Roma Luma party convenes Romani congress to unite the Roma and improve their position in the Czech Republic, some Romani activists and organizations are refusing to attend
On Saturday, 18 March, an event called the All-Republic Congress of Roma (Celorepublikový sjezd Romů) will be held in Prague, the stated aim of which is to unite the Romani community and improve their position in Czech society. The congress is being held by the Buči association and the political party Roma Luma, which claims to defend the political interests of Romani people.
Several activists from the Romani community as well as nonprofit representatives are refusing to attend, however. The congress will be held at Freyova 82 (Prague 9) at 15:00 and its subjects will include Romani unification, participating in organizing with the authorities, aiding people in need, and choosing leaders to represent the Romani community.
As the organizers have stated, one of the main aims of the congress is to improve the position of Romani people in Czech society and to combat discrimination and racism. The congress is also meant to serve as a platform for the presentation of the culture of the Roma and their traditions.
“Romani people in the Czech Republic are an important minority and face many problems such as discrimination, social exclusion, poverty or unemployment. The Congress of Roma is therefore a unique opportunity to convene, discuss our problems, and seek solutions for them together,” Marco Cavali, one of Roma Luma’s two chairs, told news server Romea.cz.
Cavali also called on everybody who is interested to attend the congress. “I believe the Congress of Roma will be a successful and inspirational meeting that will aid with improving the situation of our community in the Czech Republic. We are an integral part of the Czech Republic and we deserve full recognition and respect,” Cavali added.
However, some activists and nongovernmental organizations from the Romani community have refused to attend. Karel Karika, chair of the Czechoslovak Romani Union (Československé romské unie – ČSRU), rejected the invitation and said that he considers any congress with an agenda item on choosing a leader of the Roma to be absolutely absurd.
“If that political party wants to hold its own convention, then it can also invite nonprofit organizations, but just as guests, or it can hold a discussion with nonprofit organizations on a panel. Unfortunately, I did not manage to persuade them of this, and their most recent invitation on Facebook is calling for a congress with a program [including the election of leaders]. From our union, just one member is willing to attend, Honza Houška. I hope he will explain the attitudes and opinions of the ČSRU there,” Karika told Romea.cz.
Michal Miko, director of the organization RomanoNet, which brings together 15 nonprofits that are pro-Roma or Romani-led, thanked Roma Luma for their invitation but also refused to attend the event. “We greatly appreciate the invitation to the statewide meeting of Romani organizations and representatives being held by Roma Luma this Saturday. However, as civil society representatives, we are refusing to attend such a gathering for many reasons,” Miko told Romea.cz, according to whom the civil society organizations in RomanoNet honor the elements of democracy and democratic principles such as independence, which is important for civil society to be democratic and function independently.
“One of the many other reasons not to attend this gathering is the recent collaboration between the political party of Roma Luma and candidates who are extremists in the local elections, but we also disagree with their hateful rhetoric, which directly contravenes our interests and which they disseminate through social media against many activists who are Romani and against Romani civil society as a whole. This display of populism by the representatives of the Roma Luma political party is, for us, a clear signal that unfortunately we are not making progress in the area of including Romani people into society,” added Michal Miko, director of RomanoNet.
On the other hand, Czech Government Commissioner for Romani Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková has accepted the invitation to the congress, according to Romea.cz. According to Marco Cavali, the gathering will also be attended by David Beňák, director of the Department of Social Integration at the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry, and by representatives of Prague City Hall.
Richard Samko, a Romani journalist who works for public broadcaster Czech Television, will moderate the event. Roma Luma is a political party profiling itself as Romani that officially started in February 2022 as a movement for the rights of Romani people and their involvement in society.
