Roma Rights 3, 1999: Competing Romani Identities

05 September 1999

The ERRC is an organisation working on Roma rights. As such, we have tried to stay away from questions of Romani identity, defining our scope in an empirical, non-doctrinal way. We have developed an expertise on the RIGHTS of Roma - their expression in law, their monitoring in the field, their defence in the courts, and their advocacy in a variety of frameworks. But we have not developed an expertise, not even a consistent position, on ROMA: who are they, are they the same people most of the world still recognises as "Gypsies", what is specific about their culture, which groups are comprised in the Romani identity, what are the chief characteristics of this identity? We know from mountains of research material that roma are systematically subjected to abusive and discriminatory treatment. Being a human rights organisation, we need no more to act: we have human rights work to do. Whoever the Roma may be, Roma rights are human rights. 
 

• Competing Romani identities (Dimitrina Petrova)

• Bosnia-Herzegovina * Czech Republic * France * Greece * Hungary * Ireland * Italy * Kosovo * Macedonia * Norway * Slovakia * Spain * Ukraine * United Kingdom * Yugoslavia

• Tony Gatlif's film Gadjo Dilo furthers the Roma cause Gregory Kwiek, László Orsós, and Claude Cahn respond (Erik Rutherford)  

• Roma and Travellers from various countries of Europe speak about Romani and Traveller identity and personality 

• Roma from Kosovo testify  

• Move on: Roma refugees from Kosovo in Montenegro (Tatjana Perić) 

• ERRC letter to UN Secretary General H.E. Kofi Annan concerning the protection of Romani civilians in Kosovo 

• ERRC letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland concerning reintroduction of visa requirement for Slovak citizens 

• An average police department: the ERRC discusses the Hajdúhadház police department with the head of the Hungarian police (Claude Cahn) 

• Taking control of our identity (Angéla Kóczé)

• Chronicle