Roma day – ERGO Network

The Future of Roma in Europe: Combating Antigypsyism in the Face of Rising Far-Right Trends and European Elections

International Roma Day 2024 marks not only a celebration of Roma culture and heritage—as it will often be seen and carried out by national governments and international institutions—but, most importantly, a critical moment to reflect on the ongoing challenges Roma, Sinti, and Travellers across Europe face.

This year, the International Day marks the launch of the Romani Week 2024, a yearly event coordinated in Brussels by the ERGO Network for civil society organisations, European institutions, and other international and intergovernmental organisations. It aims to raise awareness of the situation of Roma, Sinti, and Travellers in Europe. All relevant stakeholders, including Roma representatives and European youth, attend the event. This time, it coincides with a pivotal moment in European politics — the upcoming European elections. The voices and rights of marginalised communities, including Roma, are at stake amidst the rise of far-right movements and the looming shadow of antigypsyism.

The director of ERGO Network Gabriela Hrabanova commented that in recent years, Europe has witnessed a surge in anti-racism movements spurred by initiatives like Black Lives Matter:

“However, paradoxically, this surge has been accompanied by the ominous rise of far-right ideologies and xenophobic sentiments across the continent. These trends manifest not only in street-level bigotry but also in the corridors of power, with far-right political groups gaining ground and threatening to reshape the European political landscape.”

At the heart of these challenges lies the pervasive issue of antigypsyism — an entrenched form of racism and discrimination specifically targeting Roma. Despite efforts at the European level to address this systemic injustice, progress remains obstructed by the lack of political will and fragmented policies across member states. National Roma Strategic Frameworks often falter in implementation, leaving Roma communities vulnerable to social exclusion and marginalisation.

Against this backdrop, Romani Week 2024 emerges as a dialogue, advocacy, and action platform. Its objectives are clear: to foster discussions on political, economic, and human rights changes in Europe and ensure that Roma, Sinti, and Travellers are not sidelined in these conversations. By amplifying our voices and experiences, Romani Week aims to compel policymakers to prioritise the equality, inclusion, and participation of Roma communities across all spheres of society.

Key topics on the agenda include the alarming threats posed by antigypsyism and structural discrimination, the imperative of promoting Roma participation in decision-making processes, and the urgent need to monitor and implement National Roma Strategic Frameworks effectively. Moreover, Romani Week will advocate for truth and reconciliation processes to confront historical injustices and pave the way for a more equitable future.

Today on International Roma Day – a day when our voices are heard probably a little louder than usual – let us reaffirm our commitment to combatting antigypsyism and advancing the rights of Roma, Sinti, and Travellers. Let us harness the power of collective action to challenge bigotry, dismantle systemic barriers, and build a Europe where every individual, regardless of ethnicity or background, can thrive and flourish. In the upcoming European elections, let us vote with empathy, solidarity, and inclusivity, ensuring that the voices of Roma communities are counted in shaping the future of our continent.

International Roma Day: 8 April 2023

International Roma Day

International Roma Day is celebrated annually on April 8th – a turning point for Roma communities around the world, when activists moved their struggle to the international arena with the first World Romani Congress held near London. The First Congress promoted the Roma symbols used as tools for unification and political mobilization, such as the umbrella term ‘Roma’, the Roma flag, the slogan Opre Roma! (Roma Arise!), our anthem (Djelem Djelem), and the International Day (8 April).

On this day, we recognize and celebrate the rich culture and contributions of the Roma people, and raise awareness of the ongoing discrimination and marginalization we face. While on the EU level progress has been made in recent years towards achieving greater equality and inclusion for Roma communities, there is still much work to be done until this progress reaches Roma communities.

In a few weeks, policymakers, experts, activists and organisations concerned with persistent antigypsyism will be gathering in Brussels for the 2023 Roma Week, hosted by the European Parliament and the European Commission and organised in partnership with Roma and pro-Roma civil society.

In the framework of the Roma Week 2023, there will be a series of events focusing on how history affects the current situation of Roma in Europe and what are the prospects for the future. The events aim to build on the work done during previous Roma Weeks and on the broader work on Roma equality, inclusion and participation. It calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen the active engagement and meaningful participation of Roma – especially Roma women, young people, and other underrepresented groups – in the development, implementation and monitoring of public policies and projects aimed towards them at the European, national, regional and local levels, so they can be actively involved in shaping their future and contribute to changing perceptions in European societies.

