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Publisert av SOS Rasisme 17.12.2009
Seminar Budapest 2

The SOS Racism activist Dragana Kovačević represented the organization on the international training session “Diversity with and Diversity in the Roma community”, held in European Youth Centre in Budapest.

From 27th November to 6th December the seminar was organized by Forum of European Roma Young People, FERYP, with the support of Council of Europe’s Directorate of Youth and Sport. FERYP is a European Youth association with a seat in Strasbourg, France. The concept of Diversity was subject of discussion in several previous activities of FERYP, but this time addressed from two angles – the relations between Roma and the majority populations in one hand and on the other the respect for diversity within the community itself. This was also the first time in organization’s history that both Roma and non-Roma young people were invited to participate, with the general conclusion that the cooperation between them is extremely important in order to fight against the discrimination, racism and “othering” the Roma are still facing all over the continent. The working languages of the session were English, Spanish and Romanese, with direct professional translation ensured throughout the study session. Through direct participation in the workshops, study groups and discussions, the participants learned about Roma culture, non-discrimination practices and the mechanisms of ‘othering’, with special focus on the recent developments in Hungary, where Roma people are lately repeatedly facing violent organized attacks by fascist group Magyar Garda. One of the most important outcomes of the study session was the open letter to Hungarian authorities written and signed by all the participants of the seminar, on behalf of their organization, in which the government is invited to react and protect its citizens against this violence. SOS Racism points out the necessity for continuing the fight against the racism and the discrimination against the Roma in Norway, along with the recognition of their specific history in this country.