Autor: wojtek

Mapa_2023-12-22_01

Photo published by courtesy of Dikh He Na Bister – Roma Genocide Remembrance https://www.facebook.com/DikhHeNaBister

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Elżbieta Mirga-Wójtowicz

Dikh He Na Bister – young Europeans commemorate the Roma Genocide during the Second World War

A few months ago, another edition, this time the 13th, of the Dikh He na Bister (Look and don’t forget) project, the only youth project in Europe dedicated to the Genocide of the Roma during the Second World War, came to an end. Dikh He na Bister is an initiative of the International Roma Youth Network ternYpe (youth – Romani language)¹, which has been the main organiser of the event since 2010.

TernYpe, the initiator and organiser of the project, has been commemorating 2 August, the day of remembrance of the Roma Genocide, with its partners since 2010 by organising large meetings² of young Roma and non-Roma in Cracow and Oświęcim. The meetings are dedicated to young people and focus on education about the history of the Roma during the Second World War, the history of resistance, activism and mobilisation. The initiative aims to raise awareness among young Europeans, NGOs, state actors and institutions about the extermination of Roma during the Second World War. It is an opportunity to discuss the current challenges and experiences of racism, hate speech and rising extremism in Europe. An important element of the meetings are workshops, discussions about anti-Gypsyism, discrimination, extremism and populism faced in Europe today. By strengthening cooperation between Roma and non-Roma youth and youth organisations, the initiative shapes collective historical memory, awareness and respect for human rights. The initiative strengthens young Europeans’ awareness of their causal role and responsibility within their communities and the need to build civil society.

A key component of the project is the visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, the organisation of the so-called Roma Youth commemoration at Crematorium V, participation in the memorial ceremony at the monument of the murdered Roma, as well as meetings with the few remaining Witnesses – Roma survivors of the Holocaust. For ternYpe – an international network of young Roma, the Roma genocide is one of the flagship projects and areas of attention. The merits of the project’s content and its growing reach have been recognised by the European institutions, selecting it as one of 27 national projects in the European Charlemagne Youth Prize competition in 2011.

It should be noted that Poland was the first in Europe to officially recognise 2 August as the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust of Roma and Sinti, which was established by a resolution of the Polish Parliament (Sejm) on 29 July 2011.³ This day commemorates the so-called liquidation action of the “Gypsy camp” in Auschwitz-Birkenau, when during one night from 2 to 3 August 1944, the surviving inmates – more than 4,000 women, children and men of Roma origin – were murdered. As a tribute to the Roma and Sinti, victims of German Nazi genocide, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland establishes 2 August as the Day of Remembrance for the Genocide of the Roma and Sinti – this is the text of the resolution adopted by Sejm – the Parliament of the Republic of Poland.

The Roma and Sinti started to fight for remembrance, for recognition of their extermination and for the popularisation of the memory of the Roma as victims of the Second World War rather late, because only since the 1970s. Since the beginning of the 1990s, ceremonies commemorating the extermination of the Roma and Sinti at the site of the German Auschwitz-Birkenau camp were organised on 2 August by Roma and Sinti associations from Poland and Germany. However, they were not official commemorations, although they were financially supported by the Polish authorities and representatives of the authorities took part in them.

The establishment of 2 August as the official Day of Remembrance for the Genocide of the Roma by a resolution of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland was a historic event and an important element in the gradual restoration of Europeans’ collective memory of the so-called Forgotten Holocaust – the extermination of Roma and Sinti. On 2 February 2011, a week after the Holocaust commemoration, the European Parliament commemorated the Roma Genocide through a special debate in plenary. In his speech, Jerzy Buzek, the President of the Parliament, stressed that only a few countries had officially recognised the Roma Genocide. The European Parliament officially declared 2 August as the European Day of Remembrance for the Murdered Roma and Sinti only in 2015.⁴ In the following years, countries such as Germany, Austria, Croatia, Lithuania, Canada and Hungary also joined in support of this initiative.

While the Dikh He Na Bister initiative has received recognition from the European institutions, the individual actions taken by young Europeans are equally important. Awareness of their role and responsibility towards the community and the building of civil society are key aspects supported by this project.

The long-term goals of the Dikh He Na Bister project include ongoing research and scholarly discussions on identifying extermination places, documenting and commemorating memorial areas. Particular attention is paid to the involvement of young Roma in continuously expanding their historical awareness and stimulating their activity in their communities. In many countries, these young people, who have been participants in the Dikh He Na Bister project for many years, are the initiators and originators of local projects documenting and commemorating the Roma Genocide, filling in and bridging gaps in local histories and building Roma heritage.⁵

Despite progress, the process of commemorating the Roma Genocide remains open. In the face of contemporary socio-political challenges, such as the conflict in Ukraine, there are many aspects that need further work and attention. However, the Dikh He Na Bister initiative clearly shows that the Romani’ past during World War II is becoming increasingly recognised and respected, which is an important step towards building a more complete and fair history.

The Dikh He Na Bister project clearly demonstrates that there is now recognition of the Roma extermination, also called the Roma Genocide, the Roma Holocaust, Porajmos, Samudaripen, during the Second World War as a historical fact. This recognition is reflected in the decisions of important national and international institutions, which are willing to fund and support various initiatives related to this topic. Continuous research and scholarly discussions on the identification of extermination and murder sites are taking place, and more memorial areas are being documented, marked and commemorated. Many activities are directed towards young Roma, who, like others, should know their history, be inspired and empowered by it and be involved in the development of their communities. Nevertheless, this does not mean that all aspects of Roma extermination commemoration have already been accomplished. It is a long-term process, started decades ago by the Roma themselves, especially the German Sinti, and all the more so given the current socio-political situation, linked, among other things, to the war in Ukraine, much remains to be done.

 

 

We’re meeting with Tadeusz Bosman Krzyżanowski in Warsaw in a restaurant with Middle Eastern food, meat rather than vegetarian. I’ve known Bosman and his family for many years, so we will address each other by name.

– Where does your lineage come from, Bosman?

– On my father’s side we are Łomźiniaki Polish Roma. Great-grandmother came from near Łomża, we no longer know exactly from where, but one of the towns there, maybe a large village, was their permanent wintering place. My father’s sister went there years later and the locals remembered great-grandmother. Old history, pre-war. Then the Germans killed most of my family. Great-grandmother and her brothers, luckily for them, were out of the village on some kind of trade or food search. When they came back, everyone who stayed behind was already dead.

After the war, like most of the Łomża people, they wandered in tabors through Pomerania, Kuyavia, northern Mazovia, and when forced settlement came in the mid 1960s, my great-grandfather Tońko Wajs (brother of Dyźek Wajs – Papusza’s husband) and many other related families settled in Bydgoszcz – in Łęgnowo. There they have always stationed their caravan at the perfect spring and there they have stayed and built a home. My grandmother on my mother’s side was from the Pawłowski family from Żywiec, and her husband, my grandfather, came from the Roma Sanocki family – the Galicians.