Over the past several years, there has been growing recognition of the need to invest in programmes and initiatives that promote greater equality, inclusion, and participation for Roma communities. The European Union has been at the forefront of these efforts, providing funding for a wide range of projects aimed at improving the lives of Roma people throughout Europe.

Despite these efforts, however, progress has been slow, and many Roma communities continue to face significant barriers to equality, inclusion and participation. One of the key challenges is ensuring that funding is used effectively and efficiently to achieve meaningful results. To address this challenge, there is a need for greater collaboration between Roma communities, civil society organisations, and government agencies to ensure that resources are directed to where they are needed most. One of the events of the Roma Week will focus specifically on maximising the use of funding for Roma equality, inclusion and participation.

We have a long and rich history in Europe, but this history has been marked by centuries of discrimination, persecution, and violence. From the Roma Holocaust during World War II to the ongoing forced evictions and discrimination faced by Roma communities throughout Europe, the Roma have been subject to some of the worst atrocities in European history.

Despite this history, there has been a notable lack of recognition and acknowledgement of our experiences, and efforts to achieve justice and redress for past wrongs have been slow and incomplete. To address this, there is a growing movement to promote greater awareness and understanding of our history and experiences and to ensure that justice is served for past wrongs. During the Roma Week, we invite you to follow the Final Conference of the Chachipen project, focusing on the history, memory, and justice for Roma in Europe.

The Roma Week doesn’t limit itself to the EU policies, but takes a broader approach, including the situation of the Roma communities in the Western Balkans and Turkey, as well as the situation of Ukrainian Roma refugees in Europe and Roma in Ukraine. Other events will also highlight the situation of Roma women, youth and children, as some of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups within Roma communities, facing multiple forms of discrimination.

The importance of Roma participation in EU, national and local policies cannot be overstated, particularly given the significant challenges faced by Roma communities in Europe today, and we see it as the key step to achieve a future free from antigypsyism for the coming generations of Roma. We continue to face significant barriers to equality, inclusion, and participation, denial of our history and our contributions to society. And the common thread for the struggles we are facing institutional and structural racism – the focus of many Roma Week events this year.

Institutional racism refers to the ways in which racially-based discriminatory attitudes are embedded within the policies, practices, and procedures of institutions, including governments, schools, healthcare systems, and other organisations. Structural racism refers to the ways in which these attitudes are woven into the very fabric of society, through systems of power and privilege that provide advantages to some groups while marginalizing others.

Both institutional and structural racism are major obstacles to the full participation of Roma communities in European society, and they can have far-reaching consequences for Roma people in terms of access to education, healthcare, housing, employment, and other basic rights and services.

To address institutional and structural racism, there is a need for greater engagement and participation of Roma communities in the development and implementation of EU policies and initiatives. This includes efforts to build trust and understanding between Roma communities and policymakers and to ensure that Roma voices are heard, and their perspectives are taken into account in the development of policies and initiatives that affect their lives.

It also requires a recognition of the ways in which racism operates within institutions and structures and a commitment to addressing these challenges through targeted initiatives and programs that promote greater equality and inclusion for Roma communities.

We hope that the Roma Week will be one step forward towards the recognition of and dialogue on these matters and another brick for building a more inclusive and equitable Europe for all.

Read more about the Roma Week 2023, check the event’s agenda, objectives and participants here.

50th International Roma Day

Today, on 8 April, we celebrate the 50^th International Roma Day!

While the roots of Romani activism go back to the 19^th century, the 8^th April 1971 constitutes a turning point for Roma communities around the world, when activists moved their struggle to the international arena with the first World Romani Congress held near London. The day means for us a celebration of our culture, language and the endurance to keep our identity alive. The First Congress promoted the Roma symbols used as tools for unification and political mobilization, such as the umbrella term ‘Roma’, the Romani flag, the slogan Opre Roma! (Roma Arise!) our anthem (Djelem djelem) and national day (8 April).

The Congress was a catalyst of a new generation of Roma activists who worked together to fight against antigypsyism that we experience day in, day out.

From slavery to sponsored policies of extermination and eradication of our traditional culture, to forced settlement and resettlement, ethnic cleansing, assimilation, and sterilization of Romani women, all these persecutions led to the current situation of Roma across the world, where we continue to be perceived in a dehumanising way, less worthy and easy victims of hate speech, of racist violence and police abuse and day-to-day discrimination in all areas of our lives.

