DIRITTI E CULTURA DI ROM E SINTI

OPEN LETTER BY BAJRAM HALITI – PRESIDENT OF THE JOURNALISM-INFORMATIVE AGENCY OF ROMA TO USA’S SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

Bajram Haliti – president of the Journalism-informative agency of Roma addressed today USA’s State Secretary Hillary Clinton in an open letter to ambassador of USA in Belgrade Mary Burce Warlick, in which is said:

“Respected Mrs. Clinton,

I am addressing you with open letter in which I want to foremost thank for making it clear during your visit to Sofia and talk with Bulgarian president Rosen Plevneliev and representatives of NGO sector that human rights of Roma in Europe became the spotlight of USA’s administration.

I am especially rejoiced because USA will join Decade of Roma inclusion 2005-2015 as an official observer. I want to inform you that initiative Roma Decade that was started and its 4 main goals – eradication of poverty, solving of housing problems, suppression of discrimination in education and solving of health-care problems are only a dead letter on the paper, because development of adequate monitoring and evaluating system as well as inclusion of countries signers of Roma Decade aren’t everyday obligation within the adoption of initiatives for creation of the European Roma policy.

I want to inform you that in European Union today live between 12 and 15 millions of Roma. That number somewhere corresponds to the number of one EU’s member country of average size. Yet, majority still knows little about nation who live on European continent over 7 centuries. That knowledge is often based on ignorance, prejudges and stereotypes. Roma are today, at the beginning of Third millennium, for many lower beings or “pharije”.

Testimonies of that are everyday physical assaults and racial mistreatments to which they are exposed, then ghettoization, segregation and in general disrespect of their basic human rights – right on work, education, judicial protection and own culture, so your observation that Roma in Europe are unfinished story of assaults is absolutely correct.

All international, European and national instruments should be immediately invited to, for sake of development of Roma nation, offer their support in a joint effort to establish and realize highest implementation’s standards of human rights related to the integration of Roma nation, and in opposite case to undertake against some countries sanctions for violating Roma human rights.

Despite the European glorified progress and development, no one can deny that in this wonderful picture of Europe there are still many ideological bleeds and dirty practices known as racism, exclusion, discrimination and marginalization against its biggest and historically most-excluded minority – Roma nation.

Europe, therefore, shows very controversial picture: wonderful, progressive, modern and developed continent, but powerless to provide integration neither respect of basic human rights of its most-excluded citizens – Roma.

Therefore, as long as the social inclusion and rights of Roma nation remain only a theory on political agenda, then Europe was and remains progressive and developed place only for people who enjoy access to their rights, but not for Roma. As long as legislative and executive instruments lack implementation, and while they don’t bring real social-economic access to development of Roma nation – stigmatized and excluded Roma nation cannot be blamed for its historical circumstances.

Racism has terrible consequences – starting from offence to the so-called ethnic distance, attempt of isolation of Roma, up to genocide. Social position of Roma in Southeastern Europe and on Southwestern Balkan is even today worse than position of remaining population. Roma are in disadvantaged position in almost every area: education, employment, health-care, housing and public life participation. In addition, Roma human rights are exposed to permanent violations, especially in Southeastern Europe.

Cases of violence over the Roma from side of extremist’s and pro-fascistic groups, like skin-heads, are especially difficult. From the other side, state’s bodies, especially in Southeastern Europe and on Southwestern Balkan are often indifferent towards the violation of Roma rights, and in some cases, they even participate in that by themselves.

Starting from the fact that there was never discussion about Roma position, neither any measures have been undertook for their solving, I appeal to USA’s Congress to put that question into its program and to consider it on one of its sessions. In addition, I propose that these measures and proposals should be, amongst others, adopted on such session:

To condemn unsatisfying legal and political position of Roma in some countries, especially in regard of denial of fundamental freedoms and rights that are otherwise enjoyed from side of members of other nations;
To call on all European countries to apply international obligations and standards towards Roma that are related to equal enjoy of fundamental freedoms and rights regardless race, language, national particularities and origin;
To animate endeavors of Roma to preserve its national identity, language, culture and tradition, and call on all countries in which Roma live to support and facilitate all their endeavors;
To call on German government to meet rightful and deeply moral Roma reques to repay appropriate compensation to victims of Nazi’s and Fascistic terror from side of Roma and their families.
Mrs. Clinton, as a conclusions, in light of above mentioned, I would like to put an accent to your personal efforts and permanent obligation of USA’s president Barrack Obama’s administration to continue to raise awareness related to the problems with which are Roma community faced, to fight against every form of discrimination of Roma, and to contributed to achieving of inclusion of Roma nation through the use of all resources that are on disposal in that fight.”

Bajram Haliti
president of Journalism informative agency of Roma and independent expert for Roma issue.

Meeting of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Roma Activists in Sofia

Clinton in Sofia: US Joins Decade of Roma Inclusion