European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC)

👉 Based around the concept of a football ‘fanzine’ this publication highlights the experiences of Romani and Traveller people in sport, both historical and contemporary, and serves as an anti-racist celebration of sport as a tool to fight discrimination. Articles from sports-crazy human rights activists from the European Roma Rights Centre and beyond appear alongside historical photographs and accounts, a healthy dose of sport-obsessed and anti-fascist fan culture, as well some highlighted interviews with community players, coaches, and referees. A Sporting Chance presents a compelling insight into the boundaries and communities that exist between activist art, sport, and the human rights challenges faced by Europe’s largest ethnic minority group. ➡ The fanzine was created to accompany an exhibition held in Brussels in 2024 depicting a series of vignettes of Romani & Traveller athletes, past and present, as part of the EU-funded Moving On Project. The artwork and exhibition were created by hand by the acclaimed, Serbian visual artist and documentary filmmaker, Vojin Ivkov. A Sporting Chance: The Anti-Racist Fanzine for Roma, Sinti, & Travellers can be downloaded here: https://lnkd.in/gRshi8tH

📍 Brussels, 16 December 2024: A new report published today by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) demonstrates the depth of institutional racism towards Roma in the police and criminal legal systems of three Balkan countries: Greece 🇬🇷, Serbia 🇷🇸, and North Macedonia 🇲🇰. 📢 The report, Ruthless & Racist: Policing Roma in the Balkans, reveals widespread cultures of impunity amongst the countries’ police forces and finds failures to protect Roma, as well as to adequately investigate racially motivated hate crimes, to be common to law enforcement in all three countries. 📊 The report draws on nearly three decades of ERRC litigation and human rights monitoring to demand that state authorities abide by their declared commitments to the principles of justice and equal protection before the law. ⚖️ 📝 “There is a growing acknowledgement from governments and international bodies that institutional racism in justice and law enforcement is a problem that’s becoming more and more difficult to ignore” said the ERRC’s President, Đorđe Jovanović. “This issue is all of Europe’s problem, not just Roma. This report combined with our previous research, advocacy, and countless court cases, shows there is more than enough evidence to prove a culture of racism in the police. Now is the time for politicians to start doing something about it.” READ MORE: https://lnkd.in/d-RhxBFs

The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) is issuing this Framework Contract for the provision of consultancy services in publications and archiving to support the organization’s work over the contract’s duration. More 👇

🌍 Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December, marking the anniversary of one of the world's most ground-breaking global commitments: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). For Romani people, these rights are too often denied: 🔸 Police & state authorities systemically violate the fundamental rights of Romani communities, eroding trust & exposing cracks in the criminal legal system. 🔸 Romani children are segregated in school and given an inferior education 🎓 🔸 Families are evicted from their homes over and over again, with some being sent to live in toxic, polluted environments. 🔸 Romani women's bodies are violated and abused in hospitals by those who are supposed to offer care and treatment. 🔸 Roma are actively denied access to IDs, resulting in preventable medical conditions going untreated and refugees being unable to access services. 🔸 Social services and state care bodies rip apart Romani families and send children to grow up in segregated institutions. 🔸 Roma are denied access to basic infrastructure like water and electricity due to racialised poverty across the continent. These are just a few human rights violations that demand urgent action. 💡 The European Roma Rights Centre stands in solidarity with Romani people of every nationality, gender identity, and age. 🤝 Together, we’re taking racists to court, fighting for justice for us all. 💪🏽⚖️ #HumanRightsDay

📌 New research by the Rosa Parks Foundation reveals how existing practices result in “an unjustifiably high proportion of Roma children being diagnosed with mild intellectual disability”; exposes how the diagnostic process leaves wide scope for biases, subjective diagnoses, and misdiagnosis, all the while excluding Romani parents from participation: “There are simply no guarantee rules in place to ensure that the assessment is carried out with due regard for children’s rights and disability rights, recognising and assisting parents as equal partners.”   Read more: https://lnkd.in/dmjzXWMg

🚨 We’re leaving X (formerly Twitter) 🚨 From now on, we won’t be sharing any updates on X. At the European Roma Rights Centre, we are proud ✊ of our work to counter online hate speech and our amazing 🦸♀️ Roma Rights Defenders who challenge digital antigypsyism every day. But honestly? We’re not comfortable staying on a platform with no real content moderation, that provides a safe space for racists and fascists, and is owned by a far-right billionaire who uses his power to attack activists, racialised communities, LGBTQI+ people, and even democracy itself. 🚫😔 💬 Love microblogs? So do we! 🥳 You can now find us on Bluesky and Threads instead. 🌐✨ Links are below—let’s stay connected! ➡ https://lnkd.in/dXPGfu-w ➡https://lnkd.in/dJMBDSkg Thank you for supporting us and Roma Rights online! ❤️💪

📌Today, we at the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) engaged in meaningful discussions alongside committed organisations at the 18th Meeting of the Council of Europe Dialogue with Roma and Traveller Civil Society. This two-day event is focused on shaping a more equitable and anti-racist future. ➡️Our Legal Director, Vivien Brassói, highlighted the critical role of NGOs in ensuring that human rights monitoring reflects the lived realities of Roma and Travellers. With support from the Council of Europe, ERRC’s capacity-building initiatives have strengthened these organisations, equipping them to report human rights violations effectively and advocate for systemic change, ensuring that the lived experiences and concerns of Roma and Traveller communities are at the heart of policymaking. ❗️The discussions also highlighted the pressing issue of Roma being marginalised in political participation and underscored the need for stronger measures to empower Roma youth and women to engage actively in political life. ✊This marks the final event of our project, which focuses on building the capacity of Roma and Traveller NGOs to gain the expertise and skills needed to engage more effectively with Council of Europe standards and monitoring mechanisms. The participating organisations from 9 countries are at the forefront of advancing Roma and Traveller rights. The project is supported by the Council of Europe.

The solution for Roma is the solution for everyone: Build. More. Social. Housing.

🌟 Resilience in the Face of Adversity 🌟 Yesterday, the ERRC Roma Rights Network came together for a crucial meeting to tackle an issue that often remains in the shadows: activist burnout. This meeting was an opportunity to reflect on resilience: how we protect not just the rights of others but also our own well-being, so we can continue to drive meaningful change. How do you build resilience in your work? What strategies help you avoid burnout and stay energised in challenging times? Let’s share and support each other. 💪✨ #HumanRights #RomaRights #Activism #MentalHealth #Resilience

➡ In a new ERRC report, young Roma rights defenders sound the alarm about the volume of online hate content targeting Roma and spell out what needs to be done to combat, and ultimately shut down, online antigypsyism. They warn of the consequences when racial hatred goes unchecked, and urgently called on political leaders to “demonstrate more responsibility and accountability to prevent, sanction and counter any form of hate speech against Roma in both traditional and new forms of media.” 📌 Voices Against Online Hate provides vivid accounts of how they mapped the most pervasive anti-Roma narratives, how they fared with submitting complaints to social media platforms, and how they compiled evidence for legal challenges against online hate speech. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dKm4idMq #RomaRightsDefenders #Hatespeech #hatespeechonline #antigypsyism