US administration greets Roma on 8 April, Romani flag up at the US Embassy in Prague
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Chargé d´affaires at the Embassy of the United States of America in Prague, Jennifer Bachus, sent greetings to Romani men and women on 8 April. “Today we are celebrating the rich heritage of the Romani community and recalling the suffering and discrimination against them that continues to persist. On International Roma Day we are asking all governments to uphold their international commitments and obligations in the field of human rights,” the Secretary of State said.
“We are proud to celebrate Roma cultural heritage, Roma language, and the efforts of the Romani people to become empowered and equal members of society in the Czech Republic and across the world,” said the Chargé d´affaires of the US Embassy to the Czech Republic in a video message disseminated through social media. “As as symbol of our support, we will fly the Romani flag in front of the embassy.”
Romani people worldwide mark International Roma Day on 8 April. This year marks 50 years since the important day on which the historic first-ever World Roma Congress was held in Orpington near London in 1971 in the United Kingdom.
That meeting laid the foundations for the international collaborations to come among Romani people and the movement attained an international sociopolitical dimension. On this day, Romani people annually commemorate their common culture, language and origin, their shared collaborations and unification, and above all their Romipen (“Romani-ness”).
