Fighting racist and xenophobic manifestations, overcoming prejudice, and achieving real equality of opportunity can be ensured through education and culture, President Klaus Iohannis said in a message sent on Sunday on the occasion of Roma People Liberation Day.
"At a time when speech inciting to hatred, violence and intolerance are once again present in the public space, we have the duty to remain vigilant and not to allow human rights to be violated and the Roma people to be once again marginalized. I am convinced that the fight against racist and xenophobic manifestations, the overcoming of prejudice, as well as the achievement of real equality of opportunity can be ensured through education and culture. In 'Educated Romania', national minorities are valued, and the relations between people and authorities are based on dialogue and on the appreciation of diversity, the driving forces of Europe's progress", the head of state says.
He mentions that it is 166 years since the Roma community gained its freedom, and "the act of liberating the Roma in 1856 is the expression of the consensus of the political elites of that time on a major goal: Romania's adherence to Western humanistic values, through the inclusion of the Roma in the destiny and construction of the nation".
"Since then and until now, the Roma community has constantly contributed to the modernization of our country. The Roma minority has been present in the founding moments of Romania's history and has shared the difficulties, but also the ideals and hopes of our nation. The liberation of Roma offers a good example to stress our society's capacity to find its cohesion. The liberation of the Roma laid the foundation stone of the process of recovering the identity and memory of a community deeply tried by history. Today we evoke the memory of the victims of slavery, deportation, humiliation, deprivation and forced assimilation. (...) The Roma People Liberation Day is also a renewed opportunity to reflect on the set of values that formed the basis of the vision and action of the elites who fought, at the beginning of Romania's modernity, for the freedom and dignity of the Roma, as an inseparable part of national freedom and dignity. Let us capitalize on their efforts and continue to act in the same spirit of solidarity, responsibility and respect for our fellow human beings", transmits Klaus Iohannis.
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