“We will not be silent.” How Jekhipe has advanced the fight against anti-Gypsyism in the Czech Republic

How do we deal with the injustices of the past? Where can we find justice and achieve true redress? Slovo 21 has joined the international Jekhipe project, which openly addressed the injustices that Roma people still have to face today. The Romani Holocaust, school segregation, discrimination, violence, and the long-term disregard for the rights of the Romani community. Over the past two years, the project has combined research, advocacy, and public campaigns to help open up topics that have been silenced for too long. It has also helped give back something to the Roma that society has often denied them—dignity and the feeling that their voice carries weight.

Antigypsyism deep in the system‍

One of the most important outputs was extensive research by Gwendolyn Albert, which mapped the nature of antigypsyism in the Czech Republic. It showed that discrimination against Roma is not just a series of isolated incidents, but a deeply rooted systemic problem that permeates education, housing, politics, and everyday life. Researcher Albert presented the findings at the final Jekhipe conference in Brussels. It was stated there that the Czech Republic is only at the beginning of its journey toward finding justice and acknowledging historical injustices.

However, Jekhipe did not stop at just naming the problems. An important part of the project was advocacy—the effort to move the topics of antigypsyism into political and public debate. For example, Slovo 21 collaborated with expert Jan Husák to open up discussions on housing discrimination, anti-discrimination legislation, and the formal adoption of a definition of antigypsyism within the Czech legal framework.

I Will Not Be Silent

Perhaps the most visible part of the project was the "I Will Not Be Silent" campaign, which Slovo 21 and the network of Romani and pro-Romani organizations, Romanonet, launched on the occasion of International Roma Day on April 8, 2025. It called on the public and politicians to openly stand against antigypsyism. 

"The goal of our campaign is not only to draw attention to the injustices that Roma face in their daily lives, but also to show Czech society that we cannot be indifferent to how Roma live, because we all live here together. If the Romani community in the Czech Republic suffers, the negative consequences will eventually affect the entire society," says Jelena Silajdžić, director of Slovo 21.

The symbol of the campaign became ribbons in the colors of the Romani and Czech flags, which even reached political representatives. The campaign was supported, for example, by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. Slovo 21 still distributes these ribbons at public events, such as the Khamoro festival. 

A number of public and cultural figures joined the campaign. It was also supported by actor, singer, and presenter Jan Cina, who said: "I am joining the Slovo 21 organization's campaign called 'I Will Not Be Silent,' which rejects the antigypsyism that is rooted in our society."

Wearing a ribbon means more than just supporting a campaign. It means publicly stating that discrimination against Roma simply does not belong in our society and that staying silent is not okay.

‍

Justice is not a one-time event

The Jekhipe project embraces the idea of transitional justice—the effort to come to terms with the past, name injustices, and find a path toward redress. It is not just about history. The consequences of discrimination are often felt by Roma people even today.

That is precisely why we believe it is important to keep going. To open up topics that have been silenced for a long time. To remind everyone that antigypsyism is not a thing of the past. And to create a space where Roma people will be heard. Not just as victims of discrimination, but as an equal part of society.

‍

The official name of the Jekhipe project is: Reclaiming our Past, Rebuilding our Future: New Approaches to Combating Antigypsyism. The project is funded by the European Union and coordinated by the ERGO Network, ERIAC, and CEPS.

‍