A Voice For the Voiceless

MISSION

The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

Margaret Swink and the Dzeno Association

Margaret Swink is currently finishing her first year of a Master’s program in International Relations at Yale University with a concentration in comparative foreign policy and human rights. Originally from Michigan, she received her BA in international relations from Michigan State in 2000. Seeking a warmer climate, she joined Peace Corps and spent the next two years teaching English and building a library in Cameroon. Margaret was the first virtual intern for the Dzeno Association. This summer she worked onsite with Dzeno in Prague.

Dzeno plays a critically important role in disseminating information about Europe’s eight million Roma (sometimes also referred to as Gypsies) who have emerged in recent years as one of Europe’s most marginalized but active minorities. The Dzeno Association was established in 1994 by Ivan Vesely, Chairman of Dzeno and a prominent Roma activist with over fifteen years experience in the field. Mr. Vesely also serves as the acting Media Commissioner for the International Romany Union. Today Dzeno is well known as a center for independent Roma media and information and it provides information technology training for the Romany population in Eastern Europe.

At her internship with Dzeno, Margaret completed a broad range of assignments essential for the organization to achieve its objectives. Her primary project was to research and draft a report on the eviction of Roma families throughout Europe. By the end of the summer she was able to produce a 35-page overview of the disturbing trend showing that Roma evictions are becoming more commonplace even in countries normally considered tolerant. The report will be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Commission next year.

In addition, Margaret was able to provide Dzeno with many other valuable services, because of her English-speaking ability. She helped with English-language correspondence, as well as with completing grant applications in English, giving Dzeno an opportunity to receive funding from sources which previously were underutilized because of language barriers. She was also voice for the news in English for Radio Rota.

During the summer, Margaret wrote reports online in the form of blogs about her experiences. In her entries she touched on issues as diverse as Harry Potter and globalization, she pleaded passionately for better treatment of Roma women, and proffered insights about her time with Dzeno.

• Margaret Swink's blog