On September 30, IRU President Zoran Dimov sent a letter to Helsinki. International Romani Union - IRU sent a letter to Deputy Mayor Sanna Vesikansa and Director of Family and Social Services Maarit Sulavuori and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. President Dimov called attention to the accommodation of Romanian and Bulgarian mobile Roma in Helsinki.

In his letter, Mr. Dimov thanked Finland and especially Helsinki for their meritorious work for the benefit of the Roma. The situation of the Roma in Finland is one of the best in the world globally, but there is still room for improvement, especially at the attitude level, as the Equality Ombudsman's annual report 2019 shows. For years, the City of Helsinki and the Helsinki Deaconess Institute have done exemplary work for the benefit of the Roma, a mobile population from Romania and Bulgaria. The City of Helsinki has arranged emergency accommodation during the winter from 1 October to 30 April and acute health care. In addition, during the Covid-19, there has also been emergency accommodation and hot food once a day in the summer of 2020.

Acute emergency of mobile Roma

In September, Mr. Dimov received acute feedback that a large proportion of Europe's mobile Roma spend the night in Helsinki outdoors in the woods. With the onset of winter, it is needed to quickly get emergency accommodation for the mobile population to continue all year round and also a hot meal every day. President Dimov stated that the City of Helsinki should continue to cooperate with the Deaconess Institute, as they have skilled and experienced employees (the Hirundo project) who are able to help the Roma population on a daily basis.

In his letter, the President of the IRU also stated that the IRU is committed to making efforts and finding ways to improve the socio-economic status of mobile Roma and to activate everyone to participate in education and the wage labor market so that they can earn their own and their families' livelihood.

In her letter, Zoran Dimov stated that Finland, as an EU member state, should contact the origin countries of mobile Roma (Bulgaria and Romania) and direct them to allocate the funds they receive from the EU budget for Roma integration to reduce the number of mobile Roma, also Finland. The IRU is involved in supporting Roma integration.

President Dimov expressed the hope that the City of Helsinki would quickly provide emergency accommodation for mobile Roma throughout the year.

The City of Helsinki's answer

The City of Helsinki's reply letter came quickly at the beginning of October. The letter stated that the city will continue its cooperation
with the Helsinki Deaconess Institute also in this matter of the mobile Roma population, and the city recognizes the know-how of the Deaconess Institute's Hirundo project.

The City of Helsinki replied that emergency accommodation places for the mobile population had been added right from the beginning of October. Arranging year-round emergency accommodation is also kept in mind.

Answer from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Yesterday, October 23, IRU President Zoran Dimov received a reply letter from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The letter states that the issue raised by the IRU is very important and topical, and the City of Helsinki is responsible for the emergency accommodation of the mobile population in Helsinki, and the IRU has sent the letter to the right party.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that it promotes the status of the Roma and related human rights issues in various multilateral contexts, e.g. In the EU, the Council of Europe and the UN, and bilaterally with Bulgaria and Romania. The Finnish Embassies in Bulgaria and Romania also promote, on various multilateral contacts, raising awareness of the rights of Roma communities and the importance of integration in co-operation with the authorities and NGO Actors in these countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Promises to continue this work.

The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs thanks the IRU

At the end of his reply, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanks the IRU for the important work that the IRU is doing to promote the status of the Roma minority in the long and short term.

