Web-streamed & Hybrid meeting
The event will be live-streamed here.
Registration is now closed
BACKGROUND NOTE
The Conference History, Memory and Justice for Roma people in Europe is the EU Roma Week Flagship Event hosted by the European Parliament on 25 April 2023, 09:00 – 15:30 CET.
The event is organised in the framework of the REC funded CHACHIPEN project – ‘Paving the way for Truth and Reconciliation Process to address antigypsyism in Europe: Remembrance, Recognition, Justice and Trust-Building’, implemented by CEPS (Coordinator), together with the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, the European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network, the Federación de Asociaciones Gitanas de Cataluña (FAGIC) and the Asociatia Fast Forward (AFF) from Romania.
This project aims to lay the foundations for transitional justice processes as a way to address historically rooted antigypsyism in Europe. Using the experiences of Swedish and German Independent commissions, the project will draw lessons on what has (not) worked. It elaborated on what processes could be of relevance for Romania and Spain and at the EU level to combat antigypsyism, to build a common narrative on Roma equality.
During its implementation, CHACHIPEN has explored how Transitional Justice tools and approaches could further the national, European and Global investigation into horrific chapters of the history of antigypsyism so that the guarantees of non-recurrence would be strengthened. CHACHIPEN focused on different manifestations of antigypsyism – from Roma slavery, holocaust, pogroms to past and ongoing police violence. See more about Chachipen here: http://antigypsyism.eu/chachipen/
Objectives of the Conference
The event will showcase the results of the CHACHIPEN project – Remembrance, Recognition, Justice and Trust-Building. CHACHIPEN addressed different forms of antigypsyism and ways to address them in national settings and paved the way for presenting the Transitional Justice toolbox to further the European response and investigation into horrific chapters of the history of Roma and Sinti so that the guarantees of non-recurrence would be strengthened.
The conference will discuss remembering and recognition of the Roma Holocaust in Europe and antigypsyism within transitions from fascist regimes. It will look at the case studies of Spain under Franco and Romania under Antonescu and to which extent antigypsyism has been addressed. It will also look at Sinti issues and the fight against antigypsyism. We will further look into various tools available within transitional justice toolbox and their feasibility for scaling up at the EU context.
The conference will bring together, experts, researchers, policymakers, representatives from relevant CSOs, European institutions and International Organizations.
AGENDA
9:00 – 10:00 High-level opening Panel: Holocaust of Sinti and Roma: What did Europe learn?
The Holocaust of Roma and Sinti is the most extreme manifestation of antigypsyism, having both a European dimension and a European responsibility. Also, after WWII, we experienced severe manifestations of antigypsyism, only to mention pogroms and racially-motivated killings of Roma or the forced sterilisation of Roma women or the decade-long denial to recognise Roma as victims of the Holocaust.
The European Parliament has called for commemorating the 2nd of August as the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma and the EU Framework on Roma Inclusion, Equality and Participation calls specifically for raising more awareness of the Holocaust of Sinti and Roma among the mainstream society. This panel will address the historical manifestations of antigypsyism and calls for an EU-level inquiry or investigation into the past.
Moderators: Dr Sergio Carrera, Senior Research Fellow, CEPS/EUI and Gabriela Hrabanova, Director, ERGO
- MEP Tomáš Zdechovský, Group of the European People’s Party, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
- Ms Věra Jourová, Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency (online)
- Ms Elena Kountouri Tapiero, Acting Regional Representative for Europe, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Regional Office for Europe
- Ms Dunja Mijatovic, Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe (video address)
- Dr Mehmet Gürcan Daimagüler, Federal Government Commissioner against Antigypsyism and for the Lives of Sinti and Roma in Germany
10:00 – 11:00 / PANEL I: Antigypsyism in transitions from fascist/authoritarian regimes:
Case studies of Spain under Franco and Romania under Antonescu
We look into Spanish experiences with Franco’s regime crimes and Romanian case studies, that cover periods from Roma Slavery to the Antonescu’s regime, and further manifestations of antigypsyism during the new democracies, such as Roma pogroms in Romania.
