I was Wrong About the Romani Gypsies
For many years I thought I knew the answer to the problems faced by the Romani Gypsies: education. If we could just make school more appealing to this population their situation of marginalisation would gradually end, and they would learn the skills needed to challenge the discrimination they are faced with all over Europe.
A new book I am reading has made me realise that I was totally wrong about this – there is no simple answer to their poverty – and that I know a lot less than I assumed about the Romani Gypsy population. And our patronising, know-it-all attitudes doesn’t help. (more…)