EDUCATION FOR REMEMBRANCE OF THE ROMA GENOCIDE

Education for Remembrance of the Roma Genocide…
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of people linked to the academic world, activists, different civil
organizations, and with the support of international organizations
like the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. It is
important to note that not only Roma people joined - there were
also non-Roma academics, attendees, activists and volunteers who
wanted to be part of the commemoration of the tragedy of the
Roma Genocide during World War II. Participation of both Roma
and non-Roma people was an opportunity to exchange points of
view across borders, making evident the need to communicate.
Fighting against discrimination and racism is a common struggle
for the society as a whole. There was also the participation of the
European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS), represented in the
conference by Andi Gergely, its president 19 . “Dikh he na Bister”
shared a common aim with EUJS: the struggle against stereotypes
and prejudices that legitimize segregation and social exclusion
processes; this becomes then a joint responsibility. The conference
was a necessary space for the exchange of experiences, learning
from each other, and sharing a common history.
The intersection of different speeches of experts and nonexperts,
Roma and non-Roma, youngsters and elders, was a key
element at the event and absolutely necessary to build a rich,
well-informed and comprehensive discourse. In addition, as an
essential part of the event, we could hear statements of various
Roma Holocaust survivors: Zoni Weisz 20 , József Forgács 21 , Else
Baker, Raymond Gurême and Rita Prigmore 22 . Through their
dramatic stories we could learn from lives marked by tragedy and
overcoming but also by a strong sense of resistance and justice.
19 Find more information about the organization (EUJS) at http://www.eujs.
org/ (access: 15/09/2015).
20 See the Preface “Transgenerational transfer of war trauma within the Roma
and Sinti community” by Zoni Weisz.
21 Read the interview with Jozsef Forgacs in the Epilogue of this book.
22 You can find the full list of Romani surviviors who participated in the event
at: http://2august.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/booklet_v7-final-online.
pdf (access: 15/09/2015).