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For immediate release Chicago, IL - 09/17/2022
The World Roma Federation will be hosting the "World Roma Webinar" next week on the 21st of September, holding 2 sessions. The first hour will be in the English Language, and the 2nd hour will be in Romani, which will also feature a presentation for the Roma community as well.
"Roma began to flee India in about the year 500 BCE and have been suffering many injustices which can be traced back to the year 40, just 7 years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Such as, Anti Romani Laws beginning as early as 1326 and onward and for more than 500 years, the Roma were enslaved in the country of Romania. 96 years after the abolition of slavery, Roma were among the groups that the Nazi regime (1933–1945) and its partner regimes singled out for persecution and murder before and during World War II, killing at least 500,000
Since then, decades of marginalization of our people has continued! There have been forced sterilizations, deportations, multiple incidents of cleansing and camp clearances! Anti-Roma racism and violence continues to occur and is on the rise!
How much longer should our people suffer these injustices? How much longer do we just sit back and watch as our people suffer from hunger & poverty? How much longer will many of us turn a blind eye, ignore and pretend we don’t see what’s going on? How much longer will we hide our true identity so we can avoid discrimination? How many more people will deny their own heritage, be ashamed of being Roma and develop hatred towards their own people?
We are labeled as a “Minority Group” while our global population exceeds 30 million people! They divide us on purpose and call us minorities in each country for a reason! If we remain a minority, the situation will never change for us! Just like any other nation, we have diversity. We have different dialects, but one common language. We have different religions, but only because we had to adapt in the countries we live in. But they use the different dialects and subgroups as an excuse to deny us of our right to identify as one collective nation, the ROMA!
In fact, the EU’s website defining Roma says:
“Roma people in the EU
The Roma are Europe’s largest ethnic minority. Out of an estimated 10 to 12 million Roma living in Europe, approximately 6 million are citizens or residents of the EU. Many EU Roma are still victims of prejudice and social exclusion, despite the discrimination ban across EU Member States.
The umbrella-term ‘Roma’ encompasses diverse groups, including Roma, Sinti, Kale, Romanichels, Boyash/Rudari, Ashkali, Egyptians, Yenish, Dom, Lom, Rom and Abdal, as well as Traveller populations (gens du voyage, Gypsies, Camminanti, etc.). EU policy documents and discussions commonly employ this terminology.”
They took our name, changed its definition and called it a Term, rather than a Name and use it to define Non-Roma, as Roma!" said Deny Dobobrov, Director of International relations.