A Good Practice Example from Sweden in Combating Discrimination Against Roma
The Swedish Government is working on the preparation of a White Paper to reveal the historical discriminatory practices against Roma in the country.
The meeting where the Swedish Government discussed the difficulties faced by Roma was held at the OSCE summit in Warsaw on September 30, 2014.
At the event, representatives of the Swedish Government introduced the White Paper on Abuse and Violations of Rights Against Roma in the 1900s, published on March 25, 2014. The report aims to examine the historical suffering that Roma have suffered in Sweden as a result of government policies, including the inability to obtain an ID card, forced sterilization, migration, housing, access to education and employment.
Mirjam Karoly, Expert Advisor at the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, said, “The Swedish Government’s White Paper is an example of good practice in the OSCE Region in terms of addressing historical wrongs and officially recognizing the long history of racism and discrimination.”
The Swedish Administrative Commission, established in March 2014 to combat anti-Gypsyism, is working on the preparation of a White Paper to reveal witness testimonies and historical discriminatory practices against Roma in the country. e-144">
Roma activist Diana Nyman; “The White Paper was published thanks to the lobbying activities of Roma civil society organizations and the exposure of oppressive policies against Roma in Sweden.”
The President of the Commission against Anti-Gypsyism, Thomas Hammarberg, said, “Roma’s lives are still affected by the discrimination they are subjected to. We say that revealing past crimes is not enough, and that current prejudices against Roma must also be addressed. Roma and Sinti are still victims of hate crimes and attacks today.”
During the event, representatives from Roma civil society discussed with Swedish civil servants the initiatives to be taken to combat discrimination against Roma in public administration and the inclusion of topics related to Roma history in textbooks.
The news has been translated from English into Turkish. The full news can be accessed in English at the link below.
09/30/2014
Source: OSCE
http://www.osce.org/odihr/124615
