Find out more about Look and Don’t Forgets Youtube channel and educational resource to help raise awareness of the Roma Genocide

The 2nd of August is the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma in memory of all Sinti and Roma murdered in Nazi-occupied Europe. This year many commemoration activities took place online. 'Look and Don't Forget' hosted an online event to commemorate and educate people about the significance of August 2nd not only to Roma and Sinti but to European society as a whole. 

Dance Historian and Romani studies Scholar, Rosamaria Cisneros told Travellers' Times: "The event was organised by members from the GRT community and welcomed a variety of people from across the UK, Spain, and Romania. The day included perspectives from a variety of disciplines ranging from history and art to youth activism.  Of particular importance is the legacy of materials that was co-created that now sits on the YouTube channel. Also, an educational resource pack was created with an aim to be freely distributed across the country." 

You can access the downloadable Roma Genocide educational booklet here.

The initial idea developed from an online GRT in Higher Education coffee morning held by Sherrie Smith and Rosa Cisneros if you'd like to be involved in these conversations email: Sherrie.GaTEssex@Gmail.com. Following this, a group of community members came together with a mission to raise awareness of the Roma Genocide. The volunteers included Sherrie Smith, Lisa Smith, Rosa Cisneros, Terezia Rostas, Imogen Di Sapia, and Scarlett Smith. 

The community group was overwhelmed with the response in content and to reflect this created the "Look and Don't forget' YouTube channel which currently has over 50 videos showcasing a wide variety of informative content relevant to the commemoration and remembrance of the Roma Genocide submitted by community members and allies. Including an interview with Dr Siobhan Spencer of the  National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups discussing her previous visits to Auschwitz and events, held in the UK over the last 25 years and a song from Scottish author Jess smith.

There are also many videos from young activists across the UK, who sent in short films as part of the commemoration.

Sherrie Smith, CEO GATE Essex said: We urge you to please use and share our resources  to help raise awareness of this largely unknown proportion of history. In my previous role, I was the project manager and group leader for four years helping to take dozens of young people out to Poland for the Dikh He Na Bister project.  Usually over 400 young Roma from around Europe meet up for a week for an educational experience. Last year for the 75th anniversary we were out there not only with young Roma, Gypsies, and Travellers but also delegates from NGOs all over the UK, UK Government, UK polish consulate, and UK police for the 75th anniversary with civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson and treasured Roma hero Raymond Gureme. People who have participated in this programme I've seen get fired up, change, and grow into activists and campaigners. Doing amazing things.  I think the visit to Poland is an experience that changes people."

You can read more about the project and previous participants' experiences here.

She added: "This year due to Covid-19, no travel was going to be possible. So we decided to try and sort something online in the UK to raise awareness. It's important not only to remember those that lost their lives or family members but also to remember that in society, we are still portrayed badly, stereotypes, racism, prejudice, has not stopped for us, 76 years later."

The event was well attended by many community members, the UK Holocaust Memorial day Trust Chief Executive Olivia Marks-Woldman, several professors and universities, Baroness Janet Whitaker, Lord Bourne, Lord Eric Pickles, and  Rene Cassin: the Jewish voice on human rights. 

Lord Pickles is infamous for illegally discriminating against Gypsies and Travellers. Now he is a special envoy for the UK on post-holocaust issues and co-chair of the UK holocaust commission. Sherrie Smith said: "His appointment was disappointing and insulting for GRT in the UK, however, we are pleased he attended. He is the key to greater recognition for all Roma who lost their lives to Genocide and was shown 2.5 hours of our best culture, history, youth activism and community spirit."

She said: "It was a long road, to get him engaged, therefore engaging the commission. I have been writing to him for four years. My daughter Scarlett, video-recorded an interview at an HMDT event in London in January 2019. Surprising him with “Why do the UK government not acknowledge Roma genocide? He did send a representative Hilary Patel last year to Poland, and sent flowers from the UK holocaust commission and the UK government. This year we followed up with an invitation."

In the first hour of the online event, Terezia Rostas Roma Educational Consultant & Advocate and Director of Care for Young People's Future hosted a panel discussion with guest speakers Furtuna Adrian Nicolae  Director of the Cultural and Social Research Centre ‘ Romane Rodimata’ in Bucharest who discussed 'The deportation of Roma and their treatment in Transnistria’ and Professor Rainer Schulze of the University of Essex who will discuss ‘Forced sterilisation of Roma and the impact of the Dora Love Awards’. 

Terezia Rostas said: “This event was extremely important to us, as it raised awareness of the Roma Genocide and the History of Slavery and racism. Various communities have shown solidarity, interest and support to make this event happen. Community members have made their own research about the Roma Genocide and Holocaust and shared their knowledge and experience with the wider public. They felt part of the event and emphasised the importance of organising such events and participating to educational trips related to the Roma Genocide. We all learned that together we can become a stronger community and never allow this to happen again! We brought tribute to those who died in the Roma Genocide and embraced the ones who have survived the Deportation in Transnistria. As part of the event, a poem was translated written by a survivor from Transistria called "Why don't we cry" available here."

At 11 am UK time a 2 - minute silence was observed to coincide with commemoration events taking place at Auschwitz - Birkenau to mark the night of 2/3 August, the night that the Zigeunerfamilienlager, or 'Gypsy family camp', in the Auschwitz concentration and death camp was liquidated and the remaining 2,900 inmates were taken to the gas chambers and their deaths.

In the last hour and a half, we explored the importance of youth commemoration with young Romani activist Scarlett Smith chaired by  Professor Colin Clark who held an open discussion with the audience.

Charity Friends, Families and Travellers supported the event from liaising with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gypsies, Roma, and Travellers to send invitations to MPs and extracting a powerful section from their critically acclaimed theatre production Crystals Vardo featuring a scene set in nazi occupied Serbia in 1943 that you can watch here.

The 2nd of August - a short documentary from Travellers' Times was also screened in which filmmaker Charles Newland records the journey of a young British Romany Johnson Welch on his first visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Using archival footage mixed with contemporary ruminations on the trip from Johnson.

Imogen Di Sapia a British-Romani craftswoman and director of Bright Moon Weaving Studio also presented  'Healing hidden identities - The lost Romani generation'.  An uplifting and thought-provoking reading exploring the wider impact of cultural trauma perpetrated on Romani people. 

To close there was a tribute to a treasured hero, Holocaust survivor, and Romani resistance fighter Raymond Gureme who sadly died this year and a series of videos from the Board of Deputies, HDMT  Bucks New University, National Federation for Gypsy Liason Groups, LeedsGATE, and Traveller Movement.

Young activist Scarlett Smith had the responsibility for setting up and coordinating the 'Look and don't forget' Instagram account.  She said: "It went really well, we had weekly takeovers from Roma in New York, from Traveller Pride, Imogen Di Sapia, Nikki Hughes and loads of engagement and sharing from around Europe. I also made a video and interviewed Vicente Rodriguez president of TernYpe. Even though we weren’t in Poland with everyone, we were able to come together online and create powerful youth action."

Dikh He Na Bister was held online this year including a name reading ceremony and a tribute to Raymond Gureme,  and local events like Look and Don't Forget were encouraged.