Moderator: Ms Isabela Mihalache, Senior Advocacy Officer, ERGO Network
- Mr Pedro Casermeiro, CHACHIPEN Spanish researcher / Member of the Rromane Siklovne
- Dr Iulius Rostas, Independent academic/ CHACHIPEN Romanian expert
- Mr Daniel Ganea, President, Adis Muntenia, Romania (online)
Discussants:
- Dr Delia Grigore, Professor Romani studies, University of Bucharest/President, Association Rroma Center “Amare Rromentza”/ Founder of the Roma Virtual Museum in Romania and expert Working Group on Roma History(online)
- Prof. Carolina Garcia Sanz, Department of Modern History, University of Sevilla
11:00 – 11:30 / Coffee Break
11:30 – 12:30 / PANEL II: Experiences in Germany and Sweden with Independent Commissions on Antigypsyism
The third panel will explore and exploit the lessons learned from the antigypsyism commissions in Sweden and Germany.
Moderator: Mr Jonathan Mack, Political Advisor, Central Council of German Sinti and Roma
- Mr Silas Kropf, Member of the German Independent Antigypsyism Commission
- Ms Soraya Post, Former Member of the European Parliament/ CHACHIPEN Advisory Board Member
- Dr Jan Selling, Associate Professorat Sodertorn University (Online)
Discussant:
- Dr Markus End, Member of the German Independent Antigypsyism Commission/ Research Assistant, Center for Research on Antisemitism/ CHACHIPEN Advisory Board Member
12:30 – 13:15 / Lunch break
13:15 – 14:15 / PANEL III: Going beyond Independent Commissions on Antigypsyism to Transitional Justice tools
Researchers and civil society partners will provide their insights into how to go about recognising, remembering and memorialising the historically rooted antigypsyism. We also build on our research on how to deliver justice to the victims and survivors, as well as, their descendants. Here we join forces with transitional justice scholars, and international institutions to explore the potential of certain practices with elements of collective and individual remedies in Europe. We will build on how to address antigypsyism within transitional justice processes and memorialisation efforts in Spain and Romania, as well as, in countries in the Western Balkans, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic or Austria.
Moderator: Dr Sergio Carrera, Senior Research Fellow, CEPS/EUI
- Dr Lavinia Stan, professor of political science at St. Francis Xavier University, Canada(Online)
- Dr Iulius Rostas, Independent academic/ CHACHIPEN Romanian expert
Discussants:
- Ms Ojeaku Nwabuzo, Director (Policy, Advocacy and Network Development) – European Network Against Racism Aisbl (ENAR)
- Dr Mehmet Gürcan Daimagüler, Federal Government Commissioner against Antigypsyism and for the Lives of Sinti and Roma in Germany
14:15 – 15:15 Closing Panel
It will bring it back to the EU and regional institutions and frameworks: How better understanding of historically rooted antigypsyism can lead to changes on the ground. We are particularly concerned with Roma racial profiling, policing, harassment and criminalisation by law enforcement agencies, from discriminatory laws targeting Roma to the overuse of police violence and non-investigation of hate crimes against Roma, which are still endemic today. And in these areas the EU has the competence to act, thus we will link this with the implementation of the EU’s Anti-Racism Plan as well as the EU’s strategy for Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation.
Moderator: Mr Stephan Müller, Advisor, Central Council of German Sinti and Roma
- Mr Szabolcs Schmidt, Head of Unit, Directorate D, Unit Non-Discrimination and Roma Coordination, DG Justice and Consumers – European Commission
- Mr Cristi Mihalache, Chief of the Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
- Mr Claude Cahn, Human Rights Officer, UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights
- Ms Oana Taba, Senior Project Officer, Directorate of Anti-Discrimination, Roma and Travellers Team, Council of Europe
Discussants:
- Mr Ismael Cortés, Member of the Parliament, Spain/ CHACHIPEN Advisory Board
- Ms Georgina Laboda, Dikh He Na Bister! / Roma Youth perspective
15:15 – 15:30: High-level Panel – Final Remarks
Moderator: Ms Gabriela Hrabanova, Director, ERGO Network
- Ms Annelisa Cotone, Member of Commissioner’s Dalli Cabinet, European Commission
- MEP Tomáš Zdechovský, Group of the European People’s Party, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Learn more about speakers, moderators and discussants by reading their bios here.
