The Launching event will take place on 7 and 8 October 2009 in Lendava and in the settlement of Kamenci (Municipality of Črenšovci).

On the first day there will be a whole-day conference organised at the Lendava Cultural Centre, staring at 10.00 a.m., where the project itself will be for the first time presented to the general public. The second day will take place in Kamenci, a Roma settlement, where the Route will be presented “in the making”. The programme will again start at 10.00 a.m.

Slovenian Chairmanship of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers:

Launch and Partnership Meeting: “European Route of Roma Culture and Heritage”, Lendava/Kamenci, 7 – 8 October 2009

The Government Office for National Minorities of the Republic of Slovenia is together with the Council of Europe and the Roma Community organising the official launching of the Council of Europe project “European Route of Roma Culture and Heritage”.

The hosts of the event will be municipalities of Lendava and Črenšovci. At the conference part the participants will be addressed by high representatives of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia: the Minister of Culture and the Minister of Education and Sport, who is also the president of the Government Commission for the Protection of Roma Community. The high representative of the Council of Europe who will address the participants will be the Director General of the Directorate of Culture, Cultural and Natural Heritage.

Apart from the official launch of the project, special attention will be given to various Roma cultures and their way of life, there will be presentations of various artists and partners in the project, there will be different workshops etc. – all with the goal to educate, to obtain the knowledge and to promote Roma communities and their creativity.

In the evening of 7 October a special cultural side event will take place at the Lendava Cultural Centre, which will fill the Centre with music and emotions. People will be able to visit the first Slovenian-Roma musical “The Glass Apple” written by a famous Roma composer Imer Traja Brizani. The première of this musical took place at the Cankarjev Hall in Ljubljana on 8 April this year – the International Roma Day. Hopefully the performance will give great pleasure also to the visitors in Lendava. The cultural side event is free of charge and open to wider audience.

Join the Council of Europe, the Government Office for National Minorities of the Republic of Slovenia and Roma Communities in their efforts, and get to know, obtain the knowledge, before you judge. Let RESPECT and CREATIVITY overcome the barriers that separate us.

Republic of Slovenia

Government Office for National Minorities

More information:

Maja MAMLIĆ, T: +386 1 478 13 75, maja.mamlic@gov.si

Tjaša PLOHL, T: +386 1 478 13 72, tjasa.plohl@gov.si

Deadline: 2009/09/30

Country or region: Slovenia