On the occasion of August 2, Roma Holocaust Memorial Day 2020, young Roma and non-Roma people are sharing their messages about the importance of remembrance, challenging antigypsyism and youth activism.
Statement by Matthias Pfeifer, Austria: “Hello, my name is Matthias Pfeifer and I am currently doing my civilian service in Vienna. I am 21 years old. In history class, we heard a little bit about Roma and Sinti, but we really just briefly touched upon the topic. I actually remember very little about talking on this topic in school. Especially about the 2nd of August – the Remembrance Day of the Roma and Sinti I had never heard about it. I was not aware that such a day even existed. But I do think that it is important that such commemoration days are taking place as we as Austrian citizens need to be aware of our history. And with this knowledge about the horrible things that happened to look forward into the future and make sure it never happens again. We must not forget our history in order to make sure that this story won’t repeat itself.”
This video campaign is part of the Roma Youth Voices Project, coordinated by Phiren Amenca and funded by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the DG Justice, European Commission.