As Roma from around the world joined forces to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Roma Holocaust, they challenged the world in adjudication and remembrance of August 2, 1944 ‒ not for its awful consequences ‒ but for its awareness of emboldened action and strengthened resolve ‒ to thwart such an event from ever gaining a foothold again.
As Roma from around the world joined forces to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Roma Holocaust, they challenged the world in adjudication and remembrance of August 2, 1944 ‒ not for its awful consequences ‒ but for its awareness of emboldened action and strengthened resolve ‒ to thwart such an event from ever gaining a foothold again. REF research intern Jozsef Rostas travelled on a small research grant to participate in and report on the commemoration events on and around August 2, 2014 and his report and video follow.
2,897 Souls Unforgotten
“Seventy years have passed since the tragic events of 2 August, yet until this day Roma continue to face daily acts of violence, persecution and dehumanization. By refusing to recognize and condemn the past, we are allowing a similar rhetoric to occur in the present day. It is for that reason that ternYpe is committed to advocate for the wider official recognition of the Roma genocide, which is an important step in the restoration of dignity and justice for the Roma.”
‒ Karolina Mirga, International Coordinator at ternYpe
As Roma from around the world joined forces to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Roma Holocaust, they have challenged the world in adjudication and remembrance of August 2, 1944 ‒ not for its awful consequences ‒ but for its awareness of emboldened action and strengthened resolve ‒ to thwart such an event from ever gaining a foothold again. This young generation who have come to stand at the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau have not gathered as a protest but hold a key that will unlock for future generations the tools necessary to curb a long history of racism, hate and extremism within Europe, not only for the Roma of today but also for all disenfranchised peoples living in the future.
In bringing together young activists, social organizations, decision-makers and politicians alike, this remembrance ceremony delineates the challenges of racism within Europe today. It’s true, seventy years have passed and such an event is hard to even fathom now; however, the fact remains that Roma people continue to face daily acts of mistreatment, oppression and dehumanization.
By highlighting this fact and participating in workshops, debates, public conferences, and action-oriented educational activities, we have deepened our knowledge as a tribute to the Roma Genocide, and allowed ourselves at the same time to acquire the hands of change, to challenge racism, to form an independent and healthy society without such preconceived notions as people of certain races born as trespassers.
The Roma Genocide Remembrance Initiative was the largest commemoration event to date of its kind and has raised the awareness bar in countries across Europe and the globe. Even as the role of the media in constructing and perpetuating these solecistic stereotypes of Roma as malefactors continue to abound, it is the education of young people today that can counter these conventions, not just to offer justice to the victims of the Roma Genocide, but to create a sustainable future for any Roma or other born in society today.
This commemoration has highlighted the importance of the role of formal world leadership in abrogating these attitudes. Public figures, particularly politicians, have a responsibility to lead by example and publicly condemn racist speech targeting Roma; it is by teaching about the past and the tragedy of the Roma under the Nazi regime that one can gain a better understanding of their present situation. The Roma have long suffered from racism and discrimination; it is the understanding of that history which promotes a more tolerant, inclusive society for all.
Over 1,000 Roma youth rallied around this goal, and the education surrounding this event has been paramount. With the recognition of the world we strive for a future out of the ashes, for today’s youths to lead. All leaders now and tomorrow must speak out against anti-Roma rhetoric, speak out against all forms of racism, and through public discourse permanently extinguish the sentiment of this anti-Roma fire.
What happened on this day in 1944 will not be forgotten: On August 2nd, 1944, 2,897 men, women and children were loaded on trucks, taken to gas chamber V, and exterminated at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Their bodies were burned in pits next to the crematorium. Through education their lost souls will not be for naught, as appropriate measures against all signs of racial hatred and stigmatization are emerging, as we urge all leaders to speak out against anti-Roma rhetoric and utilize this remembrance as a protection of their populations from discrimination and violence based on their identity in the future.
Thus, in the best interest of all European governments and democratic political parties today, in an effort to increase necessary integration policies and platforms to ensure that all populations ‒ Roma included ‒ are considered and treated equally, living without fear and raising their children to further promote equality, today’s youth act, not in shame, but in remembrance, so history cannot repeat itself.
