Roma hold conference to discuss their future in Central Europe

This Tuesday, representatives of Roma communities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary have come together in the Moravian capital Brno to find ways of helping Roma to feel less isolated in society and improve their social standing in Central Europe. Education, employment, health care, social services, housing, and activities for the younger generation are being discussed by Roma social workers, teachers, local authority officials and representatives of ordinary Roma citizens at the two-day conference, which is part of a broader four-year project. One step to promote Roma interests in the Czech Republic was already made earlier this month when the country's first ever Roma Parliament came to being. The parliament serves as an umbrella organisation and is currently made up of 34 registered organisations and 57 individual members. Dita Asiedu spoke to David Pesta, the assistant to the chairman of the new Roma parliament, to find out more:

Roma hold conference to discuss their future in Central Europe

Brno

"The main task is to build a Romany representation, which will be elected in democratic elections. The main task is also to unite all organisations and people, who would like to co-operate on important or more difficult projects from EU structural funds and also to have a very large member base to have power when it will talk with Czech representatives, the Czech government etc. The presidium has seven vice-chairmen, who have commissions. One such commission is for education, another for women and the family, and one for economic and social issues. So, every commissioner has one task and is working on it."

Does it have the support of all members of the Roma community?

"At this time it does not have the support of all Roma people because it's very hard to unite the Roma and to simply get them together but one of our aims is to unite the Roma in the Czech Republic. So, the support will be bigger day by day because a group of people is travelling around the Czech Republic and informing about the Roma Parliament to the regular citizen."

Who is it financed by right now?

Roma congerence

"Right now, it is financed by the Roma Union, which is helping to organise the conferences and so on and the parliament itself has to ask for finances from the Czech government and from different funds."

Do you think that the Roma Parliament will be able to hold serious talks with the government representatives and other organisations?

"If those people who are travelling around the Czech Republic will be good, then it will be possible. If there will be many organisations and many people, then the Czech Republic will have to hold talks and engage in discussion with the Roma Parliament and take it as a serious partner."

Dita Asiedu was speaking there to David Pesta from the Roma Parliament, which was founded earlier this month. And for more on the Roma in Central Europe, be sure to tune into Insight Central Europe this week-end or visit its website at www.incentraleurope.com.