International Roma Day: An Opportunity to Celebrate, but Also to Recall the Urgent Need for Action Against the Exclusion of Roma
BRUSSELS—Today, April 8, the world celebrates International Roma Day1. The internationally acclaimed musical group "Vaya con Dios" and the European Roma Policy Coalition (ERPC)2 in cooperation with Member of European Parliament Els De Groen (NL), are all taking an active part in these celebrations and are highlighting on this occasion the cultural diversity which the Roma, Sinti, and Traveller communities bring to the European Union.
"Romani culture has enriched our common European cultural heritage for centuries; I myself have found a lot of inspiration in the music they create. At the same time, I came to learn about the suffering and injustice Roma have been subjected to throughout their history. Unfortunately, although today European peoples have found unity in solidarity, Roma still remain excluded and all too often discriminated against," said Ms. Dani Klein, lead singer of Vaya con Dios.
These celebrations are also an opportunity to remind citizens and policy makers of the discrimination and disadvantage which Europe’s largest minority faces on a daily basis. "An estimated seven to nine million Roma live in EU member states but to date there is no integrated and comprehensive EU policy specifically targeting discrimination against Roma," pointed out MEP Els de Groen (NL). De Groen underscored that Commission officials have acknowledged that "social exclusion and discrimination of Roma communities are well documented and despite all available legislative and financial instruments remain often extreme."
"Words have not been matched by effective action and change," added Natalia Alonso, acting director of Amnesty International’s EU Office, speaking on behalf of the EU Roma Policy Coalition. "A strategy should ensure that Roma communities are protected from discrimination; have equal access to education, health care and housing; and are empowered through participation in the civic and economic life of their countries."
During a press conference in the European Parliament, the participants urged the European Union to adopt a Framework Strategy on Roma Inclusion developed in full consultation with Roma communities.
1 Established in 1971, International Roma Day celebrates a community dispersed throughout Europe, facing enormous economic, social and political challenges.
2 The European Roma Policy Coalition, launched on March 6, 2008, is a network of national and international NGOs working on different aspects of discrimination against Roma people which calls for the full realization of the economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights of Roma. The member organizations are: Amnesty International, European Network Against Racism, European Roma Grassroots Organisation, European Roma Information Office, European Roma Rights Centre, Fundación Secretariado Gitano, Minority Rights Group International, Open Society Institute, and Spolu International Foundation.