OCTOBER 9, 2012, UI NEWS BUREAU, CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Sharita Forrest — As Greece struggles to rebuild its shattered economy, humanitarian agencies worry about the impact that the nation’s stringent reductions in wages and social services may have on vulnerable populations such as the Roma (also known as Romani, gypsies and travelers), many of whom live in extreme poverty on society’s fringes. Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis, education professors at the University of Illinois, are members of a project team working to improve access to education and promote social inclusion for Roma children and families in Greece. Funded by the European Commission, the European Union’s executive and policymaking body, the Education and Lifelong Learning Project is one component of the commission’s far-reaching strategy for promoting the welfare of Roma children, youth and adults.

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