REGARD Project – REmembering Genocide Against Roma Discrimination
Following the anniversaries of the Roma calendar, the European project REGARD proposes an educational action aimed at preserving and transmitting the memory of the genocide (the Samudaripen) and the resistance of the Roma and Sinti populations in Europe. Following the “with Roma for Roma” approach, the project aims to understand the level of knowledge of Roma history among the Roma themselves, so that they can embrace their past as a European history, a concept also affirmed in European Parliament resolution A3-0124/94, which calls on member states to recognize “the language and other aspects of Roma and Sinti culture as an integral part of European cultural heritage.”
The details of this forgotten genocide and the forgotten Roma resistance will be remembered, considering the causes and consequences of such neglect, as well as the implications that Roma and Sinti populations still experience today. For this reason, alongside the commemorative dates of the Samudaripen, REGARD also pays attention to certain dates celebrating Roma history and culture.
As an integrated action model, the project plans to implement a series of activities in Croatia, Romania, and Italy:
- surveys on the knowledge of the genocide and Roma culture and on anti-Gypsyism (or, as it would be more accurate to say, Romaphobia);
- the creation of training modules for schools on the Samudaripen, the Resistance, and Roma history for students and teachers, pushing for the Samudaripen to be included in school textbooks;
- the organization of participatory moments and debates within civil society, through Future Search Conference and Electronic Town Meeting sessions, to promote a common culture of remembrance and mutual understanding between Roma and non-Roma, men and women, and to develop shared intervention strategies for the fight against Romaphobia;
- the holding of artistic and cultural events (concerts, international conferences, and exhibitions), with the presence of eminent Roma and non-Roma personalities to support the European Union’s goal of integrating the Roma historical narrative into national and European narratives, open to the public
Expected Results
- Greater understanding and sharing of a collective European memory of which the Samudaripen is an integral part, as is the contribution to the War of Liberation from Nazi-Fascism, and opposed to all forms of totalitarian regimes (then present in all three countries involved in REGARD) and social discrimination.
- Historical and artistic enhancement of the 'Roma World', its history of persecution, redemption, and social interaction and inclusion while respecting cultural diversity.
- Production of educational material for schools that illustrates the project's activities in a simple and informative way to bridge the educational and informational gap regarding Roma and Sinti people, which leads to discriminatory individual and often institutional orientations and attitudes towards them.
Funding, Program, and Duration
- Program: CERV - Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values
- Strand 3: Implementation of non-discrimination principles and the fight against directed political participation, promotion of active citizenship
- Type of activity: Action to promote Roma activism and participation
- Co-financing: European Commission, DG Justice & Consumers (€379,057.00)
- Duration: 16 months (February 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024)
Consortium
In line with the aforementioned new European "with Roma for Roma" approach, the REGARD Consortium includes, alongside CNR-IRPPS as coordinator, three renowned European Roma Associations:
- Them Romanò (IT)
- Ben Srrh Kali Sara Savez (HR)
- Romirol Dolj
