500 years of slavery. A stain on human history Gypsy. An ethnic group or a social condition? History books and lessons tend to overlook almost completely the history of Roma people and the discussion about the 500 years of slavery

A fiddle is heard, a cymbal is heard, The sweet voice of a minstrel… (Trec Țiganii)  From the oldest times to now, Roma people were considered one the finest musicians, the first lute players. Even though their music has changed

Always marginalized and discriminated, the Roma people have developed a keen sense of self-defense by creating a close-knit, interdependent community where they can help each other when in need. An organization of that kind is Radio Pata, a community radio

The Cortorari are a Roma community in Transylvania whose most valuable asset is the Tahtai, a silver cup inherited from generation to generation. Having a Tahtai is like having a nobility title. The cup is part of a marriage negotiations,

The roots of Roma gastronomy reflect the nomadic life the community used to have. Ingredients like meat, cabbage, potatoes and cheese can be found in multiple traditional recipes, while the preparation and serving rituals are based on hindu principles of

One part of Roma’s Stories project will be a five days long job shadowing activity. But what is job shadowing? Job shadowing or work shadowing is a type of on-the-job learning. It may be a part of an onboarding process,

While a nomadic at its origins, the Roma community is today in its majority a stable population. The prestigious and impressive houses that look like palaces, or the PVC unsanitary houses at the outskirts of numerous cities, they both represent

How many pages do our history books devote to the grim Roma past?   When talking about Holocaust, we tend to remember the extermination of Jewish people, even though there were many other communities who suffered during that time. One

The fact that the Roma people have art in their blood is no longer a secret! Countless “actors” of the national artistic scene are of Roma ethnicity, and although they had a lot of work to break the barriers of

In the field of experiential learning, there is one known as job shadowing.  The trip to Reykjavik, Iceland, organised as part of our Roma Stories project, meant an exchange of know-how for a group of five Roma people. Their experience

Even though usually portrayed as oppressed figures, secondary characters in their fathers, brothers or husbands’ stories, there are Roma women out there who fight each day and are doing remarkable activism work or are actively involved in politics, the Arts

Metalworking is an ancient occupation and this craft is often associated with the Roma ethnicity. Nowadays, blacksmiths or boilermakers are increasingly rare, even in rural areas, because, for the younger generations, the practice of this job is no longer of

Roma singers and lute players have been a constant presence when it comes to different celebrations and festivals. Today, few are the ones still singing this type of traditional music. Thus, it is important to understand the history of such

Since ancient times, the Roma have been discriminated, marginalized, insulted in the most rude ways. When it comes to the Roma woman, things are even sadder, she being considered at the bottom of society, mocked many times even by her

Traditional clothing is an important identity element for a community. Vibrant colours, hair braided with golden coins, wide-brimmed hats, big earring and salbe, full skirts and shirts printed with flowers, all of these are specific and easily recognisible elements of

The portrayal of Roma community in art (paintings, literature, theater, opera and later, cinema and TV) is usually influenced by rasism and ignorance. Thus, we speak about how Roma people often appear as negative characters, dangerous, hard to tame, connected

The main religious cults Roma are part of are Christianity and Islam, but a big majority chose to convert to different neo-protestant ones. Thus, the Romas transisioned to cults, such as „The Church of The Burning Stake” and “Hope for

Romania in the communist era was for many Roma people hard to bear.  They were harassed and secluded from modern cities, then there were efforts made to integrate them into society and the work force, while authorities also “sold” them

Tarot cards, palm or crystal ball readings, spells and curses are associated by many with the Roma community, holding beliefs and stereotypes about their connection with the occultism. Even if many of Romani rituals and traditions can be considered draped

Each object created by a craftman is unique. One hammer hit higher, the other one lower, but never the same. Many Roma communities pride themselves with the craftmanship they have been practicing for generations and are still trying to keep