At the 12th Congress of the IRU, which was held on April 4 and 5 in Skopje, Republic of S.Macedonia, the current President Zoran Dimov was elected as the President of the IRU again with a four-year term by the IRU delegates and members.

The following have been elected as IRU Vice Presidents: Stefano Kuzicov (Sweden), Attila Stojka (Hungary), Punita Singh (India, Asia), Elisa Costa (Brazil, America), and Vice Presidents for Australia and the Russian Federation Artur Kvik will also be appointed soon.

President of the IRU Parliament: Admir Ismanovski (Denmark), Secretary General: Ramush Muarem, Treasurer: Veli Husein (Croatia), Marja Eronen: Advisor to the IRU Cabinet

Gheorghe Raducanu (Romania) - IRU Special Advisor on Political Strategy

High Commissioner: Karina Daminovska (Denmark), Daniela Zamanova (Slovakia) - Deputy High Commissioner, Commissioners: Sumi Yusuke - language and culture, Lucica Tudor (Romania) for religion, Petar Šchuka (Czech Republic) - economy Richard Langstrom - Finland, deputy Commissioner for Economy Sebihan Demirovski (Macedonia) Social Affairs Andris Tertates - Latvia Deputy Commissioner for Social Affairs Kemal Vural Tarlan (Turkey) Commissioner for Human Rights Zuhal Gezichir (Turkey) Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights. IRU women and program implementation: Milka Pompova - Slovakia, Maria Elena Andrich - Chile, Tula Akerlund - Finland, Meleci Renja - Albania, Marja Erone - Finland, Daniela Zemanova - Slovakia

Honorary IRU Presidents: Tore Jarl Bielenberg - Norway and Rishi Verandra - India

An IRU Board will be formed (which members will be appointed at the next IRU Parliament) and an IRU obdusman will be appointed.

The organization of the days was really well managed, the varied program lasted from morning to late evening. Several panels were held during the days. Finnish participants were well taken into account in the program. We all felt good about the trip, we gained new international relations and enthusiasm to continue promoting the status of the Roma on our own. We also understood that Finland has a lot to offer on an international level. Tuula Åkerlund participated in the meeting as a representative of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health/ the National Advisory Board on Romani Affairs.

The journey to the 12th World Congress of the International Romani Union held in Skopje, North Macedonia, began on June 2. on the morning flight first to Frankfurt. There was a few hours of waiting and after that we continued on the next flight to Skopje and arrived in the afternoon. IRU President Zoran Dimov picked us up from the airport in his car and took us to the hotel. In the evening, there was an evening reception, where we got to know each other and shared greetings from the Roma of our country. We were also served a hearty dinner.

The next morning, local Roma delegates and representatives of different countries started coming to the hotel. IRU's extensive international network made a great impression on us. 29 IRU representatives from different countries and continents had come to the congress from abroad. The furthest ones were from Chile and India. It was interesting and satisfying to get to know Roma delegates from different countries and to hear about the situations and conditions of the Roma. There were 5 of us from Finland, Rikhard Långström (Timi) and Ramona Grönstrand from Kajaani, Henry Hedman from Launonen, Anette Åkerlund from Helsinki and me from Vantaa.

The status and life of the Roma in Finland interested the participants. We were interviewed by e.g. Roma journalists Veli Brijani and Adam Parno Szoppe, who work in Sweden at Radio Romano. We heard that Radio Romano makes a lot of programs also in the Romani language and the radio is listened to all over the world. Together with the Finnish participants, we dreamed that there would be a similar Roma radio in Finland. Communication should also be developed internationally, of course in the Romani language, but there would also be a need to make programs partly in English, so that we could get contacts and share information in international Romani networks. Today, we in Finland have many talented, educated Roma youth who speak many languages fluently. They could be inspired to join the activity.

The organization of the days was really well managed, the varied program lasted from morning to late evening. Several panels were held during the days. Finnish participants were well taken into account in the program. Everyone participated in the panels of their own field in English. Rikhard Långström participated in the entrepreneur panel, telling about his experiences in working life and his personal story as an entrepreneur in the construction industry. Henry Hedman and Anette Åkerlund participated in the Romani language, culture, history and religion panel. In his speech, Henry Hedman discussed the Finnish legislation that protects the right to develop and maintain the Romani language and culture. He also told how the teaching of the Romani language and culture is taken into account in institutions under the state administration. In her speech, Anette Åkerlund brought up the study opportunities in Romani language, history, culture and music taught at the University of Helsinki. In her speech, Anette also discussed Romani art and its importance in promoting culture. I myself participated in the panel, which discussed e.g. the rights and status of Roma women.

The IRU's vision and mission is ambitious; unites the world's Roma, informs and promotes their position. The International Romani Union is already extending its network to almost all continents. Henry Hedman was elected at the IRU meeting held at the end of the day as an advisor to IRU leader Zoran together with Finnish IRU delegate Marja Eronen. Ramona, Anette and the undersigned wanted to join international women's organization activities.

