In Romania,
entire communities are rejected to secluded areas surrounded by walls, lacking
water and electricity, like in Slovakia, where Roma women are sterilized. In
Bulgaria, they are confined in urban ghettos. In the Czech Republic, they are
targeted by an increasing number of neo-Nazi demonstrations. In Croatia, they
get Molotov cocktails thrown at them. In Hungary, they are harassed and
assaulted by the Jobbik paramilitary militia and therefore have to seek shelter
abroad. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, they suffer daily discrimination like in
Italy, Moldavia or Serbia. In France, the calls for hatred and even for
extermination increase, and Roma people still suffer from stigmatizations and
even expulsions similar to the ones that took place under the former government.
Some of them are forced to go back to Kosovo, as a consequence of the on-going
expulsions from Germany, Denmark or Sweden.
The violence
of these persecutions varies according to the countries, but their nature
remains the same everywhere. They draw their origins from the same stigmatizing
representations and the same over-used stereotypes.
Memory is
also directly attacked sometimes; this certainly helps make these persecutions
linger on. In Lety, for example, in the Czech Republic, a piggery has been
built on the site of a former Nazi camp, sullying the memory of the
1,300 Roma people who were concentrated there between 1942 and 1943 – only
300 of them survived deportation and their stay in the camp.
In front of
this bleak reality, the reaction of the political institutions has not been up
to the seriousness of the situation – in some cases it even led to its
deterioration.
As it could
be expected, the “National strategies for Roma inclusion” presented by the EU
member-states to the European Commission in late 2011, often planning no
budget, no goals and no measures, did not allow any improvement of the
situation regarding the social misery and racial domination to which Roma
communities are too often confronted. Because it lacks power, legitimacy and
sometimes conviction, the Commission has not taken the necessary European
measures, while the situation is getting dangerously worse for these
communities all around Europe.
It is time
for the member-states to stop implementing strategies of avoidance or even
persecution, and for the EU to appear as guarantor as far as the observance of
the fundamental rights for all individuals is concerned, even though this can
lead to a conflict with the member-states. The fundamental values of Europe are
at stake here.
Unlike
political institutions, civil society has gotten decisively involved,
consequently bringing hope and prospects for the future to a whole continent.
For three
years now, the Roma Pride has been both the origin and the symbol of this
involvement. This vast movement of self-emancipation brings together Roma
leaders and organizations and the rest of European civil society, altogether
committed for equality and against the different expressions of racism.
The Roma
Pride spirit is a spirit of dignity, justice and solidarity that nourishes the
numerous initiatives led by civil society throughout Europe.
On Aug. 2,
several hundred of people gathered in dignity on the site of the Auschwitz
concentration camp to commemorate the Roma genocide, and more particularly the
night between Aug. 2 and 3 of 1944, when 2,500 Roma people were killed
there. This date must be part of the European commemorative calendar: the Samudaripen
memory must be given the place it deserves and the current persecutions must be
fought by pointing out clearly where they come from.
After a series
of racist killings against Roma people in Hungary, the victims and the civil
society asked for justice, not revenge. More than three years of proceedings
later, the culprits were fairly and heavily punished.
Civil
society has reacted to the revolting provocations and threats from the
neo-Nazis in the Czech Republic with solidarity and by calling for the respect of
the rule of law.
While the
enduring crisis exacerbates nationalist hatred and incites to designate the
most fragile ones as responsible for this crisis, when they are actually the
first victims of it, we call on all individuals to express their desire to live
together in Europe, with our differences in cultures, languages and
identities, and to experience their solidarity beyond borders.
On Oct 6, we
will all gather at the same time for oma Pride in about 15 European countries,
from Paris to Kyiv, from Oslo to Istanbul via Prague, Budapest or Bucharest. We
are determined to show why and how we can live together in a truly democratic
Europe – that is, when we get rid of racism and nationalism at last.
Jointly signed
by Roma and antiracist associations of the European
Grassroots Antiracist Movement from 31 European countries.
