The essay "Roma Have the Same Dreams as Everyone Else – For a Life of Dignity" by Desislav Atanasov was awarded third prize in the contest "Roma in the 21st Century – Challenges and Opportunities," which we organized together with our partners: the Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance "Amalipe", Association "Integro", Association "LARGO," Youth Foundation "Arete," Association "RAKO", Association "New Way," and Association "SSDID," on the occasion of International Roma Day.
Imagine a world where everything is monochrome. A world where without different languages, songs, dances, or legends. A world where culture is merely a thing of the past and identity is a burden that people are forced to abandon in order to survive.
Today, in a reality where the economy increasingly overpowers culture, the Roma language and traditions face their greatest challenge. For centuries, Roma have resisted discrimination, persecution and prejudice. But now, the question is not just whether they will survive, but whether the world will recognize them as an asset rather than a liability. “Cultural heritage is not a burden we carry on our backs, but a torch that lights our way forward.” Will we allow Roma culture to fade into the margins of society, or will we embrace it as a living heritage that enriches us all? Will the Romani language remain in the shadows, or will it ring proudly in classrooms, the media, and the arts?
The Roma have always been a people on the move – not only physically, but culturally. They have preserved their language despite bans, their music despite poverty, and their traditions despite persecution. The history of the Roma people is a history of survival. During the Holocaust, tens of thousands of Roma were sent to concentration camps – simply because they were ‘different’. In camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau, Roma were subjected to the same inhuman treatment as Jews – forced labor, starvation, medical experiments and mass executions. “When your language, culture and family are taken away, only your memory remains - and it becomes your greatest strength.” In the camps, Roma songs were sung, stories were told in Romanes, and Roma cultural symbols became symbols of resistance. Even in the darkest times, language and tradition gave them hope.
Today, however, the threat no longer comes from the camps, but from oblivion. If the ancestors of Roma fought for physical survival, today's generations are fighting for cultural survival. Fewer and fewer young Roma speak their native language. The words of their ancestors are forgotten, because society rarely accepts them as part of its cultural wealth. Romanes is not taught in schools and is often a source of prejudice rather than pride. This leads many young Roma to distance themselves from their language, fearing that it will mark them as ‘different’.
But culture is not just a memory – it is alive, evolving, changing and finding new forms of expression. Today, the question is not whether Roma culture will change – it inevitably will. What matters is the direction it takes, and whether it can retain its essence as it moves forward. We live in a digital age where information travels at the speed of light. Big cultures dominate social media, mass media, and art. In this world, small languages and traditions often fade. But can Roma culture consider this world not as a threat, but as an opportunity? Instead of disappearing, can it find new pathways? “Tradition is not shackles, but wings - the question is whether we will use them to fly.”
Stereotypes – they are the invisible walls we need to break down. To keep Roma culture alive, we must first break down the barriers that restrain it: stereotypes and prejudices. These are not just words or opinions. They are invisible walls that imprison entire communities within a framework of misunderstanding and alienation. What does it mean to be Roma in a world where you are so often seen as ‘different’?
Why is a language that carries thousands of years of history still seen as ‘frivolous’ or ‘superfluous’?
Who decides which cultures deserve respect—and which are not? Until the world sees cultural diversity as an asset, not a threat, Roma culture will remain in the shadows. But young people can change that—through art, music, education, social media—through their voices. Young Roma are already creating music that blends traditional motifs with modern styles. Rappers perform in Romanes, artists tell stories of their roots, influencers promote Roma fashion and cooking. “One person's voice can be silenced, but the voice of an entire generation - never.”
Roma culture is not just the past – it is also the future. It is in the hands of the young: whether it will become a source of pride or lost in the silence of oblivion. Let us not allow the world to become monochrome. Let us not allow Romanes to become a whisper. Language is not just words—it is memory. Traditions are not just rituals—they are identity. Culture is not just the past—it is the promise of the future. If we want to live in a world where everyone has the right to be themselves, we must fight not only for our own roots, but also for the roots of others. Romanes is a root from which we can grow. And when the roots are healthy, the tree cannot fall.
Roma and the digital world: truth or lie?
Fake news is like a shadow – the more you look at it, the more you believe it. In the digital world, Roma are too often represented through damaging clichés: poverty, crime, isolation. Social networks can be a trap, but they can also be a key. If you don't tell your own story, someone else will tell it for you – and they won't be honest. Truth is power, and the digital world should be a tool for change, not division. But who tells the stories of those who learn, work, and succeed?
Roma on the move: the limits in the mind
Many leave their homelands in search of a better life. But instead of security, they encounter barriers and prejudice. The most dangerous border is not on the map, but in the mind. It is the one that whispers, “You can't.”
When a child grows up feeling like they don't belong, they begin to construct their own limits. But the Roma are not a people without a place – they are searching for one, not only on the map, but in society. The true border does not divide countries, it divides people. Instead of building walls, let us build bridges.