In Łęgnów they all lived together, the great-grandparents and their children’s families, side by side, in barracks and small houses that they built themselves. They ran the farm. There were horses, cows, pigs – for themselves and for sale – they had to live off something. And that’s where all the children went to school. I was already the third generation in Łęgnów’s school.

– How do you recall that time, what was school like for you and your parents?

– The teachers had a knack for “educational work”. They had known and practised on our fathers, uncles, aunts and cousins before, so it wasn’t easy for us either. The way I look at it today, with the experience of a modern school and our work as Roma assistants, it was simply racism, discrimination, almost bullying. No one gave us any chances. “There’s nothing to be made of these Gypsies”, “like father, like son”, we were given “E’s” for just anything, we were beaten on the hands with a ruler. Nobody cared whether I learned anything or not. Whether or not I would pass the next class. So I didn’t pass, I got bullied and quickly lost the will to learn. But to be fair, my Polish and geography teachers were fair and good and I remember them well.

Also, the work at home, on the farm, did not help much with my studies. I saw less and less of that school. There were more important things to do – the animals had to be groomed, the haymaking had to be done – and I was no longer at school. Backlogs, failed classes, notebooks not filled in. It started to get really unpleasant – my brother was in the same situation. Attempts were made to humiliate us, punish us, and complain to our parents. Of course, not only was there no improvement, but we were even more fierce about not giving in to that school and I spent three consecutive years in the fourth grade. Not only not to give in to the school, but also to my classmates – the older ones, for whom a Gypsy kid is always a welcome target for jokes. It was not easy for them to joke about us, our fists had to be hard. In general, relations with non-Roma children were either frail or bad – we were separate and excluded from sincere friendships.

In the end, my brother and I were given exams to test our level of knowledge and intellectual ability. And out of spite and for a joke, we filled them out deliberately as badly as possible – apart from educationally, we were really very behind. It couldn’t have ended well for us. My father got really angry and gave my brother and I an ultimatum – will you study? No. Then you’ll go to a detention centre. So we’ll go!

I was fourteen and I was already being treated almost like an adult, I was responsible for my words. And you know how it is with the Roma – when you said it, you had it. And one fine day my father drove us off to an institution in Mogilno, a hundred kilometres from Bydgoszcz.

The first months were like being in a prison. A regime, an almost prison-like discipline. I spent two years there, my brother a year. On the one hand a disaster, a nightmare. But there not only I matured, grew up, but also got out of trouble, got back on track. It was the best thing that could have happened to me then. Not that the discipline helped me, but I met decent people who really took care of me – tutors and teachers who not only didn’t let me go, me – a rascal and an ignorant, thinking I wouldn’t make anything of me anymore, but demanded, pushed and helped! I really came across good people.

– And peers, colleagues?

– Again, there weren’t any close relationships, but also because many of the pupils were kids with different disabilities. It was a different kind of experience, very important for me today, when I work in a school myself, with children and I see what deficiencies they have, what they need, how to recognise what they are good at, how to get through to them, what motivates them – this facility is a school of life.

– How did the story end?

– I took the plunge. I finished fourth grade, did fifth and sixth the following year and at the beginning of seventh grade I announced to the teachers that I was going to say goodbye to the school, that I wouldn’t be coming back – they thought I was joking. On my own, without letting anyone know, I arranged with the superintendent to transfer during the school year to a school in Bydgoszcz. I wanted to go to a boarding school, but there was no possibility of finishing seventh grade there. And so I ended up at a school on Fordońska Street – again happy and again with wonderful teachers and a wise headmaster. At the end of eighth grade, as we said goodbye, we all cried. But before I finished it, I was already working. Uncle Góral had a thriving service business – tinning food equipment. For a year I lived and worked with my uncle without leaving school. An old Roma profession – we earned well – bakeries, meat factories, pastry shops – we bleached boilers, food utensils, hooks in shops and meat factories etc. with tin. At the same time, I was going to school, all my absences were excused, I was catching up, I really wanted to finish this school. It was a special school with well-educated educators and teachers. And they were already well prepared at that time, in the early 1980s, to work with kids with different problems, with different histories, sometimes very difficult. And with the Roma student – they knew that you had to work a little differently, even though I was the first and only one there. Great school, great teachers. I still keep in touch with some of them to this day.

– You finished primary school and then what?

– And I enrolled in a vocational school, first as a carpenter, but then I switched to horticulture. I haven’t studied much gardening, because my uncle from Leszno, my mother’s brother, came and said: drop out of school, let’s go into trade. So we did – antiques, recovering gold from gold-plated watches – we did very well. I was 16, 17 years old and already leading an adult life. I met Marlena and got married. To a Polish woman. The family was a bit disappointed, but after 30 years of living an honest life together, we have their respect. We were already entering the 1990s as a family and trading together. We lived very well, but it was a life on the road – constant trips, camping, but also more and more resentment, anger from people, accusations of theft, you know yourself how our neighbours can get on us. It was a bit too much for us.

– Hence the idea for the Association, the social activities?

– It coincided. My brother was living in Kłodzko and we found out that there was a Roma association there, and they help people with renovations, school kits and things like that. Vaguely someone said something, didn’t quite know. But we got in touch with the Lower Silesian Governor’s Plenipotentiary for National Minorities, Małgorzata Milewska, and she sent us a template of the documents needed to register the association and information about the government programme for the Roma community. That was 2005. We went around the Bydgoszcz elders to explain everything, get their approval and we established the association in Bydgoszcz. Bogdan Zieliński, one of the Roma elders, became the first chairman, I was still too young then.

– And why did you need the Association?

– I believed it was possible to help the community, like elsewhere where a government programme was already in operation. I had money from the trade and I thought it wouldn’t be a big problem for me. At the time I was still thinking very naively. We started with a small project to buy textbooks and school aids for Roma students – books, notebooks, backpacks, pencil cases, crayons. We then had to turn up at each family and collect a confirmation that these aids had reached them. The following year, the children themselves called us, came and asked if there would be notebooks, pencils. Well, you can’t go back and tell them no – there won’t be. They’ve already got you!

– How many of these children were there?

– A whole bunch in Bydgoszcz, but in schools 20, 30 pupils at most – less than half – the rest at home, with their parents on trade trips, but not at school. At the time, the city wasn’t very interested in this not insignificant group of children either. Even though they were included in the compulsory schooling documents somewhere, the school never saw them and didn’t particularly miss them.

– What can be done, what should be done in such a situation?

