Meeting with Tomas Zdechovsky

Date 22nd February 2016 Author Gabriela Hrabanova Category Youth

We are in full preparation of Roma week 2016, i have to admit i was thinking of involving Tomas Zdechovsky long time ago, but then I just did not. I was lucky, i met him on the corridor of the European Parliament last week (again after being there discussing the Roma week) and I introduce him the idea and immediately get his support. Today, i had a chance to explain him more and receive his commitment to participate.

Tomas Zdechovsky in Jirkov, learning to play cymbalo

Tomas Zdechovsky, is a Czech member of the European Parliament, representing the EPP family. Among other things, he was the rappatour for the Resolution on antigypsism and the Roma Holocaust Memorial day last year, he is big advocate for building the memorial at the Roma Holocaust site in Lety u Pisku, he just wrote an article about removing of children from Romani families in Norway and he visited

five excluded Roma localities in the Czech republic during the Green week (understand during his free time).

And now you are wondering (I hope you are) what we agreed and what is the RomaWeek 2016 about. So let me start with the RomaWeek – briefly, soon I will make a separate post about it >>> Ahead of the International Day Roma (8 April), there will be a week full of events rising the awareness about the Roma Day (45th anniversary of the meeting in London) and the one year anniversary of the Resolution of the European Parliament on the anti-gypsyism and recombination of the Roma memorial day. The week is organized with the ARDI group with members of parliament across the political parties and beside us with  several non-governmental organizations (FSG, ENAR, OSIPE, EUJS, ternYpe, CentralRat. ERGO will bring during this week to Brussels about 30 youngsters to be part of the RomaWeek, by orgainzing its own public action, but also receive and advocacy training.

Tomas Zdechovsky then will be co-hosting and opening the conference on the Employment Opportunities for Young Roma, that will take place in EP on 5th April and will join young Roma during their public breakfast on the Esplanade in front of the European Parliament on the 6th April.

Tags: advocacy, RomaWeek, RomaWeek2016