Centuries long persecution of “Gypsies” surpassed in genocide under the Nazi regime. Defined as “asocial” and “racially inferior”, the Roma were arrested and murdered in the German Reich in the German-occupied territories. It is believed that around half a million Roma were killed in the gas chambers and other mass executions under the Nazi regime during the II World War. The real number is even higher, but due to the lack of conditions for precise estimation it is still unknown.
Roma were economically, organizational and politically far the weakest population of victims to be able to speak after the 1945 or raise awareness about their loss and persecutions.
Some of the information is showing that Romani groups fought against the violation of their rights and the systematic “racial” record-keeping since the very beginning. There are data proving that protests for releasing the deported family members took place but also petitions and personal interventions.
The ground-breaking moment was the revolt in the camp section B II of the Auschwitz-Birkenau so cold “Gypsy Camp” when the SS attempted to murder the Sinti and Roma prisoners. On May 16, 1944 the prisoners armed themselves with literally everything they had around them as stones, wood, plates etc. In a barricade in the barracks they were defending themselves and avert imminent extermination for some time. However, the more powerful, more numbered, better armed and better prepared SS liquidated the camp on the night between the 2ndand 3rd of August after the selection of all prisoners capable to work. About 2900 people resisted their tormentors bravely but in vain.
16th of May is remembered in the history as Roma Revolution day. The awareness about the value and importance of this day was initiated only some years ago in informal discussions on “Have Roma ever started a war” question. The much known response was “Never” but Roma have always delivered high loyalty and commitment to the armies in the countries they live. Roma are known as pacifists and it is widely commented many times that this is the main reason they are always persecuted – the oppressor is aware that there won’t be a resistance.
Roma do not live in one Geo-politically marked border. They are spread all over the world. In Europe they still face tremendous challenges in many fields of their daily life. There is no one oppressor but many in the different countries they live. The Holocaust is continuing for this group but in “a contemporary format” as Roma Youth use to say.
Since 1971 a political Romani group got organized to work for the betterment of the community in number of European countries, and after 1990 in a form of civil society organizations many Roma and Pro-Roma organizations contributed far more than the governments of the countries in which they live.
The civil society movement was loudly alarming for including Roma in the decision making positions in the governments and Roma in the international and intergovernmental organizations supporting Roma integration.
Compared to year 1990, a giant leap is done. In many countries Roma are now public servants and state officials. Many international and powerful organizations are led by Roma. Many of them elected, others designated and the rest selected after open calls.
It is the time that the revolution take place within the community. 16th of May should be a date to remind us on community interest before the personal. The Roma Revolution Day should remind us that we are not running to build kingdoms for ourselves and our families but we are serving a cause in which the impact should be far more than clear, not contradictory and not interrogated at all.
If we are about to follow Martin L. King, Gandhi, Mandela, Malcolm X and others, let’s build a legacy as transparent as theirs. Lets bring zero controversy to the constituency we represent. Let us not leave space for being misunderstood and then justify it that the constituency is uneducated to understand us. The Roma community should be far more respected by the Roma leaders themselves.
16th of May should alarm that the kingdoms we created with our political commitments and grants provided should not keep us invincible against the transparency and accountability. We should count the result of our work with at least two Roma kids taken out of street per day, new law on state scholarships for Roma brought, number of Roma got employed etc.
We still don’t see change in the life of an average Roma family but we have enormous detachment of Roma intellectual elite from the everyday reality. Is this what we planned 20 years ago? Is this happening due to the protection shield Roma leaders have, their untouchability? Or perhaps is the lack of understanding they have but the power they promote to not be kept accountable. Is the Roma movement based only on grants giving and projects? I never heard such things in other movements.
Investing in emergence of intellectuals is a necessity in every emancipation process as it is expected that the same groups that have benefited will later take decision making places within their countries and bring better policies for their community. But the trends are showing different pattern, and there are artificial attempts to keep them in the movement, attempts to keep the aware that they should support the community. Once the community notices that the emergence is going wrong – there should be new 16th of May happening. If leaders are doing wrong, could not build cohesive cohorts of new leaders – they should change discourse or leave their job. What is happening now – conscious, relaxed driving towards the wall.
Vast majority of highly educated Roma implicitly but also very open in many occasions explain how they do not see themselves in supporting Roma integration but they already feel detached. Number of expensive project experiments in recent years ended with reports highlighting lessons learned and/or financially enriching non-Roma quasi experts. Reactions remain on social networks only.
Is it time for a revolution? Yes, a revolution within and change of the integration discourse.
We should not wait the captain to react after hitting the iceberg; Titanic should change the discourse on time. The destination is clear, passengers are seeing that the captains are not leading there but they still remain silent waiting to the iceberg to pop-up in the middle of the ocean.