Playing fair The revival of Romani lobbying in Multicultural Britain

1
Playing fair? The revival of Romani lobbying in
Multicultural Britain

• The future of Multicultural
• Britain meeting across
• boundaries
• June 14-15, 2005.
• Dr. Colin Clark
• University of Strathclyde
• c.r.clark_at_strath.ac.uk

2
Introduction what are the issues?

• An overview of the main issues (invisible
  lives).
• What is the problem (inclusion/exclusion and
  a history of prejudice, discrimination and
  stereotypes).
• What can be done? (challenges on every level
  legal, cultural, social, political).
• Methods of approach? (being visible, media, and
  active lobbying).
• NB Agency new alliances and political
  mobilization (GTLRC, European Roma Federation and
  other civil rights groups and refugee networks).

3
Multiculturalism and Gypsies

• An ethnic minority group or not? (supporters
  and critics.
• Cultural differences and cultural diversity
  difference that is created and sustained by
  cultural practices.
• Diversity different but equal?
• Protection of group culture language, beliefs
  (Romipen) and a place for Romani nationalism?
• Where do Gypsies and Travellers fit into ideas of
  a multi-ethnic Britain?
• How far does multiculturalism travel in terms
  of inclusion?
• Are Gypsies and Travellers involved and part of
  these debates? Where do they feature?

4
Where are the Gypsies?

• Issue The relative lack of space for Roma,
  Gypsies and Travellers within the
  multidisciplinary Ethnic and Racial Studies
  world
• The student of European history who searches
• for Gypsies will find them only in footnotes.
• Lucassen, Willems and Cottaar (1998) Gypsies and
  Other Itinerant
• Groups A Socio-Historical Approach, London
  Macmillan. (p.1).

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The place of Gypsies?

• Though they have distinctive beliefs about
  sources of pollution, their culture is not so
  very different from that of non-Gypsies, except
  (in Western Europe) for their moving from place
  to place this restricts their children's
  schooling, and because of circumstances in which
  it is done, attracts the hostility of the
  non-Gypsies. That hostility is not 100-per-cent
  unwelcome to Gypsy parents because it helps bind
  their children to the groups way of life and
  discourages them from seeking opportunities in
  the wider society. (my emphasis)
• Michael Banton (1997) Ethnic and Racial
  Consciousness, London
• Longman.(p.163).

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What do we know about Gypsies?

• Who are the Gypsies and Travellers of Britain? -
  origins, family and a history of exclusion,
  containment, assimilation.
• Where are Gypsies in Britain? On the margins.
  (geographical spread, sites, occupations,
  movement, activism).
• Why do we know so little? (economic, political
  and cultural reasons, on both sides?).
• How can we find out more? (ethnic monitoring? the
  Census? ODPM? PSI surveys? severe data
  limitations here a 5th PSI survey?).

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Subject to status?

• The legal ethnic status of Gypsies and
  Travellers across the UK.
• The question is still being asked today are they
  or arent they ethnic?
• And, is this ethnicity valid?
• English Gypsies (1989) CRE Vs Dutton.
• Irish Travellers (2000) OLeary Vs Allied
  Domecq.
• Scottish Gypsy-Travellers Informally yes
  (Parliament and Executive), formally no (no court
  case as yet).
• Question here of both formal and substantive
  rights.

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What are the contexts?

• The birth and death of the Caravan Sites Act,
  1968.
• Ethnic Cleansing and the Criminal Justice and
  Public Order Act, 1994 (especially Section 80).
• Latest guidance and circulars from OPDM / DfES
  (e.g., GPG - a case of running to stand
  still?).
• Sites, schools and civil rights is this
  terrain the new Romani lobbying agenda?
• The human and economic costs of policy failures
  (e.g., eviction costs of 18 million pounds a
  year - Cardiff Law School research, Morris and
  Clements, 2002).
• Politics and the Media agents of change?

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Politicians and Gypsies

• The trawl through Hansard is revealing Gypsies
  are
• vilified the themes are familiar and repetitive
  the same
• words keep re-occurring filth, crime, excrement
  there
• are few words of sympathy.
• Royce Turner (2002) Gypsies and British
  Parliamentary
• Language Romani Studies, 12(1)26.
• Key question Can Gypsy issues ever be anything
  other
• than a vote loser for politicians?

10
Are you thinking what were thinking?
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We believe in Fair play too

• We live in a modern Britain. We are proud to be
  part of a diverse and
• multicultural nation. We are proud to be Gypsies
  and Travellers.
• Too many councils, politicians and newspapers
  seem to think they
• dont have to play by the rules. Gypsies and
  Travellers are being
• discriminated against.
• We don't want knee jerk reactions. We want
  solutions that are fair for
• everyone.
• We need more choice, more legal sites, more
  dialogue and more
• understanding.
• GTLRC

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The Media and Gypsies stamp on the camps

• The thorny question of how the media covers
  controversial
• issues has reared its head again, with a Sun
  newspaper
• campaign declaring "war" on a "gipsy
  free-for-all.
• (Paula Dear, BBC, March 11 2005)
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4337281.stm
• Key question are the media part of the problem
  or part of
• a solution?

13
Prescott Gypsies on your doorstep
14
Prescott more land to more Gypsies
15
Prescott Gypsies spongers
16
Sack Prescott get rid of Gypsies
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The Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform Coalition

• http//www.travellerslaw.org.uk/
• Formed September 2002
• The Gypsy Traveller Law
• Reform Coalition is an alliance of
• Romany Gypsy, Irish Traveller
• and New Traveller campaign
• groups committed to raising the
• social inclusion of these and
• other Traveller communities.

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The Traveller Law Reform Bill

• Cardiff Law School
• 31 January 2002 (launched)
• 10 July 2002 (revised, read in HoC by David
  Atkinson MP)
• Current position from the TLRB to the Housing
  Bill

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Making allies friends in high places?

• Many organisations and institutions across the UK
  are now appreciating the importance of working
  with and supporting the efforts of Gypsy and
  Traveller groups
• Commission for Racial Equality
• Institute for Public Policy Research
• Social Exclusion Unit
• Department of Work and Pensions
• House of Lords (Lord Avebury)
• House of Commons (until recently Kevin McNamara
  MP)
• Department for Education and Skills
• Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights
• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
• Liberty
• European Roma Rights Centre
• European Social Forum

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Roles and responsibilities?

• A need for effective, responsible, grown-up
  dialogue between the different interested
  parties
• Politicians
• Press
• Local policy-makers
• NGOs
• Other ethnic minority communities/groups
• Gypsies and Travellers
• The settled community / local neighbourhoods

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What is the road ahead?

• Where do we go from here? Is it
• A question of law and order?
• of human rights?
• of environmental protection?
• of heritage, tradition and lifestyle?
• of land?
• of playing fair?
• Its about respect effective partnerships built
  on principles of mutual respect for difference.
• Multiculturalism needs to be reconfigured
  cultural racism needs to be stamped on, not Gypsy
  sites or families.