Event 2009
U.S. Embassy Prague Participated in International Roma Day Celebrations
Czech Minister for Human Rights Michael Kocab (left) and U.S. Embassy delegation in Most Photo Michal Štichaeur
April 9, 2009
On April 8, U.S. Embassy Prague participated in celebrations marking International Roma Day in two cities in Northern Bohemia, Chomutov and Most. U.S. Embassy delegation brought a videotaped message of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton marking International Roma Day.
The message was shown with a Czech voice over it at a gathering of Roma citizens. The U.S. Embassy delegation then moved to the city of Most where the message was presented at the opening of an exhibition called “A Vanished World” showing pictures of the original Czech Roma before WW II.
Youth Leaders Exchange Program
In commemoration of International Roma Day, we are pleased to announce the Emerging Youth Leaders exchange program, organized by Orbis Institute Slovakia and Critical Mass Leadership Education, Inc. (CMLE) with support from the Department of State and U.S. Embassies in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. This important exchange program will involve Roma high school students and teachers from the United States and Central Europe. Designed as a fundamental exploration of leadership and civic engagement, the Emerging Youth Leaders project will take place during the summer and fall of 2009.
Six teenagers from the Romani communities in Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, as well as teachers, will be recruited as the European participants. While in the U.S., the participants will live with local host families, attend school and take part in a wide-range of workshops, service projects, meetings with civic leaders, and cultural visits. The last week of their stay will be an exciting exploration of Washington, D.C. The program engages the youth and educators in an intensive and adventurous learning experience in the urban areas of Denver and Washington D.C., and in the wilderness peaks and valleys of Colorado. Through collaboration with a variety of dynamic organizations, individuals and educational institutions, the future leaders will take part in multifaceted workshops and discussions; live together in an incredible wilderness setting; experience life with US teenagers and their families; and create an inspiring community of empowered young people and educators.
The participants should be talented Roma high school students who can speak English. Expenses are funded by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State. For more information, please visit www.orbisinstitute.sk.
Full text of Secretary Clinton's message
“International Roma Day is an opportunity for us to call attention to the history, experiences, and human rights of Europe,s largest ethnic minority.
Promoting and protecting the rights of Roma has long been of personal interest to me, because I saw firsthand the plight of the Roma - particularly Romani women and children -when I visited Roma communities in Central and Eastern Europe as our country,s First Lady. As a member of the Helsinki Commission, I urged governments to do more to protect and promote the 10 million Roma who live in Europe.
Despite important progress that has been made in the past decade, many Roma still live on the margins of society. They continue to experience racial profiling, violence, discrimination, and other human rights abuses. Too often, they lack identity documents or citizenship papers, which excludes them from voting or social services and education - even employment opportunities that would enable them to participate more fully in the countries in which they live.
The United States is committed to protecting and promoting the human rights of Roma throughout our bilateral relations and our involvement in organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. We believe governments do have a special responsibility to ensure that minority communities have the tools of opportunity that they need to succeed as productive and responsible members of society. So I urge governments throughout Europe to continue their efforts to address the plight of Roma, to end discrimination and ensure equality of opportunity in education and employment.
I am particularly concerned about Roma children being able to grow up and fulfill their own God-given potential. You know, Roma have a rich artistic and cultural heritage, which has left an indelible mark across Europe and the world.
It is in the interest of the larger European and global community to create conditions that maximize success for all of the people within our borders and beyond. I hope that events taking place at our embassies and missions around the world on International Roma Day will be one more step on the path to helping Roma reach a better and brighter future. And the United States stands ready to help make that a reality.
Thank you very much.”
Statement on International Roma Day of the United States Mission to the OSCE
International Roma Day
International Roma Day celebrates Romani culture and raises awareness of the issues facing the Romani people. April 8 has been set aside for the yearly observance since the time of the fourth World Romani Congress, held in Poland in 1990. The United States on this day also calls for respect of the human rights of Roma.
Professor Ian Hancock of the University of Texas at Austin, a leading American Roma scholar, says there have been Roma in North America since colonial days, when small numbers were brought from Britain to work in the plantations of Virginia, Barbados and Jamaica. Large numbers of Roma immigrants began coming to America in the late 19th century, propelled by wars and social turmoil in Europe.
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