Columbia International Affairs Online
CIAO DATE: 9/5/2007
The Aspect of Culture in the Social Inclusion of Ethnic Minorities Evaluation of the Impact of Inclusion Policies under the Open Method of Co-ordination in the European Union: Assessing the Cultural Policies of Six Member States Final Report Slovenia
October 2006
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract
The main purpose of this report is to evaluate the cultural policies introduced in the Slovenian National Action Plan (NAP) on Social Inclusion (2004-2006) in terms of their impact on promoting social inclusion of ethnic minorities. Cultural policies are here understood in a broad sense of the word - encompassing all policies that pay regard to any aspect of culture, be it culture in the sense of creative artistic activities (theatres, music, etc.) or in the sense of specific cultural/ethnic identity of the target groups.
In the report we focused on policies which are aimed at promoting the social inclusion of the Roma and the "new ethnic minorities". These are the only ethnic minorities that the Slovenian NAP/inclusion 2004-2006 pays attention to - Roma are considered as one of the groups most at risk of social exclusion in Slovenia. On the other hand the NAP 2004-2006 does not deal with the new ethnic minorities as with vulnerable groups (groups with highest risk of poverty and social exclusion); they are, however, included in the part of NAP 2004-2006, which deals with access to culture.
