Building Bridges with Roma Communities in Kybartai and Panevėžys
Kybartai, Lithuania: 4 July 2024 / Panevėžys, Lithuania: 11 July 2024
On 4 July, 2024, a community meeting was held with the Roma community in Kybartai. Roma women actively engaged in discussions about the Employment Service’s innovations and the Marijampolė County Women’s Activity Centre’s insights into women’s role in democratic societies. As part of the meeting, the girls’ ensemble “Roma by the Fire” (Roma Pašė Jag) magnetized everyone with their dances and songs.
The Kybartai Roma community later participated in follow-up events such as Holocaust commemoration and GypsyFest Roma Culture Festival held in Vilnius on 2 August. They marched in the parade and performed at venues like the Fair of Nations and the Compensa Concert Hall. Birutė Rusevičienė, Roma Facilitator in Kybartai and Marijampolė, said “Involvement in these events gave the community deeper connections and recognition”.
In Panevėžys, a similar community meeting was held on 11 July. The discussion focused on employment challenges and discrimination. The event featured an engaging presentation by Janina Matuizienė, Secretary General of the Lithuanian Trade Union, which sparked lively dialogue. The Roma ensemble “God’s Way” (Devlesko drom) greeted visitors with heartfelt dancing and singing. Dance helps build community cohesion and maintain their Roma culture and identity. Two ensemble members were later invited to participate in the Romavision competition during GypsyFest in Vilnius.
In Lithuania, Roma communities are spread across the country, with some of the largest populations in Šalčininkai, Marijampolė, Kybartai, Panevėžys, Anykščiai, Šiauliai, Jonava, and other regions. Reflecting this diversity and remote locations, the “Inequality Does Not Solve Itself” project run by Baltic Region Roma Women Associationin Lithuania financed by MARIO programme, reached out to communities beyond Vilnius.
Special thanks go to Roma community facilitators Silvia Pranauske and Birutė Rusevičienė, and photographer Lukrecija Dūdienė
MARIO is funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (2021-27) of the European Union (ref: 101091387).
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