– I had no idea, how was I supposed to know that? But then I ended up in Warsaw for a training course on preparing and implementing projects for the Roma community, and there, among other things, I heard for the first time about Roma education assistants. It intrigued me so much that I felt, and in a moment knew for sure, that this is what we need in Bydgoszcz. Two years later, after training, getting into the topic, the issues, I was already an assistant. And in another couple of years there were three of us. But before that, it was crucial to activate an increased educational subsidy for schools organising an extra educational task for Roma pupils. A mechanism that, if it works well (it’s not so obvious in all cities), makes it possible to really provide solid support for these essential activities for Roma children, to provide them with a variety of help. It also makes it possible to employ Roma assistants on permanent contracts. In Bydgoszcz we have managed, together with school principals, teachers and the Education Department of the City Hall, to set up this mechanism almost as a good model.

– And on a day-to-day basis, what does this work involve?

– We act kind of as advocates for special tasks – mediator, liaison officer, rescuer, peacemaker, firefighter. We have to see, to keep an eye on anything that might ignite at the interface between the Roma home, the parents, the children, the other pupils (also non-Roma), the teachers, the educators, and finally the municipal administration. We are always on the side of the Roma pupils, that is the basis, it is for them that we are at school. And that sometimes means that we have to explain to them and their parents that the school is right. That what is sometimes considered to be an injustice or a dislike for this pupil is simply a necessary requirement, a necessity that is the same for all pupils. On the other hand, teachers, educators also learn from us the reasons for some troubles, thanks to us they can understand some situations or behaviours related to traditions and family obligations.

– It’s been almost 20 years of you being in Bydgoszcz schools, do you see any change?

– First of all, the attendance rate. We used to have less than 40% of children in schools, now it is 95%. School has become something ordinary for pupils and their parents, no longer threatening and sometimes even helpful. Those parents who still go out to trade leave their children in the care of the school and assistants without much concern. In exceptional cases due to tradition and the need to organise the care of their growing daughters, it has also happened that the female assistants have been the ones to provide this direct care, guaranteeing their safety. This all works for trust and attendance success.

At this point in our conversation, a young man rose from a neighbouring table to apologise for interrupting, but he had been listening to our conversation for a while and wanted to thank Bosman for his work and congratulate him on this change in the school he was describing. He himself comes from Lipno and in the first grade of primary school he sat on a bench with a student nearly 10 years older – Roma. Despite the age difference, they were good friends and still have a warm relationship today.

– As you can see, your school history was not entirely unusual.

– Unfortunately, I have the impression that it was the standard for my generation and those before.

– Let’s go back to modern day school. What is the biggest problem today?

– We have more and more work with students with special education certificates, individual teaching, these less obvious cases, which are more numerous than even ten or five years ago, and require observing procedures, deadlines, examinations. Although we have almost all of Bydgoszcz’s children in education, their attendance is still below average. Business trading trips, weddings, funerals, sick family – the obligation to be present, to be with the family in such situations, means missing sometimes several days. Although the average academic performance does not differ from the average of other students in the schools, these disappearances, absences certainly do not help learning. We do, however, organise a large amount of extra teaching, which goes a long way to bridging these gaps.

– And how does the recruitment process for secondary schools look like? Is there an increase in the number of Roma students in such schools and then in university?

– The number is increasing, of course. It must be the case. Most young people and parents realise that primary school is no longer enough. That the trade and those professions that allowed us full independence from the non-Roma system are coming to an end. Roma are increasingly looking for jobs in professions that require schools. So we have students in vocational schools, technical schools, and also in high schools. There are already Roma at university too. But you can see that it is easier for children from mixed families, where this experience of learning has been in the families before. There are students who are very talented, also athletically. We had some such young athletes already on the national scene, but early marriages, family responsibilities, do not help them develop their careers.

– How do you see your future in this profession? Do you have successors?

– Assistants are still needed and will still be needed. In Bydgoszcz, but especially in those places where sometimes in one school there is a large group, several dozen Roma children, and one or two assistants at the most. There are serious problems there! Roma children everywhere will have a difficult time in school – we have to stand behind them, they need to know they can count on us. I don’t see any successors yet. I know that a similar concern is expressed by other assistants. It’s hard work, not necessarily well paid, requiring constant exposure to trouble whether at school or in Roma homes. Only to be envied (laughs).

– Tell us about the horses, then.

– It’s been a dream for years. Horses were always a Roma thing. We had horses, we would buy them, sell them, talk about horses. I grew up with horses and I was able to realise my dream of having them. Special programmes helped me to do it – I have Sokolski horses, a breed of Polish cold-blooded horses, whose breeding is supported by the state. Today I have three fillies and three foals, and before that we also had stallions. Ultimately, for this breeding to be financially stable, there should be at least 10 fillies. But for now we don’t have the conditions, a big enough parcel of land, pasture – a difficult thing, especially in the last two or three years, when everything has become terribly expensive, from veterinary care to hay. So we’ll have to cut down on the breeding still and maybe start offering other kinds of services too – recreation, hippotherapy or rides on a stock wagon. We will see!

Interviewed by Andrzej Grzymała-Kazłowski

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“We talk about ourselves, not someone else who just sees us from the sidelines. That is the re-enchanting of the world”. On the exhibition “Re-enchanting the World” by Małgorzata Mirga-Tas.

“Travelling Images”¹ – This is the title of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas’s works, which are being shown all over Europe in a ‘wandering’ way. After her participation in the Venice Biennale, the artist is not slowing down, her works are still being shown in prestigious galleries in Ferrara, Berlin, Gothenburg, Marseille, Seville and elsewhere. It is a tradition that the exhibition shown in the Polish Pavilion in Venice the following year is presented in the most famous art gallery in Poland – Zachęta – the National Gallery of Art. The exhibition “Re-enchanting the World” was open to visitors from 29 April to 23 July 2023. Art connoisseurs, as well as ordinary Varsovians and visitors, had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the artistic vision of the Roma world created by the artist. A world very different from the one known in traditional messages contained in publications, newspaper reports or other works of art, where the Roma personify the exotic ‘other’, the ‘stranger’, someone arousing anxiety and fear, someone we fear and therefore reflexively exclude. This essay is an attempt to outline the impact of artistic practices on socio-political mobilisation, and on changing the image of the Roma in Poland and internationally.