We Finnish representatives felt good about the trip, we gained new international relations and enthusiasm to continue promoting the status of the Roma on our own. We also understood that Finland has a lot to offer on an international level.

LINK: https://romani.fi/-/tuula-akerlundin-terveiset-irun-12.kongressista-pohjois-makedoniasta?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3wBvH6ivZAY_6P9D6nkeC9TrJ2PZRhQv6jdTwOjqBcYDHjvZ5NtHZj6tc_aem_AbYH0ZzJROwvYJMy-7kbomJD76NzOWfZXI7U8t5ZLjwvM9GS-n4Cr7teSh_pS3mDaa_E4O86-qTv9xGx4oSjhMb9

The International Romani Union – IRU's 12^th Congress demands that in all countries the Roma people must be included as actors and planners - in addition to our international influence work - at all levels nationally, regionally and locally. We are no longer content to be the targets of measures, and we can no longer be considered only as problem cases. We are no longer satisfied with the crumbs of well-being.

We, the Roma of the world, are active, equal, communal, enterprising and positive citizens. We want to be involved in developing society and influencing our own affairs. We want to cooperate with all partners and actors who sincerely improve the conditions of the Roma: We extend our open hands for cooperation.

In each country, a National Roma Policy and a concrete measureable Roma action program must be drawn up, in cooperation with Roma organizations and Roma, added with a comprehensive annual monitoring and reporting system: The Roma themselves and own Roma organizations give feedback on the national and regional and local level, about the impact on their own lives.

In the preparation of monitoring indicators, cooperation must be done with Eurostat and FRA, also taking into account the EU's strategic program for equality, inclusion and participation of Roma in different areas of life. The cross-cutting objectives of the National Roma Policy are equality, inclusion and participation, as well as the elimination of discrimination by tackling antigypsyism.

National Roma political programs and concrete action programs must promote the education, employment, housing and health of the Roma, and strengthen the social, linguistic and cultural rights of the Roma, according to uniform indicators that can be measured. One possibility to improve the employment of Roma is to set national minority quotas for the recruitment of public positions and give tax breaks to employers who hire Roma for permanent employment.

We believe in a world where Roma are respected and included in all aspects of society. We are focused and actively working to create sustainable change and improvement in societies for the integration, peace, well-being and equality of Roma in the world. Our mission is to achieve economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) for Roma, included the rights to adequate food, to adequate housing, to education, to work, to social security, to health, to take part in cultural life, and also to get clean water and sanitation.

IRU is also concerned and reacts to any violation of human rights with an emphasis on the Roma and the Roma community and directs a reaction to all countries with an emphasis on Norway and its government as well as some other Scandinavian countries due to illegal and illegal registration in special police or judicial registers intended only for Roma and the Roma community regardless of age and gender. It is a fundamental violation of basic human rights and its integrity, and is against all laws in their countries that are against discrimination.

We are proud of our own and valuable Romani culture. It is our duty to preserve Romanipen, our internal and external Romani culture. Internal Romanipen consists of Romani values (respect for elderly, solidarity, and Roma purity), attitudes, and the inner feeling of being Roma. External Romanipen includes not only the Romani language but also the observance of Romani customs in three different contexts: the family, the immediate family, and the wider social environment. Family values are very important to us. Young Roma people are our future and carriers of our mission for better life of Roma.

April 5, 2024 in Skopje

The 12^th Congress of the International Romani Union – IRU

Civic Institute - Mutual coexistence under the leadership of Amalia Pompova, who is also the President of the IRU Parliament, on May 31, 2024 in Poprad, in the Satel Hotel, an informal working meeting was held in which the President of the IRU, Zoran Dimov, participated.

The purpose of the informal working meeting was to name the real problems and cultural needs of the Roma minority in Slovakia and to exchange professional experiences attended by 20 participants from different regions of Slovakia, as well as from Prague, working in different areas - local self-government, education , social economy, social area, public administration, the informal working meeting was enriched by the president of IRU Zoran Dimov, who in his speech presented the international program of IRU, its structure and goals for the future.

At the same time, at this event, he awarded the official IRU Decrees to Amalija Pompova as the President of the IRU Parliament and to Julia Vesela, as Secretary General of the IRU Parliament, who were elected last month for the 12th Congress of the IRU in Skopje. This event is a great honor for Slovakia.

Otherwise, besides them, they also took part in this meeting: Amália Pompová, Julia Veselá, Ivan Mirga, Radko Tokár, Radoslav Gunár, Viktor Valk, Katarna Horváth, Benjamn Illéš, Štefan Mirga, Ivan Veselí, Petar Ščuka, Jana Ščuková, Jovan Bihari, Vladimir Putk, and others.

Concrete personal participation in solving specific problems of generational poverty, human rights, mutual coexistence with the majority and the overall development of the citizens of the Roma national minority in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The working group - Crisis Solutions Network in Slovakia was created to create model reform activities directly in the Roma settlements, because from the Roma settlements, some political parties created vote incubators with naive promises. Cooperation with the Government of Slovakia, with the individual Office of the Czech Government for Roma communities and with the Office of the Government of Slovakia for National Minorities is being prepared.