VIDEO: Czech President Petr Pavel meets with Romani students and the Czech Government Commissioner for Romani Minority Affairs

The president also described prejudices as one of the dangers of our time. He made those remarks at the very beginning of the meeting.

The students were also accompanied to Prague Castle by Štefan Balog, manager of the ROMEA organization’s Romani Scholarship program. For her part, Fuková told the gathering that coexistence improves thanks to education, which makes it possible for Roma and other ethnic groups to succeed.

“What I consider to be one of the greatest dangers of our time – and it is far from being limited just to Romani people – are prejudices. These are often based on a lack of information, on stereotypes, on a lack of willingness to listen to each other and to understand each other’s arguments… You all represent an opportunity for me to point out – not only to your community, but especially to the majority community – that good examples exist here. You all are an example of the fact that it is possible to exit the vicious circle of prejudice,” Pavel said at the beginning of the meeting.

The meeting took place on the occasion of this year’s International Romani Day, which falls on 8 April. “Our shared celebration of International Romani Day at Prague Castle will not just be a space for remembering the meaning of 8 April, but will also confirm that a quality education is the most important way to aid children of all ethnicities and social statuses with succeeding in society. In my opinion, this introduction of the Romani students to the President demonstrates that the path to a better education can bring about changes throughout society,” Commissioner Lucie Fuková told news server Romea.cz before the meeting.

During the meeting, Fuková recalled the history of Romani people in the Czech lands and their relegation to the margins of society. “Today we are all able to sit here. We are experiencing a moment of change,” she said.

Fuková also said there is still a long way to go to improve coexistence and the status of the Romani minority. “Education is important as a means for Roma or other ethnic groups to succeed. Education makes sense. It can improve the lives of Roma,” she said, adding that it makes sense to support talented Romani children and young people.

RECORDING OF THE LIVESTREAM OF INTERVIEWS AFTER THE MEETING

“I see this as a huge step in the right direction. After all, this is the first time that a President has met specifically with Romani students, with our future Romani intelligentsia,” Balog told news server Romea.cz.

Balog said it is important that not just the President, but also society in general learns of the existence of thousands of talented, young Romani students who are already well on their way to a better future in the country. “Sometimes I have the feeling that society does not perceive this fact, or deliberately denies it. We want to discuss this topic, as well as many others, with the President,” Balog said before the meeting.

RECORDING FROM THE MEETING

Petr Pavel Banda, who studies economics and management at Mendel University in Brno and who interviewed President Petr Pavel during his campaign for the presidency, was one of the students attending the meeting. “I’m very grateful this meeting took place. I think it may also motivate other young Roma to study. It’s important to begin the dialogue on how to help Roma fight antigypsyism,” Banda said.

President Pavel and the First Lady also met with selected Romani high school students, such as Aneta Sutorová, a student at a high school in Přerov. “I am grateful for the opportunity to meet the President and his wife. I am looking forward to this experience enriching us in many ways and I believe that thanks to this meeting, more will be heard about us Romani students,” Sutorová said before the meeting.

Students: It was authentic, the president has inspired us

“The president greatly inspired us and mentioned a lot of opportunities as to what can be done and what he can do for us. For me, the most important thing is that everybody should feel comfortable at school. You spend every day there. It’s awfully challenging when one is ostracized by the others. That happens both in and out of school. It can’t be ignored, it’s harmful. Being included among everybody else, tolerance, is the most important thing. I don’t personally experience this problem because my appearance is quite white, but my sister has a darker complexion and the experience wears her down, so that rubs off on me,” 18-year-old Denisa Hamáčková, who is in her fourth year at a public secondary school in Prague, told ROMEA TV.

The Romani youth spoke with the Czech head of state about education and the everyday problems in their lives. The friendliness and openness of the presidential couple surprised them.

“Nobody was playing at anything. It’s authentic. I believe this was mainly another step toward our all being equal, it was as it should be,” said 17-year-old Nicolas Makula of Ústí nad Labem, who is in his second year of nursing school thanks to a scholarship from the ROMEA organization.

Makula knows of many cases of unequal treatment from those in his circle. The primary school he attended had a mostly-Romani student body.

Today Makula sees greater emphasis being placed on education than used to be the case in his neighborhood. His brother and sister are also studying with ROMEA’s support.

“If it all works out, I’d like to go to university,” Makula told ROMEA TV. He would like to study medicine.

The nursing student said he is interested in either surgery or dentistry. “I’m really attracted to it just because I want to aid people. I’d like to work in a doctor’s office. Our family doesn’t have anybody like that, I’d be the first. I was interested in becoming a veterinarian as a child, but then I somehow transferred that interest to people,” he said.

Hamáčková is studying “security affairs”. She is also a scholarship recipient.

Her first desire was to be a makeup artist. Her mother, however, wanted her to be a police officer.

“I was really against it. I didn’t want to do it, but I took the entrance examination anyway. The school itself changed my entire perspective on the idea. I basically wanted to become a cop immediately,” she reveals.

Hamáčková will be taking her final examination in her main subject next week, but she also wants to take the final examination in mathematics. Next year she wants to attend a technical college.

That program would give her a DiS. degree (certified specialist). She wants to become a detective.

The Romani flag was flying in the room where the meeting with the president was held. The Ivan Herák band also performed the Romani national anthem.

This was the first time in history that a Czech President has met with Romani students. Former presidents Václav Havel and Václav Klaus also met with Roma several times, but never with the up-and-coming generation of Romani intelligentsia.

President Havel met the Roma in 1997, for example, at Villa Amálie, where he held regular meetings on various topics, and also attended Romfest as early as 1990 and the presentation of the Roma Spirit award in 2009. In 2004, President Klaus received a delegation from an organization called the Parliament of Roma in the Czech Republic, chaired by Milan Ščuka.

Klaus and his wife also frequently attended the Romani Ball in Lysá nad Labem, organized by businessman Milan Horvát. Klaus gave him state honors in 2006.