Roma artistic activity is increasingly seen and read through the prism of decolonisation – that is, in general, a reversal of the so far unequal power relations, and an attempt to speak for themselves with their own voice and thus construct political demands regarding the social, political and cultural situation and position of Roma in the countries of which they are citizens. Roma artists and their artistic practices are slowly but steadily rising in the public consciousness above the previous and stereotypical images of Roma created by non-Roma. However, their presence in the art world and this position was the result of many years of struggle. The relentless reproduction in art of the image of Roma as inferior and subordinate is also widely normalised, and the change in narrative is not infrequently met with opposition. Timea Junghaus (2014, 2015), among others, writes about the difficulty Roma artists had in building their position, especially in the second half of the 20th century, also emphasising the importance of the changes taking place in e.g. Central and Eastern Europe, and the role of the new Roma intelligentsia in this process. Her analysis was critical of the way in which knowledge about Roma is produced, both in the social sciences and in culture and art. But in this perception, it is art that is the field where symbolic violence of a particular kind takes place. The epistemological and, at the same time, physical colonisation of the Roma by majority societies consisted in creating images, images of Roma bodies in a specific way, in a spirit of subordination and inferiority, which ultimately meant dehumanisation, slavery and extermination. It took decades of work and efforts by various actors before we could speak of a positive paradigm shift in this field. It has been a difficult road.

This transformation, contestation of established power relations and mobility are the foundations of Roma mobilisation, taking various forms: political, ethnic, national, as well as artistic. Together they shape a process that Nicolae Gheorghe (1997), a Roma activist and intellectual, calls ethnogenesis. This means the empowerment of Roma communities and their taking a respected place in the social space. Art has accompanied this process from the very beginning. During the First Roma Congress, held more than 50 years ago in 1971, one of the important topics of discussion was the introduction of Roma symbols, such as the flag and the anthem. Issues related to Roma art also seem to be central to the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture², which was recently established.

The 2007 Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art saw the inauguration of the First Roma Pavilion, also known as the first conscious rebellion of the subaltern (Junghaus 2014, 34), which gained unquestionable publicity and provoked serious discussion on the subject. For this reason, it is worth noting that, despite appearances to the contrary, Roma art and politics have much in common. In both cases, one can see the minority’s desire for self-expression and representation through a medium controlled by the social majority. This medium, however, has previously reproduced discriminatory and harmful images of Roma, spreading a false, stereotypical image of this community. Both the Roma political and artistic movements are thus not only a sign of social change among the Roma, but also an expression of their desire to leave the place assigned to them by the majority and to enter into dialogue with it on an equal footing, while challenging its exclusive powers to control the minority and to shape the discourse on the minority.

For many years, however, there was no institution that cared about the cultural heritage of the Roma and its development, about the political and cultural recognition of the contribution of Roma communities to cultural development, either at national or pan-European level. The Roma themselves were deprived of the protection of this cultural resource, which would not be processed by non-Roma. There was no space for both cultural production, the stimulation of creativity and the interpretation of their culture. And this is not just about politics in the cultural arena, but about the status of minorities and the protection of cultural diversity as the foundation of democratic societies. Cultural and political recognition of minorities is an essential process for building cohesive societies built on multiculturalism, especially in the context of Central and Eastern Europe (cf. Junghaus 2014).

Recent years have seen a great acceleration in this respect in the field of art. Not only has an institution been set up to provide support and patronage for Roma art, but a Roma artist has also represented the Polish National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2022. The institution in question is the aforementioned European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC), a supranational European organisation based in Berlin. As a joint initiative of the Council of Europe, the Open Society Foundations and an initiative of Roma leaders (Alliance for a European Roma Institute of Arts and Culture), ERIAC is intended to educate and inform non-Roma about Roma art and culture, and to help foster understanding, tolerance and mutual respect between Roma and non-Roma communities. Above all, ERIAC aims to be a space for Roma artists and an institution that cares for Roma cultural heritage. The aim is to raise awareness among European institutions, policy makers and stakeholders about the role of Roma arts and culture, and to build broad partnerships across Europe (and beyond) in support of Roma communities.

Małgorzata Mirga-Tas’s art carries a powerful charge of demythologising and deconstructing the previous treatment of Roma culture and communities. It combines ancient history but also a contemporary message. In the 127-year history of the Venice Art Biennale, this is the first time that a representative of the Roma community has represented the national pavilion. The very title of the exhibition, “Re-enchanting the World”, made direct reference to the history of the Roma in Europe and Poland. History was not only reconstructed here, but reformulated, redefined and re-read.

“Re-enchanting the World” is the artist’s contemporary manifesto on Roma history, identity and art, drawing inspiration from Renaissance astrological frescoes from the Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara. The Polish Pavilion in Venice was transformed into a ‘palace of paintings’, with an installation of twelve large-format fabrics, corresponding to the twelve months of the calendar. “We are talking about ourselves, not someone else who just sees us from the sidelines. This is the re-echanting of the world,” says Małgorzata Mirga-Tas in a video that prepares viewers for what the viewer will encounter at the exhibition (Zakrzewska, 2023). The title of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas’s exhibition, “Re-enchanting the World”, was inspired by and comes from Silvia Federici’s book “Re-enchanting the World: Feminism and the Politics of the Commons” (2018). The artist, together with the curators of the exhibition (Joanna Warsza and Wojciech Szymański), performs a re-appropriation, proposing a re-enchantment of the world as a way of reclaiming proactivity and community, as well as reviving and rebuilding relationships with the ‘other’ in the broadest sense. The exhibition is based on the idea of transnationality, cyclicality and shows the interpenetration of mutual influences between Roma, Polish and European culture.

The exhibition is an ambitious attempt to expand the narrative and history of art to include representations of the culture of the Roma, Europe’s largest transnational minority and community. The exhibition consists of twelve large-format textiles, corresponding to the twelve months of the calendar. Each panel consists of three horizontal strips:

• The upper strip depicts the story of the mythical migration and arrival of Roma communities in Europe, based on a series of 17th-century prints by the Lorraine engraver Jacques Callot. These representations, full of anti-Roma stereotypes, are decolonised by the artist through their reinterpretation in a colourful setting. The large-scale collages she has created reveal the rich world of Roma past and mythology.
• The central strip is an affective archive of herstory, in which portraits of Roma women and men important to Małgorzata Mirga-Tas are intertwined with astrology. We find important figures from the world of politics, the arts, the Roma movement, but also members of Małgorzata’s family and friends. This non-violent emancipatory process, in which women from the past and contemporary icons play an important role, as well as everyday heroines, ordinary mothers, wives, aunts, workers or activists, changes and gives meaning to a new image of the Roma through the eyes of their representative.
• The lower strip illustrates everyday life in her hometown Czarna Góra and other Roma settlements in Podhale and Spisz, previously collected in photographic frames and transformed by Małgorzata into fabric. These fragments of the exhibition are particularly close to me, for me it is a kind of family album.

