T +33(0)388412560             www.coe.int                 [email protected]

Ref. DC 062(2016)

New European Roma Institute to promote Roma and Travellers’ cultural heritage 

“Strasbourg, 08.04.2016 - Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland made the following statement today on the occasion of International Roma Day:”

“45 years ago, Roma people from across the world came together for the first World Romani Congress, near London, to congregate around their common identity.

“Today over 10 million Roma live in Council of Europe member States. Events are planned across Europe to mark today’s anniversary and to celebrate the proud contribution of Roma arts and culture to Europe’s common heritage.

“We know that much work is needed to end the segregation still experienced by Roma communities. The Council of Europe has therefore recently adopted a new strategy to help governments tackle anti-Gypsyism and to support innovative, local projects to boost inclusion.

“The Council of Europe is also working with our partners – an alliance of Roma artists and the Open Society Foundations – to establish a new Roma Institute for Arts and Culture. This is an initiative to which I have attached huge personal importance since becoming Secretary General. Crucially, the Institute will be Roma-led, giving Roma a space in which to tell their own story.

“It will also serve an important educative function. Roma communities have been living in Europe for more than 600 years, but relatively little is known about their heritage and its influence. The German Government is ready to host the new Institute in Berlin. For me, as a dynamic city in the vanguard of global arts and culture, it makes for an excellent choice. There are still some issues to be discussed, but I am confident they will be resolved soon.''

Background:

The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) will take the legal form of a foundation and is expected to be launched by the middle of the year. 

Contacts :

Daniel Höltgen, Council of Europe Spokesperson, Port. +33 6 68 29 87 51,

Tatiana Baeva, Spokesperson/Media officer, Tel. +33 3 88 41 21 41