Joint Statement of the Rromani Delegations

1
Joint Statement of the Rromani Delegations

• After the Budapest conference our expectations
  were to be your partners.
•  
• People with equal capacities, whom you listen to
  and make decision with.
•  
• In order to make this happen, we, the Roma
  delegations from Central and Eastern Europe,
  should be the partner of our governments.
•  
• We are all here today to achieve a common aim
  the Decade of Roma Inclusion and the Roma
  Education Fund.

2
Our priorities go as follows

• Roma civil society representing the voice of the
  grassroots should participate in the whole
  decision making process of preparation,
  implementation, monitoring and evaluation, on
  equal basis with the governments.
• To combat social exclusion of Roma, the
  comprehensive and participatory development of
  Romani communities should be guaranteed and
  adequately supported.

3
Our priorities go as follows

• The Roma Decade and the Education Fund will fail
  without the empowerment of the Roma civil society
  through capacity building (training, access to
  information, equipment).
• Domestic legislation should be amended in order
  to ensure the adequate implementation of the
  Decades and Education Funds principles.

4
Our priorities go as follows

• Affirmative action for Roma should be promoted as
  an active policy in all fields (education,
  employment, healthcare etc.).
• Discrimination against Roma has different faces
  forced evictions, police abuse, impunity of
  justice, hate speech. Anti-discrimination laws
  should be urgently adopted, according to
  international standards.

5
Our priorities go as follows

• Romani culture is an asset of the world. We
  should not let it die! We, both Roma and
  non-Roma, are responsible to pass this heritage
  to our sons. To make this happen, to rebuild our
  self-esteem, Roma cultural autonomy should be
  guaranteed and promoted.

6

• You are the ones that can help us become partners
  of our governments. And then we have a chance to
  make this come true