Małgorzata Mirga-Tas’s work responds to centuries of violence against the Roma in art, but also in science, where symbolic violence is particularly prominent. The Roma have been an object in art, a subject of study, but rarely an entity. The examples of the slavery of the Roma in what is now Romania or the Roma Holocaust clearly show that their predetermined negative image and perception placed them on the margins of societies, in the role of scapegoats. Stereotypes and prejudices perpetuated in art and science, and thus in popular knowledge, served to legitimise exclusionary, colonising and violent policies towards the Roma, which, as history has shown, resulted in extermination and genocide. Małgorzata’s work is about conscious resistance, active action, and changing the narrative through the means of expression that are closest to her. In Małgorzata Mirga-Tas’s works, the reappropriation of colonial images of Roma, produced by non-Roma, is a very literal gesture of becoming anew, of producing an image that is authentic, not processed by an external gaze. Here, too, the power and truly revolutionary potential of art is clearly visible, but this time in the creation of a different image of the Roma.

As I was writing this, a very special event took place, namely, Małgorzata Mirga-Tas was selected as the winner of the prestigious Tajsa Roma Cultural Heritage Prize 2023. The Tajsa Prize embodies the exceptional talent and creativity of Roma artists from around the world by honouring those who have distinguished themselves in various fields of art and culture. The Tajsa Prize 2023 ceremony took place at the esteemed Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin on 30 November 2023, where Małgorzata Mirga-Tas was recognised for her exceptional contribution to Roma cultural heritage, in recognition of her outstanding achievements in promoting Roma cultural expression and challenging social norms. Importantly, the award is funded entirely by the membership fees of the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture in Berlin.³

Elżbieta Mirga-Wójtowicz

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Bibliography:

– Junghaus, Tímea (2015) Opposition is Not Enough. The Role of Roma Art in the contemporary constellation, in Romológia, III/8., Spring.

– Junghaus, Tímea (2014) Roma art: Theory and practice. Acta Ethnographica Hungarica 59, no. 1. 25-42.

– Hasdeu, I. (2008). Imagining the Gypsy woman: Representations of Roma in Romanian museums. Third Text, 22(3), 347-357.

– Gheorghe, Nicolae (1997) The Social Construction of Romani Identity. In: Thomas Acton (ed.), Gypsy Politics and Traveller Identity. Hatfield: University of Hertfordshire Press, 157-158.

Worth reading:

– “Małgorzata Mirga-Tas. Re-enchanting the World” ed. W. Szymański, J. Warsza. National Gallery of Art, Archive Books, ERIAC, Warsaw and Berlin, 2022.

– Travelling Images. Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, ed. W. Szymański, N. Żak. Exhibition Catalogue, International Cultural Centre, Cracow 2022.

– European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture, ERIAC: http://eriac.org/

– Timea Junghaus (ed. 2006). Meet Your Neighbours – Contemporary Roma Art from Europe. Open Society Institute.

Video:

Re-enchanting. Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, directed by Anna Zakrzewska. Production: Kijora Film, Zachęta – National Gallery of Art, 2022.

The music I grew up in…

The question that often accompanies me is when did it all start?

There is no specific date for the birth of music in me. In fact, it was born alongside me. The music of my family, my parents, uncles, cousins and brothers has surrounded me since I was a child.

The music of my ancestors, who wandered around the world in search of happiness and bread.

How did they find said happiness?

The forest people, as we call ourselves, are able to notice the smallest aspects of beauty and joy only familiar to us. It is an intuition they acquired during their endless travels, often around places and good people. Good people who gave them understanding and heart, because they knew perfectly well the taste of the desired bread. They were able to find happiness in what they got, in the gifts of everyday life, and to see the joys that they meticulously gathered like crumbs into a basket of happiness.

The beauty of this world and nature has always been their endless inspiration. The woods full of whispers known only to them, the morning dew that washed the feet of the children, full of joy because the sun had risen. It didn’t matter that they were hungry, they looked with hope in their hearts for the return of their mother and grandmother, who had already gone to the village at dawn for fortune-telling, to fetch the proverbial piece of bread.

Beautiful horses, caravans, feathers, whip, hat and feasting together are all found in songs, dance and stories by the fire.

Forest people can sing everything – love, beauty, pain, tears, joy and fear. In other words, all the emotions that accompanied them every day from dawn to sunset. This is how they are able to talk about life, about worries, troubles, the joy of being together, dreams of a world where there are no tears, where people are free from worries.

Roma’s philosophy is beautifully simple – what is important is today, what is here and now. No one really knows tomorrow or what the next day will bring. But as long as the sun wakes up the day, there is hope for another better tomorrow.

Roma are born, live and die in a beautiful, unique world of magical, musical life stories. The phenomenon of our culture and traditions is that they are passed on from generation to generation, one could say unknowingly – no one particularly thinks or dwells on it. It just happens – because what matters is the here and now.

The colour of the world of Romani music is rich in a variety of shades arising, for example, from the places in which it is created and from where it flows.

Considering the music of Polish Roma, it is already worth pointing out the difference between southern, northern, eastern and central Poland.

The Roma people in the mountains play music with influences of Hungarian and Romanian notes. This is altogether natural, because that’s where they came from, they grew up in that culture. Playing for a profit, for non-Roma, you can often hear Hungarian czardas or Romanian lautari (fiddle) music there.

Of course, the Roma in the south also have their own ethnic music, which is completely different from the music they play outside for money. Even the instruments they use in their music are surprisingly different. For example, clay pots/pots or cans for milk used as drum instruments. This is music characterised by a specific rhythm and vocalisation. This is the kind of music they play for themselves, and they do it really thrillingly well.

North and West in the Romani sound, it’s a music with a Polish touch, that is – extremely tuneful violins and harps, as well as melodious accordions or catchy guitars, so characteristic of the Polish Roma.

On the other hand, as far as the eastern wall is concerned, it is difficult to ignore the historical aspect here, which has had a huge impact on the character of the work of the Roma from the east. It is a completely different musical composition, a different dance (“Serbian”, “Moldavian”) and different romances and stories. These differences are a direct result of the aforementioned historical aspect, namely the change of borders of the Polish state. It can be said that our Roma ancestors always wandered to live simply in Poland and thus brought with them all the musical heritage of other lands, other cultures.

The centre of Poland is already a truly colourful musical workshop of the Roma. We have all the genres of our heritage here. Here we find folklore bands involving the best people of music, songs and dance from all over Poland. That is why it is so easy to find here hints of music-making from the south, namely the aforementioned string instruments and dulcimer, often in the excellent company of accordion, harp and guitar, which in turn are so characteristic of the west and north, and all this beautifully clothed in a hint of eastern stories, dance and romance.

It is impossible to mention all the bands and musical groups, but the “Roma” band and the wonderful soloist, Randia, cannot be left out. They are certainly the showpiece, the inspiration and the absolute foundation of Roma musicians. Their work has had and continues to have a huge impact on the development of Roma music in central Poland.

