Category Archives: Europe

Journalism Award

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Journalism Award

The Council of Europe awarded several journalists for their ethical reporting on Roma and Travellers during a ceremony on June 18, 2026, in Strasbourg, France, coinciding with No Hate Speech Week.

Gwendolyn Albert accepted the award on behalf of Jana Baudyšová, highlighting the recognition of the entire editorial team of the magazine Romano voďi and their contributions to human rights and the Romani movement.

Other awardees included Adam Charlton, Paula Szewczyk, Višnja Višnjić Milić, and Eftychia Soufleri, with the awards emphasizing the importance of addressing prejudices and promoting dignity for the Romani community.

Roma Education

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Roma Education

Danijela Dimitrovska highlights that Roma communities in Europe face significant barriers in education and employment, with 36% unemployment among Roma and 56% of young Roma not engaged in education or training.

She emphasizes the need for education, vocational training, and support systems to enable equal participation in the labor market, while also addressing discrimination and racism as major obstacles. Dimitrovska calls for greater integration of Roma into society and warns that Europe cannot afford to exclude millions of young people, especially during times of labor shortages and social challenges.

While her position and statements are correct, the use of percentages is definitively not. There are no definitive population numbers for Roma in Europe. And if one doesn’t know, the population, percentages are meaningless.

Dumitru Miclescu

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Dumitru Miclescu

The statement from the Coalition on Roma Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Recognition on the passing of Dumitru Miclescu, a Romanian survivor of the Genocide of the Roma during the Holocaust.

Bulgaria Anti-Roma Rhetoric

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Bulgaria Anti-Roma Rhetoric

The European Court of Human Rights sided with Roma activists and journalists who argued national courts treated racist political rhetoric too narrowly while ignoring its wider impact on an entire minority community.

Romani Gili Competition

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Romani Gili Competition

A competition celebratings Roma music and culture, Romani Gili 2026 is organised by the European Roma Institute for Art and Culture (ERIAC). The audience plays an important role. As much as 50 percent of the final result is represented by public support. The remaining 50 percent of the score is contributed by an expert jury appointed by ERIAC.

A young singer from Prekmurje, Nina Brasseur, is stepping onto the music stage again – this time with a great opportunity at an international competition. The 25-year-old singer, who was introduced to the general public in 2016 on the show Slovenija ima talent, is presenting herself today with her original song Sune (Dreams) and is competing to win the Romani Gili Contest 2026.

Memory

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Memory

According to the Council of Europe, they key to prevent discrimination against Roma and travellers, is the importance of historical memory.

Unfortunately, not as simple, look at the Holocaust and Antisemitism.

XV Congress

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XV Congress

A press release announcing that Sofia will host the XV World Roma Congress, which will be held in the period 29–31 October 2026. The event is organized by the Association “United Civic Initiatives – OGI E ROMENGO” with chairman and main organizer Toma Mladenov.

According to the organisers, Delegations from over 40 countries are expected to participate, as well as representatives of international institutions such as the UN, the Council of Europe and the European Union. The forum is expected to be one of the most significant international events related to the Roma community in recent years.

International Roma Day

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International Roma Day

A recapitulative of the events and people who were involved in the first World Roma Congress which led to the recogintion og the International Roma day on April 8th.

Roma Foundation for Europe

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Roma Foundation for Europe

The Roma Foundation for Europe, headquartered in Brussels, is part of the Soros Foundations for an Open Society and implements various programs across Europe in support of the Roma community – it supports children and young people in education and extracurricular activities, young families in self-employment and job creation, protects Roma communities from abuse for political purposes and encourages political activation, and also invests in the preservation and development of Roma culture and language. It has not been present in Slovenia so far because it seemed that there was no need for it – because Slovenia is a sufficiently developed country with a small enough Roma population to be able to solve the problems on its own. Jovanović says today that this opinion was clearly erroneous.

Commemorations

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Commemorations

United Nations, EU Parliament, and the Council of Europe commemorated the 27th of January.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

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Holocaust Remembrance Day

Holocaust Remembrance Day 

Today makers the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz which has become the Holocaust Remembrance Day. Jews and Roma were singled out for racial reasons, while many others, Poles, Russian prisoners of war, homosexuals, Jehova witnesses, etc. were also victims of this madness.

A short first sample of the press releases on this day. A very honourable mention for the Canadian Prime minister who also included Sinti and Roma.

Tasja Award

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Tasja Award

The Tajsa Prize, which is awarded annually by the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) to outstanding Roma cultural figures, was awarded in Bucharest. This year’s award went to visual artist Selma Selman. The ceremony took place in the representative building of the Romanian Athenaeum, attended by distinguished guests, including the first ever Roma Romanian government minister, Petre-Florin Manole.

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

A discussion with Mensur Haliti, Vice President of the Roma Foundation for Europe, about Slovenia’s response to the killing in Novo mesto and about Šutar’s law, which has sparked heated debates about Roma, security and democracy across Europe. Haliti, one of the key voices for the political empowerment of Roma in Europe, warns that the security law opens up dangerous patterns and goes beyond just the Roma issue.

Award

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Award

Elena Marushiakova and Veselin Popov have received the award from the Gypsy Lore Society for the best book in 2024 on Romani Studies. The book reflects on Soviet repression against Roma under Stalin.

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