8 April, World Roma Day, was marked today with a special programme in the Plenary Hall of the City Administration in Smederevo, organised by the Union of Roma Non-Governmental Organisations “Smederevski forum” with the support of the City.
The City of Smederevo is actively involved in the inclusion of Roma men and women and was among the first cities in Serbia to engage a coordinator for Roma issues, and through the implementation of the Local Action Plan it has taken significant steps in recent years to improve the status of Roma men and women in the community.
Congratulating them on the holiday, the Mayor of Smederevo, Jasmina Vojinović, addressed the representatives of the Roma community in Smederevo and the guests at the ceremony.
“The eighth of April is the day on which we point out that knowing the culture and history of the Roma is very important in order to understand each other better and to take steps to create equal opportunities for all citizens.
Through the many activities we have carried out in recent years, we have helped to improve your social status, and we are committed to improving housing conditions and infrastructure.
We have worked to increase Roma employment through training programmes, employment and self-employment, thus supporting those who wish to gain new knowledge and start their own businesses,” the Mayor said, noting that it is encouraging that more and more young children are attending kindergarten and more children are attending school regularly, that a growing number of young Roma men and women are completing secondary school and that some of them are choosing to enrol in and complete university.
She announced that the City of Smederevo will continue these activities in the future, in line with the newly adopted Local Action Plan for the Social Inclusion of Roma Men and Women for the period from 2025 to 2027.
As part of the ceremony marking International Roma Day, a presentation entitled “History and Culture of the Roma” was given by Balkiza Krujezi, who, after finishing the Smederevo Economics and Trade School, plans to enrol at the Criminal Investigation and Police Academy of the University of Belgrade.
Verses from “Pesma Romu”, which speaks of the need to preserve the identity of the Roma population, were recited by Jovana Ivković, a third-year pupil at the Smederevo Economics and Trade School.
