PER Report: Roma and Statistics
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Subject: PER Report: Roma and Statistics
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PER Report: Roma and Statistics
ROMA AND STATISTICS
STRASBOURG, FRANCE MAY 22-23, 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction
The Issue of Crime and Ethnic Statistics
Arguments against More Data
Arguments for More Data
External Categorization or Self-Declaration
"Sensitive" and "Cold" Data
Legal Standards and Instruments of Data Protection
Reliability and Usefulness of Census Data
The Forthcoming Census and Romani Expectations
Alternative Sources of Data
Recommendations
Notes
Communique from the Meeting Roma and Statistics
List of Participants
Other PER Publications
PREFACE
Controversies over the use and collection of statistics concerning the
European Roma have proven to be divisive not only among Romani
communities but also among European and American organizations dealing
with Romani issues.
Why is this question so controversial? The Roma have been especially
sensitive about data collection of any kind since it was used against
them by the Nazis during World War II. More recently, figures
purporting to show Roma misbehavior have been used by some governments
as a basis for declaring the Roma unfit for citizenship. Yet, the Roma
need more information on data gathering and standards of protection in
order to judge how their interests can be best served. Moreover, such
interna-tional organizations as the Council of Europe, OSCE, and the
European Commission require governments to provide data on Romani
popula-tions in order to furnish their yearly country reports on human
rights. This requirement often collides with legal or constitutional
prohibitions in some countries against the collection of data by
ethnicity.
At a landmark roundtable in Strasbourg, France on May 22-23, 2000,
that was organized by the Project on Ethnic Relations in cooperation
with the Council of Europe, the issue of gathering statistics based on
ethnicity provoked a passionate debate. (This roundtable was the
second co-organized by PER and the Council. The first was a meeting in
Paris in October 1999 entitled Roma and the Law: Demythologizing the
Gypsy Criminality Stereotype.)
[See
http://racoon.riga.lv/minelres/archive//05082000-19:56:06-22124.html -
Boris]
The meeting that is reported here was organized in part as a response
to a recommendation of the OSCE High Commissioner on National
Minorities that a seminar should be held to explore the various
dimensions of ethnic data collection, taking into account the
legitimate concerns of the Roma. PER and its Romani Advisory Council
invited the Council of Europe to co-organize the dis-cussions. (The
Council of Europe has also issued a report on this meeting.) Andrzej
Mirga, Chair of the PER Romani Advisory Council and Co-Chair of the
Specialist Group on Roma/Gypsies of the Council of Europe, prepared
the discussion papers for both meetings.
Participants in the meeting included Roma/Gypsy representatives from
Central, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, demographers, statisticians,
and human rights organizations concerned with Roma/Gypsy rights.
Many issues were discussed in Strasbourg: Does data gathering on
disadvantaged ethnic groups hinder or help their cause? If the
collection of data is accepted, who is to be entrusted with its
collection, release, and use? Is it possible to prevent negative
exploitation of data? Can gov-ernments legitimately collect data on
race and ethnicity so as to provide comprehensive statistics, yet
still comply with constitutional principles of nondiscrimination? Do
national censuses provide sufficient informa-tion about disadvantaged
groups? What kind of information policies can governments implement in
order to diminish the Roma's distrust and encourage them to
participate in censuses?
The conferees recommended: 1) that data collection on the Roma that
does not conform to legal requirement and provisions should be
imme-diately stopped; 2) to launch a training program for Romani
leaders on data collection and protection in countries where the
European Commission monitors the situation of the Roma; 3) to verify
whether state agencies are abiding by extant criteria and standards
for data col-lection and data protection; and 4) that census
commissions launch education programs for the Romani communities in
order to explain rules, protection standards, and the like.
It must be emphasized that, during the course of the debate, some -
though by no means all - Romani and other participants who had opposed
any kind of ethnic data collection were persuaded that at least some
forms, especially national censuses, were desirable. At the
con-clusion of the meeting, participants called on government
officials and Romani leaders to collaborate in acquiring more
information on the Roma - provided that it is accurately and
legitimately gathered, is non-discriminatory, and is not misused.
A communique addressed to European governments was issued by PER and
is attached to this report.
This report was written by Andrzej Mirga and edited by PER senior
edi-tor Robert Feldmesser. The participants have not reviewed the
text, for which PER is solely responsible.
Alien H. Kassof, President
Livia B. Flaks, Executive Director
Princeton, New Jersey
November 2000
-----------------------
The Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) was founded in 1991 in
anticipation of the serious interethnic conflicts that were to erupt
following the collapse of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe and
the former Soviet Union. PER conducts programs of high-level
intervention and dialogue and serves as a neutral mediator in several
major disputes the region. PER also conducts programs of training,
education, and research at international, national, and community
levels.
PER is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, with
additional funding from the Starr Foundation, the William and Flora
Hewlett Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the
Council of Europe.
Individuals and institutions wishing to receive PER publications
should write to:
Project on Ethnic Relations
15 Chambers Street
Princeton, New Jersey 08542-3707, USA
Telephone: (609) 683-5666
Fax: (609) 683-5888
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.per-usa.org/
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