Selling argues that antigypsyism has not been understood as a real racism rooted in colonialism and has therefore been ignored by many anti-racists. Through retrospectives of racism against Roma in Swedish history, Selling shows that the struggle against antigypsyism has partly been characterized by the fact that Roma have rarely considered themselves a "revolutionary subject" and therefore had to seek alliances with power, which have proven to be unstable. Selling also shows how the state has secured itself with a system of reference groups, which rewards yes-persons, but excludes the growing number of young qualified Roma antigypsyism critics. At the same time, the struggle of Roma has won successes, and the author describes examples of important Roma representatives, from Rosa Taikon and Hans Caldaras to Soraya Post, and the various momentum that has come as a result of the fact that antigypsyism in Sweden has been increasingly exposed. The essay also analyzes how unpredictable mass media events can undermine or fuel latent and manifest antigypsyism. Today, the author argues, there are openings to rediscover the consequences of antigypsyism through new alliances.

Selling argumenterar för att antiziganismen inte har förståtts som en riktig rasism med grund i kolonialismen och därför ignorerats av andra antirasister. Genom tillbakablickar på rasismen mot romer i den svenska historien visar Selling att kampen mot antiziganismen delvis har präglats av att romer sällan själva har betraktat sig som ett ”revolutionärt subjekt” och därför behövt söka allianser med makten, vilka visat sig vara instabila. Selling visar också hur statsmakten säkrat upp sig med ett system av referensgrupper, som premierar ja-sägare, men stänger ute den växande skaran av unga kvalificerade romska antiziganismkritiker Samtidigt har romers kamp vunnit framgångar, och författaren beskriver exempel på viktiga romska representanter, från Rosa Taikon och Hans Caldaras till Soraya Post, och de olika momentum som kommit genom att antiziganismen i Sverige har blottlagts. I uppsatsen analyseras också hur oförutsägbara massmediala händelser kan komma att undergräva eller underblåsa latent och manifest antiziganism. I dag, menar författaren, finns det öppningar för att återupptäcka antiziganismens konsekvenser genom nya allianser.

At the European level, the Swedish example has frequently been cited in discussions around truth and reconciliation processes (TRPs) concerning Roma and policies against antigypsyism. Based on desk research and interviews with key Romani and non-Romani actors, this report puts the Swedish Commission against Antiziganism (the Commission) into context and analyses its impacts and limitations. Its background was the major state inquiry, Roma Rights (SOU, 2010, No 55), which urged a combination of measures to achieve equality for the national minority of Roma:

• a truth commission on historical abuses against Roma in Sweden, aiming for proposals for historical justice such as collective material compensation, and immaterial redress such as the state declaring historical responsibility;
• comprehensive measures against all forms of antigypsyism;
• implementation of a 20-year strategy for Roma inclusion;
• establishment of a permanent secretariat for Roma issues, to give Roma actual monitoring power and influence over the inclusion policy.

Contemporary research and evaluations of existing policy initiatives in the field of Romani studies reveal that cultural racism against Roma remains widespread in the Nordics today. An emphasis on ‘cultural difference’ is so endemic that it can make officials and decision makers blind to alternative reasons for exclusion, such as class and structural antigypsyism. Despite some evidence to suggest modest success with the Swedish “bridge builder programme", research and evaluations are often highly critical, suggesting that it may in fact support exclusory practices. This echoes our research and hands-on experience with teaching Romani students and collaborating with Roman civil society in Sweden. Meanwhile, other crucial steps for building trust, such as a permanent Roma agency, go unrealised.

In 2021, the European Commission concluded that the old inclusion paradigm has failed and called on member states to adopt national strategies based on a new framework, which would ensure quality participation. As already mentioned, according to the Swedish government “No revision (…) is deemed necessary”. Considering evaluations, research outputs and critical Romani voices, we argue that there is a need to brush the dust off the report by the Delegation for Roma Issues 2006-2010, and reconsider the recommendations made there.

If Roma are to have real influence over decisions made about Roma, there is a need to move away from the present practice of reference groups. Therefore, we recommend:

Roma should be involved in all stages of decision-making processes, including the preparation phase, instead of only being informed when decisions are made. The Delegation for Roma Issues 2006-2010, the White Paper (2011-2014) as well as the Commission Against Antiziganism (2014-2016) employed a thorough dialectic working-group process involving Roma, which could be used for inspiration.

When reference persons are consulted, they should be selected on the basis of formal competence rather than based on a more-or-less permanent membership in reference-group, work or memberships in organisations. University-educated Roma must be heard and considered.

