3. 10. 2005
The OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) took place in Warsaw, Poland, between September 19 and 30. The HDIM agenda included fundamental topics such as democracy, international migrations, human rights, tolerance and anti-discrimination. Several working sessions held during the meeting were dedicated to the situation of Roma in Europe.
The session 'Tolerance and non-discrimination' addressed issues related to national minorities and to the implementation of the OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE area.
The action plan, adopted in November 2003, is intended to reinforce the efforts aimed at ensuring that Roma and Sinti people are able to play a full and equal part in the society. OSCE Action Plan is divided in ten sections dealing with problems that affect Romany people such as low education, media racism, and discrimination in public and political life's participation.
OSCE recognized the particular problems of Roma as early as 1990 and as a result Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues (CPRSI) was established in 1994 within the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).The Contact Point works to promote full integration of Roma into the societies they live in, while preserving their identity.
(Dzeno Association)
EDITORIAL COMMENT:
Oh nice! Another gabfest on the situation of the Roma - what only the Roma? - no Sinti or Kale? - no surprise there either - in Europe. Another lot of lova wasted on a gathering of eggheads from which nothing will emerge that is of use to the grassroots of Amare Fohki because no one bothers to even ask those on the bottom what they need but they all impose what they, the eggheads, think is best for the poor downtrodden Romani. This then means that nothing will be done to benefit those on the bottom rungs of the ladder because all lova that is "gathered" ends up not in anything beneficial but in the pockets of the leaders.
