International Romani Day or International Roma Day is annually observed across the globe on 8th April to celebrate the culture and heritage of Romani and to raise awareness of the issues facing Roma people.
- The day also focuses on the discrimination against the Roma communities across the globe and call for the human rights of all to be respected and observed.
The International Roma Day 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Romani Congress April 7 to 12 1971 in Chelsfield near London, England.
Background:
i.The International Romani Day was established during the 4th World Romani Congress of the International Romani Union(IRU) held in Serock, Poland in 1990.
ii.The first Romani Congress was held in 1971 in which a group of gypsies from around 28 countries met to discuss their present and future.
About Romani:
i.Romani or Gypsies were originally travelling court musicians, an ethnic group who originated from the parts of the northern Indian region.
ii.The Romani are dispersed across central, eastern and southern Europe and Western Asia(Turkey).
World Day of Romani Language:
In 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) proclaimed the 5th November of every year as the World Day of Romani Language to preserve the Romani language and culture.
About International Romani Union(IRU):
President- Normunds Rudevics
Headquarters– Riga, Latvia