To consider establishing an Agency for Roma Issues following the model of the Finnish Roma Delegation

Centered on the trajectory of the emancipation of Roma people in Scandinavia, Romani Liberation is a powerful challenge to the stereotype describing Romani as passive and incapable of responsibility and agency. The author also criticizes benevolent but paternalistic attitudes that center on Romani victimhood.

The first part of the book offers a comprehensive overview of the chronological phases of Romani emancipation in Sweden and other countries. Underscoring the significance of Roma activism in this process, Jan Selling profiles sixty Romani activists and protagonists, including numerous original photos. The narrative is followed by an analysis of the concepts of historical justice and of the process of decolonizing Romani Studies. Selling highlights the impact of the historical contexts that have enabled or impeded the success of the struggles against discrimination and for equal rights, emphasizing Romani activism as a precondition for liberation.

The particular Swedish framework is accentuated by a stimulating preface by the international activist Nicoleta Bitu, and afterwords by two prominent Romani advocates, the politician Soraya Post and the singer, author, and elder Hans Caldaras.

Baksidestext: 

»Detta är en bok om romer skriven av mig som gadjo (romanes för icke-rom, pluralformen lyder gadje). […] För mig har det därför varit väsentligt att i stor utsträckning använda romska källor och bedriva forskning i dialog med de romer jag kommit i kontakt med genom mitt arbete som lärare, forskare och akademisk aktivist inom romska studier sedan 2010. Samtidigt är det en bok med bäring utöver det romska, eftersom den behandlar mänskliga problem som frigörelse och social rättvisa i den emancipatoriska forskningens anda. « Så skriver Jan Selling inledningsvis. 

Han berättar historiskt om romer i Sverige och internationellt, också om viktiga personer och händelser. Han skriver om kampen för rättvisa och en ständig strid mot antiziganismen, hur statliga kommissioner tillsatts, hur officiella ursäkter och erkännanden tvingats fram. Här visas hur romska utomparlamentariska aktioner uppstått och verkat, liksom hur avkoloniseringen av romska studier sker och hur romska intellektuella själva äntrar scenen.

Hur ser då denna frigörelses förutsättningar ut i Sverige och i andra länder? Det är en av de frågor som diskuteras här. Den aktuella tiggeridebatten belyses likaså.

I efterordet tar två ledande romska röster själva till orda: Soraya Post och Hans Caldaras. Frigörelsen är en ny typ av bok i Sverige som behandlar romernas situation.

Föreliggande volym är en festskrift för att hylla docenten i pedagogik, Christina Rodell Olgaç för hennes akademiska insatser inom pedagogik och romska studier genom forskning, utbildning och samverkan.

Boken har en särskild aktualitet, då romska studier vid Södertörns högskola är i färd med att utveckla en egen ämnesidentitet, vilket är unikt i Norden. Rodell Olgaç har lagt en viktig grund till denna utveckling, som även hänger intimt samman med den politiska processen att förverkliga den romska nationella minoritetens rättigheter.

De 16 medverkande skribenterna känner inte nödvändigtvis varandra, men har i någon mån alla medverkat i eller inspirerats av Christina Rodell Olgaçs verksamhet. Deras ämnesval har varit fritt. Det innebär att antologin inte har ambitionen att ge uttömmande svar på bestämda frågor. Istället blir effekten att texterna direkt och indirekt belyser varandra. Bidragen är disponerade utifrån de tre teman som antologins redaktörer uppfattat vara centrala för henne: interkulturalitet som teori och praktik, minoritetsrättigheter och romska studier. 

Medverkande skribenter:

Jan Selling (huvudredaktör), Farhad Jahanmahan Anna Lindqvist och Solvor Mjøberg Lauritzen. Medverkande skribenter; María Borgström, Angelina Dimiter-Taikon, Maria Dumitru, Katrin Goldstein-Kyaga, Farhad Jahanmahan, Angéla Kóczé, Pirjo Lahdenperä, Solvor Mjøberg, Anna Lindqvist, Anders J Persson, Andreas Pettersson, René León-Rosales, Jan Selling, Hassan Sharif, Marinka Vårstrand.

In September 2016, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) organised an international conference on “Confronting Anti-Gypsyism” in Berlin. Several Romani leaders as well as politicians and NGO representatives highlighted Sweden and Norway as promising examples of confronting antigypsyism by using state commissions for past abuses.

This paper will focus on the Swedish example, making clear how it differs from the Norwegian one and critically analysing the circumstances around an apparent Swedish momentum on Roma rights and antigypsyism in the years 2010-2016: How did it emerge? How was it used? What were the consequences of political choices?