On the occasion of the 15th Meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee of Experts on Roma and Traveller Issues (CAHROM), held in Athens, Greece, from 22 – 25 May 2018, the Congress Thematic Spokesperson on Roma and Travellers, John WARMISHAM (UNITED KINGDOM, SOC), underlined the importance of setting-up Roma national networks in all Council of Europe member states. He welcomed, in particular, the launching of the Greek National Network for Roma and Travellers inclusion.
“During the kick off meeting, representatives from 28 municipalities expressed their will to actively contribute to the Greek Roma Network,” he underlined. Mr WARMISHAM proposed to set up a sustainable structure, chaired each year by another municipality, which could organise regular meetings and act as an interlocutor to the European Alliance for Roma Inclusion.
“Such umbrella networks could become the national partners of the Congress’ activities on Roma inclusion”, emphasized Mr WARMISHAM. “Already today, after having set up networks in Ukraine and Greece, we witness that communication is much easier when you have national interlocutors instead of hundreds of individual municipalities” he added.
He also encouraged the participants to further circulate the Declaration against anti-Gypsyism endorsed by the Congress in March 2017. “Signatories of the Declaration express their will to reject all forms of discrimination, violence or incitement to hate speech against Roma in their municipalities or regions,” he explained welcoming the 100th signature from Mr Ivo ZINIC, the County Governor of Sisak-Moslavina County in Croatia.
