Prejudice, assaults, harassment, constant threats of expulsion from the country - many young Roma and Sinti people in Germany live under intense psychological pressure. Dealing with it is not easy.
"Many young people hide their identities because of the discrimination they have been exposed to," says Merdjan Jakupov, executive director of the Roma youth organization Amaro Drom (Our Way) from Berlin.
The image that most of society has about Roma is not simply to change. Many people's prejudices are deeply ingrained, and some media outlets even encourage it - consciously or unconsciously. "When something negative happens, everybody comes to report it.
Instead, fear and frustration arose. The uncertain future is a problem facing the Amaro Drom youth organization itself. The project has so far been funded by funds under the German government's Living Democracy program.
But to the surprise of the people of the association, their funds have been cut. So they had to cancel three permanent jobs. And one of the consequences is that such conferences will not be possible in the future, at least not in this form.
