Salute the messenger

Power to the people: the logo of the Roma Virtual Netowrk, above, combines the Romani flag with a fist representing Romani empowerment

TODAY marks the 14th birthday of the Roma Virtual Network, one of the world's key means for Romani people to keep in touch on important issues in politics, culture and activism.

The Roma Virtual Network (RVN) is a public grass-roots initiative aimed to provide the international Roma community and friendly non-Roma organizations and individuals with useful information on Roma issues in variety of languages via the Internet.

Since its establishment on 19th July 1999, its activity is actively helping to facilitate the cooperation and exchange of information within Roma organizations and individuals, between Roma and non-Roma organizations and individuals and also between Roma NGOs and official institutions.

It deals with a variety of Roma-related political, cultural, economic and social issues on local and international levels. It aims to support the improvement of the Romani situation in Europe and other parts of the world.

Roma Virtual Network cooperates with the Open Society Foundations (OSF), European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), European Roma Information Office (ERIO), European Roma and Travelers Forum (ERTF) and other international and national organizations whose activities are focused on support to Romani population in Europe and other parts of the world.

Read more on http://www.romavirtualnetwork.org

Some quotes about the work of the Roma Virtual Network:

"Dissemination and exchange of information is if utmost importance for the Roma movement. Thus, RVN is a reliable network, connecting people and creating awareness not only among the Roma, but also to a wider audience from grassroots to international institutions. The Roma Virtual Network is indeed an excellent information sharing facility!"

- Ruus Dijksterhuis, Director ERGO Network (Utrecht, Netherlands).

"As a United Nations staff member, involved since long in endeavours seeking to further dialog and respect among the peoples of the world, I can only stress how important I feel the Roma Virtual Network is. In that respect, I find an active Romany presence on the Internet necessary and I commend how successfully the Roma Virtual Network meets that purpose. I also must note the excellent quality and completeness of the daily Roma news coverage. The RVN is a precious, comprehensive and easily accessible well of information to any journalist working on Roma issues, which are more and more central to Europe`s very identity."

– Andre Dryansky, Court Interpreter, UN Assistance to Khmer Rouge Trials (Phnom Penh, Cambodia).

"During the past decade, the Roma Virtual Network has gradually become the biggest channel of communication among Romani NGOs, experts and institutions engaged in Romani integration. It provides all stakeholders with the chance to distribute information about their activities as well as to express opinions and to share views. There is no analogue with any other Romani media. I regard the Roma Virtual Network as being the main way to distribute information about our work, and it does this continually. It is a reliable and useful source of information that benefits both, the Romani community and those who work on Roma-related issues. All to often, the mainstream media are silent on these issues, and thus it is vital to have this world-wide source of information that the Roma Virtual Network has proven itself to be."

– Dr. Ian Hancock, Director of The Romani Archives and Documentation Center in The University of Texas (USA).

Read more on http://www.valery-novoselsky.org rvn_supporters_testimonials.html