Roma Working Group’s recommendations

for an OSCE Action Plan for Roma and Sinti

 

 

Drafted by Saimir MILE (Centre AVER of Researches and Action against all forms of Racism) a moderator and secretary of the Roma Working Group on the OSCE Plan of Action[1] appointed by the Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues of the OSCE ODIHR.

 

 

The informal Roma Working Group on the Plan of Action for the improvement of Roma and Sinti situation,

 

1.      Recognizing the efforts of both OSCE institutions and Participating States for improving Roma and Sinti situation and the importance of an Action Plan which could provide a basis for further action in this field;

2.      Considering that in the last decades, and especially since the fall of the Berlin wall, the actors committed in Romani issues have accumulated sufficient expertise for being able to set up and adopt a prompt strategy in order to give Roma and Sinti communities equal opportunities with other populations in democratic societies;

3.      Acknowledging that the impression of a lack of expertise is caused by the fact that many observers are not sufficiently aware of the expertise accumulated by others actors, Roma or non-Roma, in similar situations;

4.      Taking in account that the unsatisfactory results of the investments put into the Roma issues since the fall of the Berlin wall are mainly due to the underestimation of the existing expertise among Roma and the lack of serious and reliable monitoring of the activities at stake;

5.      Noting:

a)      the rich cultural, linguistic, historical diversity among Roma and Sinti people within the OSCE area as well as the diversity of national structures and traditions in the OSCE area;

b)      the need to emphasize more on the active contribution of Roma and Sinti in building a more human European society, as it has been asked several times in the Council of Europe's Recommendations 11 (1995), 16 (1995) and 44 (1997) "Towards a tolerant Europe: the contribution of Roma (Gypsies)" which arose of the seminar of 1994, and the need to avoid considering the Roma and Sinti issue as an issue of social nature;

6.      Considering that in 15 years there will be 1000 years since Roma and Sinti left the city of Kannauj, in Northern India,

7.      Submits the following recommendations to the OSCE and the Participating States and commits itself to act as a “Group 2018” partner in the implementation of the Plan of Action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

 

1.      Policies and programmes aiming at improving the situation of Roma and Sinti should ensure effective participation of concerned communities and this during all phases of the process: design, implementation and evaluation. 

2.      For a better efficiency, whenever adequate legislation ensuring equal opportunities for all exists, the appropriate measures should be taken to make full use of it and to make it effective before considering special measures for Roma and Sinti.

3.      The results of policies and programs should be assessed on a regular basis at all levels and  Roma and Sinti communities should be given the possibility to participate actively in the evaluation process through a proper mechanism of monitoring which should combine democratic representation and solidly established professional skills. Both democratic representation and professional skills require a previous long lasting educational preparation to be started as soon as possible.

4.      A more balanced involvement of the Romani NGOs based in different participating States (Eastearn and Western) is needed, in order to respond more efficiently to the new patterns of Roma and Sinti issues.

 

 

 

II. COMBATING DISCRIMINATION

 

5.      The Participating States should adopt and implement effective anti-discrimination legislation to combat racial and ethnic discrimination in all fields, including the respect towards ethnic identity, and this not only direct but also hidden, disguised or even speciously justified.

6.      ODIHR-CPRSI, with assistance from OSCE Missions, should compile a list of legislation that needs to be amended or adopted. This list could be presented to the OSCE representatives of the country concerned. ODIHR should also consider setting up an ad-hoc body to periodically review legislation.

 

 

 

Mass Media

 

Recommended actions for  Participating States

 

7.      Medias should be encouraged to show positive aspects and a balanced portrayal of Romani life, as well as other minorities’ who suffer from prejudices attached to “Gypsies”.

8.      Participating States should support and promote Medias which give a sincere image of Roma and Sinti and which effectively contribute in mutual respect between different ethnic identities.

9.      Participating States should consider, in cooperation with Romani NGOs, mainstream training for Roma journalists, with a priority for journalists specialized in politics and human rights.

 

Recommended action by OSCE Institutions

 

10.  The ODIHR-CPRSI will act as a catalyst for exchange of information and fertilising of good practices concerning the role of Medias in the construction of harmonious societies and the conflicts prevention and/or resolution.

