From 8 to 10 April, over 30 Roma youth leaders and youth workers from Roma and Travellers communities across Europe gathered in Strasbourg for the Roma Youth Together Seminar 2026.
Launched at the occasion of International Roma Day on 8 April, the event centred around themes of celebration, pride, and the active contribution of Roma youth to their communities and our societies.
The seminar showcased the achievements and contributions of Roma youth in Europe, with an emphasis on Roma pride and cultural celebration. Its aim was to empower Roma youth leaders by strengthening their sense of identity and belonging, and by developing their skills as positive agents of change.
Participants marked International Roma Day with the annual casting of flowers ceremony, a gesture symbolically representing the resilience, culture and heritage of the Roma people, and their ongoing engagement for rights and recognition. The celebration featured speeches by Marja Ruotanen, Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity of the Council of Europe, Georgios Stamatis, General Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly on Roma and Travellers and Stelina Dungaj, member of the Advisory Council on Youth.
Throughout the seminar, participants engaged in workshops and activities designed to share experiences, reinforce their confidence, and equip them to act as agents of change and multipliers within their communities. They also discussed and reflected on their realities as young Roma and Travellers in Europe and examined meaningful ways to participate actively in democratic life.
The seminar provided insights into the Council of Europe’s initiatives to promote Roma youth participation, including the implementation of Recommendation CM/REC(2023)4 on Roma Youth Participation as well as an instrumental contribution to the consultative process of the New Democratic Pact for Europe.
The sixth edition of the Roma Youth Together is organised by the Council of Europe’s Youth Department and Roma and Travellers Division, in co-operation with the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC), the International Roma Youth Network - TernYpe and the European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network and Phiren Amenca.
The event is organised within the framework of the “Opre Roma!” month, from 1 to 30 April, to honour the Romani history, language and culture across Europe, thus highlighting the contribution of the Roma to Europe’s heritage and cultural wealth.
Opre Roma! month: 2026 Calendar of Activities - Roma and Travellers
