Transitional justice to tackle antigypsyism, reclaim our past and rebuild our future (Jekhipe project)
Date and Time: 10 April 2024 – 14:00-17:30
Venue: European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Van Maerlantstraat 2, 1040 Brussels, room VMA21
Format: In-person/Online
Online recording: Here
Event description
Under the Jekhipe project, Consortium partners including the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO), the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) and the European Center for Policy Studies (CEPS) together with its national partners from Czechia (Slovo 21), Germany (Central Council for German Sinti and Roma), Italy (Union of Romani Communities in Italy – UCRI and Romni association), Romania (Roma Center Amare Romentza), Spain (Federation of Roma Associations of Catalonia – FAGiC and Romane Siklovne association) and Sweden (Trajosko Drom) undertook to address some of the key structural and institutional obstacles in achieving justice and equality for Roma in practice, by tackling the lack of acknowledgement of Roma as victims of historical injustices such as slavery or the Holocaust and the set-up or adequate compensations and reconciliation processes; or the lack of access to services and rights; the lack of Roma museums and institutional representation of Roma in arts and culture; the lack of Roma history teaching etc.
The project is built on the assumption that to achieve Roma equality, inclusion and participation; priority needs to be given to restoring the humanity and dignity of Roma and providing value to Roma’s identity in ways that Roma was never granted since the moment they entered today’s Europe. Roma annihilation policies and practices, including portraying Roma in dehumanising ways, have solidified negative perceptions and treatment and targeted actions by both state and non-state actors against Roma that have been justified and perpetuated since the beginning, feeding into a perpetual cycle of marginalisation and victimisation of Roma in society.
This is why JEKHIPE focuses on multiple and complementing levels of policy making, including research and evidence-building, monitoring and advocacy, networking and alliances building, awareness raising and capacity building and empowerment to address what we view as core obstacles and concerns hindering Roma equality. It attempts to engage with national and European institutions and relevant stakeholders, including academia, politicians, justice mechanisms, state authorities, civil society and Roma communities themselves and challenge the status quo on approaching Roma issues, particularly antigypsyism and propose mechanisms that can create increased accountability by national governments.
More specifically, the project aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Establish expert and/or truth commissions on antigypsyism to build transitional justice processes and mechanisms at the EU, national, regional, and local levels.
- Develop policy recommendations for EU and national policymakers on transitional justice approaches to address antigypsyism.
- Raise awareness of the manifestations of institutional antigypsyism and policy and legislative developments in the fight against antigypsyism.
- Promote Roma identity, history, and culture as a tool to prevent and fight antigypsyism, including Roma history and culture in school curricula.
- Empower Roma communities and NGOs to recognise and fight antigypsyism.
- Capacitate local Roma civil society and key stakeholders in countering antigypsyism.

The project “JEKHIPE -Transitional justice to tackle antigypsyism, reclaim our past and rebuild our future” is funded by the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme.
Agenda
*09:00 – 13:00 Closed meeting of Jekhipen project partners
13:00 – 13:50 Registration at the venue
14:00 -14:30 Opening Transitional Justice conference
Introducer: Gabriela Hrabanova, Director, ERGO Network
- Akos Topolanszky, President of the Permanent group on inclusion of the Roma, European Economic and Social Committee
- Sergio Carrera, Senior Research Fellow and Head of Justice and Home Affairs unit Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
- Claudiu Pamfil, EU Grant Manager, European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC)
14:30 – 15:45 What is the Jekhipen Project?
Moderator: Marko Pecak, Jekhipen Project coordinator, ERGO Network
- Iulius Rostas, lead researcher on transitional justice, Chachipen project
- Georgiana Enache, Amare Romentza, Romania
- Stephan Muller, Central Council for German Sinti and Roma, Germany
- Nina Trollvige, Trajosko Drom, Sweden
- Bianca Galusca, Federation of Roma Associations in Catalonia – FAGiC, Spain
- Pedro Casermeiro, Romane Siklovne, Spain
- Tímea Horváthová, Slovo 21, Czechia
- Daniela de Rentis, Union of Romani Communities in Italy – UCRI
- Saska Jovanovic, ROMNI association, Italy
15:45 – 17:00 Towards transitional justice. Setting up a European Working Group on Transitional Justice for Roma
Moderator: Isabela Mihalache, ERGO Network
- MEP Tomas Zdechovski, Czechia, Group of the European People’s Party, LIBE Committee
- Mila Paspalanova, Anti-Racial Discrimination Advisor, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Regional Office for Europe
- Cristi Mihalache, Chief of the Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
- Szabolcs Schmidt, Head of Unit for Non-discrimination and Roma coordination, DG Justice, European Commission
- Eleni Tsetsekou, Head of the Roma Team, Council of Europe
17:00 – 17:20 Conclusions and reflections
- Jochen Eisenburger, Policy Officer and deputy Head of Office, Dr Mehmet Daimagüler, Federal Government Commissioner against Antigypsyism and for the Lives of Sinti and Roma in Germany
17:00 – 17:30 Drinks and cookies served outside the room
18:30 – 22:00 Dinner and Roma music at Kamilou restaurant, Rue Joseph II 36, 1000 Brussels: https://www.kamilou.be/en/
*Please register for the dinner so we can calculate the menus correctly – HERE