom also deals with other issues. Starting from an examination of the situation of the groups known as Roma/Gypsies, it consists of:

• participating in the reflections in course in European societies today, notably in regards to the production of inequalities, policies of poverty regulation and urban governance
• promoting dialogue between researchers, institutional actors, civil society organisations and those "affected" by policies (beneficiaries, target populations).

Section 2 : ACTIVITES AND MISSIONS 

Urba-Rom fulfils several functions: building an online resource centre, setting up a European research network, supporting dialogue between stakeholders and researchers.

 

§ 2.1 - E-resource centre

 

The e-resource centre brings together academic works, organisational literature, reports and technical documents, as well as legal cases concerning current policies towards the groups in question. The e-resource centre also carries out a programme of monitoring of current activities in EU and non-EU countries (these activities are undertaken by such groups as EU institutions, States, local authorities and/or members of civil society). The e-resource centre is a collaborative platform. Each user may enrich the database with new bibliographic references.

 

§ 2.2 – European research network

Urba-Rom works to bring together researchers, research centres, organisational and institutional actors, and affected parties on a European scale. It regroups more than 100 people spread out over some 15 countries, mostly in Europe.

Prioritising comparative and interdisciplinary research, the observatory currently centres its work around three major themes:

1. The production of inequalities and processes of marginalisation
2. Public policies and social regulation 
3. Strategies and practices of integration

 

§ 2.3 – Dialogue between researchers and stakeholders

Urba-Rom organises workshops and conferences with research centres. In order to facilitate open access for all, the outcomes of these events will be made available online on the Observatory site.

In order to encourage collective reflections and the sharing of knowledge between researchers, professionals, institutional and organisational agents, and people targeted by policies, Urba-Rom organises encounters with partners outside the scholarly sphere.

 

In the same manner, Urba-Rom can also participate, while retaining its academic perspective, in the establishment of idea-sharing groups at the local, national or European levels, linked to the observatory themes (for instance, local policies towards Roma migrants in a precarious situation in Western European cities).

Lastly, the Urba-Rom members maintain a blog, which constitutes a platform for online discussions of current issues.

 

Section 3  - FUNCTIONING AND GOVERNANCE 

 

§ 3.1 - Researchers' independence

The observatory is organised as a network. This allows us to preserve the independence of the researchers, professionals, people affected by public actions, and associational and institutional actors who make up the network, and to influence the research and policy agenda.

 

§ 3.2- Steering committee

§ 3.2.1 - Composition

The Urba-Rom observatory is directed by a steering committee made up of nominated members. The nomination of a new member or expulsion of a former member should be proposed by at least three members of the steering committee and approved within one month by three-quarters of votes cast by members of the steering committee. The three members who made the nomination may ask for a vote by secret ballot. 

Members : http://urbarom.crevilles-dev.org/en/network/steering-committee

§ 3.2.2 - Decision-making process

All decisions other than those covered in § 3.1 (nominations) should be suggested by at least one member of the steering committee and will be adopted as soon as the support of a majority of the members is achieved, or by a majority of recorded votes cast after one week in the case that the suggestion is made by email addressed to all, or by a majority of votes cast during a meeting. The member(s) who made the suggestion may ask for a vote by secret ballot.

§ 3.2.3 – Responsibilities of the steering committee

The members of the steering committee are responsible for ensuring that the observatory's activities comply with the charter; for the management of the e-resource centre; for writing the online editorial as regularly as possible; for defining policies for the observatory's development and, in a general sense, for ensuring the smooth functioning of the observatory. They are also responsible for managing the Urba-Rom blog.

 

§ 3.3 : Oversight committee

§ 3.3.1 - Composition

The members of the oversight committee are nominated or dismissed by the steering committee by a decision conforming to the procedures outlined in  § 3.2.2. The participation by each member in the activities of the oversight committee is based on the principle of the free engagement of each individual.

Members - URL : (à compléter

§ 3.3.2 – Activities

The members of the oversight committee provide a critical overview of the observatory's activities. They give advice, and suggest future orientations for the observatory, the management and development of which, however, lies with the steering committee. If they wish, the members of the steering committee may propose research themes or ideas for academic events. Every six months, the oversight committee is informed of the observatory's work by the steering committee, who will write up a report of its activities.

 

§ 3.4 - The network of Urba-Rom members

§ 3.4.1 – Composition

The network of members of the Urba-Rom observatory is made up of: researchers, professionals, people affected by the policies in question, organisational and institutional agents, and, more generally, all those who take a close or distant interest in policies towards groups known as "Roma/Gypsies". Access to the network is open: potential members only need register with members of the steering committee. Each new member authorises the observatory to publish his or her email address, home institution and research themes and/or centres of interest on the Urba-Rom website.

