Roma discrimination has contributed to a sense of alienation The ODIHR Contact Point addresses these issues either di- among Roma from political life in their countries. rectly through its programmes or by promoting the establishment of institutional frameworks at local and national
Discrimination and racial violence: Anti-Roma bias levels designed to advise governments and administrations has extremely negative effects on access to employment, ed- on policy-making on Roma affairs. In doing so, the Contact ucation, housing, and health care. In several countries, Roma Point co-ordinates closely with other international organiza- have been targets of racial violence, including racially moti- tions and NGOs and seeks to involve Roma in all its activities. vated murder. Unlawful treatment of Roma by police is a widespread problem. Programmes
Education: In many countries, Roma children encounter widespread discrimination and rejection in public schools. It Besides its clearing-house and advisory functions, the ODIHR is not unusual for these children to be forced into schools re- Contact Point carries out a broad range of project activities served for the mentally disabled. The future long-term con- that currently focus on three areas: sequences of this can be highly detrimental to positive advancement in the societies in which they live.
Living conditions: Roma face widespread discrimina-
Advancing the political rights of Roma and Sinti;
Addressing the particular problems of Roma in tion with regard to access to housing and health care. The South-Eastern Europe; and
resulting extremely poor living conditions give rise to high incidence of disease and malnutrition. Promoting international co-ordination and representation. Background The Roma and Sinti populations in Europe, also known as gypsies, migrated from India between the 9th and the 14th centuries. They dispersed across Europe and developed diverse communities, some with their own dialects. The language of the Roma, Romanes, is related to Hindi. According to estimates, up to 15 million Roma and Sinti live around the world, the majority in Europe. While nomadism was central to their culture, most Roma are now sedentary. Roma have been persecuted throughout their history and were victims of the Holocaust. While the communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe at least provided social security, better educational and employment opportunities, and protection from open discrimination, the Roma were often pushed back into their role of second-class citizens after the collapse of communism in 1989. Many were caught in the crossfire of violent conflicts resulting from the resurgence of nationalism in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Discrimination and exclusion still characterize the lives of most Roma today, reflected in racist violence, unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, and high infant mortality. “Ten years after the iron curtain fell, Europe is at risk of being divided by new walls. Front and center among those persons being left outside Europe’s new security and prosperity are the Roma. In many countries, Roma have been decreed illegal residents on their own property, banished beyond municipal boundaries, and left outside the community of common concern. These are not isolated incidents but widespread practices - sometimes systematic and on occasion systemic. To redress the long and hard experience of Roma requires, therefore, considerable attention, careful analysis, development of specific policies and commitment of adequate resources.” (OSCE report on the situation of Roma and Sinti, March 2000) 62