Since 2000
We Are on the Long Way is a project organized by NGO Slovo 21 mainly for young Roma from all over Europe. Since 2000, they have had opportunities to participate in various interesting discussions, seminars, cultural presentations of groups from various countries, as well as artistic, handicrafts or sports activities.

WE ARE ON THE LONG ROAD 2011

The international youth meeting “We Are on the Long Way” is Slovo 21’s long-term activity. The goal of these meetings is to help young Roma find their position in the society while strengthening their own identity. A one-week meeting helps participants with learn more about their culture, traditions and history.

For the fourth time, the project was organized as a part of the World Roma Festival Khamoro, so the rich programme of the exchange was enriched with visits of festival events. Young Roma had opportunities to meet leaders of international Roma organizations and world-known artists, and to listen to their messages and advice.
This year’s meeting took place on 21st – 29th May 2011 in Prague and was attended by 24 young people and instructors from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland and Germany.

The programme of workshops was set to boost cooperation among young people. Besides team-building activities, there were workshops informing about the life of Roma in the respective countries. Other workshops attempted to discover and encourage participants’ Romany identity – to present Roma culture as part of European and world cultural heritage, a meaningful, significant culture each member of the community can be proud of. The theoretical programme was closed with an activism workshop, which aimed to discuss various ways of being active and contributing to public discussions about social topics such as coexistence of Roma and majority community.
We have also prepared leisure activities for participants, such as sightseeing in Prague. The evening programme was connected with the music events of the festival KHAMORO 2011.
Participants’ feedback was largely positive; they appreciated both unforgettable experiences and meeting new friends.

PHOTOGALLERY KHAMORO 2011

Participants are going to profit from their new experience in the activities they are involved in as social workers or volunteers in their home countries, for example catch-up classes for Roma children, work for Romany TV, campaigns etc. 
New contacts and friendships will remain – with the help of technologies like Facebook and Skype.
Slovenian participants are preparing an international youth conference in the autumn, and all partners were invited to join. Amaro Drom and Slovo 21 have been partners in the international project Migration Never Stops (Europeans for Peace) beginning in September 2011.
Participants received Youth passports (EU Youth in Action) and memorial certificates.

Partner organizations:
Slovo 21 – host organization (CZ), Kultúrné združenie Rómov Slovenska (SK), Amaro Drom (D), Harangos (PL), Regionalni rozvojova agentura Murra (PL)

ROM_ID

Markéta Nešlehová’s documentary on Roma identity features 3 characters from 3 European countries trying to answer questions such as: Who am I? Where do I come from? What can I give to myself or to the others? What am I proud of? What does the tradition mean to me, how am I supposed to keep to it? Do young Roma people want to keep their Romany identity in today’s globalized world? What does it mean to be a Rom? The documentary was based on the 2009 project “We Are on the Long Way” where the casting for 3 main characters took place. It was made in co production with NGO Slovo 21 and Bedna TV and has Czech and English subtitles. The premiere of the film was a part of the Khamoro festival and took place in Kino Aero on 24th May 2010.


ROM ID TRAILER

PROJECT HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The project connects young people, especially Roma, from European countries and helps them learn about their own culture, language and history. For many of them, it was this summer school that made them proud of their origin and more self-confident in their private and professional life. The programme consists of discussions, seminars, cultural presentations of groups from various countries, as well as artistic, handicrafts or sports activities.

The name “We Are on the Long Way” is based on the traditional Romany legend called “Roma’s mirror”: After the death of their king, Roma were wandering around the world. They came to a crossroad and could not decide which way to choose. In a quarrel, they broke a large mirror – a symbol of the Roma nation. The broken pieces of the mirror were brought by Roma to various parts of the world. The legend says that when the pieces are put together again to form a mirror Roma will become a united nation again.

MEDIA COVERAGE

CZECH TV
(15th July 2011)

This episode of the programme Romaňi luma/Roma world introduces a project that has mediated meetings of young European Roma for a decade. NGO Slovo 21 organizes of the project called „We are on the long road“.

Watch the full video here!

CZECH RADIO

The programme O Roma vakeren (Roma speaking) broadcasted on the Czech Radio’s  most popular station – Radiožurnál, regularly informs about the project.
Click here for the transcripts of the programme:

8th July 2005  - "Jdeme dlouhou cestou 2005" je název letošní Mezinárodní letní školy

11th September 2009  - Mezinárodní projekt pro mladé lidi Jdeme dlouhou cestou

4th June 2011  - Jdeme dlouhou cestou, mezinárodní setkání mladých lidí

ROMEA TV

ROMEA TV: Jdeme dlouhou cestou - 2009

ROMEA TV: Reportáž ze setkání - 2010

The project “We Are on the Long Way has been attended by young participants from these countries:

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Netherlands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Serbia and Montenegro, Sweden, Portugal, Macedonia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, Slovenia

THE PROJECT WAS CARRIED OUT WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, THROUGH THE MEDIATION OF ČNA MLÁDEŽ AGENCY

AND MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, YOUTH AND SPORTS CZECH REPUBLIC