11.  The Representative on the freedom of the Media, in close cooperation with ODIHR-CPRSI and with Roma experts and NGOs, should support training of Roma and non-Roma journalists in order to raise awareness of their role and their responsibilities in democratic societies.

 

 

III. ADRESSING SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

 

 

Recommended actions for participating States

 

12.  Implement on a temporary basis affirmative action policies giving incentives  to employers hiring qualified Roma and Sinti and proactively engage them when public employment, public contracting, and all other activities undertaken and/or funded by the government are concerned.

13.  Support resource generating activities for Roma and Sinti, with a priority on youth and women, by providing with training and access to credits.

14.  Develop policies and programs, especially those involving vocational training, to improve marketable skills and employability of Roma and Sinti, particularly young people and women. It is crucial to provide high level education of management and the various financial abilities in order to empower Roma and Sinti entrepreneurs administrate resource generating activities and avoid the existence of enterprises with second hand Roma and Sinti employees directed exclusively by non Roma managers.

15.  Carry out field study on the discrimination in the labour market, in the credits access and different goods renting, in order to better determinate the appropriate measures to be adopted. Such studies should be carried out in close cooperation with Roma and Sinti communities and NGOs, which could organise testing applications for jobs, bank credit or rent applications by Roma individuals easily identifiable as such.

16.  Avoid creating homelessness and evicting families from illegal housing without offering alternate accommodation.

17.  Ensure free vaccinations in Roma and Sinti settlements.

18.  Improve access of Roma and Sinti in health care services, through mediation and trainings for medical personnel.

19.  Support projects aiming at informing Roma and Sinti on health care facilities and medical education.

 

 

 

Recommended actions for the OSCE institutions

 

20.  ODIHR-CPRSI and the OCEEA are encouraged to look at best practices concerning housing of Romani families and circulate the information as widely as possible. They also should inform clearly and in a fully transparent way the reasons of ineligibility of projects submitted, in order to help the applicants to improve and eventually to implement them.

21.  ODIHR-CPRSI and the OCEEA will facilitate access to financial resources for training and resource generating activities, including via publications and seminars for potential beneficiaries.

22.  ODIHR-CPRSI will support NGOs that work in health field by providing them with information and helping their dialogue with relevant authorities.

23.  OSCE field missions should jointly create a database of good practices with examples of successful integration of Roma in education, health care and employment.

 

 

 

IV. EDUCATION

 

 

Recommended actions for participating States:

 

24.  Ensure that national legislation provide effective remedies to eliminate all forms of discrimination in the educational field.

25.  Consult Roma and Sinti experts in education when designing educational policies affecting them.

26.  Institute measures to rectify the under-representation of Roma and Sinti among school teachers by granting scholarships to Romani youngsters to complete pedagogical studies.

27.  Include Romani history and culture in educational texts, with a special emphasis on intercultural learning. As soon as possible, a team of Romani experts in Romani history and culture should be graduated and enabled to produce such educational texts combining a Romani perspective and European multicultural values.

28.  Consider measures to defend and promote the Romani language and culture as an integral part of the European cultural heritage.

29.  Provide support to bridge the gap between children of disadvantaged social background and other pupils, irrespectively of their ethnic identity, bearing in mind that Roma and Sinti children are to be encountered rather in the former.

30.  Improve the mental tests used in school evaluation to enable them reveal the real potential of the children and not their social background, often interpreted in ethnic terms.

31.  Open spaces, possibly in schools, where Roma and Sinti children living in very poor conditions could find quiet conditions for preparing home work, reading and playing educational games, together with non Romani children suffering a similar disadvantage.

32.  Launch awareness raising campaigns among non Roma parents to make them accept the coexistence of Romani children with their own children in schools. Such campaigns should be elaborated with the help of experts in communication.

33.  Pay particular attention to Roma and Sinti, especially women/girls, who have dropped out of school and, where necessary, make accommodations e.g. for part-time/home/distance education.

34.  Address illiteracy and lack of basic education for youth/adults who have not completed primary and/or secondary school. Combine basic and vocational training as appropriate.

