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.