Member of the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms Mr Mihailo Anđušić took part in the panel discussion titled “Contribution of the media in reducing prejudices against Roma“, held in Podgorica on 8 October 2018. The panel discussion was organised by a coalition of NGOs “United support to Roma inclusion in Montenegro”.

During the discussion, the participants commented the results of the research, as well as the role that journalists, editors-in-chief, representatives of the relevant institutions and each citizen should have in reducing prejudices against all vulnerable groups.

Member of the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms Mr Mihailo Anđušić took part in the discussion, stressing that the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms within its activities, and in line with legislative and control role of the Parliament, significantly contributed to the improvement of position of the Roma population in Montenegro. He assessed that the progress had been made in many fields, particularly in the education, being a precondition for a high-quality inclusion of the Roma population in Montenegrin society. He believes that data on the representation of Roma in the media can be useful for creating future activities that would contribute to reducing prejudice towards members of this population. He concluded that visible results in this field can be achieved only by joint and coordinated activities.

Bearing in mind their crucial role in society, the participants assessed that in the following period media should give even greater contribution to decreasing prejudices towards the Roma. The joint conclusion is that only joint activities, with coordinated actions of all relevant subjects and in cooperation with members of the Roma population, can result in eliminating the existing stereotypes towards Roma.