35.  Develop scholarship programs for Romani students and ensure participation of Romani students in existing scholarship programs, including at European scale[2] bearing in mind that their studies should not be confined to social work faculties, what could confirm the wrong idea that Romani issues are exclusively of social character. Among others, pedagogical and medical studies should be made accessible to Romani students, for a better representation of Roma and Sinti in these services and thus, a better access for Roma and Sinti to them.

 

Recommended action by OSCE Institutions:

 

36.  HCNM will encourage participating States to comply with their commitments to provide free and equal access to public education to all members of society, and encourage them to take steps to improve the situation of Roma and Sinti in this respect.

37.  HCNM will continue to provide guidance on models of education, on curriculum content, and the teaching of, or in, the mother tongue, drawing upon the Hague Recommendations regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities when applicable, or on a pattern of heritage language and culture promotion in countries committed in cultivating their rich linguistic and cultural variety as a common heritage of their nation as a whole.

 

V. ROMANI ART, CULTURE AND LANGUAGE

The predominant image of Romani art and culture among majority populations is the cliché: a folk art image, which is a narrow representation of the actual breadth of Romani art and culture. This leads to everlasting stereotypes on the part of the majority cultures, influencing recurrently relations between Roma and non-Roma. As a result, Romani artists, forced into this stereotype, are prevented of developing to the fullest extent of their abilities.

Although many Roma are recognized artists, they are often presented as representatives of the countries of which they are citizens, rather than as representatives of Romani cultural creation. Some Roma even avoid being referenced as "Romani artists" because this label conveys folk art stereotypes. In a similar way, the Romani language is often denied a specific identity or even its very existence. The local erosion of a part of the Romani vocabulary has led many people to the allegation it is too heterogeneous and fragmented to be treated and used as the other European languages.

Recommended actions for the Participating States

38.  The participating States should be aware of the importance of the Romani artistic creation in the past for the building of European culture and presently as an instrument of better understanding of Roma and Sinti by mainstream population and therefore they should invest in promoting, developing and disseminating contemporary Romani artistic creation with the aim of its full participation, recognition and acceptance as an integral part of European culture. Among others, they should foster contact between Romani and non-Romani artists and provide space and facilities for Romani cultural networks.

39.  Romani artistic and cultural creation should be valorised as a major educational resource for the strengthening of Romani cultural originality, self-esteem and development of critical senses through educational workshops and other training.

40.  The cultural identity of Roma and Sinti, as well as their language, should be properly preserved and developed, in accordance with the wishes and principles established by Roma and Sinti[3]. The everyday visibility of Romani in mass-media, education, publications (including translations), entertainment and other fields should be sufficient to encourage Romani parents use their mother-tongue as a home language. Serious investment is needed for the editing, printing and circulation of the abundant Romani linguistic and literary so far unpublished material. Specific systems of encouragement, like competitions, prizes and public performances should be widely launched to stimulate literary creation in Romani by young or not yet revealed talents.

41.  Wherever needed and possible it will be advisable to introduce Romani into administrative and similar proceedings, including electoral campaigns.

42.  Specific devices for a high level knowledge of majority language by Romani children should be elaborated and implemented in order to help them transcend the often poor knowledge of majority language of their parents.

 

 

Recommended actions for OSCE Institutions

 

43.  The good practice observed in many international seminars with interpretation from/into Romani language is a strong motivation to continue involving Romani as a debate language in as many meetings, conferences and seminars devoted to Romani issues from the early stage of preparation until the final document circulation. However a more professional training of many interpreters is very much needed and scholarships should be granted to talented candidates in order to help them acquire a level of proficiency and competence similar to interpreters of other languages.

44.  The preparation of a Romani language explicative dictionary of political, juridical and administrative terms, drafted in the democratic spirit promoted by the OSCE-ODIHR, would be of great benefit for a more fluent expression and communication of the various actors. A specific training should be scheduled to root this vocabulary and the values it conveys in effective use. In this context, the integration of Romani into the European Common Framework has to be welcome since it provides an institutional basis for a real integration of Romani into all fields of activity, on an equal foot with all other European national languages.

