Voices

The Romani language isn’t just the voice of our people—it’s the voice of Europe. It represents peace, diversity and resilience. If Europe is serious about protecting its heritage and helping its citizens thrive, it cannot ignore Romani.

It is the great consensus across the political spectrum, from the far right to the far left. As different as their views may be, all the parties of the 27 EU countries have agreed: for the first time since 2004, not a single Roma person will be part of the European Parliament.

Our leadership speaks about the origins and goals of the Roma Foundation for Europe.

Robert Yovni relies on his faith in God to make it through difficult times, and that faith leads him to help others.

Viktor Ilchak doesn't consider himself a hero, but he is proud to be a Roma soldier fighting for Ukraine.

Anzhelika Bielova, founder and president of Voice of Romni, believes anything is possible if you work hard, believe in yourself, stick to your principles and values, and fight for your rights.

Ilya Gerasimov, a 20-year-old student from Kyiv, is inspired by the belief that everyone in Ukraine is important and can contribute to victory.

Some say there’s no reason to celebrate World Roma Day, but there are reasons to celebrate with pride—not because we’ve solved the problems of Europe’s Roma but because, despite all the difficulties, we still find ways to progress.

The new, independent Roma Foundation for Europe is backed by a €100 million pledge that builds on more than 30 years of support for Roma causes by the Open Society Foundations.

In November 2021, Slovakia formally apologized to Roma women for a program of forced sterilizations that stretched out for decades. How a Slovak human rights group helped hold the government accountable.

Leaders in the EU are confronted with a dual obligation—to restore healthy environments for Roma, and to do so with the full participation of Roma communities themselves.

With fearless and bold photography, Open Society Foundations Community Youth Fellow Joci Marton is challenging how LGBTI Roma are perceived—by outsiders, but also by themselves.

For more than 30 years, the Open Society Foundations and their partners have focused on improving Roma’s access to education and promoting a positive vision of Roma identity.

A small town in northwest Bulgaria shows that when Roma take the leadership, they can establish a framework for justice, equality and prosperity despite racist prejudices and ever-changing political winds.

One Ukraine community's response to an anti-Roma group offers a heartening example to all those who are trying to fight bigotry with compassion, dialogue and understanding.

This year International Roma Day and a pivotal election in Hungarian coincide. While many Hungarian politicians are promoting racial supremacy, Roma are celebrating their cultural identity as a force to achieve equality.

Europe's largest ethnic minority is still weighed down by prejudice and misunderstanding. By using a multifaceted strategy of litigation, public education and direct advocacy, the Roma are changing their position.

A recent and critical victory for Albania's Roma may provide marginalised communities around the world with a guide to defending their rights through broad, diverse and flexible coalitions.

With the new European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture, there is finally a place where Roma can work together to promote their identity and self-esteem.

After enduring centuries of stereotypes and other false depictions, Roma artists are working together to help their people tell their own story about their history, their art and their contributions to European culture.

Despite facing unprecedented crises today, Roma communities can draw on their collective strength and shared history to seize control of their own future.

When a critical mass of Roma citizens learn their history, they can forge their own sense of identity—and use it to inform their activism.

On the heels of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, the Roma Integration 2020 initiative will differ from the preceding initiative in key ways.

In the many events that take place around International Roma Day, we sometimes lose sight of the larger cause: self-determination and international unity.

The Decade of Roma Inclusion aimed to close the gaps between Roma and the rest of society, but thanks to opportunistic politicians, some of those gaps are wider than ever.