European Day of Remembrance for Victims of the Roma Holocaust

Created: 2nd August, 2013 12:25 | Last updated: 2nd August, 2013 12:26	print	send

During the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of Roma died a violent death, and many of them were murdered in extermination camps. On a single day, on 2 August 1944, more than four thousand Roma were killed in the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, so - following the 1972 proposal of the Gypsy World Federation - Roma victims are being remembered on this day throughout the world.

Last year - in connection with the Memorial Day - MEP Lívia Járóka has initiated a written declaration in the European Parliament, to officially declare 2 August as the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of the Roma Holocaust. This day reminds us of our common obligation to reject hatred, to learn and explore the past and to preserve the memory of the victims – Járóka said. According to the MEP, the honest and scientific processing of Roma history may strengthen the solidarity among European nations and may also contribute to the social inclusion of Roma, one of the barriers of which is the lack of knowledge concerning Roma and their history.

Járóka reminded that the European Framework for National Roma Inclusion Strategies is so far the largest initiative on the EU-level to address the social exclusion of Roma and with proper political will and financial resources it may deliver tangible results until the end of this decade.