Podcast: Roma youth conference – The momentum for change

September 27, 2011 - Roma

 
Terezia Rostas, UK Gipsy Council

Today is the start of the Roma youth conference, an opportunity for young community leaders to gather in Strasbourg to discuss common concerns and interests.

 
The fightback against rising Euro ‘Roma-phobia’ is the background to this meeting of some 50 young Roma leaders for a conference themed ‘Voicing the aspirations and projects of Roma Youth in the Council of Europe.’
In a message of support,Thomas Hammarberg, the Commissioner for Human rights, said “the need to break the vicious circle of prejudice and marginalisation of the Roma in Europe is of the utmost urgency.”
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Youth action

Your silence kills Roma, your voice can save Europe!

Participants of the Roma Youth Conference in Strasbourg are using the opportunity to share with you the Declaration about the unbearable increase of violence and hatredparticularly in Bulgaria, Czech Republic as well as other European countries. Moreover on 28th September 2011 the participants of conference organized a solidarity event in front of the European Parliament and Council of Europe with the Roma in those countries. We strongly believe that you would not remain silent about the current situation and will make Europe an equal place for Roma.

We, the participants of the Roma Youth Conference in Strasbourg, are concerned about the current rise of 

extremism, racism and anti-gypsyism in many European countries, and particularly about the unbearable increase of violence and hatred in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary and other places across the Europe.

Right now, all over Bulgaria, including major cities, extremist groups led by the far-right political parties VMRO and ATAKA and joined by football hooligans are running pogroms in Roma neighborhoodscreating aclimateof fear and insecurity.

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Youth action

ternYpe participates in the Roma Youth Conference

ternYpe participates with 10 people, representing all member organizations, in the Roma Youth Conference, which started on the 26th of September in Strasbourg and is hosted by the Council of Europe. The conference brings together 50 representatives and youth leaders of Roma youth organizations and young Roma between 18 and 30 years in order to discuss needs and challenges of Roma youth and youth organizations, to exchange experience in youth work and to develop guidelines for a Roma Youth Action Plan of the Council of Europe and beyond for 2012-2013.

ternYpe considers the conference as a great potential to draw attention of politicians, institutions and society to the needs and challenges, but also to the activism of young Roma and non-Roma around Europe to challenge stereotypes and racism and to make Europe an equal place for Roma. Over half of the Roma population is young people and children. As young people we are not just the future, but we are here already and want to make a change today.

ternYpe believes that this conference should not be another lost opportunity! This conference should make a change and have a great impact on the activism, mobilization and empowerment of Roma youth! ternYpe expects a concrete, realistic, but ambitious Roma Youth Action Plan based on the participation of youth and youth organizations and a better coordination between international stakeholders such as the Council of Europe Youth Directorate, Open Society Institute and the European Commission. ternYpe also expects that the conference will create a REAL space for young people to discuss and to put forward their own priorities. Moreover, youth participation should be secured during the conference, but also in the follow-up to accompany the Roma Youth Action Plan. So follow-up online in the upcoming days what happens in Strasbourg on www.ternype.eu.

 

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Youth action

Live: Follow the Roma Youth Conference in Strasbourg

Live: Follow the Roma Youth Conference in Strasbourg

IDEA is livestremaing the Roma Youth Conference that is held in Strasbourg, France in the European Youth Center from 26th - 30th September. Follow the conference live at: 
IDebate.TV:  http://www.idebate.tv/romayouthconference/
 
About the Conference:
The Roma Youth Conference is planned to be a follow up activity to the Strasbourg Declaration, adopted in October 2010. It will gather primarily representatives and active leaders of Roma youth organisations and young Roma (between 18 and 30 years old) active in other organisations and projects from the Council of Europe member states. During this four day event 50 participants will be able to share their ideas, skills and knowledge in a non-formal intercultural learning environment.
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Youth action

Roma and Sinti Genocide Remembrance Day – Cracow and Oświęcim 1 - 2 August , 2011

On the 1st and 2nd of August 2011 in Cracow and Oświęcim took place a festive celebration of Roma and Sinti Genocide Remembrance Day. This year it had a particularly festive character in the result of approval of the resolution on naming the 2nd of August Roma and Sinti Genocide Remembrance Day as the state’s festival. The organizer of the celebrations was The Group for Roma Affairs of the Common Government and National and Ethnic Minorities Commission of the Republic of Poland. The event was also supported by the Government Plenipotent for Equal Treatment, Minister Elżbieta Radziszewska and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) OSCE. The Patronage on the celebrations was held by the President of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, as well as by the Chairman of the European Parliament, Prof. Jerzy Buzek.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Youth action

Roma Youth Empowerment Workshops in Brussels

We have just finished our workshops! We had a great discussion with members of AEGEE (European Students Forum) and European Young Greens and other volunteers from different countries. They were very interested in the situation of Roma youth and in some future cooperation with ternYpe :)

Our movie from Cordoba was a real hit! Our energizers were also met with a lot of enthusiasm. We also introduced a short history of Roma, discussed important issues of young people and enjoyed sharing our experiences as youth organizations and volunteers. It was a big success.

 

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News from the V-Village in Brussels

Another busy day is behind us. Despite the rain, lots of people have visited our tent, and stayed for a while to talk, make some buttons, dance and sing along with us.

Tomorrow at 11o'clock we are starting a workshop on Roma Youth Empowerment. DON'T MISS IT!

 

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TernYpe met with member of royal family and Parliament officials!

We were so busy yesterday that we didn't have time to post news for these first days ;) On the grand opening of the II Youth Convention on Volunteering we managed to get through security of the member of  the Belgian royal family and give her our information and materials that she kindly accepted.
For the whole day our ternYpe tent was crowded with people. We 've had some interviews for TV& newspapers, and talked with a lot of people of international youth organizations, of the European Parliament and the European Commission. So ternYpe was very visible and we had great discussions on volunteering and youth self-organization! Now we prepare for our second workshop on Saturday at 11am!

Check out for yourself how it looked!

 

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Youth action

Participate in the ternYpe Workshops and visit the ternYpe tent in the II Youth Convention on Volunteering

After the opening of the YO!Fest tonight (starting at 18.00 with Ojos de Brujo and other music groups), you can find ternYpe in tent 11 on the II Youth Convention on Volunteering, right in front of the European Parliament!

Or come and visit the two ternYpe workshops in the V-Village:

  • Friday: 11-13h: ternYpe - European youth campaign for ALL in ONE society
  • Saturday: 11-13h: ternYpologia: Our Conclusion: Inclusion!

 

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Youth action

TernYpe team just arrived in Brussells!

TernYpe team has just arrived in Brussells! We are getting ready for tomorrow's actions! If You are somewhere around don't forget to visit us!

From 7th to 11th September 2011, the European Parliament will host the biggest public event organised by the European Youth Forum in the frame of the European Year of Volunteering: The II Youth Convention on Volunteering!

 

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Youth action

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