Since the establishment of the political coalition network, “A Europe of Diasporas”, the relationship between Jewish and Roma youth in Europe has grown into one that is strong and meaningful for both communities as well as providing an example of positive coalition for other minority groups. It was therefore no surprise that for this year’s European Youth Event – an international event drawing over 7000 young people from all over Europe – EUJS decided to team up with Roma activism NGO Phiren Amenca to run a 3-day workshop seminar aiming to create a network of activists, giving them tools to build new initiatives and campaigns and to combat anti-Semitism and anti-Gypsyism in the lead up to the weekend’s main event.
The seminar focused on strengthening ties between the Roma and the Jewish community, highlighting both shared history and cultures, but also valuing each other’s differences. All the activists attending the seminar stressed the need to forge strong coalitions between different “minorities” and work together for an inclusive and better Europe that will respect each other’s own funding principles.
Included in the main event of the EYE, a stall was set up where members of the Roma community were able to give guests information about the community; of how it came to be a minority as well as the history of Roma persecution. The stall attracted many visitors from across various different organisations and communities over the course of the weekend.
