21 February 2023
Time to read: 1 min
The Swedish Presidency of the IHRA hosted an international conference on the genocide of the Roma and combating antigypsyism, in Stockholm on 20–21 October 2022. The summary report of this conference is now available.
The conference took stock of existing research on the genocide of the Roma; identified obstacles, gaps and needs; shared IHRA knowledge and recommendations; stimulated cooperation and proactively worked together for impact. The conference also aimed to highlight current research on how the genocide of the Roma feeds into the discrimination and prejudice that many Roma face today.
Topics for discussion included historical perspectives on antigypsyism and the genocide of the Roma in the Nordic region, issues concerning testimonies and recognition, and how education can contribute to combating antigypsyism today. Approximately 60 people representing academic and research institutions, IHRA Member Countries, IHRA experts, Roma organizations and experts, as well as other civil society organizations, participated in the conference. The conference was also streamed online.
In addition to a summary of the conference and the program, the Summary Report includes a list of key takeaways – the main messages, requests and recommendations put forward by participants at the conference.
These address the importance of continued exchange, further promotion of remembrance, research, and education on the genocide of the Roma, greater recognition of this genocide, combating antigypsyism, and the inclusion, participation, and empowerment of Roma in all these activities.
We must remember the Roma genocide, not as a forgotten footnote in history, but as a stark reminder of the perils of prejudice.
Today, Germany’s Federal Cabinet adopted the IHRA’s non‑binding working definition of antigypsyism/anti‑Roma discrimination, making Germany the first country to do so at the national level.
One day before International Roma Day 2021, the Council of Ministers in Austria adopted the working definition of antigypsyism/anti‑Roma discrimination developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
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