By
alphabetical order per country:
Albania : Aldo Merkoci, President of Mjaft ! Movement and Adriatik
Hasantari, President of Roma Active
Austria : Claudia Schäfer, CEO of ZARA, Alexander Pollak, President
of SOS Mitmensch and Andrea Härle, Executive Director of Romano Centro
Belgium :
Patrick N’Siala Kiese, President of Kif Kif
Bosnia : Alma Masic, Director of Youth Initiative for Human Rights –
Bosnia and Jovan Divjak, President of OGBH, “Obrazovanje Gradi BiH”
(Education builds Bosnia and Herzegovina) , Defender besieged Sarajevo
Bulgaria : Markéta
Kovaříková, Director of the Helsinki Committee, and Deyan Kolev, Chairman of
Amalipe Roma Cultural Centre for interethnic dialogue and tolerance
Croatia : Mario Mazic, Director of Youth Initiative for Human Rights –
Croatia, and Jasmina Salihi, Coordinator at Nevo Drom
Czech
Republic : Anna Šabatová, President of the Czech Helsinki Committee, Miroslav
Broz, President of Konexe, and Jarmila Balážová, President of Romea
Denmark : Jette Moller, President of SOS mod racisme, and Ferdi Sabani,
President of Roma Forzning i Danmark
Europe : Nicolas Tavitian, Director, AGBU – Armenian General Benevolent Union,
Andi Gergely, President UEJS – European Union of Jewish Students, Rudko
Kawczynski, President – European Roma and Travellers Forum
Estonia : Merle Haruoja, Director of the Estonian Centre for Human
Rights and Roman Lutt, President of the North Estonia Roma Association
Finland : Janette Grönfors, Coordinator of Rasmus, anti-racist
network, and Founding Member of Nevo Roma
France : Alain Daumas, President of the Union Française des
Associations Tsiganes – UFAT and Cindy Léoni, President of SOS Racisme
Germany : Serdar Yazar, Spoke-person of the Turkish Union in
Berlin-Brandenburg (TBB) and Emran Elmazi, President of Amarodrom
Greece : Ahmed Moawia, President of Greek Forum of Migrants . Anastasia
Georgiou (Research Fellow at the Greek Forum of Migrants)
Hungary : Janos Farkas, President of the Government of the Roma
Minority of Gyöngyöspata, Jeno Setet, Roma National Leader and Erika
Muhi, Director of NEKI
Italy : Angela Scalzo, President of SOS Razzismo, and Graziano
Halilovic, President of Roma Onlus
Kosovo : Raba Gjoshi, Director of Youth Initiative for Human Rights –
Kosovo, and Muhamet Arifi, Director of Balkan Sunflowers
Latvia : Sigita Zankovska-Odina, Researcher for the Latvian Centre for
Human Rights, and Anatolijs Berezovskis, Member of the Board of Nevo
Drom
Macedonia : Hristo Ivanovski, President of the Alliance for Human Rights
Moldavia : Nicolae Radita, President of the Roma National Center, and Valerian
Mamaliga, Manager of the Moldavian Institute for Human Rights
Montenegro : Boris Raonic, President of Civic Alliance, Senad Sejdovi,
President Romski savjet and Teuta Nuraj, President of the Nacionalni
Savjet Roma i Egipcana
Norway : Rune Steen, Executive Director of Antirasistisk Senter
Poland : Paula Sawicka, President of the Open Republic Association, Kasia
Kubin, Director of the Foundation for Social Diversity, Klaus Witold,
President of the Association for Legal Intervention, Karolina Mirga,
President of Harangos and Roman Kwiatkowski, President of Roma People
Association in Poland
Portugal : Bruno Gonçalves, Co-President of the Centro de Estudios
Ciganos, Manuel Costa President of Centro de Estudos Ciganos, Henrique Barbosa President of the Associação Cigana de Coimbra, Dinis Abreu
President of the Associação Cigana de Leiria, Almerindo Barbosa President
of Associação Cigana de Tomar, Olga Mariano President of
Letras Nómadas – Associação de Investigação e Dinamização das Comunidades
Ciganas
Romania : Marian Mandache, Executive Director of Romani Criss
Russia : Svetlana Gannushkina, President of the Memorial network for
the rights of migrants
Serbia : Maja Micic, Director of the Youth Initiative for Human
Rights – Serbia, Jovana Vukovic, Coordinator at the Regional Centre for
Minorities and Stevan Nicolic, Manager of the Roma Education Centre of
Subotica
Slovakia : Irena Bihariova, President of the Ludia proti rasizmu
Slovenia :
Anita Ramsak, Manager of the Ekvilib Institute for Human
Rights
Spain : Beatriz Carrillo de los Reyes Presidente de Fakali
Sweden : Kalle Larsson, President of the Centrum Mot Rasism, Lina
Gidlund, Manager of Upsala Anti-discrimination Centre
Turkey : Selcuk Karadeniz, President of Roma Youth Association, and Cengiz
Algan, Spoke-person of Durde !
Ukraine : Zola Kundur, President of the funds for women Chiricli
United
Kingdom : Nick Lowes, Coordinator at Hope Not
Hate
