On August 5, 2020, leading scholars and activists will discuss the additional challenges and risks Romani people are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic during a webinar, “Resurgence of Scapegoating Romani People in Times of Pandemics.” The event will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EDT (4 to 5:30 p.m. CEST). To register, click here.

This webinar series is being organized by the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, the Romani Studies Program of the Central European University, the Romanian Institute for Research on National Minorities (ISPMN), and Cornell University.

The webinar will be streamed live on the FXB Center’s Facebook page. This event is the first in the four-part webinar series, “Romani People During Pandemics.” The webinar series will:

• Discuss past and present patterns of fearing or blaming Roma during pandemics and place these patterns in the broader history of scapegoating in times of crisis.
• Draw attention to various responses chosen by state representatives and their rationale. We will discuss discriminatory measures by local or state institutions who imposed Roma-only, disproportionate, or militarized measures in Romani neighborhoods or towns. 
• Focus on effective responses implemented at local, national, or international levels by state and non-state actors to protect Romani people, their health and well-being in times of pandemic and outside of them.