ROMA AND TRAVELLERS IN IRELAND

INTERNATIONAL ROMA AND TRAVELLER DAY-CELEBRATION AND PROTEST 8 APRIL, 2013

FROM PAVEE POINT TRAVELLERS' CENTER: PROMOTING TRAVELLERS' HUMAN RIGHTS

http://paveepoint.ie/2013/03/international-roma-and-traveller-day-celebration-and-protest-8-april-2013/

INTERNATIONAL ROMA AND TRAVELLER DAY

Minceirs Whiden, Ireland’s Traveller-only forum, is organising a protest as part of the International Roma and Traveller Day. The protest is an opportunity to celebrate Roma and Traveller culture and highlight the discrimination and persecution experienced by Travellers and Roma. Travellers and Roma in Ireland are calling on the Irish Government to develop a strong National Traveller Roma Integration Strategy in order to promote inclusion.

Join the 8th April movement and demand rights for Roma and Travellers.

Where: European Commission office, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2

When: 12 noon, 8 April, 2013

For more information contact Kathleen Sherlock at kathleen.sherlock@minceirswhiden.org

BACKGROUND

International Roma and Traveller Day is a day to celebrate Roma culture and raise awareness of the human rights issues experienced by Roma.

Martin Collins, a board member of Minceirs Whidden and Co-Director of Pavee Point, reminds us about the reasons for celebrating this day;

“On the 8th April 1971 the first Roma Traveller World Congress took place in London. This was the first attempt at trying to unite and give one voice to the many groups working with and representing Roma and Travellers across Europe.”

This day in 1971 also witnessed the formal adoption of the Roma Traveller flag and anthem (Gelem Gelem).

Roma have been part of European societies for centuries. It is estimated that there are approximately 12–15 million Roma living in Europe. During the Second World War an estimated half a million Roma were killed by Nazis in concentration camps.

Roma and Travellers continue to experience widespread poverty, racism and discrimination across Europe. In this context, Roma throughout the world will mobilise on International Roma Day as part of a global protest to highlight and challenge anti-Roma and Traveller racism.