Meetings address issues, challenges of nomadic group

Hundreds of participants gathered for the first Seventh-day Adventist National Roma Congress in Romania, a meeting that organizers hoped would create a sense of unity in the scattered ethnic group and foster understanding between Roma and non-Roma Adventists.

The congress, which ran August 29 to 31, reached out to the 3,000 to 4,000 Adventist Roma in Europe. The Roma, commonly referred to as gypsies, face ingrained prejudice from non-Roma Europeans, along with accusations that range from petty thieving to murder.

"The event was very beneficial for the Adventist Roma community, but also for the Adventist Church in Romania," said Cristian Modan, a ministries director for the church in Euro-Asia. "It gave the [European] church a glimpse of what Christ has done in the lives of so many people, from a community in Europe that is the first group to be discriminated [against]."

About 800 people attended Worship services on Saturday (Sabbath). The meetings covered topics geared toward Roma needs, including ways to cope with the tension between traditional culture and Christianity, and health and family issues.

Organizers of the congress said they were pleased with the attendance and are planning a similar event for 2010.

Between 10 and 12 million Roma -- an umbrella term for several groups including the Sinti and Travellers -- live in the EU. Precise demographic data is not, however, available due in large part to the stigma associated with the Romani identity and the reluctance of many Roma to identify themselves as such for official purposes, and the refusal of many governments to include Roma as a legitimate category for census purposes.

Historically one of Europe’s most persecuted ethnic minorities, the Roma are still the targets of racially motivated attacks. Many live in communities characterised by high levels of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. They face deeply embedded institutional discrimination, especially in housing, education and social welfare.

The treatment of Roma and other persons perceived to be "Gypsies" is today among the most pressing political, social and human rights issues facing Europe. [Megan Brauner and Christian B. Schaeffler for ANN/APD]