It is also hard not to mention the Roma who practised music for a living, playing on the streets, in restaurants or weddings. It is no secret that, of course, the greatest opportunities for work for the above-mentioned group were provided by the large cities of central Poland.

I was born in central Poland. I was born here and brought up. I grew up, precisely in this excellent current of phenomenal mix, one could say from the four corners of the world, but at the same time a current that unites all the Roma of Poland and the whole world, that is, art based on conveying the truest emotions and feelings flowing from the depths of our souls and hearts.

I was fortunate to grow up in a real Romani family, where tradition, culture and music formed one inseparable whole. My love for music awoke very quickly and invisibly. It was actually my natural environment. I remember exactly the day I saw my cousin Marian playing the guitar. His thin fingers were playing melodies so familiar to me. I don’t remember what song it was, but his performance grabbed my heart so strongly that I can still remember the chords. I was less than nine years old at the time, and Marian? It may seem unbelievable, but Marian is four years younger than me. You could say that music really does flow through our veins. It’s a great gift that the Lord God has given to the forest people.

It was that moment, that one moment. I was stunned, I wanted that too. It became my only thought, an obsession, even a self-possession… I went home, told my mother about what had happened. My dearest mum, in secret from the whole world, bought me a guitar the next day. My uncontrollable childish joy and overwhelming amazement at getting my first ever guitar were so great that today I can say with full responsibility that it was the most beautiful day of my life. The most beautiful day of a nine-year-old for whom there were no more barriers. I could do anything!!! I remember the strong and unique emotions that gripped me. And this is how my adventure, learning and life with the guitar began.

My learning to play the guitar was a constant going and peeking at older cousins and uncles. On more than one occasion they would chase me away. They just had enough of me because I constantly wanted to learn something new, discover new chords, rhythms, melodies.

The guitar became my love and music became my passion. So slowly, yet very quickly, it became an inseparable part of me.

The kind of music I create, play, love and appreciate is a consequence of being brought up in a family honouring old traditions and principles, of which music is an essential part. In a family where customs and traditions are sacred. When asked, for example by an uncle, at the table to play or sing, one had to thank all the elders for the honour. It is a whole set of behaviours, etiquette at the table, where respect for the elders is crucial – father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, uncles and aunts. Respect is as important as hierarchy. There is a whole procession of behaviour, kissing the hand of the elders (both men and women) and greeting all the rest of the fellow guests at the feast. This, of course, teaches respect and modesty and, above all, is a great lesson and testimony for young people and children.

And it is the family feasting together that so unmistakably and intuitively teaches us our choice of repertoire. It is the Family that is our first critic and reviewer. It is here, at home, that we can afford to make mistakes so that we can take our audience to the other side flawlessly later on. The audience has many expectations, and we forest people intuitively and flawlessly know how to read these expectations. We play different music during the day and different music at night, different music when people want to forget themselves in the dance, different music when people want to take an active part and have fun with us by singing, and different music when people flow with the music into their dreams that allow us to release trapped emotions.

That was my childhood – growing up in the midst of tradition and music. Later came the times of rebellion – rock, blues, but my Roma soul wouldn’t let me play any other way. Playing blues in my first school band, “Gipsy Company”, it was always the Roma nature that prevailed.

I remember my high school days and the enormous fascination, curiosity and even pride of my teachers who allowed me to promote the music I love so beautifully. It is with great affection that I recall today a Polish language teacher who invited me to perform in her graduating class, in order to introduce to the graduating students a classmate from her first class who plays and sings music that is completely different from the music that was popular and available at the time. After performing the first song, the professor asked what I was singing about, as the music and emotions were understood, but the words in Romani were not. From that moment on, I understood that a verbal commentary is very important for the listener, but also for myself, because it allows me to reach the listener’s sensitivity in depth. This is a great lesson that the outside world has given me, which I didn’t get at home, because there, at the family table, everyone understands each other, you could say, without words.

My path so far, as I have already mentioned, has been for a very long time watching, imitating and constantly drawing from others, but above all it was all about searching for myself, my inner voice and sound. Finally there came that time, that day, when I started to understand it completely differently. I started playing my own interpretations and finally creating my own music.

Making your own music is vibrant, sometimes unpredictable and very much linked to inspiration. The biggest inspiration for me is, of course, life. Its glories, its shadows, its experience and its taste. I can also be beautifully inspired by the harmony of sounds that surround me from everywhere, sometimes by the light, or a room full of magical acoustics, by the audience that I take with me, seducing myself. That’s when the magic happens, I light the eyes – the windows of the soul – with thousands of fires. The emotion that fills not only me but also all those who attend this performance, the truth that touches the most sensitive strings. This allows one to free oneself, to become a part of the music.

Is this something that can be learned? Is it always so magical?

Well, no. You can perform music perfectly, read the notes perfectly. It will be beautiful music, but it will not have that indeterminate something. That something given from heaven. And here’s the interesting thing – it can be something different every time. The same piece that lives on stage changes because of different inspirations. This is the difference between true artists, even those only by passion, and musicians beautifully practising their profession.

Listeners, audiences, all of us want the truth. It is the truth that captivates us. When on stage, I feel a bond emerging between me and the audience. It’s a beautiful sign. A sign of real emotion.

The music that defines me is romances and ballads. It’s a difficult musical genre where, above all, unique emotions come into play. It’s a marriage of music and words. Beautiful, unexpected comparisons. It’s something that can squeeze out a tear of emotion. Romance is the art of conveying simple content. The discovery of obvious truths. All this together – it forces you to reflect, to look within yourself. This is why romance is so close to my heart. The music I create is a kind of exhibitionism, exposing my soul, my inner self, my own sensitivity.

Making songs in old, even archaic forms, is my mission. To save from oblivion everything that is most important in Romani culture and music – the truth of emotions, lovely, poetic lyrics, ways of making music with traditional instruments. Creating those new-old songs that come to me, not knowing from where. When a sound gives birth to a sound, and another one, and another one. I follow them and create harmony, finding the original joy.

The fulfilment of a musician is to find oneself, to find one’s sound, which will only be assigned to them. It’s important to hear your inner voice. To have a sound is to understand the essence of music. When we meet artists who captivate the audience, taking the audience along with them, they give them all these magical emotions.

Jan Wiśniewski

 

 

 

Ada Szulc: You are a very young man and you already have specific achievements. You’re a musician, a winner of the National Scholarship Competition for Talented Roma Students, and what’s more, you come from a family with traditions, as the son of a well-known musician, Mirosław Dymitrak. Does the fact that you come from a well-known ‘musical’ Roma family
make your life easier, or is it a difficulty, a conviction to music?

Wiktor Dymitrak: I think coming from a family of musicians makes life easier. It’s certainly easier to get through to people, especially in our Roma community. Dad is recognisable among Roma for musical reasons. When I was young, even when we went to visit family or go to Roma parties, everyone always said that I played the accordion, that I went to music
school and so on. And I hope that this makes me recognisable to the Romani people. So that’sdefinitely an advantage.

