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Joint statement of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency and the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights on the Durban review conference.

Do not miss the opportunity to step up the global fight against racism and discrimination!

The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights and the Director of the European Union's Fundamental Rights Agency jointly call on European governments to remain engaged in the preparations for a United Nations review conference against racism in April 2009.

"Racism is a global phenomenon. No country, no region, is free of this social ill - including the European countries", say Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, and Morten Kjaerum, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

Speech by Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Strasbourg, 24 November 2008

Last week, there were two developments of importance to Roma and Travellers in Europe.

The first development was positive. Last Wednesday, the Ministers’ Deputies renewed the Partnership Agreement between the Council of Europe and the European Roma and Travellers Forum for one year.

The second event, however, was much more ominous.

Strasbourg, 18.11.2008 - 75 years almost to the day after the Kristallnacht marked the beginning of the Holocaust, a stone throwing mob tried to attack a Roma suburb in the Czech city of Litvinov. The analogy only goes so far.  In 1933 the attacks by the storm troopers were orchestrated by the Nazi regime, and it would be totally wrong to draw any parallels with the Czech Republic where the authorities are doing everything they can to prevent these attacks against the Roma. 

I congratulate the Czech authorities on their determination in stopping the violence and also express my solidarity with the policemen who were wounded by the mob.  At the same time we must recognise that this incident took place against the background of increasing intolerance and violence against Roma people in Europe.  All Governments across Europe also need to look urgently at the situation of the Roma communities in their countries and act decisively to protect them against discrimination, intolerance and violence.
 

Thomas Hammarberg, Human Rights Commissioner, Council of Europe: The shameful history of anti-Gypsism is forgotten - and repeated
 
18//08/08 - Only a few thousand Roma in Germany survived the Holocaust and the concentration camps. They faced enormous difficulties when trying to build up their lives again, having lost so many of their family members and relatives, and having had their properties destroyed or confiscated. Many of them had their health ruined. When some of them tried to obtain compensation, their claims were rejected for years.
 
For these survivors no justice came with the post-Hitler era. Significantly, the mass killing of the Roma people was not an issue at the Nürnberg trial. The genocide of the Roma – Samudaripe or Porrajmos – was hardly recognised in the public discourse.

Italy: “Immigration policy must be based on human rights principles and not only on perceived security concerns”, says Commissioner Hammarberg presenting a special report

Strasbourg, 29.07.2008 – “Concern about security cannot be the only basis for immigration policy. Measures now being taken in Italy lack human rights and humanitarian principles and may spur further xenopohobia,”. With these words, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, published a report based on his special visit to Rome 19 and 20 June. The visit took place following a series of anti-Roma and anti-Sinti protests, which were occasionally very violent, and the rapid adoption or preparation of legislation, which notably aimed to introduce further controls of the freedom of movement of Roma and Sinti, the criminalisation of irregular immigration and additional restrictions on immigration.

Interview by Sergio Nava - Radio 24 (Italy-Italian) - realesed by Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights, about the law by decree on security matters in Italy.

(News bulletin of 13h, 16/05/08)

Anti-Romani Speech in Europe’s Public Space - The Mechanism of Hate Speech
Henry Scicluna 1

Introduction

Hate speech can take various forms, ranging from offensive remarks to incitement to violence. In the case of Roma, hate speech covers the whole range of abuse and follows a pattern distinct from ordinary abusive speech against any given group. Whether it is a minor insult or an outright incitement to killing, the purpose of the perpetrator is the same: To exclude and eliminate Roma from society. What is noticeable in most countries is a constant and systematic escalation in the gravity of hate speech rather than sporadic incidents.

Council of Europe and Lilian Thuram unite against racism

On 13 May at its Paris meeting, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published its ‘Unite Against Racism’ declaration, in the presence of French international footballer Lilian Thuram. The declaration, supported by a video message from Secretary General Terry Davis, was issued ahead of the Euro 2008 football tournament. The commission wants the event to demonstrate a commitment to combatting racism and racial discrimination in football and set out guidelines for tackling the problem in national football leagues.

Declaration by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance of the Council of Europe (ECRI) on the occasion of Euro 2008

“Unite against racism”

Paris, 13 May

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe:

 Maud de Boer Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe: ''Roma is not only a ''European'' issue, but also a national, regional, and local one''

''Dosta!, a word which means ''Enough'' in the Romani variant of the targeted region, means enough of prejudices towards Roma neighbours,'' explained Maud de Boer Buquicchio, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General, during the ceremony award of the ''Dosta!-Congress Prize for municipalities''. ''It is not for international organisations to take the place of governments and regional and local authorities in member states. But it is our role, and the role of international organisations, to coordinate and co-operate in order to provide a common and synergic approach to improve the situation of Roma throughout Europe,'' she added.

Go to the Speech

Esma Redzepova, the so-called « Queen of the Gypsies » is one of the amazing artists who co-operate with the Dosta! campaign for promoting a better understanding of Roma culture and the recognition of Roma as European citizens. Nominated for Nobel Prize for Peace in 2003, Esma was also the first Yugoslavian artist to act in Paris’ Olympia. Proud of her origins, Esma started singing when she was 13. Her marriage with a « gadjo », Mr. Stevo Teodosievski, was a scandal before becoming the symbol of the dialogue between the Roma community and the majority society. We met her in Freiburg, during the recording of the Dosta! campaign CD: "Music Beyond Prejudice: Romani variations on the European Anthem".

Interview with Mrs Esma Redzepova