"Elie Wiesel" Institute commemorates victims of Roma genocide in Holocaust period

The "Elie Wiesel" Institute commemorates the victims of Roma genocide during the Holocaust period and draws attention to the fact that discrimination and racism are still a vulnerability of society.

"74 years ago, about 3,000 Roma were exterminated at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. Today, on the occasion of the commemoration of more than seven decades since the tragic event, the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania bows with respect and pays homage to the memory of the victims of Holocaust-related Roma genocide," says a press release from the Elie Wiesel Institute issued on Thursday for AGERPRES.

Mentioning that "symbolic gestures need to be duplicated by supporting actions," by involving "in actions of historical research and promoting the memory of victims through education and culture", such as those organized by the Institute, the institution's representatives point out that "discrimination and racism are still a vulnerability of society."

"Today, discrimination and racism are still a vulnerability of society. However, we consider that constant remembrance and continuous education of the young or mature audience are practices that prevent and combat racist attitudes that might otherwise degenerate into actions similar to those during World War II," reads the Elie Wiesel Institute's press release issued on the occasion of the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day.

August 2 - The European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day was officially recognized by the European Parliament in 2015. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Popescu, editor: Florin; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi, editor: Simona Iacob)