International Romani Union
Encyclopedia
Romani language
Romani or Romany, Gypsy or Gipsy is any of several languages of the Romani people. They are Indic, sometimes classified in the "Central" or "Northwestern" zone, and sometimes treated as a branch of their own....
: Romano Internacionalno Jekhetanipe ) is an organization active for the rights of the Romani people. Its seat is in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
The IRU was officially established at the second World Romani Congress
World Romani Congress
The World Romani Congress is a series of forums for discussion of issues relating to Roma people around the world. There have been seven World Romani Congresses to date...
in 1978. Its presidents have included Stanislav Stankiewicz, Emil Ščuka, and before him, Rajko Djuric who held this office for many years. The Spanish organisation Union Romani is affiliated with the International Romani Union.
Stated goals and objectives
- To be the political representation of all Romani people in the world (Roma, SintiSintiSinti or Sinta or Sinte is the name of a Romani or Gypsy population in Europe. Traditionally nomadic, today only a small percentage of the group remains unsettled...
, Lovara, Kederara, Xoraxane, Romungre, etc.), and to act in the best interests of the Romani nation.
- To develop the cultural traditions, customs and language of the Roma.
- To cooperate in solving the economic, social, cultural, educational, and humanitarian problems of the Roma in each of the individual countries in which they live.
- To serve as a centre for observing the activities of individual countries in achieving these goals.
- To enforce and strengthen regard for human rights and fundamental liberties for all irrespective of race, sex, language or religion.
Size, composition, representativeness
The members of the IRU are the following: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Brazil,Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine. Any Romani organization from the member countries may acquire membership in the IRU.The Congress of the IRU is composed of delegates from the individual member organizations, honorary members and other members. Each member country is represented by member of delegates corresponding to the total number of Romani inhabitants of respective countries.
Each member country of the IRU has one representative and one substitute in the Parliament.
Roma Virtual Network (RVN)
Roma Virtual Network is a public, non-partisan, non-profit grass-roots organization under the umbrella of ERIO and of IRU.It provides the international Romany community and friendly non-Romany organizations and individuals with useful information on Roma issues in a variety of languages via the Internet. Established on 19 July 1999, by Valery Novoselsky, member of IRU , it has been started as a private initiative and gained the recognition of national and international, governmental and non-governmental NGOs dealing with Roma issues, especially in Europe. It contains 32 electronic mailing lists in 15 languages with a total membership of over 22 000 e-mail addresses.
RVN aims to help the cooperation and exchange of information within Roma organizations and individuals, between Roma and non-Roma organizations and individuals and also between Roma NGOs and official institutions. It relates with the variety of Roma-related political, cultural, economic and social issues on local and international levels, aiming to support the improvement of the Roma situation in Europe and other regions of the world. It offers also on-line support, besides for IRU, also for various other Gypsy organizations, like Domari: The Society of Gypsies in Israel, RomNews Network and Unión Romaní.
Functions and working methods
The IRU functions through the following bodies: Congress, Parliament, Presidium, Court of Justice. The Congress approves the Programme and the long-term vision of the IRU. It makes recommendations with a view to supporting the participation of the Roma in individual countries in the fields of politics, economy, social affairs, culture, education, as well as facilitating the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties for all irrespective of race, sex, language or religion.The Parliament deals with the Reports of the situation of Romani populations in individual countries during its sessions. At its autumn session the Parliament discusses and approves the budget for the following calendar year. The Parliament defines the domestic as well as the international policy of the International Romani Union.
The Presidium is the executive body of the IRU and functions through commissions covering the following subjects: foreign policy, social and economic affairs, cultural and educational affairs, human rights, internal affairs, financial and budgetary matters, legal and legislative matters, issues relating to Central and Eastern Europe, issue relating to America, Asia and Australia. The Presidium may elaborate studies and reports of international Romani affairs in economic, social, cultural, educational and related areas or initiate elaboration of such reports as well as make recommendation in these areas to the IRU Parliament, the IRU President, individual countries and international organizations and institutions. The Presidium may make recommendations with the purpose of supporting respect fo human rights and fundamental liberties for all. They also create their own passports
The Court of Justice is a body of independent judges, elected irrespective of their membership in the IRU from amongst persons of high moral integrity. The Court supervises all the members and bodies of the IRU and their observance of this Charter.
History
In 1959, Ionel Rotaru founded The World Gypsy Community (CMG) in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. While members were mostly French, the organization made contacts in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and other countries. When the French government dissolved the CMG in 1965, a breakaway group formed the International Gypsy Committee (IGC) under the leadership of Vanko Rouda. When the 1971 World Romani Congress adopted the self-appellation of "Roma" rather than gypsy, the IGC was renamed the Komiteto Lumniako Romano (International Rom Committee or IRC), and Rouda was re-confirmed as president. The Committee became a member of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
the following year. The Committee was changed again at the 1978 World Romani Congress and given its present name. It was given consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council
United Nations Economic and Social Council
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
the following year. The Union became a registered NGO with UNICEF in 1986. In 1993, it was promoted to Category II, Special Consultative Status
Consultative Status
Consultative Status is a phrase whose use can be traced to the founding of the United Nations and is used within the UN community to refer to "Non-governmental organizations in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council." Also some international organizations could...
at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.