Prejudices, hostilities, threat of deportation: a Lot of young Sinti and Roma in Germany have to live with large loads. At a youth conference in Berlin, you have discussed how you can claim.
Melissa (second from left) and her co-workers are involved for more say
When Angela was in elementary school, with the kind of abuse by their classmates. “You said the Z word. I was beaten, I was taken away my money and my food. It went really, really deep,” recalls the 25-year-old Romni in their first years of school in Cologne. It is a similar story to the peers Emanuel, who went in Romania, to school: “My mother has constantly washed my clothes so that I look clean. But that was no matter, from the point of view of the other, we were dirty, next to me you didn’t want to sit.”
Humiliations, which continue later in life often continue, for example, in the search of a job or an apartment – with serious consequences for self-esteem. “In the meantime, many young people deny their identity because of discrimination, you know,” says Merdjan Jakupov, Director of Amaro Drom. It is precisely here that the intercultural Association’s work. “You have to understand why this is happening – to edit it, and then deal with it.”
More in the Public play
Four years ago, the Association has therefore launched the project “Dikhen amen!”. “Look at us!” is the meaning of the two words translated from the Romany, the language of the Sinti and Roma. Together with coaches, young people are working on it since then in regular Meetings to solve the negative attributions, and self-aware for your desire for more social participation to enter. The main objectives of this project are, says Merdjan Jakupov, “Empowerment and mobilization”.
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Young Sinti and Roma: “Look at us!”
On the Federal youth conference of Amaro Drom, the largest Meeting of young Sinti and Roma in Germany, have presented to all project participants now have the results of their work. And once formulated, how they want the perception of your Community change. “We have to play in Public, and these Stereotypes make us forget,” says, for example, Melissa, a 20-year-old Romni from Leipzig. Ajriz, 21, of Macedonia, agrees: “many of our Studied are, among us professors, in which the majority of society, unfortunately.”
Deep-rooted anti-Gypsyism
To change the image of Sinti and Roma remains difficult in the face of the deep-seated prejudices that many have and reproduce some of the media – consciously or unconsciously – more. “If there is something Negative, then all come. There are reports, however, something Positive, nobody comes,” says Éva Ádám, educational Director at Amaro Drom. “It is always sought after hair in the soup.” This is why some hide their ethnic origin, even when you are in school or professional success, out of fear, this could be, perhaps, nothing more.
The courage to show and not hide, in spite of all the circulating distorted images, to train the young Sinti and Roma at the conference in various Workshops.
The young people have to fight against Stereotypes
In the media Workshop, for example, it is about how you are with requests from journalists, that can circumvent or in Interviews to occur. The policy Workshop has, however, with current developments, such as the right to remain situation – a topic that some of the young participants directly concerned, because they are Refugees.
Uncertain Prospects For The Future
“The uncertain staying perspective of many young people are hindered in our work”, says the managing Director of Amaro Drom, Merdjan Jakupov. After all, who needs to fear, soon to be deported, loses, perhaps, at some point the interest in the offer of the Association. The reinforcement of young people’s achievements is a prerequisite for subsequent formation is thus stifled, possibly already in the germ. Instead, fear and Frustration arise.
An uncertain future, the youth organisation Amaro Drom itself is facing. So far the project “Dikhen amen was promoted!” with funds from the Federal programme “democracy” of the Federal Ministry for family Affairs. For the club, quite surprisingly, these funds have been deleted now, however. Three main official Bodies will be lost. And also the Federal youth conference with its various possibilities of joint learning will no longer exist in this Form in the future, probably.