45.  In order to achieve more efficiently these objectives, the OSCE Institutions will encourage the Participating States to sign and ratify the European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages and the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights (Barcelona, 1996), if not yet done. The OSCE Institutions will also assist the UNO Office in charge of drafting the final version of the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights in view of ensuring more space and rights to languages in use among minorities living in a dispersed settlement pattern.

 

 

VI. ROMA AND SINTI IN CRISIS AND POST-CRISIS SITUATIONS

 

 

Recommended actions for participating States:

 

46.  Pay special attention to the needs of Roma and Sinti children in crisis and post-crisis situations, particularly providing them with full access to health services and schooling. The introduction of Romani language, history and culture within the mainstream educational system plays a fundamental role in re-establishing sustainable stability and interethnic dialogue in post-crisis situations. The good practices in this sense should be more clearly evidenced and circulated among participating States.

47.  Incorporate the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement into their legal systems and should provide measures to implement and enforce them.

48.  Ensure that programs are in place to promote informed choice regarding the decision of Roma and Sinti IDPs, refugees and returnees to exercise the right to a safe return. Such programs should provide concrete information regarding each subject of concern to refugees and IDPs and should be made available in the relevant languages, including Romani.

49.  Of special significance is the initiative of University network launched recently among several chairs of Romani studies, intercultural communication and training to policy expertise, which should be enlarged to as many participating States as possible. A major aspect of this research and education network will encompass training to crisis and conflict identification, prevention and resolution.

 

Recommended actions by OSCE Institutions:

 

50.  ODIHR-CPRSI is called to respond effectively to crisis situations by inter alia co-operating with relevant governments and inter-governmental bodies to ensure protection of Romani communities at risk and the re-establishment of peace and stability. In this respect, ODIHR-CPRSI will make full use of the expertise of Romani experts and NGOs in identifying crisis generating mechanisms and re-establishing stability, be these experts and NGOs based within the conflict areas or outside, and will actively support their dialogue with authorities of areas in conflict and international bodies susceptible to intervene in their resolution.

51.  ODIHR-CPRSI should encourage mass media to pay closer attention to the situation of Roma and Sinti in crisis areas, emphasizing the significant contribution which can be brought by Romani journalists in this respect.

52.  HCNM will continue to exercise his mandate of conflict prevention at the earliest possible stage. In States or regional entities built upon the principle of plural national identity in full equality between them, the HCNM will commit himself in advising the authorities how to ensure an equal treatment to the Romani identity among its pairs.

 

 

VII. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

 

The movements of populations are a phenomenon that have existed in all periods of time and contributed to the development of both source and arrival countries, especially in Europe. It should not be viewed as a plague of modern times and the recent movements of East-European Roma, which are but a minor part of the overall movements, should not be pointed out as an exceptional or harmful fact, especially taking on account that most borders will be erased in the concerned area within a few years.

 

Actions recommended for the Participating States

 

53.  The participating States should coordinate their efforts in promoting the conditions of a lawful migration, which will benefit to Roma and Sinti in a foot of equality with other citizens of their respective countries.

54.  A prior condition for this purpose is the establishment of temporary migration agreements between participating States, with special view on movements of Roma and Sinti, in order to promote for them opportunities of temporary work and occupational training in Western countries. The outputs of such programs would, beyond immediate economical profit, bring a significant contribution in terms of civic, truly democratic and cultural education.

55.  Western hosting States should restrain from deporting back migrant Roma who have been living legally for years on their territory and provide them with an easier access to full citizenship.

56.  A great number of traditional values kept vivid among Roma and Sinti could be of significant profit for their encompassing country, especially in terms of home care to elder, impeded and isolated persons of the majority population as well as for village revival in desert rural areas. The participating States should systematically identify their needs in this domain and consider using the Roma and Sinti's abilities to meet them.

57.  More support should be granted to NGOs who monitor and evidence the phenomena of migration among Roma and Sinti and provide advice to both States and concerned population.

 

Actions recommended by OSCE institutions

 

52.  ODIHR-CPRSI will collect data on numeric importance of migration, its different forms, its results (both positive and negative) and make them available for States and NGOs.

53.  It will assist and support State authorities and NGOs in their mutual dialogue devoted to the organization of lawful patterns of migration.

