The project „ I love Romanes! „ is a Roma youth initiated project about fighting discrimination against Roma community in Europe. During a 10 days youth exchange 24 youngsters from France and Romania, aged 15-28 discovered together the inter-cultural dialogue and managed to see beyond prejudice. Through a program based on non-formal education methods, the participants explored the place of Roma culture, language, citizenship, rights, tradition and identity in today’s Europe, foster reflection on the contemporary and historical factors that influence the portrayal of Roma in European societies and its place in public debate. By this exchange , French and Romanian Roma were able to learn more about themselves and will find by their own experience instruments and methods to address the issue in youth work as well as to influence their attitudes towards the Roma people.
The name of the project „i love Romanes” is a desire of the participants to get to know more the hot Roma realities in order to have a good experience one about each other . They know that beyond all these negatives prejudices Roma are people willing to share, to learn and to become friends. „Romanes” is the adjective that design qualities, fact and Roma language.

The venue was a Roma environment in Pascani, Nord-Est Romania, a place well-known for its big Roma population. For the both groups was a chance to get more closer to the Roma community by fighting together against prejudice. By games, study community visits, workshop, field visiting, inter cultural evening or forum theatre, the project will give the chance to young volunteer Roma to express themselves, to promote their cultural values and to feel proud of themselves and their identity, teaching other youth volunteer

s about the misconceptions and the potentials of Roma.
For 10 days , the youngsters shared work, shelter and food together the the French volunteers from socially challenging and minority backgrounds gained a comprehensive insight which enabled them to make up their own opinion of the Roma. Now they are able to critically reflect on common stereotypes as well as on their own experiences of discrimination.