International Day of the Roma

The International Day of the Roma (April 8) is a day to celebrate Roma culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Roma people.

[edit] Origin

The day was officially declared in 1990 in Serock, Poland, the site of the fourth World Romani Congress of the International Romani Union (IRU), in honour of the first major international meeting of Roma representatives, 7-12 of April, 1971 in Chelsfieldnear London.

Pope John Paul II exhorted his followers to treat Roma with compassion and respect.
In 2003, the Dalai Lama lit a candle to commemorate the day.
In 2004, Adam Ereli of the US State Department addressed the continuing human rights abuses faced by Roma and asked European governments to encourage tolerance.
In 2006, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General, stated her concerns for growing Antiziganism and encouraged Europe's Roma populations to act to improve their poor living conditions, the result of longstanding and widespread discrimination.^[1]