The proposal by the Racial Justice and Empowerment Network was presented at the Workshop on Legal Self-Defence Against Racism in Navarre
On 13 May, we held the workshop ‘The legal framework in the fight against racism and discrimination – A workshop on legal self-defence against racism’ at the Palacete Municipal in Burlada (Navarra), as part of the Racial Justice and Empowerment 2026 project.
The event, organised by the Federation of Roma Associations of Navarre(Gaz Kaló) and La Fragua Projects, brought together around 40 people, including professionals, activists and members of the public, establishing itself as a forum for critical education, legal empowerment and collective action against racism.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Government of Navarre—through the Directorate-General for Migration Policy—and Burlada TownCouncil, and was funded by central government through the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda, and by the regional government through the Department of Social Rights, Social Economy and Employment of the Government of Navarre.
Institutional representation and opening of the event
Early in the morning, the workshop was preceded by a press conference that highlighted the institutional interest in this type of initiative. The event was attended by the Mayor of Burlada, Berta Arizkun González, alongside key representatives of the Government of Navarre, such as Eva Gurría Marco, Director-General for Migration Policy. They were later joined by Carmen Remón Ochoa, from the Ayllu Service for Intercultural Coexistence and the Fight against Racism and Xenophobia; María Ángeles García Briñol, from the Intercultural Coexistence Section; and Sonia Santafé Dencausa, from the Social Inclusion and Care for Minorities Section of the Department of Social Rights, Social Economy and Employment.
This presence highlights the strategic role these spaces play as meeting points between the public sector, social organisations and the community.
From legal training to collective self-defence
The workshop was led by Paco Vargas, Pastora Filigrana and Iñaki Vázquez, with additional support from Ricardo Hernández, director of Gaz Kaló.
The presentations addressed racism from a structural perspective, framing it as a historical reality deeply rooted in both institutions and everyday life. Throughout the session, participants examined the legal framework for equal treatment and non-discrimination, as well as the various ways in which these principles are violated in areas such as employment, housing, healthcare and access to services.
Beyond the legal content, the workshop focused on the need to turn that knowledge into practical tools for legal self-defence, strengthening the ability of individuals and communities to respond to situations of discrimination.
Local action: the TECIR Network
One of the elements that particularly enriched the event was the participation of the TECIR Network (Technicians for Intercultural Coexistence and the Fight against Racism and Xenophobia), promoted by the Government of Navarre through the Directorate-General for Migration Policy.
The involvement of these professionals made it possible to link legal analysis with the day-to-day reality of social work, offering a perspective rooted in community engagement, mediation and support. Their work is essential for translating public policies into concrete practices that make a difference to people’s lives.
Social fabric and partnership-building
The event also saw the active participation of professionals from the Gaz Kaló technical team and activists from SOS Racismo Nafarroa, which helped to create a space for sharing experiences of intervention, reporting and support.
This diversity established the workshop as a hub for local collaboration, where technical expertise and community experience come together to strengthen collective responses to racism.
The Regional Law: from recognition to implementation
One of the key policy priorities was the promotion of Regional Law 13/2023 on combating racism and xenophobia in Navarre. During the workshop, its progressive nature was highlighted, whilst the need for its effective implementation was emphasised.
In this regard, the importance of utilising the instruments provided for in the law itself was emphasised, such as the Navarre Council for the Fight against Racism and Xenophobia, the development of regular plans, and the incorporation of restorative justice mechanisms as a means of prevention and redress.
Within this framework, the process of recognition and reconciliation with the Romani people took on particular significance; the law enshrines this as a commitment to remembrance, truth and historical redress. This is a pioneering measure both nationally and across Europe, with the potential to mark a turning point in the fight against anti-Romani discrimination.
It is worth noting that La Fragua Projects, in collaboration with Gaz Kaló, played an active role in the drafting of this law, drawing on its community experience and its long-standing work in the defence of rights.
Under-reporting and the right to justice
The workshop also addressed under-reporting as one of the main obstacles in the fight against discrimination, linked to factors such as a lack of awareness of one’s rights, low expectations, mistrust of institutions, and the normalisation of racism.
In light of this, the need arose to strengthen community support, improve access to resources and develop collective strategies to ensure that recognised rights are upheld.
A network to strengthen the response: RJE Network
The event also served as the launch platform for the Racial Justice and Empowerment Network, an initiative spearheaded by La Fragua Projects to establish a stable network of collaboration between organisations, professionals and activists.
This proposal aims to improve access to resources, enhance the coordination of responses to racism and strengthen advocacy capacity through collaborative efforts.
A commitment to structural transformation
The workshop forms part of a broader strategy promoted by the Racial Justice and Empowerment 2026 project, which aims to build capacity, generate critical knowledge and promote structural changes in public policy.
The Burlada conference once again highlights that legal recognition is merely a starting point. Ensuring rights means working towards their effective implementation, by strengthening both the tools available and the collective capacity to put them into practice.
In the face of systemic racism, the response must also be systemic: sustained over time, coordinated across networks and deeply rooted in the reality of local communities.
A pioneering model that anticipates judicial reform and offers effective solutions to structural discrimination through intercultural mediation and strategic litigation
The ADEME 2025 report, initiated by La Fragua Projects and funded by Seville City Council, establishes a pioneering model for support, identification and socio-legal mediation for the Roma community in situations of severe exclusion. This initiative anticipates the reform of the Law on Procedural Efficiency, integrating Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms (ADRM) with an intercultural and restorative justice approach.
