Barvalipe Pledge

We are young Roma!

We, the participants of the 3rd Barvalipe Roma Pride Summer School held in Montenegro between 15 and 25 August 2013, are proud to join the Barvalipe network.
We are united and committed to advocate for equality and social justice as well as strengthen the Roma nation, heritage and pride to enable our people to free from precarious situations.
We adhere to the decisions of the First Romani Congress in London organised in 1971.
We, as the bearers of the values of Romanipen , commit our support to the long standing efforts of the Romani movement.

We are members of a nation of which half a million persons were exterminated in a forgotten Samudaripen . As the survivors of intolerance and persecution, we champion universal human rights and the pursuit of dignity and freedom for all.
We consider that our biggest challenge is the vanishing of Romani identity among the youth in the face of pervasive discrimination and prejudice. Denial of equal access to education hinders our young people from the very beginning of their lives and limits their opportunities for a better future.
However, there are young, educated, qualified Roma who are ready to take an active role and be engaged in political, social, and economic life. We are citizens, we are not passive objects, but active subjects with the right and the capacity to participate in the design and implementation of public policies that impact on our lives and that of our communities.
We call upon international and intergovernmental organizations to recognize anti-Roma sentiment, injustice and human rights violations as well as to prepare appropriate measures in accordance with all international and national declarations and legislations.
We commit ourselves to advocate that Roma are adequately represented and take a seat in all international and intergovernmental organizations that take decisions which affect the lives of Romani nation.
We are fully committed to respect cultural diversity within the Romani nation and wider society.
We, the participants of the 3rd Barvalipe summer school pledge ourselves to strengthen the Barvalipe family, and regularly convey the Barvalipe values and principles to the future generations.

“IT IS NOT ABOUT ME, IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU – IT IS ABOUT US”

We invite all young Roma to join our pledge!

Contact person: Cristina Marian, mariankristina@gmail.com.