By Martin Banks

A report has been published on the contribution of Roma community to the war in Ukraine and further afield.

It is said to be the first report of its kind on the role of Roma in society.

The report, unveiled at a conference at Hotel Sofitel Brussels Europe in Brussels, is called  “Fighting for Fairer Future”.

It is by the Roma Foundation for Europe and seeks to highlight the contribution made by Roma in the war against Russia.

It also examines the impact of the war on the community, and offers policy advice for an inclusive post-war reconstruction effort.

The report notes that Roma have historically have never picked up weapons to fight in a war but have done so in Ukraine.

The conference heard about the bravery of soldiers like 32-year-old Viktor Ilchak, who received a bravery award signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the works of Roma NGOs who have been helping Roma and non-Roma internally displaced persons find shelter.

This, it was said, is “chipping away at ingrained prejudices about the minority within Ukraine.”

The event heard that the war has brought Roma and non-Roma closer together, but activists and experts are cautious on how long the rapprochement might last.

The  overall purpose of the event and report was to “celebrate the contribution, highlight their concerns and ensure that the needs of Roma are not forgotten during the post-war reconstruction.”

In addition, drawing from the lessons learned from the situation of Roma in post war Kosovo – “where they continue to be overlooked” – the report stresses that that Ukraine, which is fighting for democratic values “does not forget the contribution of its minority community which is punching above its weight in this war against Russia.”

In the case of Kosovo, the report says that “the key players discussing the future of the country deal exclusively with the interests of the ethnic Albanians and Serbs, ignoring the plight of over 100,000 Roma who were viciously uprooted from their homes.”

The Roma Foundation for Europe says it works to “build an ecosystem based on the talent, wisdom, strength, competence and resilience of the Roma as a collective counterforce to racism, economic deprivation, political exclusion and cultural subjugation.”

A spokesman said, “Our ambition, however, extends beyond the Roma context. Europe’s Roma have a remarkable history of adaptability and entrepreneurship, despite enduring adversity ranging from medieval persecution to the Holocaust to contemporary violence.

“Because they have felt systemic problems earlier and more deeply than the non-Roma population, we see Roma as catalysts for solutions to wider challenges. We therefore work to develop solutions for Roma that can be scaled up and, in turn, help solve the immense challenges Europe faces with the economy, politics, racism, culture and identity—in other words, with money, power and values.”