Project Partnership
When Scars (!) Become Art project is realized through a powerful collaboration of seven organizations—a strategic alliance of expert NGOs, grassroots youth organizations, and a leading academic institution—all unified by a shared commitment to structural inclusion and mental wellbeing.
The project is executed by a consortium of seven partner organizations across six European countries. This strategic network includes civil society organizations with extensive experience in youth work and advocacy, coupled with a university partner to ensure scientific and methodological rigor. The partners contribute expertise essential to addressing the specific cultural, social, and academic dimensions of mental wellbeing and inclusion for young Roma, refugees, and migrants.
Partner Organizations
Amaro Foro e.V.
🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany
Amaro Foro e.V. is a transcultural youth self-organization of Roma and non-Roma based in Berlin, Germany. The name “Amaro Foro” means “Our City” in Romanes. As a cross-cultural youth association, Amaro Foro e.V. works collaboratively against antigypsyism and advocates for equal opportunities and participation. It organizes educational and after-school activities for young people and offers practical support via social services. As the project’s coordinating organization, Amaro Foro provides deep expertise in Roma youth advocacy, participation, inclusion, anti-discrimination work, and youth empowerment. Its experience in leading complex, transnational projects ensures effective administrative, financial, and strategic management while bringing the community voice in the project.
Nevo Parudimos Association
🇷🇴 Resita, Romania
Nevo Parudimos is an apolitical, non governmental, non-discriminatory civic and independent association created in August 2008. The purpose of the association is “Reducing economical, social and educational disparities in society”. Nevo Parudimos’s vision is that Roma individuals and communities enjoy all areas of life at local, national and European levels without facing discrimination. Its mission is to enable civil society to contribute to strategic and inclusive local development policies in order to empower Roma and non-Roma vulnerable people to access and enjoy all their rights.
Kargenc Environment Sport Club
🇹🇷 Sakarya, Turkiye
KARGENC ENVIRONMENT SPORT CLUB (Kargenc Club) is a passionate organization dedicated to promoting sports, cultural exchange, and holistic development among children and youth. With a commitment to fostering a strong sense of community and well-being, Kargenc Club consistently seeks to create innovative programs that enrich the lives of individuals. Kargenc Club was established in 2010 as a Youth and Sports Association by dedicated volunteer teachers in Sakarya. Initially focused on local activities, our organization expanded its horizons to embrace international projects in 2014. Over the years, we have grown significantly in capacity, attracting a diverse range of volunteers, including high school and university students, coaches, teachers, and academicians. As a result, our activities encompass various segments of society, including families, young people, children, students, and individuals with disabilities.
United Societies of Balkans
🇬🇷 Thessaloniki, Greece
“United Societies of Balkans (U.S.B)” is a non-governmental organization (NGO) – a civil society organization, created in Thessaloniki in 2008, by a team of active young people, socially sensitized and with rich experience around voluntary programs. Their vision includes the youth empowerment at local, national and international level, the intercultural dialogue, the promotion of principles and values of democracy and human rights through the mobilization and mobility of young people, their assimilation into volunteer work as well as their awareness raising on social issues.
Regional Roma Educational Youth Association
🇲🇰 Kratovo, North Macedonia
Amaro Foro e.V. is a transcultural youth self-organization of Roma and non-Roma based in Berlin, Germany. The name “Amaro Foro” means “Our City” in Romanes. As a cross-cultural youth association, Amaro Foro e.V. works collaboratively against antigypsyism and advocates for equal opportunities and participation. It organizes educational and after-school activities for young people and offers practical support via social services. As the project’s coordinating organization, Amaro Foro provides deep expertise in Roma youth advocacy, participation, inclusion, anti-discrimination work, and youth empowerment. Its experience in leading complex, transnational projects ensures effective administrative, financial, and strategic management while bringing the community voice in the project.
Edit Centar
🇷🇸 Novi Sad, Serbia
EDIT center is a non-profit association founded in 2005 and EDIT is the acronym of the four words: Education, Development, Information and Training, which are the main fields of work and methodology of the Center. The mission of EDIT is to empower individuals, social groups and organizations through education, development and information programs, in order to create the environment suitable for human beings.
West University of Timisoara
🇷🇴 Timisoara, Romania
The West University of Timișoara (Romanian: Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara; abbreviated UVT) is a public higher education institution located in Timișoara. Classified by the Ministry of National Education as a university of education and scientific research, UVT is one of the nine members of the Universitaria Consortium (the group of Romanian elite universities). Also, the West University is a member institution of the National Research–Development–Innovation System in its capacity as an accredited higher education institution. The West University of Timișoara comprises 11 faculties with the respective departments, as well as a teacher training department. The faculties that operate within UVT offer nationally accredited study programs at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level in the following fields: Arts and Design; Chemistry, Biology, Geography; Economics and Business Administration; Law; Letters, History and Theology; Mathematics and Computer Science; Music and Theater; Physical Education and Sports; Physics; Political Sciences, Philosophy and Communication Sciences; Sociology and Psychology.
European Added Value and Transnational Vision
The challenges addressed by this project—systemic exclusion, discrimination (including antigypsyism), and the resulting mental health crises—are not confined to a single country. They are pervasive, structural, and inherently transnational issues affecting two of Europe’s most marginalized youth populations:
- The Roma population is Europe's largest ethnic minority, facing pervasive, cross-border discrimination.
- Refugees and Migrants are found across the continent, experiencing similar struggles for belonging and mental stability.
The consortium’s transnational vision is to harness this collective European reality into a shared strategy for systemic change. By aligning expertise across Germany, Turkiye, Romania, Greece, North Macedonia, and Serbia, we achieve crucial added value unattainable by single-country efforts:
Our joint research expands the scope and quality of data by integrating insights from six national contexts. This diversity captures the full spectrum of experiences and policy environments, leading to richer, more scientifically robust findings that reflect the complexity of exclusion across Europe.
The development of the Youth Worker Toolkit and the Mental Health App is a collaborative process involving experts from all partner countries. This approach ensures the resources are not only theoretically sound but also incorporate diverse cultural knowledge, local traditions, and varying legal frameworks, making them highly effective and culturally sensitive across the continent.
The consolidated, pan-European evidence base provides a strong platform for high-level advocacy. This collective voice enables the consortium to strategically influence European and national stakeholders, Ministries, and institutions, driving systemic inclusion and mental health reforms that create long-lasting structural impact across Europe.
