OMBUDSWOMAN STOISITS AT ROMANO CENTRO FESTIVITIES

On June 28th Romano Centro celebrated its 20th anniversary at the Republican Club where the organization was established in 1991. Nadine Papai, member of the board committee, opened the festivity with a short speech about the organization's history followed by a musical interlude by Pera Petrovic.

Afterwards a panel discussion dealing with current challenges of Roma-politics took place. The majority of the panel-speakers had been with the organization since it came into existence: Professor at the University of Graz and ROMLEX-coordinator Dieter W. Halwachs, OSZE-advisor on Roma- and Sinti related topics Mirjam Karoly, Ombudswoman Terezija Stoisits, ethnomusicologist Ursula Hemetek, ORF-journalist Gilda Horvath as well as the composer and chairman Ferry Janoska. The panel was moderated by Peter Huemer.

During the discussion the speakers recapitulated the past twenty years of Austrian Roma-history and politics and took stock of its achievements and the current situation of Roma and Sinti in Austria and Europe. Under a lively participation of the audience connected topics ranging from the image of the self and the other, education, discrimination as well as prejudices and passing on of tradition were discussed.

On September 16th, 2011, at the Haus der Begegnung in Rudolfsheim starting at 6:00 pm the continuation event including music and a photo-exhibit on Roma-history will take place.

The Romano Centro represents Roma from various groups and is dedicated to the betterment of the life situation of the Roma as well as to the battle against discrimination. Its focus lies on education and culture. Romano Centro is open to Roma as well as to non-Roma.