Wednesday, 07 April 2010
Address by the President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Trajko Veljanoski on the Public Debate on “Faster Integration and Inclusion of the Roma Community ion the Republic of Macedonia”
Ladies and Gentlemen
Your Excellences,
Dear friends
Allow at the beginning to congratulate the International Roma Day to our citizens, members of the Roma Community, which, around the world is celebrated since 8th April 1971.
We are here to mark the International Roma Day but also to look back at what have we done and to see what needs to be done for the full integration of these citizens in every area of the society.
Distinguished friends
If we consider the constitutional and legal aspect, the Roma community is a constitutional category in Macedonia together with other ethnic communities, which means that it enjoys every individual and collective right which provides preservation and development of their national and lingual identity. Roma Community has its representative since the first mandate of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia; Mr. Amdi Bajram is representative of the Roma Community in the current mandate. Beside representatives in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, there are representatives of the Roma Community in the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, in the ministries and in other state institutions. Further more, speaking about their participation in the governance I would underline their participation in the local self governance and if I am not wrong Macedonia is the only European state with Romany as a mayor of municipality. I believe that Macedonia is one of the rare states with primary education in Roma language and the introduction of obligatory secondary education provided the young representatives of the Roma community to enrol in every area of the social life and to secure their better future.
We are witnessing that many Romany enrol and finish high education, as a result of the engagement of the state and foreign donations. Certainly the state has the biggest responsibility in the integration of the Roma community, but this process cannot happen overnight and the taboos and prejudices should be surpassed and this is a responsibility of every individual but also of the NGO sector.
Unfortunately these prejudice and stereotypes for the Romany still exist and we are witnesses that there is open intolerance towards the Roma community in Europe. I would like to remind that the situation of the Romany in Europe was point of debate in the Council of Europe and in the European Parliament and that the Decade of Roma Inclusion has been pronounced. Our state does not witness these kinds of problems, which on one hand presents the tolerance, which I believe is our centuries long tradition. This does not mean that as a state, as politicians and as citizens we should stop affirming the tolerance and unity, to affirm the solidarity, since helping our co-citizen we are helping ourselves.
Ladies and Gentlemen
As a candidate state for EU we have adopted a National Program for Full Integration of Roma Community, for improvement of their economic and social status. We are speaking about an inter-department program which includes many ministries and state institutions. As an Assembly, on one hand, through the scrutiny debates we can organize debates and we also have to adopt proper laws or amendments of the existing laws for more efficient implementation of this Program.
I believe that we will hear more on this Program from other participants.
I have mentioned the local self governance. I consider it to be the basic field of action where interests of our Roma citizens should be achieved, referring to the so called public policy, i.e. fulfilling the basic needs of normal and dignifying life. The law on Local self-Governance stipulates this issue, but, as I have said we need to fully implement the legal provisions. I think that we are making positive steps forward for the integration of the Romany in the Macedonian society. Perhaps these steps are not too big and still do not satisfy the needs of our citizens generally and this is why I would like to appeal to every authorised institution and to the local-self government units but also to the NGO sector to accomplish everything that was adopted by the National Strategy on Roma Community.
Dear friends
Ladies and Gentlemen
Roma means MAN in Romany language. I do not know any other community in the world whose name represents such universal category as man. Roots probably lie in their history but the fact that we, as humans, are equal before the laws, regardless if they are states’ or God’s laws. This is why, every human should be provided with equal opportunities for life, work and development.
Today, Roma community in the Republic of Macedonia through their culture, language and their national identity enriches and upgrades our multicultural and multiethnic community. In the same time they are loyal and conscientious citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. This is why they deserve conditions, created from the state, for preservation of their national and cultural identity and their true and full integration in the Republic of Macedonia.
Thank you.