FINLAND: ROMA OUTREACH 2009

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000197

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DRL/AE FOR DAN NADEL OR CORTNEY DELL, EUR/NB FOR MIGUEL
RODRIGUES, EUR/OHI FOR GREG MATTSON, EUR/OHI FOR CHRISTIAN
KENNEDY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: APER KPAO PHUM SOCI FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: ROMA OUTREACH 2009

REF: A. STATE 20359

B. 08 STATE 29991

C. 08 HELSINKI 00489


1. (SBU) Post maintains strong ties with the Roma
community in Finland and has remained active in Roma
engagement. On April 17, POLOFF and PAS Cultural
Assistant attended the opening of a Romani written and
directed play on Finnish minority stereotypes entitled
"Botox". In February, POLOFF attended a museum
exhibition opening on the history of Roma in Finland.
Post nominated Miranda Vuolasranta, a Roma activist now
working with the Council of Europe, for the Woman of
Courage award this year and maintains contact with her
on Finnish activities. Post also maintains contacts
with Finnish government officials on Roma issues;
PolOff and Pol Assistant met with City of Helsinki
officials on April 22 about their work on Roma
migration, an assessment of the situation of Roma
beggars who have come to Finland from Bulgaria and
Romania.


2. (SBU) Embassy Helsinki will track one proposed Roma-
centered event currently in its early stages. In a
meeting with Embassy staff on January 12, two leaders
in the Roma community - Nina Casten and playwright
Veijo Baltzar - expressed their intention to organize a
seminar in 2010 that would address European Roma
victims of the Holocaust. The two expressed
disappointment with treatment of the Roma community in
Finland, pointing for example at poor handling of Roma
issues in the education system. Beyond Finland, they
see a Europe-wide ignorance of the legacy of the Roma
population's treatment during World War II, including
poverty and unemployment, discrimination, and the
dispersion of the Roma population across Europe.
Baltzar and Casten wish to organize a "high level"
conference that will include academics and diplomats
and will address history, the arts, "lessons learned"
and social integration. POLOFF attended a follow-up
meeting on the event with Baltzar and representatives
of the City of Helsinki and various European embassies,
and later referred Baltzar and Casten to the Holocaust
Memorial Museum for background.
PLOSSER