I’ll elaborate on this topic: your Dad said he had this dream of you continuing his work. Andin such a context: is it a difficulty or a convenience?
I will definitely continue my Dad’s work, because inside myself I feel that this is my only path in life. If it wasn’t for Dad, if it wasn’t for his decisions when I was young to enrol me in music school… Fact, sometimes I didn’t want to practise. Sometimes I didn’t want to play the accordion, sing or whatever. And then my dad forced me quite often, especially in primary
school. And today I’m very grateful to him for that, despite everything. Definitely in this context it is also a convenience. I am very thankful to my dad for pushing me in all this. Hopefully going forward.

You’re interested in hip hop and rap. Are you going to go in that direction?
It’s a controversial issue between me and my dad at the moment… I think that because of my young age hip hop, R&B and soul appeal to me the most. If in fact one day I could break through to a bigger audience, hopefully into the mainstream, then I would prefer to get into more soul or R&B. I enjoy singing more than rapping.

And what is your favourite instrument and why?
Well it would be silly if I didn’t answer: the accordion. I’ve spent my whole life playing it really. Definitely the accordion. If I had to choose, let’s say in the evening for pleasure, what I would play on, I would probably choose the piano today. Right now, I’m in the mood to sit down and enjoy it rather than play. On the accordion, however, it’s an effort to carry it around and so on, so the piano for pleasure. And the accordion for life.

What is your favourite musical genre?
Definitely R&B and soul. To put it another way, I love all music in general, leaving out one genre. Don’t want to say out loud, but everyone knows what I mean. I listen to everything. Recently I’ve even started to listen to the classics. When I go for a walk it’s mostly Chopin on my headphones, so I really like everything. But most of all R&B and soul.

Apart from playing, do you compose yourself, create arrangements?
Yes, I compose on my own. I compose music in general, meaning backing tracks for myself. I write the lyrics. On the accordion I also tried to create, but I didn’t feel it. I didn’t feel it in such a way that I could do it on a daily basis. It didn’t quite get to me somewhere.

In addition to your musical career, we know that you also have achievements in another field: you have won the title of Mister Jaworska Land 2018 – do you have any plans connected with this? Do you want to become an actor, a model?
I’m currently making some extra money as a model. I don’t pursue it on any high scale. Although I have been thinking about going into it completely, I found that I didn’t quite fit in with this environment, this community. I might do it more in terms of making a profit, maybe as a hobby.

What is your biggest achievement?
The biggest achievement for me… This is quite a deep question. Everyone measures success by their own measure. I for one am proud of knowing what I want to do in life. I can be proud, because many people don’t really know the reason why they are on this Earth. And when it comes to specific achievements, certainly this ‘Mister’ title and the scholarship from
the Minister of the Internal Affairs, which I received several times at the competitions in Łódź. Those are the main things.

Who would you like to play a concert with?
Who would I like to play a concert with? Oh gosh. It depends on the style. If I were to rap it would definitely be Malik Montana. If I were to perform in a singing style it would be Roy Woods. I think Roy Woods the most, because I listen to his albums a lot now. And instrumentally it’s with my father, which is not today yet, but in a while, I guess you could say. We haven’t had a concert together for a long time.

What are your dreams and plans for the future?
Future plans include music, of course. Only and exclusively. And the dreams for the future…
I’ve always dreamt of having a big happy family. All in all, those are kind of my two goals in life: music and family. Nothing more concrete really matters. I’ve never dreamt of making money, yachts, villas and so on. In short, I dream of a wooden cottage in the mountains with my family and a peaceful old age.

In Poland?
I don’t know. As long as it’s warm.

Interviewed by Ada Szulc from the “Dom Kultury” Foundation

Ada Szulc: You are a distinguished promoter of Roma culture and an outstanding musician. You live and work in Legnica. What are the beginnings of your career?

Mirosław Dymitrak: The beginnings of my career… At the age of 4 I was already playing on a stick with strings made of rubber bands. Those were the beginnings of my playing. But as an artist: in ‘83 I got my professional credentials as a musician and singer. I played at dances, parties and weddings until 1983. And in ’84, already as a performer, I worked with Roma groups, such as the band “Roma”. At the turn of 82 and 83, I created the band “Nowa Roma” in Legnica. This group was later taken over by Estrada Poznańska and the name “Roma” remained. I played in the band as a regular member, because at that time I didn’t have the right training to lead a band. Those were different times than now. I worked in various bands until 2000. Now I’m a bit old, but I’m still playing. I’m still trying to do something, but it’s more of a hobby than a professional thing.

What is your favourite instrument?

The guitar is my instrument. It is a well-known fact that in the old days we Gypsies didn’t go to music schools. Everyone learned on their own, by themselves, and one from another, as they say. I didn’t finish music school, but by working on myself, I acquired all the professional skills. So first the guitar, and then other instruments. I started to learn to play keyboards. And even before that, I was dancing, so I’m also a stepper. Plus the bass guitar came along. I don’t play drums, but I have tried in the past. Generally my instrument is guitar and vocals. Vocals are also an instrument. It makes a sound, doesn’t it? Anyone can sing, just not everyone can be listened to…

And do you often tap dance?

I used to tap dance, step. Because what does tapping mean? Tapping means that you have to be physically fit all the time, right? It’s exercise, skipping, and running. A person has to exercise all the time, jump, so that there is lightness. I don’t run anymore at this age. I do a bit of stepping – I haven’t forgotten, but I lack lightness, good stamina. And my figure is not the same.

Is it possible to find your tap dance performances somewhere online?

The last time I performed was in 2017 at a concert with Miklosz Deki Czureja, a well-known Roma violinist and with his children, Sara and Mark Czureja. There were many performers there, including me on guest performances. I tap-danced there and the recordings of this concert are probably somewhere on the Internet. When I came there, I thought I was going to play and sing, but Miklosz said no – I was going to dance. So I said, ‘I don’t have the right shoes’. He lent me his own. Those shoes were tight. Also it was hard for me, but somehow I managed.

To what extent is Roma identity important in your work?

In 2011 I set up a foundation – it was called “Lovers of Roma Culture and Tradition”. The foundation lasted only 5 years. I gave up due to lack of funds. I was investing more than we were getting from projects at the time. It was hard for me, because exactly where I live, there are no people willing to cooperate. I am a fan of our culture, the old culture with principles. I would like for our tradition not to die, to live on, because there are some really cool things in it. You can learn a lot from it. I am a supporter of the old Roma rules and traditions. Tents, bonfires, music, singing, wine. No women.

What are some of your most important achievements in the field of activities promoting culture?