The findings are damning: structural anti-Roma sentiment persists, manifesting itself in administrative inaction, intersectional discrimination and the violation of fundamental rights. Documented cases include chronic failure to comply with court orders regarding disability, vicarious violence and medical negligence that has resulted in life-threatening situations. ADEME 2025 has handled over 20 highly complex cases and 200 proceedings per month, combining mediation, strategic litigation and innovative protocols to ensure effective judicial protection.
The report proposes measures with the force of law, such as the establishment of the role of a Romani socio-legal mediator, the replacement of the ineffective Andalusian Protocol against Anti-Gypsyism with a binding regional law, and the implementation of compulsory anti-racism training for all public sector staff. These recommendations aim to transform political will into a legal obligation, ensuring that substantive equality becomes a reality rather than a mere promise.
DiscriRromani Sevilla 2025: Evidence and solutions to structural discrimination
The DiscriRromani Sevilla 2025 project, developed by La Fragua Projects with the support of Seville City Council, presents a comprehensive analysis of intersectional discrimination and structural anti-Roma sentiment in the city. This report, the result of participatory work and direct intervention, highlights how inequalities persist in key areas such as education, social services and health, systematically affecting the Roma community and other racialised groups.
Among the most significant findings is the observation that the education system perpetuates structural discrimination, with practices that reinforce school segregation and dropout rates, as well as the exclusion of Romani culture from the curriculum. In the field of social services, there is a deep mistrust of the administration, which is perceived as bureaucratic and inhumane, with documented cases of humiliating treatment and irregular practices. In healthcare, the report highlights institutional biases linked to stereotypes and surnames, leading to serious situations such as attempts at sterilisation and discriminatory treatment of Roma women.
The project is not limited to research: it has filed complaints regarding hate crimes, mediated in cases of exclusion from healthcare and eviction, and developed an innovative digital strategy to advise and support those affected. These actions have had a tangible impact on institutions, involving bodies such as the Public Prosecutor’s Office, regional ministries and local authorities.
The conclusions are clear: structural discrimination is not the exception, but a persistent pattern. The report therefore sets out urgent recommendations, including: compulsory anti-racism training for public sector staff; protocols to combat school segregation; the inclusion of Romani history and culture in the curriculum; and a review of social services practices to ensure transparency and dignified treatment.
This document serves as a strategic tool for moving towards a public administration that is fairer, more equitable and more respectful of diversity. We invite institutions, professionals and members of the public to familiarise themselves in detail with the report’s findings and proposals, which can be viewed in full via the following link:
This initiative, organised by the Romanó Institute for Social and Cultural Affairs, held one of its online sessions on 22 October
Our colleague at La Fragua Projects, Iñaki Vázquez Arencón, was the speaker at one of the sessions of the 2025 edition of the project ‘Intervention Strategies for the Disadvantaged Rroma Community’. His presentation was entitled ‘Experiences and reflections from a perspective of critical activism and rigorous professional practice’. The online training session took place on 22 October 2025 and lasted just over two hours.
In his presentation, Iñaki outlined key findings regarding the current situation of the Rroma population in Spain, the threats identified, the barriers they face, and the challenges confronting both public authorities and Roma and pro-Roma civil society organisations.
This project by the Romanó Institute for Social and Cultural Affairs is supported by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda as part of its call for proposals to support social projects using funds from the 0.7% levy.
This second edition features a series of presentations that are of great interest both to members of Rroma and pro-Rroma organisations, and to managers and/or specialists from public bodies working with the Roma community.
The participation of those enrolled in the project’s training activities is particularly significant. Following Iñaki’s presentation, a question-and-answer session took place, leading to an interesting debate on the need to implement a robust set of anti-discrimination projects and measures, alongside a strong commitment to participation, complementing the now-established initiatives for social inclusion and the fight against poverty, all with the aim of ensuring that social investment has a genuine impact on the Rroma community.
The city’s Cultural Centre is hosting this new meeting of the Cafè Barcelona project.
Once again, 16 diverse people, drawn from the margins—geographical, social and symbolic. They reunited with joyful embraces and smiles. Cups once again brimming with coffee and herbal infusions, and once more the four hosts began the dialogue on pressing issues, eagerly jotting down phrases and ideas.
There’s a sense of community in the group: everyone is different, yet at the same time we share a common thread. Something feels like home, and that fills us with satisfaction.
The bell from the café owner’s wife tells us that twenty minutes have already passed and we need to get up and move to another table. This time it’s other neighbourhoods of ours: La Mina (Sant Adrià de Besòs), La Mariola (Lleida), Camp Clar (Tarragona) and Torre Baró (Barcelona).
The topics, this time we’re repeating two of them because of their gravity and how they affect us: the right to housing and labour precarity. But there are also two new topics, although they’re too old for our collective memory: school segregation and political disaffection.
Intense dialogues, active listening, emotion and anger. Everything stems from respect and affection for one another. On this occasion, three little human beings grace us with their presence, and of course we make sure they’re entertained and well-fed with snacks.
We’re running out of coffee when someone asks us for time to pray according to their beliefs. Everyone stops, and a few minutes later the praying people return. An exercise in coexistence and respect.
Finally, once again, the harvest, where the hosts attempted to summarise the whole wealth of dialogue and ideas that had taken place at their respective table.
Everyone leaves eager to return and asking if they can invite such a friend or such another person. May joy change sides. Without joy, no revolution can blossom.
Source: La Fragua Projects Photos: La Fragua Projects
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