Roma Activism for Change: Experiences from Austria
Approximately 600 individuals, out of the 11,000 Roma residing in Austria in 1938, survived the Holocaust. Following the war, the remaining survivors endured persistent racism and denial of the racial Nazi persecution. In the late 1980s, a small group of survivors and individuals from the second and third generations united to demand justice and recognition. Their efforts were soon joined by additional activists and supporters, leading to the establishment of a vibrant and diverse Roma activism in Austria today. Karoly, an active member of the Austrian Roma civil society, will present the evolution of the Roma civil society, highlighting their achievements and shifting advocacy objectives over the past three decades.
Mirjam Karoly
Mirjam Karoly is a political sciwentist currently working at the Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies (VWI). From 2013-2017, she was head of the OSCE Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues at the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Warsaw. Previously, she served as Senior Adviser on Minority Rights at the OSCE Field Operation in Kosovo. She focuses on Roma in Europe, the situation of minorities and Roma displaced persons in conflict and post-conflict situations. She is an advocate for Roma rights and a member of the Austrian Delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. She also serves as a member of the Austrian Ethnic Council on Roma and is an honorary member of Romano Centro.