A collective assessment and proposals to combat structural inequality and institutional racism in Barcelona
The Cafè Barcelona 2025 project, launched by La Fragua Projects with the support of theBarcelona City Council and the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion of the Government of Catalonia, has been conceived as a mechanism for democratic innovation to strengthen the participation of refugee, migrant, Roma and racialised communities in the development of public policies. Its aim: to create spaces for horizontal dialogue that recognise diversity and transform the way collective decisions are made.
Through four Participatory Spaces for Democratic Innovation (EPIDs), the project has addressed key issues such as the right to housing, job insecurity, school segregation, institutional racism, political disengagement, hate speech, gender-based violence and racialised LGBTIQ+ rights. The discussions have highlighted the persistence of structural inequalities affecting access to basic rights and civic participation, as well as the need to incorporate an anti-racist and intersectional perspective into all public policies.
The main conclusions include:
Ensuring access to housing through anti-discrimination measures and market regulation.
Combat job insecurity and racist harassment through clear protocols and positive action.
Reducing school segregation and incorporating anti-racism training into the education system.
Establish mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability in police operations.
Create permanent spaces for participation that give a voice to racialised communities.
To tackle hate speech and disinformation through educational and media strategies.
To safeguard LGBTIQ+ rights and combat gender-based violence through an intersectional approach.
This report is not merely a diagnosis: it is a call to action. The proposals it contains are the result of real-life experience and point towards a shared vision: a fairer, more inclusive and more democratic Barcelona.
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 training programme entitled ‘Preventing and Combating Xenophobia and Racism’ took place online in the form of a round-table discussion with activists and representatives of victims of discrimination, with the aim of understanding their experiences, the progress made, and their proposals and suggestions for improvements to public authorities, in order to prevent and reverse situations of discrimination and intolerance
La Fragua Projects’ contribution focused on the need to implement anti-discrimination projects that address the effects of intersectional discrimination experienced by a large proportion of the Romani community. To this end, we briefly outlined five of the projects currently being carried out by our organisation in various parts of Spain.
Furthermore, Iñaki outlined key aspects of the current situation facing the Roma community, highlighting the challenges, threats and barriers, as well as the achievements made. These points sparked an interesting debate among the course participants, which in turn enabled us at La Fragua Projects to explain our reasoning in greater depth.
In addition to Iñaki, the panel included anti-racism activists Lucía Asué Mbomio Rubio, a journalist, television presenter, writer, activist and advocate for gender equality and equity; and Antonio Liu Yang, a writer, director of the Institute of Applied Eastern Wisdom and an intercultural facilitator specialising in relations between China and Spain. Both gave brilliant presentations drawing on their personal and professional experience, which were undoubtedly of great interest to the students in attendance.
Source: La Fragua Projects Main image: INAP Images from the presentation: La Fragua Projects
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