54.  It will contribute to the civic, democratic and cultural education of migrating Roma and Sinti through ad hoc activities, publications and other means of communication.

55.  It will lobby among governmental authorities to help NGOs involved in Roma and Sinti migration issues obtain regularly the necessary grants enabling their functioning for the sake of justice, social cohesion and stability in Europe.

 

 

VIII. COOPERATION AND COORDINATION WITH

OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND ROMA NGOs

 

 

56.  Both OSCE Institutions and Participating States will support the introduction within the draft of the European Constitution of a paragraph recognising the existence within the EU territory of a Romani transfrontier people as an integral part of the European society.

57.  ODIHR will support the initiative of creating a European Forum of Roma and Travellers and will advice the Working Group on this initiative on how ensuring a consistent profile and a truly democratic representation through this body.

 

 

IX. IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION

 

 

58.  In order to ensure efficient implementation of this Plan, the OSCE institutions and the Participating States will seek to consolidate the Roma Working Group on the Plan of Action (Group 2018) within a Roma Policy Monitoring Mechanism, to be created and managed by the ODIHR-CPRSI.

 


ANNEXE 1

 

Composition of the Roma Working Group[4] on the OSCE Plan of Action on the improvement of Roma and Sinti Situation

 

Nr

Name

Organisation/institution

Country

01.

Asmet ELEZOVSKI

Drom

FYROM

02.

Bashkim IBISHI

UNMIK

Kosovo

03.

Brahim MUSIC

Ternikano Berno – Youth Circle

France / Kosovo

04.

Ciprian NECULA

 

Romania / Moldova

05.

Cristi MIHALACHE

 

Romania

06.

Cristinela IONESCU

Tumende

Romania

07.

Dervo SEJDIĆ

OSCE Mission

BiH

08.

Diana KIRILOVA

 

France

09.

Dragan JEVREMOVIĆ

Rromano Centro

Austria

10.

Dragan RISTIC

 

Serbia and Montenegro

11.

Enisa DEMIROVA

 

FYROM

12.

Galina KOSTADINOVA

Minority Rights Group

United Kingdom

13.

Gianfranco D’ERAMO

OSCE Mission

Kosovo

14.

Kujtim PAĆAKU

 

Kosovo

15.

Lejla HADŹIMESIĆ

OSCE Mission

BiH

16.

Marcel COURTHIADE

Rromani Baxt & Paris University

France

17.

Martin DEMIROVSKI

 

FYROM

18.

Mirjam KAROLY

Rromano Centro

Austria

19.

Nedzmedin NEZIRI

Phralipen IBAR / IBAR Brotherhood

France / Kosovo

20.

Peter MERCER

 

United Kingdom

21.

Renata ERIC

Rromano Centro

Austria

22.

Saimir MILE

Centre AVER against Racism

France

23.

Stanislav STANKIEWICZ

Rrom po Drom

Poland

24.

Toon MACHIELS

Flemish Center for Minorities

Belgium

 


ANNEXE 2

 

Academic Education and Training for Multilingual Romani Mediators

A project proposed by the INALCO Institute (Paris University)

 

General objective :

 

Teaching and training Roma students, mainly from Central and Eastern European countries, with the aim of enabling them efficiently to take over responsibilities in their respective countries of origin in the following fields : teaching Romani language and culture, managing economical projects or programmes, conducting scientific research, and providing expertise on latent conflicts and non-confrontational solving existing conflicts. It has been made clear that a real inclusion of the Romani population into the mainstream society may occur only after a significant reduction of the tensions between Roma and non-Roma, and very seriously skilled Romani mediators and mentors are highly needed for this purpose, which is a sine qua non precondition to any long-term community development, through a progressive involvement and efficient participation of all the European Roma in societies. Bridging the misunderstanding and combating on both sides the actual segregation existing between most Romani communities and mainstream populations are a critical prerequisite for developing a normal life, including access to health an social services, education, standard market labour etc. In addition all initiatives need reliable mechanisms of monitoring and evaluation, which can be carried out only by specifically qualified Romani mediators and mentors of high level, standing on a foot of equality to the most skilled mainstream professional politicians but also mastering the Romani cultural and linguistic heritage with sound proficiency.

