Join the Fight for Roma Rights!
Congratulations – We exceeded our goal of 250 votes to help preserve Roma rights! Nice job Adventure Philanthropists!
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about “humanitarianism” – the moral acceptance of every human being without distinction of gender, sexual orientation, tribe, caste, age, religion, or nationality.
It seems so basic, and yet, far too often we hear about injustice on the news or see if for ourselves as we go about our everyday lives.
Part of my pondering was sparked by seeing Roma people in the streets throughout Europe – in the capitals of Bucharest and Budapest, as well as in Istanbul and in cities throughout Scandinavia. Scattered across Europe and persecuted for centuries, the Roma are routinely discriminated against.
I wanted to learn more and help fight against Roma discrimination. And so can you!
If we receive 250 votes, I’ll donate an additional 50% (for a total gift of $1,500) to support Roma human rights!
Are you a humanitarian? Then vote “Yes!”
Should we help fight Roma discrimination?
- Yes! (100%, 292 Votes)
Total Voters: 292
Loading ...Who are the Roma?
Romani people are an ethnic group that originated in South Asia. They came to live in Europe, predominately Central and Eastern Europe, in the 16th century. There are an estimated 4-9 million Romani people (some say maybe as many as 14 million).
There are 8 branches of Romani, with the “Roma” subset being the largest. The term “gypsy” was coined to refer to Romani, and can be considered pejorative.
Ending Violence & Hate Speech
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) works to combat anti-Romani racism and human rights abuse. The ERRC uses strategic litigation, research and policy development, advocacy and human rights education to combat Roma prejudice.
ERRC campaigns include support for:
- Ending violence and hate speech against Roma
- School desegregation
- An end to forced evictions and other housing rights abuse
- Strengthening anti-discrimination law
- Justice for victims of coercive sterilization
- Romani women’s rights
- 500 anti-discrimination court cases in 15 countries
Join the Fight for Roma Rights!
Interested in helping secure Roma rights? You can!
- Learn more by subscribing to ERRC’s newsletter
- Donate and support their work
- Vote in our poll and we’ll donate an additional 50% for a gift of $1,500
Tags: discrimination, human rights, Roma, Romani
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 and is filed under Donate My Dollars.
I already do what I can to raise awareness of stereotypes and myths about Roma and Travellers that lead to prejudice and racism, when I visit schools to tell my personal Kindertransport story n their Holocaust education projects.
Best wishes for your project
Ruth barnett, London UK
Thanks for speaking out Ruth! We need more people like you to share their personal stories with the next generation! Go Ruth Go!
I would be only too delighted to vote yes on this poll. I have witnessed first hand the magnificent work being undertaken on behalf of the Roma community by The European Roma rights centre. I think more understanding of this beautiful community is what is needed, and a willingness from non-Roma to become educated, Being an Irish Traveller i totally understand the plight of Discrimination. I will be reposting this page on my social network. Well done (ERRC) on all the work done so far and for the continued activities.
We have to combating xenophobia and rise of extreme right, particularly to protect the Roma community worldwide; Every Citizen on this planet is supposed to enjoy universal Human Rights.
Hi Erin.
I’ve enjoyed following your travels since meeting you on the river in Honduras and reading of your advocacy for people less fortunate.
I first saw Roma peoples in Turkey and have observed them in other places in Europe. I have experienced children selling me tourist trinkets, adults and children scamming me, women with children begging money. I bought and gave where I could, often observing the aftermath.
I observed an enviable sense of community with the Roma. I gave a young woman some Euros, she bought herself, her child, her friend and her child some gelato and they sat in quiet companionship as they ate, their children chattering together enjoying this treat. I observed some quite young children selling and when an adult came along and looked threatening, Roma adults came to protect the child. I observed two young men scamming an elderly couple, they were sent off and returned the couples swearing with some choice words of their own.
My best experience must have been the evening my husband and I were looking for a camp site in small town France late in the evening. We saw groups of people, tents, vans and cabins with an ablution block and assumed it was a commercial camp ground.
We camped the night, I walked into the shower room in the morning to shocked looks on the faces of the women. We had strolled into someone’s home and made ourselves comfortable. I smiled and apologised humbly and, although we didn’t speak each others languages, the women generously allowed me to shower in the cold water. I played with the children once they got over their shyness and attempted to chat with their mothers about families. We parted friends I think, given the smiles. My husband has a similar experience on the mens side.
Well done for highlighting the work of the ERRC, I have voted and will repost to my blog.
Keep enjoying your travels and thanks for sharing them with us!
Hi Jules, So nice to hear from you! And thank you for sharing your experiences with the Roma. I think stories like yours really helps put a human face on the these people that are so often marginalized and and stereotyped. Cheers to you! Erin
Roma like all other Minority groups need to have their Human Rights protected
Mr. Valery Novoselsky,
Executive Editor, Roma Virtual Network.
http://www.valery-novoselsky.org/romavirtualnetwork.html
Human rights are for all. Denying the rights of Roma is denying rights of you and me, of different ethnic groups, women and men, old and young, mentally and physically well or impaired. Our rights are only secure if everyone’s rights are equally protected. Any of us can be suddenly “minority” in some way or the other by moving to another place or by our place taken over by an invading power. I believe that confining Roma to minority can also cause problem since they are all citizents of a dominant society, the Roma in most cases and if they wish so, have a double identity as far as citizentship goes and an ethnic one which may differ from another ethnic one around them. But do we speak Scots, Irish or Welsh people as minority? They are British as are the Travellers and Roma born here are by birth or naturalized if they came here, as I got naturalized to be British through marriage, and became a British Hungarian. Why should the Roma be different from me and denied their rights? In short denying from their rights is the same as denying my human rights. We are together in the same boat though some may travel first class whilst others on economy class. But if the boat goes we all go.