By Arianna Amehae

For the first time in its fifty-year history, the International Romani Union (IRU) has endorsed a US presidential ticket. “The International Romani Union is proud to endorse Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris for President and Vice President of the United States of America,” begins the statement issued by IRU President, Zoran Dimov.
The IRU is the oldest Roma cooperative council with worldwide reach. The IRU has an active office in the US led by IRU Vice President Anatoly Butakov. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the Roma population further stigmatized, particularly in Europe, where draconian measures imposed by several authoritarian heads of state have been denounced by Amnesty International. The far-right nationalist governments, some supported by the Trump Administration, have been spotlighted for a new round of coronavirus-related human rights abuses committed against Roma communities.
“The International Romani Union is confident that a Biden-Harris Administration will not stand idly by while far-right dictators and authoritarians in Europe continue a pattern of human rights abuses against the Roma,” writes President Dimov. “Such ‘politicians’ and state media have exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to perpetuate the stigmatization of Roma communities. For example, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary excluded the Roma from the country’s COVID-19 mitigation plan, and when asked to justify the action an Orbán spokeswoman simply offered a racist retort.”
In a 2014 speech in Kyiv, Ukraine, Vice President Biden put European government’s on notice that anti-Roma “bigotry” has “No place. None. Zero.” Speaking to then Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Biden continued, “The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms all threats and attacks against Ukrainian Jewish communities as well as Roma and others.”
The IRU endorsement of the Biden-Harris candidacy reads in full:
“The International Romani Union was founded at the first World Romani Congress in 1971. Approximately one million Roma people reside in the US, from California to Florida, and from Texas to the Great Lakes region. The International Romani Union was heartened to see the Roma recognized by the Biden-Harris Indigenous Policy working group for Global Affairs. We hope that this will be a precursor to a Biden-Harris Administration giving full recognition to the Roma as a distinct ethnic group. As one of the most ancient tribal societies in world history, such recognition is long overdue. It is surely time to end the ‘othering’ of marginalized and disenfranchised peoples who, against all odds, retain their unique cultural identity.
The International Romani Union hopes to work with a Biden-Harris Administration to build upon the progress that was made during the Obama-Biden Administration. Under President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary Kerry consistently acknowledged International Roma Day. President Obama also appointed Roma scholar, Dr. Ethel Brooks, to the US Holocaust Memorial Council. We look forward to consulting with a Biden-Harris Administration on the future appointment of a new Roma representative to the US Holocaust Memorial Council.
The International Romani Union is confident that a Biden-Harris Administration will not stand idly by while far-right dictators and authoritarians in Europe continue a pattern of human rights abuses against the Roma. Such “politicians” and state media have exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to perpetuate the stigmatization of Roma communities
‘A human rights tragedy is unfolding while the world community turns away, either by design or distraction. Simply put, the Romani people are existing in a system of apartheid, most especially in Europe, where the situation is grave. Some of the most extreme examples of abuse inflicted upon tribal people by nation states in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic have been suffered by the Romani.’”
The IRU endorsement was acknowledged by Rachel Wallace, Special Advisor to the Vice Chair of the Biden 2020 campaign, Ambassador Catherine Russell.

Link: https://global-indigenous-council.medium.com/international-romani-union-makes-us-presidential-endorsement-for-the-first-time-in-its-history-3a85b12d158d

UN Day is on October 24, 2020. The International Romani Union - IRU expresses its congratulations to the UN on its 75th anniversary. The IRU sends its congratulations to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Mr. Paulo David, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights!

In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by Member States as a public holiday. In 1971 the IRU was established too.

Today is UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. There is no other global organization with the legitimacy, convening power and normative impact of the United Nations.

This anniversary comes in a time of great disruption for the world, compounded by a global health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with severe economic and social impacts. But it could be also a reminder that this time should be a new opportunity for positive change.

The IRU has its own Ecosoc status in the United Nations. The IRU has a global network and strategy for realizing ICESCR rights. Currently, we need Roma Friendship Groups at every level in order to implement, together with other national, regional and international actors, Roma rights globally. Together we are strong.

In the letter itself, the President of the IRU Zoran Dimov says:
Thank you organizers for giving me a chance to share some words with all of you. It is such an honor for me to be part of this event, where we cherish our hard work through the years.

The IRU is the only global Roma organization. We are representatives of all Roma people. At this moment the IRU already has special IRU delegates in 55 countries. In the IRU organization the term "Roma" also includes Sinti/Manush, Calé, Kaale, Romanichals, Boyash/Rudari, Travellers, Yenish, “Gens du voyage”, as well as other groups and all persons who identify themselves as Roma. The IRU protects global cultural rights, Roma identity and valuable traditions of Roma. We are proud that the rich Roma culture is well known and appreciated.

Prior to Covid-19 pandemic, the Roma have been informal Roma entrepreneurs and livelihoods have been based on the informal economy, such as street vendors, informal recyclers, day laborers, musicians and other artists. The Roma have tried to maintain their modest standard of living under overwhelming economic pressure, without a minimum income, and have tried to act despite the risk of Covid-19 infection.

But in times like this we can see who was there for the people in need. In times like this we can finally tell that the hard work has paid off. These people, Valenzuela Family, Jovanka and Rodrigo Valenzuela have done so much for our culture and because of that we are proud, and Sao Paulo is also proud. I am so happy that today we are celebrating culture, history and rituals to our people, that we are together united as one, because that’s the way we can achieve our goals. This is an amazing opportunity to unite everybody and with this party we create job opportunities, publicizing projects that includes cultural awareness, dancing, cooking and crafting workshops, and many more so we can grow together stronger.

Thank you for your support the city of São Paulo and selfless help and congratulatons on the prize.
Mr. Zoran Dimov, President of the International Roma Union - IRU

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