 

Background of the Education and Training Project :

 

Since 1997, the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Cultures (INALCO Institute, Paris University) had been providing a 3 year comprehensive academic qualification in Romani language and culture. The final degree, called "Diplôme supérieur", is equivalent to the French so-called "licence" and recognized as such by U.E. Ministries of Education. In 2002-2003, this course has been attended by more than 20 students and is accessible mainly to students living in France. Therefore the aim of the present project is to enable candidates from Central and Oriental Europe to benefit of this qualification. Every year, the Romani section receives numerous applications, including CV's, for example during the last weeks 8 originating from Slovakia, 2 from Poland, 5 from Hungary, 3 from Romania, 3 from Macedonia, 5 from Serbia-Montenegro, 1 from Germany and 2 from the Ukraine – some of them with a good command of French. The section is headed by dr Marcel Courthiade.

 

Within the INALCO Institute, a Group of Research and Exchanges in Didactics of Languages and Cultures is also operating, set up by the Scientific Council of the Institute. It aims at developing projects of multi-national research in its field and circulating its out-puts in the form of seminars and publications, including audio and video support. A doctoral and post-graduate seminar devoted to the issue of Cultural Frontiers and Language Diffusion has been set up in 1996 and is currently networking many doctorate students, senior researchers, lecturers and professors at the European level. The Group is under the scientific supervision of dr Geneviève Zarate, senior professor of the University and member of several CoE language programmes (as the Common Framework).

 

The qualification set forth in the present project is embodied in the dual structure presented above and will be developed on the basis of a yearly group of 15 students with the following specific curriculum :

 

Short featuring of the Academic Education and Training programme for Multilingual Romani Mediators (lasting 3 years)

 

Registration after baccalaureate or equivalent

1st Year : linguistic, with scientific, levelling up and harmonisation

-         1st stage of levelling up in French language, with an introduction to communication strategies

-         1st stage of brushing up and improving English

-         1st and 2nd years of the basic degree in Romani language and culture (DULCO)

 

2nd Year : linguistic consolidation and introduction to multilingual issues

-         2nd stage of knowledge improvement in French language and culture

-         2nd stage of knowledge improvement in English language and culture

-         3rd year of the Romani DULCO

-         introduction to multilingual and multicultural issues in European societies

 

3rd Year :  More specific occupational qualification in mediation in international context

-         Romani language in international communication

-         Romani language and wit at the grass-root communicational level

-         Specificity of Romani didactics

-         Images and perceptions of the surrounding populations

-         Introduction to translation into/from Romani

-         3rd level of knowledge improvement in English language and culture

-         Intercultural mediation in confrontational situation

-         About the notion of "Foreigner" in a multicultural perspective

-         Introduction to intercultural negotiation and prevention of conflicts

-         Field research and on the spot practice of mediation among Romani communities.

 

This qualification is addressed basically to Romani students but it would be profitable to involve in the group a flexible number (around 20% for example) of students of non-Romani background but sincerely interested in being involved professionally in Romani issues. An important point of this project is to bring together Roma from various countries, in order to reduce the distance between them and give them the opportunity to remain during their further activity in European-wide network not only between themselves but also with Western Roma, Sinte and Kale.


APPEAL OF THE BERLIN CONFERENCE DEVOTED TO THE RROMANI LANGUAGE - 22.05.2003

 

During the conference we reviewed various practices existing in Europe concerning the Rromani language, a language which is a genuine European language, of Indian origin, spoken throughout European countries, even more extensively at present at a time when Europe is enlarging, and which is at the same time the national language of the most numerous minority on our continent. We know that the Rromani language is unique.

