From 27 July to 4 August 2025, Krakow hosted the 15th edition of Dikh he na Bister! ("Look and Don't Forget"), an international event commemorating the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma. Organised by Roma civil society, the event brought together over one hundred young Roma and non-Roma from across European continent to honour the memory of the Roma Holocaust and to stand against antigypsyism and discrimination.
The Council of Europe has a long-standing commitment to Roma youth participation and the fight against antigypsyism. This commitment is strongly reflected in the Recommendation CM/Rec(2023)4 of the Committee of Ministers on Roma youth participation, and the ongoing efforts to ensure meaningful involvement of young Roma in shaping policies that affect their lives.
Dikh He Na Bister is a space for remembrance, and also a youth-led movement for justice, memory and dignity. By reclaiming history and engaging in human rights education, young people build a more inclusive and democratic Europe.
As in previous years, the Council of Europe youth sector supported this important initiative by sharing its educational expertise with the preparatory team and facilitators, led by TERNYPE – International Roma Youth Network and Documentation and Cultural Center of German Sinti and Roma who guide young participants through workshops, dialogue sessions, and commemorative events.
This year, Petr Banda, Rapporteur on Roma and Traveller[1] Issues of the Joint Council on Youth, presented to the participants Recommendation CM/Rec(2023)4 , along with its implementation roadmap and various resources proposed by the Council of Europe Youth Department to support Roma youth inclusion and participation.
Learn more about remembrance by checking Right to Remember : A Handbook for Education with Young People on the Roma Genocide and Youth for Remembrance: Handbook on Youth-Led Remembrance of the Roma and Sinti Holocaust.
[1]The term “Roma and Travellers” is used at the Council of Europe to encompass the wide diversity of the groups covered by the work of the Council of Europe in this field: on the one hand a) Roma, Sinti/Manush, Calé, Kaale, Romanichals, Boyash/Rudari; b) Balkan Egyptians (Egyptians and Ashkali); c) Eastern groups (Dom, Lom and Abdal); and, on the other, groups such as Travellers, Yenish, and the populations designated under the administrative term “Gens du voyage”, as well as persons who identify themselves as Gypsies.
