The President of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, has expressed his respect and admiration for the Romani people. «Andalucía is in your identity, and you also give identity to Andalucía, a land of mixed heritage and Romani blood.»
Moreno, who presided over the celebration event at the San Telmo Palace on the occasion of the International Day of the Romani People, stated that it is the mission of all to continue changing the world so that no one suffers more than anyone else due to their race, origin, or any other condition.
He emphasized that this day will not be a celebration if it is not also about equality, if it does not shake us and make us think and act because, as he said, «injustices, prejudices, and inequalities will not disappear on their own, but we have to confront them and be better for a better society.»
President Juanma Moreno, Minister of Inclusion Loles López, members of the Andalusian Romani Council, and institutional representatives.
At this point, he reiterated that no one will stop us until we achieve this goal, while also highlighting the abundance of talent, magic, and art that the Romani people possess.
Reflection of the President of the Junta and attendees at the event for the Romani people at the San Telmo Palace.
The Andalusian President, who recalled that Andalucía is the region with the most Romani people in Spain, thanked them for everything they contribute to it and also for the lessons of humanity, wisdom, joy, and art that they constantly provide and that the world is so in need of.
Therefore, he congratulated them on such an important day on behalf of Andalucía and the Andalusian Government, and he recalled the tribute to the Romani people paid by Pilar Távora in her documentary about the ‘Great Raid’ of the 18th century, one of the largest deliberate Romani extermination operations in history.
Moreno places a candle as an offering.
«While we remember these past atrocities, we see the situation of the 40,000 Romani people in Ukraine, many of whom are particularly vulnerable, with no means to even protect themselves from the madness of war. It is a pity that the world does not understand that we all are born and die equal.»
In this regard, he emphasized that it is all well and good to have a romantic, philosophical, and artistic view of the Romani community, but he reiterated that it is more important to act for the well-being, employment, education, women, and access of Romani people to basic resources for living, just as it is to speak about justice, equality, and respect for all, because fighting for that equality is what makes us human, gives meaning to society, and allows us to consider ourselves civilized.
President Juanma Moreno, along with representatives of the Romani people.
«I wish you all the best, and I hope that every time we meet, it is to celebrate that we are moving forward for what truly matters and that we are making progress as that ‘Yelem, Yelem’ song says, which is now the anthem for all of us,» he added.
At this event, a Manifesto approved by the Andalusian Romani Council on the occasion of the International Day of the Romani People was read, and an offering of flower petals and the lighting of candles in the pond of the San Telmo Palace took place, with the presence of Junta de Andalucía councilors, members of the Andalusian Romani Council, and institutional representatives.
Moreno greets the musicians who participated in the event.