U.S. Ambassador Norman Eisen has urged everyone in the Czech Republic to “celebrate their differences,” in a video statement marking International Roma Day, April 8.
Eisen said that the day was an opportunity for Roma “to celebrate their culture, their common origins, their language and romipen — their Romani identity.”
“For the rest of us, the holiday is an ideal occasion to learn more about the Roma and be reminded of some of the challenges facing the Romani people,” he added.
He pointed out that despite significant progress made in recent decades, “too many Roma still live on the margins of society and face high levels of poverty, unemployment, and discrimination in education.”
“Sadly, there are also still too many cases of violence and hate speech targeting Roma,” the ambassador said.
Eisen said that Americans had the benefit of experiencing how “a tolerant and respectful multi-cultural society immeasurably enriches all its members,” and that this was something that was “very much worth the effort.”
Watch the full video statement here (courtesy US Embassy)
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