Promoting Roma Culture and Identity through Participation
Last Updated: 04 July 2018
by Mike STANNETT
Last Friday 29th of June, Mike Stannett from the EU Affairs Office took part in the event “Recognition of Roma culture and identity, away to eliminate prejudices and discrimination”, a conference held by the European Roma Information Centre in the European Social and Economic Committee to discuss promotion of Roma culture and identity through participation. The purpose of this conference was to discuss how to promote better Roma culture and Identity, as an aid to reducing and hopefully eliminating the general public, media and authorities’ prejudices and discriminatory attitudes.
It was recognised that implementing strategies at EU level are moving father than at national or local level: it is now evident that the EU is more effective and perhaps committed the Roma cause and conditions, than member states and municipal authorities and public bodies.
Ivan Ivanov, executive director, ERIO have stressed, throughout the event, the importance of Roma representatives to participate in the society and not only be passive receivers of services. However to take responsibility requires capacity to be able to be involved.
Our people know what are the problems but are not able to structure their arguments or issues to be effectively involved in implementation or in lobbying or in strategy discussions . There needs to be capacity building for participation at local level and then national level.
To foster Roma engagement, a few years ago ERIO has produced a Roma advocacy training-toolkit’s in English and Romani language.
The toolkits can be downloaded here
The member of the European Parliament Julie Ward, participated as a speaker, working on anti gypsyism and prejudices faced by the Roma communities. She acknowledges that Europe is experiencing a general increase in xenophobia, racial hatred, populism and prejudice. Politicians and media are to blame for the increase in racially motivated attacks and more publicly accepted racially prejudice language and attitudes.
Politicians increasingly are being given a platform, a title and a budget on the back of these prejudices. Growing nationalism is trying to fix culture into one flat vision, one context at the expense of variety and diversity.
In order to counteract the current negative narrative towards Roma, and the politicians that are Roma need to be encouraged to be more involved in local and national cultural events to highlight their own cultural expressions. To take up the opportunities that already exists.
Conclusions for the Salvation Army to consider
- Encourage and give training opportunities to local Roma people to actively participate in discussion with local and national authorities in regards to their social and cultural needs
- Encourage Roma self-expression in Christian arts, music, worship
- Identify one or two Roma representatives to be good direct advocators on Roma issues at National, and eventually at the EU level