Orientation Text

 

 

Drawn up by the editorial committee present at the seminary "Rroms and the trial of great Europe"

 Saint Denis, 15 November 2003

Rromani representatives in the committee: Dr. Marcel Courthiade (IRU and INALCO UniversityParis), Ing. Brahim Musić (Ternikano Berno – Youth Circle), Mrs. Jeta Duka (Rromani Daj), Mr. Nedžmedin Neziri (Phralipen IBAR and URYD) and Mr. Saimir Mile (Center AVER of Researches and Action against all forms of Racism)

 

Most of the ten million Rroms who live in Europe live in appalling conditions and are discriminated against. Their situation is continually worsening in spite of programmes supposed to improve it. It is therefore essential to reorient policies, taking into account not only direct discrimination but also the more underhand methods of exclusion and dehumanisation, in particular paternalism, corruption, false representation, double-talking and other forms of manipulation.

 

It is therefore vital:

 

Ø                  To recognise the Nazi genocide of the Rroms, Sinte and Kale in the nations which emulated Nazism before and during the 2nd World War.

 

Ø                  To demand for all Rroms the access to basic rights and their putting into practice, in particular in the fields of education, training, health, accommodation and work.

 

Ø                  To denounce and firmly condemn, right up to the highest level in Europe, all acts of violence committed by the police against Rroms: beatings, total or partial destruction of their homes or other possessions such as musical instruments, throwing tear gas grenades into their homes, intimidating and brutalising their children, breaking up families, etc.

 

Ø                  To recognise in the European Constitution the Rromani people, their language and their culture, as being an integral part of the European national plurality.

 

Ø                  To demand:

§   the annulation of all texts and projects which interfere directly or indirectly with people's free circulation and residence.

§   the withdrawal of the concept of the "safe country" which takes away the right of sanctuary, a right which, on the contrary, should be extended.

 

Ø                  To promote and subsidise all initiatives which work towards:

§   highlighting the Rroms’s contribution to Europe.

§   giving the Rroms the means (institutional, financial or otherwise) to organise themselves in their own democratic, competent way.

 

Ø                  To draw up efficient strategies to fight against all forms of xenophoby, discrimination, racism and tsiganophobic stigmatisation whether from the authorities, Members of Parliament or individuals including from within the Rromani people.

 

These orientations integrate naturally in the project to build a different Europe, open, interdependent, a plural society which respects the varied peoples who constitute it.

 

The mobilisation around these demands is recent and fragile. It needs to be reinforced by multiplying joint actions.