Seminar Series in Romani Studies: The Situation of Ukrainian Roma Refugees in Poland: The Experiences of the “Foundation Towards Dialogue”

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87191715659

This talk will highlight the situation of Roma refugees fleeing from war-torn Ukraine. The focus will be on the challenges regarding the cases of discrimination against Roma and on good practices that are implemented and initiated by the Foundation Towards Dialogue, which represents the Roma minority in Poland. Roma from Ukraine is a particular group of refugees who experience(d) discrimination in Ukraine and subsequently also in Poland. The discrimination manifests in verbal and non-verbal acts, including social and cultural exclusion from resources available to refugees, such as housing, jobs, information, transport, material resources, and psychological, legal, and educational support. This discrimination stems from a number of deeper cultural-historical issues, which result in problems that non-Roma refugees from Ukraine do not encounter in most cases.

Dr. Joanna Talewicz received her PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the Jagiellonian University (Krakow, Poland). She is a co-founder and the president of the Foundation Towards Dialogue (Fundacja w Stronę Dialogu) and also worked as an assistant professor at the Jagiellonian University and the University of Warsaw. Dr. Talewicz is a researcher, educator, author, and activist. While her work focuses on Roma communities in Europe, her main interests are the Roma Holocaust and Roma refugees. For more than twenty years, she has been working for the benefit of the Roma community and minority rights. Dr. Talewicz is a member of the Polish delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and a recipient of awards for assisting refugees of Roma origin.

Welcome!