The 2016 ACERT conference Identity Now more than achieved its objective of providing an opportunity to reflect on the meaning and importance of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller identities in a range of contexts. Around 50 participants, most from community backgrounds, presented and discussed different aspects of identity and the challenges they experienced asserting and defending it. Continue reading “Identity Conference report”
Author: Brian Foster
ACERT Annual General Meeting Documents 2016
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller identity now
ACERT Conference 2016
17TH SEPTEMBER 2016
10-30am to 4-30pm
Preceded by the Annual General Meeting at 10am.
FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE,
173 EUSTON ROAD,
LONDON NW1 2BJ
Identity
A day of reflection and celebration of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller identities
In June this year, many of us attended a demonstration in Parliament Square to protest against changes to regulations which insisted that a person should not be permanently settled if they were to be regarded as a “gypsy” in planning terms; if you were, you couldn’t expect the local authority to provide a site for you or get permission to set up your own site. Many people felt their identity was being taken from them.
ACERT’s Conference aims to respond to this threat by examining what identity means Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in the 21st Century.
We have invited speakers and musicians to consider the place of religion, music, history, art and education. We hope to recognise the strengths of the cultures but also to identify what we must preserve and what should be allowed to change. We can also consider whether it’s the same or different for groups and individuals, for different generations, for men and women, the wealthy and the disadvantaged.
As usual the conference is free (donations welcome) and there will be light refreshments provided for those who book in advance.
Speakers and performers to include:
- Rosemarie McCarthy, ACERT Chair
- Lisa Smith, formerly targeted youth worker for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers in Worcestershire, ACERT EC
- Tanja Jovanovich and Louise Morley, University of Sussex
- Sam Lee – Folk singer
- Hazel Marsh – University of East Anglia, ACERT EC
- Margaret Doran – Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement
- Jeremy Harte- Romany & Traveller Family History Society
- Phoebe Buckley – Professional Event Rider
- Suzanna King – Friends Families & Travellers on Crystal’s Vardo
- Arthur Conka – Roma Film Archive, Director and Photographer, Picture Light Productions
- Saeeda – Roma dancer, and Valdemar Kalinin – Vice Chair of ACERT
Report on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller participation in Higher Education
This is the impact report from the Higher Education Internationalisation and Mobility: Inclusive Equalities and Innovation project (HEIM) conference at Sussex University which Lisa Smith and Rose McCarthy attended in May. It looks as though we were successful at bringing to their attention the situation of Gypsy and Travellers experiences of further and higher education within the UK. Initially the focus was on Central and eastern European Roma experiences of HE in the UK and elsewhere.
What came out of the day was that the UK are behind other European countries when it comes to supporting Roma in Higher Education, but also that many participants, including the organisers, were unaware of Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers who are already engaged in further and higher education.