50 Shades of Anti-Roma Racism in Bohemia: RomanoNet launches campaign against prejudice including survey of Romani people

“Romani people encounter such messages from an early age in many areas of life, messages which significantly impact their feelings, their identity, and their ability to succeed in school, at work, or when looking for a place to live. Although this has been documented and known for many years, and although the Government has adopted a definition of antigypsyism, nothing much is changing in practice. Unlike the public opinion surveys which concentrate on how Romani people are perceived by the majority society, usually nobody asks about the feelings of the Roma themselves,” says the project’s press release, adding that this is the reason RomanoNet is undertaking the project “Together Against Antigypsyism” and responding to the anti-Romani racism that has persisted for so long.

The campaign includes a unique survey mapping the feelings of Romani women and men. “We have encountered racism and prejudice against Romani people for many years. Sometimes we mistakenly believe this is just a problem for the Romani community, but that’s absurd. All of Czech society has to deal with this, and we consider it essential to address this by presenting the perceptions and feelings of Romani people,” Michal Miko, director of RomanoNet, told news server Romea.cz.

The campaign’s purpose is not just to educate the public, but also to offer Romani people tools for defending themselves against racism, and not just through legal means, but also by honing their communications skills and taking care of their own mental health.

Real stories through anonymized videos

Monika Mihaličková, the campaign manager, says RomanoNet has produced a series of short videos capturing a wide range of anti-Roma speech. The examples range from obvious hate speech and institutional racism to the milder forms of antigypsyism which frequently go unnoticed but have a devastating impact on Romani mental health.

“Such speech frequently reflects deeply-entrenched stereotypes which have long persisted in society vis-à-vis the Romani minority. We will publish the videos in an anonymized format so as to prevent those who have been willing to share their experiences with us from being targeted with more hate speech,” explained Mihaličková.

The videos will be published through RomanoNet’s platforms on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to convey the real stories of people who face antigypsyism in different parts of their lives.

Practical advice and contacts for aid

The campaign also offers practical instruction in how to defend oneself against both discrimination and prejudice-based violence. The RomanoNet website offers not just advice, but also contacts to different organizations providing legal, psychological and social aid to victims of such treatment.

The results of the survey mapping the experiences of hundreds of Romani people will be published in August 2025. The research should deliver a detailed overview of the situations in which Romani people face prejudice and the impact it has on their lives.