Mission Poland and International Roma Day

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000383 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR DRL/AE DAN NADEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: APER PHUM KPAO PL SUBJECT: Mission Poland and International Roma Day REFS: A) 09 STATE 020359, B) 08 KRAKOW 109 ¶1. (U) Mission Poland maintains regular contact with the various Romani and government leaders on Roma issues. We celebrated International Roma Day at the largest known event taking place in the country on April 8. We also posted Secretary Clinton's video clip and message on our website with a Polish translation. Mission Poland on April 8 -------------- ¶2. (U) PolCouns spoke at the largest known event in Poland, which took place on April 8 in the city of Radom. Co-organized by the Radom-based Roma association "Pomocna Dlon" (Helpful Hand) and the Bialystok Central Romani Council, the program included the viewing of the film "Roma Culture" (produced by the Tarnow Regional Museum) and a panel discussion on "Roma: Challenges in the 21st Century" with Stanislaw Stankiewicz (President of the International Romani Union and Chairman of the Bialystok Central Romani Council),Jacek Milewski (Director of the first Roma school in Suwalkach),and Polish ethnographer Pawel Lechowski. Local government officials who took part in the event expressed support for a project to seek EU funding to build a local Roma Center. Embassy Warsaw and Consulate Krakow posted Secretary Clinton's video message for International Roma Day at the top of its homepage on April 8 as well as a Polish translation of the text. The Roma in Poland -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The Roma population in Poland is estimated to be somewhere between 10,000 to 50,000 and divided into a few primary groups, according to IOM. The "Polish" Roma is the largest group, which maintains more traditional customs but normally have Polish last names; they have a king who lives outside of Warsaw but the Polska Roma live throughout many regions of Poland. The Bergitka Roma, also sometimes known as the "Carpathian" or "mountain" Roma, are concentrated in southern Poland, are more settled and modern, but are considered the poorest of the Roma communities. There are also small numbers of Kalderash, Lovari, Sasytka and Chaladytka Roma. The primary Roma groups in the Krakow District (where the majority of the Roma live) include the Andraszes of Tarnow, the Gabors of Limanowa/Nowy Sacz, and the Gils of Nowa Huta (Krakow). As reported in the Country Report on Human Rights Practices on Poland and Ref B, societal discrimination against Roma and problems with integration continued, but there were no reports in recent years of violence targeted against Roma. ¶4. (SBU) The media interviewed Adam Bartosz, the well-respected Director of the Tarnow Regional Museum and Roma Museum, in connection with International Roma Day. Bartosz highlighted the dichotomy of Polish public opinion regarding Roma as symbols of romanticism/freedom and thieves/misfits. Bartosz also spoke of cultural barriers to integration which affect "mountain" and "wandering" Roma in distinct but parallel ways. For example, although more settled, the "mountain" Roma do not traditionally value education, while the "wandering" Roma, for their part, are more traditional and girls who are married by the age of 14 or 15 do not attend school. Bartosz commented on the dual-sided nature of challenges, noting that expanding public school opportunities also expose the Roma children to possible harassment by Polish children. Bartosz opined that barriers to improving the Roma's situation in Poland come from both Polish stereotypes and Roma customs, and that the success of any initiatives depends upon taking the Roma cultural context into consideration. Mission Engagement -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Mission Poland maintains regular contact with the various Romani leaders and remains engaged in Roma affairs and supportive of Roma initiatives. Due to the cultural emphasis of clan and family membership, the Roma community does not have a unified national organization in Poland and suffers from divisions and disputes among the many groups and associations. Pol-Econ Krakow periodically meets with the Malopolska Governor's Plenipotentiary for Roma, the Tarnow Regional Museum and Roma Museum Director, and the Poland Roma Association Director. ConGen Krakow also monitors the implementation of special Polish government programs providing material assistance, establishing educational standards, and facilitating cultural activities for Roma populations, as well as any allegations of anti-Roma discrimination. The Embassy is engaged on Roma issues with various Roma associations as well as the Ministry of the Interior Office which administers the National Roma Program, the Prime Minister's Chancellery's Office for International Dialogue, and the International Organization of Migration (IOM). The Mission also maintains close contact with the OSCE/ODIHR Senior Advisor for Roma Issues, who is based out of Warsaw. ¶6. (SBU) Mission Poland participates in the major Roma events in WARSAW 00000383 002 OF 002 Poland throughout the year. In preparation for International Roma Day, the Embassy and Consulate Krakow pro-actively reached out to key contacts in the government, international organizations, and Roma associations throughout Poland. Most Roma activities will take place during the late-spring or summer, when the weather is more conducive to cultural events. Consulate Krakow regularly participates in the August 2 Roma Holocaust memorial events at Birkenau, perhaps Poland's most important symbolic annual Roma event. ASHE