The presentation of the report “Fighting for a Just Future” took place on April 10 in Brussels with the participation of the Roma European Fund, representatives of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Roma military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and civil society.
War exacerbates existing vulnerabilities and inequalities, and Roma are often left out of public attention and political decisions. The discussion therefore focused on the need to engage a wider range of actors in addressing the challenges faced by Roma in Ukraine.
The report focuses on important issues affecting the Roma community in Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. The report is also co-authored by Julian Kondur, coordinator of the Roma Women’s Fund “Chirikli”, who contributed significantly to the research and analysis. The report specifically covers the following topics:
🔹 The importance of the Roma contribution to the defense of Ukraine: The dedication and courage of Roma in the defense of Ukraine needs to be more recognized and celebrated at all levels, as their contribution often goes unnoticed.
🔹 The impact of the war on the Roma community:
The war exacerbates the existing challenges faced by Roma, requiring immediate solutions and long-term recovery strategies. The specific challenges faced by Roma are emphasized, from access to personal documents to the possibility of receiving a full range of public services.
🔹 Inclusive recovery: The principles of justice, equality and inclusion must be at the heart of all phases of the country’s recovery, ensuring that no community is left behind.
Fair treatment of Roma can be a key element in refuting Russian narratives of discriminatory policies by the Ukrainian government and will be an important step towards building an inclusive future for all citizens of Ukraine.
The report is available at:
https://romaforeurope.org/work/articles/report-roma-ukraine