 

A so called “dialect issue” is often debated in Europe especially among people who do not speak Rromani as a home language and who are not fully aware of what practical dialectology is: one thing is the natural differentiation of dialects within one language and another thing is when, in various countries, various parts of a language’s lexicon fall in oblivion. The latter process does not produce new dialects and even less new languages but just deficient (half-forgotten) linguistic varieties.  In other European languages nobody would try to set up a norm out of their deficient varieties and there is no reason to take in Rromani half-forgotten varieties in order to build up upon them various deficient norms. Such a policy, even when it pretends to be friendly, actually makes artificial separation in the language, it is basically racist and it can lead to the fragmentation, the destruction and the death of the Rromani language, a language that has remained alive, strong and vivid across 1000 years of diaspora. This situation is a paradox at a time when Europe is promoting rather communication and commonness than division and segregation. Unfortunately the policy divide et impera and the troubles of modern life risk to bring within one generation what had not occurred during one millennium.

 

In our opinion, the current priorities regard linguistic implementation and education; true enough, our view is not to break off basic research for people involved in it, but just that by now one should leave individual research rely upon individual resources in matters nor directly related with linguistic implementation; investment should be directed toward practical actions which can bring a concrete improvement in the youngest Rroms’ life.

 

Many generations of people have preserved the Rromani linguistic heritage in books and notes and now nobody can declare honestly that he can discover among Rromani settlements something new of decisive benefit for the affirmation of the common or literary form of Rromani. All that could be discovered today belongs to the level of curiosities; it could be interesting but one cannot put the priority in this direction, whereas so many young Rroms grow up in hunger and thirst for the sweet mother tongue. Priority should be rather directed toward the following points:

 

1)     Implementation of the common Rromani spelling, ignoring personal and political arguments in the various countries, on the account that a convincing experience, for instance in Romania, Italy, France, Serbia, Albania, Kosovia etc… demonstrated that this spelling has a European dimension and a high efficiency in the relation writing-reading. It facilitates an easy communication and respects all the dialects.

 

2)     To encourage the States which have not yet ratified the European Charter on Regional and Minority languages to do so, mentioning in explicitly the Rromani language as a trans-frontier European language in their list of languages.

 

3)     To urge the UNESCO to grant a more substantial recognition to the Rromani language and other languages with no compact territory in the fore coming Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights.

 

4)     Another priority is to publish and circulate widely all the rich material which has been gathered so far, not only using the classical means as books, encyclopedias etc… but also with modern medias, among others electronic medias, which are very attractive for the young.

 

5)     Many people of different backgrounds insist to have access to dictionaries, grammars and school-books which have remained so far in electronic files and to better ones to be done, among others a dictionary of political and administrative terminology. School books and text books need to be elaborated and published to be used not only in small areas but in as many States as possible, electing for this purpose a basic common lexical contingent for the first grades, that can be extended in on-going years until it enables the pupil to understand as many Rromani varieties as possible and to enjoy their savor.

 

6)     To set up a Rromani language context, enabling up growing children, to receive knowledge, instruction and entertainment as well in Rromani as in other languages, so that the parents see it normal to use Rromani as a home language with their children. Only under such circumstances one can convince the parents of the importance of help maintaining the use of Rromani.

 

7)     Accordingly we require from the national governments and Europe to grant compensation to the deficit experienced by the Rromani language and to support morally and financially to set up such a Rromani language context of life. Among others we require – as it is our right – that Rromani be the first working language in all conferences somehow related to Rromani topics, in both written and spoken communication.

 

8)     To restart the activity of the Group of research and action in Rromani linguistics, that had been developed fruitfully ten years ago on modernizing Rromani from the practical use stand point.

 

9)     There is an urgent need in Europe for a site several networked sites, possibly on the internet, for editing the existing creation, which is more and more extensive in Rromani language, after the example of how proceeded the OSI Yugoslavia with professional editors. Such a practice, which is common place in all other languages, should not be a reason of shame among us, but it should help our literature blossom in a more accessible way for a wide readership.

 

10) To make available scholarships for Rromani students and enable them to acquire a sound training in Rromani language, grammar, linguistics, socio-linguistics, literature, ethnology, musicology, civilization, history, historiography etc… as well as in indology, so that they can establish Rromani departments in their different countries of origin. Among them a contingent of professional interpreters has to be educated not only with a good command of respective languages but also a serious knowledge of a speciality.

 

11) A language has optimal opportunities of development when it has been acquired as a home language and completed in formal education. Accordingly we insist that Rromani language curricula should be established in the schools where Rromani children attend.