To promote projects facilitating access for seniors disadvantaged citizens and minorities to cultural services, including self-realisation activities for disadvantaged people
The level of responsibility for removing existing barriers that prevent seniors and disadvantage persons from enjoying a full life, which includes opportunities to access and use cultural services, should be fully understood. And not only that, art, theatre, singing and other creative activities may provide a path to understanding and influencing human psychology and interpersonal relationships to overcome barriers and to recognise and perceive the outside world, which obviously helps to improve quality of life.
More attention should therefore be paid to supporting cultural activities for disadvantaged persons and minorities, including their access to cultural services. At the same time, the Calendar of Events for Disabled Citizens, which lists events for disabled persons that have received support under the selection proceedings, is updated each month on the Ministry of Culture website. This measure is reflected in, and is directly connected to, the performance of the measures set out in the documents listed below (under the budgets of the individual programmes):
- National Action Plan for Positive Aging for the period from 2013 to 2017 (in the updated version dated 31 December 2014), Government Resolution No. 218 of 30 March 2015 (continuously 2015-2017);
- National Plan for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities for the period from 2015-2020,
- Government Resolution No. 385 of 25 May 2015 (continuously 2015-2020);
- UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was published in the Collection of International Treaties under number 10/1010 Coll. I. T. (continuously from 2010); Social Inclusion Strategy 2014-2020, Government Resolution No. 24 of 8 January 2014 (continuously 2015-2020).
- Social Inclusion Strategy 2014 – 2020
The subject-matter of the support will also include the development of ethnic culture and projects focusing on eliminating prejudices, racism and xenophobic attitudes. Implementation of the aforementioned point will be ensured through special grant proceedings, such as grant tender proceedings
The MC CR regularly provides support for projects (particularly under the Cultural Activities programme), that contribute, in accordance with national and international legal regulations, to involving ethnic minorities, foreigners and groups at risk of social exclusion in cultural affairs. These projects help integrate these groups into normal life.
Each year the MC announces a grant tender procedure for a programme to support cultural activities for members of ethnic minorities living in the Czech Republic. It is announced in accordance with Government Resolution No. 122 of 21 February 2007 on a Government Resolution, amending Government Resolution No. 98/2002 Coll., laying down the conditions and method of providing grants from the state budget for activities of members of ethnic minorities and to promote the integration of members of the Roma community, as amended by Government Resolution No. 262/2005 Coll.)
The grant tender proceedings for this programme are intended for legal and natural persons who have demonstrably carried out activities for the benefit of members of ethnic minorities for a minimum of one year. The vast majority of project promoters are associations. These associations cover the following ethnic minorities - Belarussian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Hungarian, German, Polish, Roma, Ruthenian, Russian, Greek, Slovak, Serbian, Ukrainian and Vietnamese, and Jewish cultural projects.
The aim of the tender proceedings is primarily to support active forms of engagement by associations representing the nationalities listed above
Outputs from this programme including various conferences or other activities associated with the ethnic minorities or vulnerable groups of the population. A good example might by the international conference Active ageing as a challenge for culture in the Czech Republic (the role of culture and the arts in the process of active ageing), 2017, which was organised by the National Information and Consulting Centre for Culture. “The activities of the Ministry of Culture to promote the participation of senior citizens in cultural services”, also attended the conference. This activity also links to regular cooperation with the National Senior Theatre Show.
This also supports the global Roma festival, Khamoro, each year.
The intercultural dialogue portal provides a platform, primarily for organisations in the non-profit sector:
http://www.mezikulturnidialog.cz/
A grant to support Roma culture, in accordance with Government Resolution No. 122 of 21 February 2007 on a Government Resolution, amending Government Resolution No. 98/2002 Coll., laying down the conditions and method of providing grants from the state budget for activities of members of ethnic minorities and to promote the integration of members of the Roma community, as amended by Government Resolution No. 262/2005 Coll., of around CZK 5,022,000, was provided during the period from 2015 to 2017 to promote the integration of the Roma minority in the Czech Republic. A total of CZK 26,970,000 was provided to support ethnic minority associations in the Czech Republic during the period under review. There has been no decrease in the volume of financial support for these programmes, in fact funding has increased over the years, due to the impact of the Convention on treatment of minorities in the Czech Republic.