Human Rights Monitoring Institute

Although on numerous occasions the Roma have claimed that the name was not important, after giving more thought to this issue, they note that no one speaks about the rights of gypsies, while the Roma rights are often highlighted. Yet, they do not see any use of the rights that they cannot exercise. For example, how is one to exercise their right to information if they are illiterate and cannot fill out forms?

The Roma face difficulties in exercising their rights. On one hand, the Roma are entitled to the same rights and should be seen as equals with the rest of society. On the other hand, the Roma community lives in poverty, are uneducated and unemployed, and have little awareness of their rights. In short, there is a neverending cycle of poverty and the Roma are unable to change their lives for the better.

There is also no understanding from the public that the overcoming of discrimination must be dealt with by the whole society. Marginalization in the labour market, education system and public service field makes it nearly impossible for the Roma, scorned by society and unsupported by the Government, to overcome this exclusion on their own.

Fifteen Years Later…

Fifteen years after independence, the Roma community still has not made any changes to their situation while the government's attempts to prompt Roma integration are fruitless. Although Roma problems, esp. with regard to drug dealing, are well-known, very few consider the causes that bring about such a situation. The Roma live in an environment of limited opportunities, which forces them to indulge in offensive activities, yet society is quite reluctant to admit that.

A survey of the Roma situation, publicized by the Human Rights Monitoring Institute (www.hrmi.lt), reveals that nearly every other Lithuanian Roma is younger than 20, which means that education and employment issues are especially pertinent to them. This also means that the majority of them have attended educational institutions in Independent Lithuania but because of the dismissive attitude of their teachers and their poor economic status, they are often forced to drop out of school,

Just a few young Roma speak Lithuanian fluently. In comparison to other ethnic minorities whose young people speak Lithuanian better than the older generation, this is a “regressive tendency” which continues to exclude the Roma. The percentage of illiteracy is the highest in the Roma community when compared to other resident groups.

It also has to be noted that the elderly (above 60 years of age) constitute rather small percentage of the Roma in contrast to the rest of the country’s population. This shows that the relatively poorer quality of life of the Roma has negatively influenced their life expectancy.

Basic healthcare and health education also pose problems for the Roma. Various reasons prevent them from visiting clinics (no ID documents, no social insurance, etc.). Hostile reactions of other patients deter drug-addicts from seeking medical help. The Vilnius Centre for Addictive Disorders has on its register only twenty drug-addicts living in the Kirtimai settlement where the population is about 450. It is unknown whether this is an accurate number.

Quality of Roma housing in Kirtimai settlement is especially poor, and the future of this compound are unclear. Occasional speeches by Municipality officers in the media about Kirtimai conversion produce no actual results. Social housing offered by Vilnius Municipality to the Roma may not be a suitable alternative as it increases the costs of living and Roma may not be able to afford it. In Kirtimai, they have to pay only for electric power and hydrant, while the utilities in social housing would be much more expensive. However, in no case it can be advised  to spend funds allocated for children development for housing purposes.

So the question today is: Is the Government's social assistance mechanisms, labour exchanges and pension reforms incapable of extending its help to a community of only three thousand people? The authorities see the Roma as its enemy and vice versa. The campaigns of the Vilnius Municipality carried out in Kirtimai have only deepened the gap.

Mutual (Mis)trust

Mutual trust is among the key factors necessary to make the efforts of both Roma and other people consistent and complementary. Trust has to be earned and cannot be easily sustained. Failure to identify an appropriate model of communication with the Roma or the occurrence of tension are usually justified by putting the blame on the Roma and their reluctance or inability to behave properly. In certain cases, attempts are made to explain the insular character and reluctance to communicate by pointing to the traditional Roma culture. The analysis of collected data disagrees with the opinion of the self-isolation of the Roma and their reluctance to integrate. The majority of the Roma want to have jobs and for their children to attend general education schools instead of Roma schools.

The external factors shaping the Roma attitude are rarely considered, if at all. First of all, a relatively small amount of information reaches the Roma because of isolation and low rate of literacy. Second, the relatively poor education limits the possibilities to perceive the information or to select relevant or reliable parts. Third, it is plausible that because of exclusion the social contact circle of the Roma (acquaintances, relatives, etc.) is more narrow and less diverse than that of an average Lithuanian resident. Therefore, they have fewer opportunities to discuss, enquire or rely on those whom they trust. Those who reprimand the Roma often fail to see the importance of informal relations in daily practice.

It should be noted that gaining Roma trust is not so much the task of the Roma but the challenge to all who are willing to change the current situation. On the other hand, the complexity of this challenge has to be realized, too. All those involved in addressing Roma issues face certain limitations of their capacity. Officers, medics, teachers, policemen and even project implementers or volunteers should adhere to certain standards of conduct and ignore varying emotions.

Even those driven by positive preconceptions sometimes experience frustration when the response is not in-line with their expectations. Often is the case when people say “I did my best on my side but what have they done?” Moral sentiments of the observer in this case are targeted at the speaker (as the other party, i.e. the Roma are listened to very seldom) and the Roma are faulted in the failure to find an agreement.

The majority of civil servants serving the Roma only perform their duties and do not become friendly with the Roma, thus, they should not feel too hurt if the human contact is not always warm enough. Gratitude of the served Roma should not be sought but efforts should be exerted to see the progress in changing Roma living conditions, seeking their involvement in labour and promoting every good example.

Roma problems cannot be expected to change immediately but solutions are possible to a greater extent than we often imagine.

Article by Tadas Leončikas, Junior Researcher of the Department of Ethnic Studies of the Institute for Social Research, Expert of HRMI, has been publicised in Internet portal OMNI. Please find the full article (In Lithuanian) here.