On 29 January 2025, in the frame of the commemoration ceremony of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Georgina Laboda from ternYpe - International Roma Youth Network, addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on behalf of the Roma community:
"As a young Roma, I make the following plea to you today: Continue to fight in your country so that in every history class, every child in Europe will learn about Roma Holocaust and the centuries of discrimination and intolerance, endured by Roma"
The participation of a Roma representative at the ceremony underscored the importance of collective remembrance in the pursuit of human rights and equality for Roma and Travellers, and the importance of educational initiatives aimed at Holocaust remembrance and combating antigypsyism.
The ceremony was followed by a moment of reflection, during which wreaths paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust were laid in front of the commemorative stele on the forecourt of the Palais de l'Europe, and a minute of silence was observed.
The Roma Holocaust is a significant focus of collaboration between the European Commission and the Council of Europe. Their joint programme, Roma Holocaust Remembrance and Education (RomaMemory), promotes the inclusion of the Roma Holocaust in school curricula, raises awareness among journalists, advances the fight against discrimination and antigypsyism, and supports the European Roma and Sinti Holocaust Memorial ceremony on 2 August in Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Learn more about RomaMemory and Council of Europe`s efforts in the field of Roma History and Holocaust.
Texts adopted by the Committee of Ministers:
- Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)5 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on passing on remembrance of the Holocaust and preventing crimes against humanity
- Recommendation CM/Rec(2020)2 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the inclusion of the history of Roma and/or Travellers in school curricula and teaching materials
