Around the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on 2 August 2018, we gathered about 250 young Roma and non-Roma from across Europe in Krakow and Auschwitz-Birkenau in the unique youth event “Dikh he na bister” (Look and don’t forget). The Roma Genocide Remembrance Initiative aims at raising awareness among young Europeans, civil society and decision-makers about the Roma Genocide, as well as about the mechanisms of antigypsyism in a challenging context of rising racism, hate speech and extremism in Europe. With this initiative Roma youth advocates for the official recognition of 2 August as the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day to pay homage to the victims, heroes, survivors, and strengthen the identity based on the deep knowledge of the past.
ternYpe aims to empower young Roma to have a voice to become key agents of change, and to foster solidarity among young people! We have a strong vision to make a change in Europe. As young Roma and non-Roma we believe that we can build a European culture based on respect, dialogue, human rights and equal opportunities. We strongly follow our mission to create space for young people to become active citizens through empowerment, mobilization, self-organization and participation.
Aims
The event aims to raise awareness of young people about the Roma genocide, build capacity and motivate them to take an active role in promoting remembrance education and beyond on local, national and international levels.
Objectives
- Create possibilities for participants to learn about the Roma Genocide, the historical and political context (mechanisms and reasons) leading to it, as well as the consequences for today;
- Develop critical thinking and reflection in understanding and analyzing the past and the present struggle of Roma in the world;
- Familiarize the participants with the concept of remembrance and its relevance and role in addressing contemporary antigypsyism;
- To understand and reflect on the genocide and its implications for today from the perspective of human rights as a system of moral believes and behaviours; strengthen dignity, solidarity and empathy of and with people who suffer racism, discrimination and any form of injustice;
- To discuss the roles, responsibilities and opportunities of youth in addressing current challenges of racism, discrimination and antigypsyism in order to become agents of change;
- To build motivation, capacity, and empowerment of young people and youth organizations to engage in local, national and international youth work on issues of remembrance and combatting antigypsyism.
- The educational event in Krakow will include 5 full program days! It starts with educational sessions in the working groups in Krakow, continues with a visit of the Auschwitz Museum; after another day in the working groups in Krakow, the group participates in the 2 August commemoration activities in Auschwitz, and a final day in Krakow allows to finish and evaluate the learning process.
- Educational seminar: We aim to build an educational process, which allows participants in an internationally mixed but stable group to go through the experience of the whole event, meaning that all participants will stay in one group from the beginning until the end. In each group, facilitators will create a space of learning about the Holocaust, as well as of reflection about remembrance and the role of youth in addressing current challenges of antigypsyism, and other forms of racism in Europe today.
- Official commemoration: The main commemoration ceremony takes place on August 2 at 11/12 AM at the memorial for the murdered Roma and Sinti in Birkenau. Moreover, young people in their seminar groups will prepare their own commemoration moments.
- Meetings with Holocaust survivors: We aim to create meetings of dialogue and learning between Holocaust survivors and eyewitnesses with young people.
- Visit to Auschwitz: All the groups will visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum on July 30.
