On Roma Resilience: A Scholarship Fund for Students & Scholars (Roma Peoples Project in partnership with American Romanian Cultural Society)
Please support the RPP and American Romanian Cultural Society to launch an educational program for the Spring of 2022. Our goal is to develop a pilot project in which we involve a minimum of 10 students and scholars to receive knowledge and mentorship in Roma studies. The knowledge they will access is a combination of existing materials produced by the RPP over the past four years and customized lessons that provide an introduction to key ideas in Roma studies.
The global situation of Roma is one of the most neglected human rights issues of our time, yet the topic remains largely absent or misunderstood within academia and society. Today’s students do not have access to the knowledge they need to include Roma in the decisions they will make as future professionals and leaders. While we are working to address this in a systemic, structural maner, and have universities teach Roma Studies in the classroom and cultural institutions provide knowledge on the topic, we believe it is urgent to create these learning spaces now. For that we need to mobilize, partner and be that solution ourselves by being involved and contributing to making this possibility a reality. To build a future where knowledge of Roma is part of mainstream academia, let's create pathways for today's students to be agents of change and access nuanced, accurate and rigorously researched knowledge of Roma.
Together with the Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University, we will select students and scholars, Roma and non-Roma, from a variety of universities and other community-based educational programs, and will provide opportunities for one semester with the Roma Peoples Project team to gain an introduction to Roma studies and receive mentorship in undertaking their own research projects in Roma studies. Our fundraising goal of $5,000 will support 10 students to access this program, although additional funds raised will provide the capacity to work with a larger group of students and scholars.
Throughout this program, ARCS will work closely with our partners at Roma Peoples Project to create educational opportunities for ARCS Romanian heritage students enrolled in the OSPI Heritage Language Grant, a program developed in partnership with the Ethnic Heritage Council and World Affairs Council.
ABOUT THE ROMA PEOPLES PROJECT
The Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University is a platform for Roma and their allies to share knowledge and stories, to understand the Roma peoples in a global context, to develop kinship with other marginalized groups, and to reflect on Roma experiences of survival and resilience. The Project has a track record of delivering educational content in Roma studies through public events, seminars and campaigns to raise visibility of the Roma cause.
Find out more HERE.
Support ARCS fundraiser for Roma Peoplese Project on Facebook.