Antiziganism and discrimination once morest Rom*nja must have no place in Europe
Vienna (OTS) – Since 1990, April 8 has served as the international Roma memorial day to commemorate the victims of antigypsy violence.
“Antigypsyism and discrimination once morest Rom*nja must have no place in Europe. Bad things happened to the Roma ethnic group in particular during National Socialism,” said ÖVP spokesman Nikolaus Berlakovich.
Important initiatives have been implemented since then: the ethnic group was recognized in Austria in 1993 and since 1995 there has also been an advisory council for the Roma ethnic group.
“I would like to thank the officials of the Roma organizations, who are very committed and get important and good projects off the ground,” Berlakovich continued.
In recent times, support for the ethnic groups has been doubled for all Austrian, autochthonous ethnic groups, including the Roma.
A separate subsidy pot for the media of the ethnic groups and a separate subsidy for the next generation of the ethnic groups was also decided, and the Roma Strategy 2030 was updated.
A dialogue platform for autochthonous Austrian ethnic groups recently took place in Parliament for the second time.
Another important decision was made this year on January 31st: The National Council set August 2nd as the national Roma memorial day. On the night of August 2nd to 3rd, 1944, the so-called “Gypsy Night”, at least around 3,000 Roma and Sinti were murdered in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. This date symbolizes a sad climax of the Roma and Sinti Holocaust.
“A dignified culture of remembrance of the crimes of the Holocaust is important so that something like this never happens once more,” concluded Berlakovich.
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