The project “Increasing the access of Roma and Egyptian communities into local governance through a new model of communication” is founded by the Small grant programme of the Open Society Foundation for Albania and is being undertaken by two organizations: The Albanian Helsinki Committee and the Center for Economic and Social Studies. The project aims to increase the access of Roma and Egyptian communities in local decision making as the basis of the respect for their rights and as a means for the minimization of  direct and indirect iscrimination. It is being implemented in the municipalities of Elbasan, Korçë and Fier and in the commune of Levan which are some of the areas with a higher concentration of Roma and Egyptians in Albania. The activities   of this project include: trainigs with educational staff of the project areas that work with Roma and Egyptian children on how to deal with their specific needs; training of the police force in these areas regarding the Roma and Egyptian problems and how to deal with this community, training of local governance structures regarding the needs and problems of the Roma and Egyptian communities and how to work together with the communities to solve these issues. Within the same framework groups of representatives from the Roma and Egyptian communities will be formed and trained on how to bring the problems of these communities in the municipality and commune council meetings. The projects duration is one year.