Today, when 80% of Roma and related groups live at the risk of poverty and hate speech and victimization of Roma have only increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, we must carry the fight of our ancestors forward and stand firm against antigypsyism.

To eradicate antigypsyism, our network of civil society organisations, our friends and the entire Roma movement must all work together to empower Roma communities to stand up for their rights, to raise awareness of our situation among non-Roma, to demand that the justice system identifies and persecutes crimes against us and to advocate for structural changes.

While we can be proud of our culture, history, personal achievements and political successes, such as the increased recognition of antigypsyism among institutions and some national governments and a stronger EU Roma Strategic Framework that puts the fight against antigypsyism at its core, there is still a very long way to go in order to achieve racial equality for Roma, Sinti, Travellers and other related groups.

On this important day, we are asking the European Institutions to

Further develop guidelines to recognise and address specific forms of racism, including
Create synergies between EU and national policy and legislative developments on specific forms of racism.
Speak out forcefully against any attempts to ethnically profile and scapegoat Roma and other minorities during the pandemic and ensure that states’ responses to Covid-19 do not make certain populations more vulnerable to racist violence and discrimination.
Ensure that the implementation of the Action Plan of the European Pillar of Social Rights will be used so that Europe’s Roma are not left behind and that the Covid-19 EU recovery packages will reach Roma and other vulnerable groups.
Further invest in mapping and data collection regarding the access to rights and services and the capacity building of Roma civil society to take an active part in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national policies and programmes relevant to Roma.

We are asking national governments, under the new upcoming Roma strategic frameworks and policy actions to…

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Shift narratives and measures on Roma in a positive and empowering way, reflective of democratic societies, the rule of law and respect for human rights.
Prioritise the recognition of and fight against antigypsyism and discrimination, segregation in education and housing and anti‑Roma prejudices and stereotypes.
Promote awareness of Roma history, culture, recognition and reconciliation and prioritize self-representation of Roma.
Ensure EU and national funds are used towards inclusive mainstream policy reform, targeted action and communication for Roma equality, inclusion and participation.
Ensure full and effective participation of Roma and (pro-) Roma civil society at all levels and all stages of the NSF design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Ensure an appropriate response and funding to the particular risks experienced by Roma and related communities due to the Covid-19 pandemic and mainstreaming and inclusion of Roma communities in the social and economic policies and programmes deployed to address the impact of the pandemic.

And we are asking from our non-Roma friends, neighbours, colleagues and others to:

Question your own biases and stereotypes against Roma.
Call out antigypsyism when you see it happening.
Educate yourselves and learn about Roma history.
Do not use racist slurs against us.
Do not speak on our behalf, but give us spaces to speak up and amplify our voices.
Celebrate with us our Roma culture, history and role models – on 8^th April, and throughout the rest of the year.

Amaro Drom: Jekhipe – Together

Jekhipe – Together

German ERGO Network member Amaro Drom produced two interesting online lectures by Prof. Dr. Hristo Kyuchukov that are dedicated to 8th April, the International Romani Day and 16th May, the Romani Resistance Day. These lectures were recorded within the framework of the project „Jekhipe – Together” in video format due to restrictions caused by COVID-19 epidemics. Both lectures are recorded in Romani language and subtitles in English and German are also provided in order to cover a wide audience.

Can we put an end to the dehumanization of Roma in France?

The situation in France in relation to antigypsyism is dire, vulnerable members of the Roma community are being targeted in racial attacks. On March 16th a rumour first appeared on social media platforms causing a series of attacks to be carried out against members of the Roma community. Since the attacks started La Voix des Rroms and its partners have recorded 38 assaults: assault and battery in the street, death threats, shots near living quarters, arson, etc. The number of attacks peaked between March 25-26.

To mark the occasion of International Roma day, Romea.cz opens its
columns to the association La Voix des Rroms (the Voice of Roma). The
president of ERGO Network’s member organisation William Bila, is
outraged by the fate of Romani populations in French society.
Dehumanization at the hands of the media and politicians is contributing
to the normalization of antigypsyism: the evils are numerous but the
solutions are there.

You can read the full article here: By William Bila.

We also encourage everyone to take part in the social media campaign launched by La Viox des Rroms, it consists of taking a photo of yourself or others holding up a sign saying ‘#JESUISRROM SOLIDARITE AVEC NOS FRERES ET SŒURS DE FRANCE.’ and posting it on any social media platform. Remember to tag the organisation La Viox des Rroms.