Members - URL :

 

§ 3.3.2 – Rights

 

Members of the observatory have free access to all resources available on the Urba-Rom site. At any time, they can suggest research themes and partnerships to the steering committee who will endorse or reject these suggestions.

§ 3.3.3 – Duties

Members of the observatory must respect the operating charter when they participate in the activities of the Urba-Rom observatory. If they fail to do so, they may be expelled from the network by decision of the steering committee.

 

Section 4 – SUPPORT AND MEANS

 

§ 4.1 - Financing

The observatory is not designed to be financed as a structure. By contrast, the members of Urba-Rom and their home institutions may mount projects, or participate in projects within the framework of the observatory. These projects, which should be aligned with the different missions of Urba-Rom (e-resource centre, academic research, stakeholder/researcher dialogue), and contribute to the activities and development of the observatory. They will be carried out in the context of partnerships and could potentially be hosted by the observatory.

 

§ 4.2 – Partnerships

The observatory is working to establish special partnerships with other research networks, resource centres and research centres, as well as with civil society organisations and institutions outside the academic sphere. These partnerships are negotiated on the basis of a mandate of the Urba-Rom steering commitee by one or more of its members on the principle of reciprocity in order that the partnership may promote collaboration, the sharing of activities and knowledge and the widest possible diffusion of the publications of the two partners.

 

§ 4.3 - Hosted programmes

§ 4.3.1–Definition

These are research programmes financed by public institutions who wish, while remaining totally autonomous vis-à-vis the internal decision-making process of Urba-Rom, at the same time to benefit from the network's communication methods for their functioning and the dissemination of their research (via the website, discussion forums, distribution lists, the e-resource centre etc.) and to support the observatory notably in the development of its Internet resources (equipment, consulting).

§ 4.3.2 - Hosting decisions

The steering committee will decide on whether to host research programmes who approach it on this topic. Its decision on hosting is final up to the time limit initally set by the programme at the time of its acceptance. This time period may be extended on the tacit agreement of both parties.

§ 4.3.3 - Autonomy

Each programme is managed according to its own methods and in a manner independent of the Urba-Rom observatory, including relating to the publications on the section of the website set aside for each programme, within the limits of respect for the charter and for appropriate laws in force.

§ 4.3.4 - Hosted programmes :

None at present. 

 

Section 6 : PUBLICATIONS 

 

§ 6.1 – General principles

In order to assure the greatest possible accessibility, the observatory favours the free, open online publication of working or final results of research conducted by the members of the observatory on the Urba-Rom website. Of course, this preferred option does not exclude the choice of other kinds of publication, for example traditional (paper) publication.

 

§ 6.2 – The site

The site, the principal support for Urba-Rom's activities, hosts the online resource centre and showcases the observatory work and outputs (workshops, seminars, conferences, online publications). It also includes an editorial written by members of the steering committee or by network members on a specific theme or an issue in the news, and a calendar of academic events related to the principal themes of the observatory. The members of the steering committee are responsible for the orderly functioning of the Urba-Rom site, conforming to the charter in force. 

 

§ 6.3 – The online e-resource centre

 

Developed chiefly by members of the observatory, it brings together a range of documents: academic articles, technical reports, organisational literature, legislation, multimedia, etc. The collection is open access, with the exception of resources published elsewhere, which are only accessible to members of the observatory and reserved for private use. Publishers who so desire are free to demand the withdrawal of articles or other documents they have published. The steering committee reserves the right to withdraw documents or other resources if necessary. The members of the steering committee have access to the internal site management system, to all of its functionalities and to its traffic statistics. 

 

§ 6.4 –The Urba-Rom blog

The blog chiefly brings together current items related to the Urba-Rom research field (books, newspaper articles, op-eds, miscellaneous documents, public speeches, running debates, etc.). Each blog column is created by one or more individuals whose names appear on the site when one hovers over the blog title. Each member of the steering committee and the oversight committee can create a column under their name in the 'Blogs' section and publish therein whatever they wish, while respecting French law and the observatory charter. Whereas the comments offered on the blog are the responsibility of their authors, the management of the blog in conformance with the observatory charter falls within the tasks of the steering committee.

 

Section 7 : REVISION OF THE CHARTER

 

§ 7.1 – Procedure

The charter may be revised by the steering committee in conformance with one of the decision-making processes provided for in §3.2, except for the sections 1 and 2, the revision of which requires a motion by at least three members of the steering committee, and the approval of three-quarters of ballots cast within a month after the opening of the vote. The three members making a motion for revision may demand a secret ballot.

 

§ 7.2 – Adoption et revisions

The current charter was adopted, in its initial version, by uninamous vote of the members of the steering commitee on 15 May, 2011.