Story: After the World Roma Day
 

Don't be afraid of the different one 
 

Besides all good will, the problems remain unsolved. The Roma people are still living mainly in substandard conditions - only in Skopje, 78% of the Roma families live in houses without a sewerage system; 50% of the families have 2-5 square metres space per member, 116 families live in houses which are not made of solid material.
 

Marijana Ivanova
 

The World Roma Day, 8 April, was marked this year in our country under the motto "We are all one", with a campaign organized by several NGOs. More organized and lauder than the previous years, the Roma people from Macedonia emphasized the problems they are facing in the society - starting from the prejudices and the attitude (dictated by those prejudices) of others towards them, through the problem of children on the streets, begging, all the way to the general problems, common for all citizens in Macedonia: the unemployment, poverty, education, the Framework Agreement...

Participants in the campaign were not only Roma, but also other organizations, and the so-called Equality March, also organized within the campaign, was "marched" by over a thousand citizens - Romas, Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Serbs and people from other nationalities living in Macedonia. The proved that slowly but surely, something is changing in the attitude of people towards each others. The March, that started at the City Park, past the Government and the Parliament and finishing at Macedonia Square, showed that there is a relevant group of people who have a will to look at each other and accept themselves as equal. With the slogans "Don't be afraid of the different one", "We are all one", the citizens have overcome their nationalism, sent their message and tried to influence against the prejudices and for equal rights to everyone. 

However, besides all good will, the problems remain unsolved. According to the research done in 2000, under the leadership of PhD. Divna Lakinska, the Roma people are still living mainly in substandard conditions - only in Skopje, 78% of the Roma families live in houses without a sewerage system; 50% of the families have 2-5 square metres space per member, 116?? families live in houses which are not made of solid material; 36% of the children don't go to school; only 18% of the Roma people receive salary as employed and 12% receive pension...

It is important to understand and accept the fact that the Roma people are not to blame for such condition, but the country. And, if this sad condition is accepted by all citizens as a general guilt, there is still hope that something can be done to improve it. Only if we accept Roma people as citizens who have rights as everyone else, the right for decent living standard, employment, education, participation in the public and the political standard and if we make mutual efforts to create conditions for the realization of those rights, the bare-feet children who beg at the Stone bridge will be able to put some shoes on and start going to school.

 

In Stip, Delcevo and Kocani  

Art colony, small football tournament and intercultural parties...

 

The activities related to the campaign "We are all one", were not located only in Skopje. Sixty pupils from the four primary schools "Vanco Prke" from Delcevo, "Blagoj Kirkov" from Veles, "Goce Delcev" from Stip, and "Malina Popivanova" from Kocani, took part at the art colony, the small football tournament and the intercultural parties that were organized by seven organizations involved in the implementation of the programme Applied Education for Young Roma People. All these activities took place at the winter sport centre "Golak" in Delcevo on 5, 6 and 7 April 2003. The pupils were guided by one teacher from their school and one representative from the NGO involved in the Programme implementation. "The children had a great opportunity to socialize, but also learn something from each other", said Zati Ramadanov, president of the Roma Civic Association "Romani Bah" from Veles, "especially if you take into consideration the fact that the children were of different nationality. I think that we accomplished the goals of our activities, therefore we continue to work with great enthusiasm", added Ramadanov.

 

Children on the street
 
Can we do something and what can it be? 
 

Within the campaign "We are all one", the Roma Centre from Skopje, on behalf of the group of NGOs, and with support from the MCIC and OSIMF, organized an open Forum called "Are the children on the street are mutual responsibility""

The Forum that took place on 7 April at the "Chifte Amam" gallery in Skopje, initiated a discussion on: How can one social country deal with the problem of begging and de we do something at all?; are the children-beggars orphans? does the begging have some ethnic features? who begs? is it legal? are there any programmes for finding solution to the problem of begging and children on the streets?' what has been done so far and what else can we do?

As Mrs. Azbija Memedova from the Skopje Roma Centre says, the problem of children on the streets is an image of the state institutions' non-care. This problem cannot be solved only with the efforts that NGOs make, but it takes a proper treatment by the state as well. The problem needs to get national dimension and strategic framework.

 

Public panel discussion

Roma people, education and the Framework Agreement

 

On 9 April, at the "Chifte Amam" gallery at the Old Bazaar in Skopje, a public tribune consisting of two subjects took place: The Roam people access and approach to education - possibilities and perspectives" and "Implementation of the Framework Agreement and the Roma people" 

The introduction to the first subject was given by Prof. Violeta Petrovska - Beska, and to the second one, Prof. Vlado Popovski. Some government representatives also had presentations.

 

Beginnings of the fight for keeping the national identity

London Congress - landmark in the Roma history

 

From the moment they left their ancient rich in culture country, India, Roma people have always been placed in the margins of the social, political and cultural events. No law or ban for using the Roma language or tradition, or the attempts for total genocide, have managed to destroy the history of these people. Roma people have always been trying to keep their national identity and the specific characteristics that are part of the Roma ethnos.

The very beginning of those attempts to cherish the Roma national identity was initiated on the initiative of the great Roma writer, Slobodan Berberski from Yugoslavia, on 8 April 1971 when the Roma relation and cooperation began in London. On that date, The First World Roma Congress was held, attended by Roma delegations from all over the world and the day when The International Roma Organization was established and its first president, Slobodan Berberski was elected.

At the Congress the Roma people decided on their flag (divided horizontally in two colours: green and dark blue, with red wheel in the middle) and their hymn (Gelem, Gelem). They also brought a decision for standardising the Roma language, reparation on the Second World War, improving the civic rights and education, maintaining the Roma culture and international recognition of Roma culture as a national minority that originates from India. The delegate from Macedonia at the Congress was Mr. Faik Abdi. In the memory of their first organizing, Roma people from all over the world celebrate this day as World Roma Day.

 

Ljatif Mefaileskoro Demir, "Darhia"