The empowerment of European Roma

There are many individuals in Eastern European countries that have been campaigning for the Rights of the Roma people throughout their regions and beyond. And last week in Budapest witnessed another giant step forward in the political empowerment of Roma people.

Leading the charge were activists , campaigners and grant donors from the Open Society Foundation: Mensur Haliti, Kinga Rethy and Zeljko Jovanovic, all of whom have worked for more than a decade helping to transform the lives of Roma people throughout Eastern Europe. Mensur Haliti, for example, has undertaken work that to date has helped nearly 25 Roma individuals become local councillors, all of whom are then able to demand more from local democratic public offices.

For the best part of a week, along the famed river Danube that separates Buda from Pest, more than 50 individuals from groups right across Europe were put through their paces to ensure their funded projects were strong, effective and above all empowering.

Projects such as Bulgaria’s Roma Participation: from Manipulation to citizen empowerment, will set out to confront the practices of ‘vote buying’, by directly engaging 500 individuals at public meetings. Helping those to set out an agenda which makes demands on those who seek the potentially powerful Roma vote.

Other projects were aimed at Roma women and Roma youth.

The organisers set up a video link with Brussels to have a conversation with the only Roma MEP Kinga Gonz.

For Operation Black Vote to be invited to participate was indeed an honour. Although there are many differences to the Roma struggle for equality and respect, there are even more parallels with the Black struggle. For example, dealing with the infighting; confronting leaders who betray their communities; and powerful institutions that talk equality yet deliver the opposite.

Our role at OBV was two-fold: To inspire; give those the supreme self belief that tackling the impossible could be achieved. And imparting some tools of empowerment which help along the journey.

I recounted the story that two time Presidential candidate and civic Rights Leader Rev Jesse Jackson said when he addressed a group of Black Brits here almost a decade ago. “We have to stop thinking like grasshoppers”, he said, “and start believing we are giants.”

In regards to empowerment tools we talked about research: knowing what power you have, via votes for example, but also understanding the strong and week areas of those you seek to influence.

It was an intense, but extremely productive few days. Friendships made, ideas forged together for a common goal.

One Roma participant based in Barcelona Anna Mirga stated:

"In times of social, economic and political turmoil, as we are experiencing today, when human rights and social justice seem to become of secondary importance, it´s easy to loose hope. That´s why contribution from Mensur and Simon were so important – their experience, extensive knowledge, strategic thinking and encouragement gave us all a sense of achievable goals, and of re-assurance that we, as Roma, can make a difference".

"Thanks to Simon, many of us realized that in fact the destinies of Roma people and of the Black community in Europe and the world share many commonalities - the persecution, discrimination, negative stereotypes, inequality. We can learn a lot from each other. Our movements are stronger."

Another participant Iassen Lazarov from Bulgaria stated:

“What I saw on our meeting was the first significant event in many years that marked my experience in an entirely positive way. In just a few days I witnessed how organizations with entirely different profiles and approaches (some of whom never saw each other before) actually gathered and started to realise our potential together. Furthermore this process created trust between us and our organisations. Together we had one voice and one goal for everyone. The contribution from our trainers gave us hope and self-belief.”

We wish these all the participants and their organisations great success. Furthermore, we will continue offer solidarity and support throughout their journey.

Simon Woolley