Fundación Punjab

24/08/2009 - The recent violence toward the Roma in Romania and Hungary generated concern inside the civil societies of the two countries. At the initiative of a group of human rights activists, a workshop on possible intervention solutions and resolutions took place in Tirgu Mures.

The meeting was voluntarily supported by the civic initiative of Divers Association, Liga Pro Europa and the Press Monitoring Agency. Orban Kolompar, president of the National Council of Roma Minority Self Government from Hungary, Florin Cioaba, president of the Roma Christian Center, representatives of the academic field and of civil society organizations from both countries joined the meeting.

During the two days of debates, the participants reached a common point of view regarding: the causes of the violent actions directed toward Roma; Possible intervention solutions and resolutions.

The initiators of the meeting stated that the economical crises, the values’ confusion, the hate and suspicion toward “everything that is different”, the lack of efficiency of the rule of law and justice in Romania and Hungary, have as local manifestation the violence toward Roma.

In the case of vulnerable, marginalized groups the poverty and lack of perspectives generate economical survival behavior, which sometimes mean breaking private property. The lack of democratic conflict mediation, increase the existing tensions and open the field for the extremist forces with racist ideologies.

The classical language and instruments of combating racism are not efficient anymore. That is why the participants suggest a renewal of the instruments for combating racism, extremism and populism. At the same time the discussions revealed the need for “shared responsibility and assumption of common risks”.

The participants made an appeal to the parties involved in violent conflicts for the following actions:

- The political class from both countries should firmly condemn the extremist discourse and actions;

- The civil society from both countries, including the Roma organizations should combat both the actions of property breaking and the self-justice.

- The state institutions and local authorities from the two countries should guarantee and protect the equal treatment of all citizens in the justice system.

- The Roma integration policies of the two governments should become real instruments of social peace.

In order for this initiative to continue, the participants who attended the debate will work on the new directions and concepts launched during this debate, and put them into practice through applied research and community development interventions, having as main goal communities’ social peace and the prevention of further conflicts in multiethnic regions.