The delegation of the EU to BiH and the Special Representative of the EU to BIH, OSCE Mission to BiH and World Vision BiH is organizing in Sarajevo today a conference, whose goal is to mark World Roma Day.
There are between 10-12 million Roma people living in Europe today. Despite the progress that has been made in the last few years, Roma people continue to be victims of prejudice and social exclusion, according to statements from the Office of the EU delegation to BiH and the Special Representative of the EU to BiH.
On the day to mark the World Roma Day on 8 April, Roma and international institutions will again call for the integration of Roma communities.
In line with fulfilling the obligations of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the EU and member states emphasized that it would not accept economic and social marginalization of the biggest national minorities in Europe.
The conference would start with a performance by students from Poljice where World Vision BiH is implementing the project “Back to School: Second Chances for Children from Poljice”, after which there will be a performance by ballerina Dragana Seferović from the Bosnian National Theatre in Zenica.
Nazif Mujić, who won the best actor award at this year’s film festival in Berlin for his role in the film by Danis Tanović “Epizoda u životu berača željeza” will address the public, after which there will be a short documentary film on young Roma experts who work in the OSCE Misison to BiH. At the end of the official part of the program there will be a panel discussion on the topic “Life of Roma in BiH”.
Participants to the panel discussion will be the Head of the EU Delegation to BiH and Special Representative of the EU to BiH Peter Sorensen, Head of OSCE Mission to BIH Fletcher Burton, Ambassador of USA to BiH Patrick Moon, National Coordinator for Roma in BIH Hedina Sijerčić and the Health Program Manager of World Vision in BiH Maja Grujić.
The art exhibition of Roma children from Poljice will be organized at the end of the program.
The conference will be held in Art Kino Kriterion beginning at 13:45.