A/HRC/29/24
45.
In Canada, in order to reduce discriminatory policing behaviours, in 2011–2012,
training on Roma culture was delivered, as part of the Hate Can Kill project, to Ontario
police, including information about the Roma Holocaust, the racially motivated violence
experienced by Roma and the lack of trust in police authorities among Roma communities.
In parallel, Roma families and young people were also educated on what constitutes a hate
crime, on relevant legal instruments and on the importance of reporting hate crimes to the
police. Following that training, in 2012 both the Toronto Police Force and the Hamilton
Police Force recorded hate crimes reported by people of Roma identity.
B.
Pillar 2: protection and promotion of minority identity by combating
stereotypes and prejudice
46.
In Hungary, the documentary film series “Mundi Romani – The World through
Roma Eyes” is a co-production of the Romedia Foundation. Each episode presents a
different aspect of Roma culture in locations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the
Americas. The series provides insights into Roma culture and was nominated for and
received a number of local and international prizes.
47.
Tallinn University in Estonia is conducting a study on stereotypes of various
nationalities in Estonian online media with the objective of mapping and analysing
stereotypes of individual nationalities. Additionally, the exhibition “We, the Roma”, which
reviews Estonian Roma history, culture and everyday life, opened in October 2013 and has
since toured the country and abroad. It was shown at the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki and
will open in Budapest in 2015.48
48.
The Council of Europe has launched an awareness-raising campaign entitled
“Dosta!”, which emphasizes the value of Roma for societies through an interactive website,
on television, in school projects and training for the media and teachers. It also awards a
prize to local authorities that have taken steps to uphold and protect the rights of Roma. The
Government of Latvia informed the Special Rapporteur that, in order to implement the
“Dosta!” campaign, its Ministry of Culture, together with the Latvian Centre for Human
Rights, would organize an event entitled “Latvian Roma – between past and future” in
April 2015 in Riga, aimed at eliminating negative stereotypes about Roma and promoting
intercultural dialogue.49
49.
Since 1991, the Museum of Romani Culture in Brno, the Czech Republic, has been
dedicated to the history and culture of Roma. The aim is to educate the younger generation,
to promote better appreciation and understanding of the roots of Roma identity and to fight
xenophobia and racism.
50.
The University of Texas is home to the first university Romani Studies programme,
and has become the leading institution in the United States of America for studies on
Romani history, language and culture. The programme provides scholarships to Roma for
educational qualifications at any level and houses the Romani Archives and Documentation
Center, the largest collection of Romani materials in the world.
51.
In Brazil, 24 May was declared National Roma Day by Presidential Decree in 2006
and has been acknowledged by Roma communities as an important public recognition of
the existence of the Brazilian Roma community.
48
49
Response from Estonia to the questionnaire.
Response from Latvia to the questionnaire.
13