"Roma people need role models. I want to be one of them," says summer school participant Marlon Ferenc

When seventeen-year-old Marlon Ferenc from Prague arrived at our "We Are Walking a Long Path" summer school, he expected a few lectures and meeting new people. A few days later, however, he left feeling that he finally understood his identity. And that he knew much more about how to stand up against injustices faced by Roma people. Moreover, the summer school gave him such a boost that he decided to become even more active. He wants to become a mentor for Slovo 21 and motivate Roma children to believe in themselves. That is exactly what we are aiming for – empowering the next generation of young Roma leaders.

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The Roma journey blindfolded‍

After a twenty-year hiatus, it is back. The "We Are Walking a Long Path" summer school continues the tradition of international meetings that Slovo 21 first organized back in 1999. It offers young Roma a space where they can spend several days together, learn informally about history, culture, and identity, and find ways to respond to anti-Gypsyism. For Marlon, the summer school was his first opportunity to hear a comprehensive narrative about Roma history. Until now, he had been missing that from both his parents and his school. 

"When we recently had to prepare a presentation in history class, a classmate was assigned the topic of Jewish camps. I asked if I could do a presentation on the Roma concentration camp in Lety u Písku. I had learned about it at the summer school and wanted to spread the word. But the teacher said we wouldn't be dealing with that. We didn't learn anything about our language or origins at all. I think that's wrong," says Marlon.

He still remembers the Slovo 21 summer school to this day. One of the most powerful activities, according to him, took place blindfolded. The instructor narrated the journey of the Roma through Europe, and the participants were meant to "experience" it together. "We held onto each other's shoulders the whole time, and I imagined what it must have been like. That was quite intense," explains the young man with expressive eyes. ‍

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When role models are missing‍

A large part of the summer school was dedicated to how to actively get involved in the fight against anti-Gypsyism. The young Roma discussed specific situations, hateful comments, hate speech, and their impacts together. The topic wasn't entirely new to Marlon, but thanks to the meeting, he gained a clearer idea of how to respond to hatred against Roma people. 

The meeting also opened up the topic of Roma role models. According to Marlon, their lack is one of the reasons why many young Roma are unsure of which direction to take. "You can see it during school discussions with Roma students," he explains. "When we ask who has a role model, a few people speak up and say their parents. But eighty percent don't have anyone."

Marlon experienced firsthand that stories can have great power. It was at the summer school that he met people who openly talk about their identity, study, work, are active in their communities, and at the same time keep their Romani heritage as a source of strength, not shame. "For the first time, I felt like I was surrounded by people who have achieved a lot and who also understand me." 

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From summer school to personal activism‍

After the summer school, Marlon realized that meeting his role models was exactly what sparked his desire to become one himself. Marlon has been coaching football for Roma children for some time, motivating them not to underestimate their schooling or themselves. However, after the summer school, he gained a clearer vision of how to channel his energy further. He accepted an offer from Slovo 21 to become a mentor and show younger people that their Roma identity is not a weakness, but something they can lean on. "I want to give the children what I didn't have for a long time myself," he says.

The entire summer school program was framed by the legend of a broken mirror, the shards of which represented the division of the Roma community. At the end of the meeting, everyone was asked to write on one of the shards what they were taking away from the summer school. Marlon wrote on his: "Thanks to this, I realized that it makes sense."

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The summer school was held as part of the We Are On the Long Way project, supported by funding from the ERGO Network.

Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.