We cannot allow the spread of ideals which are aimed at the extermination or persecution of ethnic or religious groups, Szabolcs Takács, the Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) stressed in his speech delivered at the conference on the Roma Holocaust held on Wednesday in Budapest.

We were involved in the genocide of the Nazi regime both as perpetrators and victims, but also both as passive observers and as rescuers of human lives, the State Secretary pointed out regarding the role of Hungarian society and its leaders at the time at the conference organised by the Hungarian Chairmanship of IHRA, the Tom Lantos Institute and the Jesuit Roma Specialisation College. He added: when facing the past, there is no room for compromises, and „in this respect Hungary has nothing to be ashamed about”.

Mr Takács said: it was not until the 1990s when society acknowledged the „irreparable tragedy, the self-mutilation” which it sustained through the genocide of the Roma. At the background discussion held during the conference, he told his audience that the enhancement of social awareness is the best way to maintain our political, legal and social commitment against exclusion, and education is the path to increased social awareness.

He also pointed out: we need united international action to guarantee equal opportunities for the Roma. Regarding the Hungarian Chairmanship of IHRA, he highlighted that the organisation has achieved one of its greatest results since its establishment more than fifteen years ago by virtue of the fact that historical and archive research related to the Holocaust cannot be restricted within the European Union for data protection reasons.

Anna-Mária Bíró, Director of the Tom Lantos Institute highlighted the need for „the self-concept of the Roma to take centre stage” also in the context of their history, including the Roma Holocaust, rather than events concerning them being interpreted by others. She indicated that the infrastructure necessary for this work is incomplete today.

She pointed out that such breaches and injuries made the Roma genocide possible which exist in Hungary also at present, and referred to educational segregation as an example. Romani Rose, Chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma and Director of the Documentation and Cultural Centre of the German Sinti and Roma spoke about the importance of the internal cohesion of societies. He said that populist ideals are spreading on the continent which even call into question the core values which were achieved as a result of “hard social processes” after World War II and the Holocaust.

The German expert expressed his appreciation on account of the fact that the topic of the Roma Holocaust has been integrated into the school curriculum in Hungary, remarking that he has not yet succeeded in achieving the same in his own country.

Ágnes Daróczi, Director of the Romano Instituto Roma Research Institute, Vice-President of the European Roma and Travellers Forum drew attention to the unexplored elements of the Roma Holocaust, stressing: “we are at an enormous disadvantage because we are not facing the past, did not write it down, did not call a spade a spade (…), what it is that we do not wish to see return”.

How could we have forgotten to ask our old ones about our own history?, she asked the question, and pointed out: the goal is that the Roma should not experience their identity as a continual running of the gauntlet, but should instead “try to find the positive facet of every negative experience which may help them survive, and which may help them build the future”.

(MTI)