My greatest achievement is what I have created with my own hands. When I was 23 years old, I took on a really powerful challenge by founding the “Nowa Roma” band in Legnica. The Community Centre provided us with a hall where we held rehearsals. I brought people from different cities, they slept on the floor at my mother’s house. Sometimes we slept in the rooms of the Community Centre. In those days it was really something amazing. And it was all my hard work. I think that was my greatest achievement. There were 25 people in the band, we had a whole programme prepared. We didn’t have only costumes. And the concert! There was one concert of this band. The reminder I have left of it is a cassette recording. Then Estrada Poznańska took us over, giving us costumes. And immediately we went on to give concerts. But as for other achievements, I toured with various Polish artists. I had a concert with Edyta Górniak at the beginning, when she started her career, nobody knew her and we didn’t even even knew she was our blood. I played with many artists who worked on stages such as Estrada Poznańska, for example, with Jerzy Słota, who is a member of the former “Vox” band and lives in Legnica. He is acolleague of mine. I have given over 1000 concerts in my life. For me there is no stage fright. And it has been my greatest achievement that I have worked on stage for so many years. I’ve met a lot of people and I’m happy with that.

Who would you like to play with?

That’s a tough question. Many of the musicians I knew from the last century and who worked with me have unfortunately passed away or left. But I think the kind of musician I want to play with is my son. Wiktor has already finished secondary music school. He plays the accordion and makes his own music, rap, hip hop, something like that. He writes lyrics. I hope that there will come a point when he’ll take up Roma music, traditional music and start his own band in the future. He’s capable of forming a big folk band at a high level.

What are your plans, dreams for the future?

Dreams… My dream is to live till I know that my son has already taken up music seriously. For him to take over my inheritance, in the sense of cultivating the Roma tradition, for him to start a band. Our culture is dying out, disappearing. Children no longer speak Romani. They are ashamed of the language at school, in the street, they avoid it. I would like this to change, so that Roma children won’t be ashamed of their identity. We are all who we are, we all have our own culture and I think there is a lot of good in every nation. It’s about making sure that our culture, our gypsyness, doesn’t disappear… precisely by means of events such as this one today (Wandering Festival “Romani Kultura”: Wrocław 2023). Look how many children have come here… They are getting to know each other today, and maybe they will meet again next year. And this is it. Today Roma have dispersed and have no contact with each other at all – between towns, between even courtyards. They live as if they are locked into this present system, which means a mobile phone, a laptop, television and nothing else. It‘s also my dream that Roma culture will not disappear, I would like to be sure of that. And I would like my son to promote the tradition so that I can see and hear it.

AS: Thank you very much and I hope your dreams come true!

Interviewed by Ada Szulc from the “Dom Kultury” Foundation.

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Interview with Roksana Stojowska and Stella Pawłowska about the intercultural integration assistantship for Roma matters and Roma education assistantship.

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Ada Szulc: You’re Roma activists and intercultural integration assistants, you live and work in Wrocław. What’s a Roma education assistantship and why is it important?

Roksana Stojowska: The assistantship is primarily about supporting and accompanying the Roma community in difficult situations, but it is also useful in promoting our culture or supporting various events that aim to break stereotypes about us. We as assistants want to meet the needs of our community. It’s very important to be well prepared. Stella, who today is an intercultural integration assistant, herself has the experience of a protégé and today draws on that experience in her work.

Stella Pawłowska: From the very beginning I actually had difficulties at school. The fact that Roksana came to my school and worked as an assistant helped me a lot. There were various interesting projects that I could participate in. The teachers also looked favourably on the fact that there was such a person who helps Roma children. My studies went better and I even got a red belt (certificate with distinction). I’m a person with a medical condition, which was an additional difficulty. Thanks to the fact that I had a Roma assistant who helped me in secondary school, we were able to find a school that suited my needs. A school that, with my illness, was more suitable for my level of learning. It would have been hard for me in a normal school, a ‘mass’ school. It has really given me a lot. I had scholarships, which motivated me more. I also got a laptop and went to half-term camps. That bears fruit. I grew to like studying very much. Now, as an adult, I’m still studying at the High School for Adults, at Cosinus.

Do Roma education assistants have to be Romani?

Roksana: This is most welcome. It is important that Roma education assistants are accepted in the Roma community. Roma children need to have a person from their community, to whom they can turn to. This creates more understanding, a sense of security and adequate support when it comes to culture. We assistants are the bridge between teacher and pupil, between the parent and the school. We are able to explain the cultural misunderstandings that exist on both sides and integrate these two worlds, which are in fact one world. This is also about emotional support, about Roma parents’ awareness of how important education is. The Roma community has a sense of security when there is a so-called ‘own man’ at school.

What is your role at Nomada as intercultural integration assistants? (“Nomada” Association for Multicultural Society Integration)

Roksana: At Nomada we’re in a team that is multicultural. We are part of the community that functions there. All the tasks are very similar to each other. We’re only beginners, because we have only been working in this team for two weeks, so we ourselves are really preparing for this job. We are focusing on the needs of our community. Our community, that is Roma, Belarusian, Ukrainian and, in fact, I could say from all over the world. We want collectively to be one voice for the needs of our communities. To support each other with experience, solve problems together. To be a supportive and active group for each other, visible primarily in Wrocław. Both me and Stella, as intercultural integration assistants for Roma affairs, want to focus on the Roma community from Ukraine. We don’t yet have a good understanding of the situation. We are getting ready to go to Warsaw to talk to other institutions about these experiences and organisations. We want to be prepared to support this Roma group as well. We’ll be integrating with Warsaw organisations and talking about support for the Roma from Ukraine. Warsaw has a lot of experience and we want to benefit from it.

Stella: Intercultural integration assistance is also about guarding the Roma against racism. The Romani people don’t know a lot of things, they don’t know their rights, and that’s one of he things we’ll be helping them with.

Do you need any special training to be an intercultural integration assistant?

Stella: Actually, I don’t think any special preparation is needed, although it is clear that you you need to learn a lot.

Roksana: It’s worth mentioning that Stella has undergone an internship at the Provincial Office in the passport department. Stella chose this course herself in order to develop in administrative work. This skill at Nomada is very useful, it helps, among other things, with the ‘paperwork’ that Roma families have to face. For example, how to fill in applications that cause difficulty… Stella has no problems in this area, due to the fact that she has undergone this internship. Nomada Association is also a place of development for us. It supports our development. We benefit from this on an equal footing with other participants. It’s a place where we will develop and expand our skills.

Stella: I don’t have the same wide-ranging experience as other Nomada activists, and yet I have been welcomed very warmly. I didn’t feel like I didn’t know how to do anything. The Nomada people help me to develop and gain experience.

Thank you for the interview, I wish you good luck, success in your work and in helping others.