International Day of the Roma
Encyclopedia
The International Romani Day (April 8) is a day to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Romani people.
, Poland
, the site of the fourth World Romani Congress
of the International Romani Union
(IRU), in honour of the first major international meeting of Romani representatives, 7-12 of April, 1971 in Chelsfieldnear London
.
Origin
The day was officially declared in 1990 in SerockSerock
Serock is a town at the north bank of the Zegrze lake in the Legionowo County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,616 inhabitants ....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the site of the fourth World Romani Congress
World Romani Congress
The World Romani Congress is a series of forums for discussion of issues relating to Roma people around the world. There have been seven World Romani Congresses to date...
of the International Romani Union
International Romani Union
The International Romani Union is an organization active for the rights of the Romani people. Its seat is in Prague....
(IRU), in honour of the first major international meeting of Romani representatives, 7-12 of April, 1971 in Chelsfieldnear London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Worldwide attention
- Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
exhorted his followers to treat Romanies with compassion and respect. - In 2003, the Dalai Lama lit a candle to commemorate the day.
- In 2004, Adam Ereli of the US State Department addressed the continuing human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
abuses faced by Romanies and asked European governments to encourage tolerance. - In 2006, Maud de Boer-BuquicchioMaud de Boer-BuquicchioMaud de Boer-Buquicchio is a Dutch jurist. She has served as Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe since 2002....
, Council of EuropeCouncil of EuropeThe Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
Deputy Secretary General, stated her concerns for growing AntiziganismAntiziganismAntiziganism or Anti-Romanyism is hostility, prejudice or racism directed at the Romani people, also known as Gypsies.As an endogamous culture with a tendency to practise self-segregation, the Romanis have generally resisted assimilation with the indigenous communities of whichever countries they...
and encouraged Europe's Romani populations to act to improve their poor living conditions, the result of longstanding and widespread discrimination. - In 2009,U.S. Secretary of StateSecretary of StateSecretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
spoke of the U.S. commitment to protecting and promoting the human rights of Romani people throughout Europe. http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/03/120827.htm