EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Ánna KARAMANOU
MEMBER OF
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
President of the Committee of Women’s Rights and Equal
Opportunities
ON APRIL 8,
2003 INTERNATIONAL ROMA DAY
On the occasion of April 8th, celebrating the International
Roma Day dedicated to Romani communities worldwide, or Gypsies (Tsiggani) as we
tend to call them in Greece, I would like to state the following:
1. It is a fact that around 15
million of Roma/Gypsies, all around the world, have to deal in their everyday
lives with discrimination, rejection, persecution, exclusion and violation of
their human rights in all areas labour market, education, health, housing,
social and political rights. In many countries, even in the European Union,
there are frequent manifestations of racism and police brutality against Roma
who are treated as the scapegoat when it comes to a series of social problems;
this sort of treatment is owned to the perpetuation of prejudice and
stereotypes.
2. In Greece, the first serious
attempts concerning the improvement of Gypsies’ living conditions and drafting
a policy took off only in 1996, when a special office was set up next to the
Prime Minister and programs were drawn and implemented concerning housing,
education and welfare. Nonetheless, there are still serious problems of
discrimination and violation of fundamental rights, the most serious one being
the lack of fundamental public utilities such as running water and sanitary
conditions (settlement in Aspropyrgos) or electricity and transport of children
to school (settlement in Spata). We should also note that in both cases, local
municipalities are greatly responsible for the situation.
3. Undoubtedly, we need at both
national and European level an integrated and cohesive policy for the
full and in practice legal recognition of fundamental freedoms and social,
individual and collective rights of Gypsies living in Greece and in the European
Union. It is necessary that their culture and unique identity are recognized,
and that their language and way of life are protected, within the framework of
modern multicultural societies. The publication of the joint report on Greece
by the European Roma Rights Center and Greek Helsinki Monitor can contribute to
the public dialogue on Roma’s human rights and result in the improvement of
their living conditions.
Finally, on the occasion of the International Roma Day, let us remember one of
the most important poems by Kostis Palamas, “Twelve Words of the Gypsy”, which
presents the Greek Rom as a symbol of free thinking, sensitivity and
camaraderie.
7 April 2003