MemoryKeepers project aims to promote awareness and memory, as well as to combat denial and distortion of the Roma Holocaust, among the Roma and wider populations in the EU member states of Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary and Romania, and the candidate countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

To this end, the project will establish a network of young Roma and non-Roma EU ambassadors in the partners’ countries, who will be trained and supported to implement awareness raising actions for ensuring remembrance, debunking myths and negative narratives that downplay historical evidence, and for highlighting the routes, diversity and significance of the events of the Roma Holocaust today, including the digitization of oral histories of the local Roma communities, the production of short films/videos about the Roma Holocaust, and the organization of various events.

In order to provide effective support and training to young Roma Holocaust EU ambassadors, and to promote the sustainability and extension of this initiative, the project will also target youth workers and other staff of Roma/Pro-, Roma youth and cultural organizations, and will build their skills on the use of digital media, digital repositories, and museum archives for educating young Roma and non-Roma adults through art, about the Roma Holocaust. Local Roma communities and wider populations, as well as policy-makers and stakeholders, will be the “recipients” (target) of them awareness raising actions to be implemented by the young EU ambassadors networks.

Within this context, the main objectives of MemoryKeepers project are to:

• Enhance the skills of youth workers and staff of Roma/Pro-Roma youth and cultural organizations on the use of digital media, digital repositories, and museum archives, and arts-based techniques for the training of young Roma and non-Roma on the Roma Holocaust
• Build the knowledge and skills of Roma and non-Roma youth (aged 18-30) on issues related to the Roma Holocaust, recording stories and preserving oral history, creating short films and digital storytelling, and acting as ambassadors for the contribution of Roma history, culture and identity to the EU history and values
• Engage Roma and non-Roma youth in ensuring Holocaust remembrance and combating denial and distortion
• Enhance digitization of oral histories and oral traditions of Roma communities
• Increase public awareness and understanding of the Roma Holocaust as a manifestation of antigypsysm/anti-Roma discrimination

MemoryKeepers results & outcomes at a glance:

• Mapping activities Nationals & Transnational Report on Professionals in Roma Organizations level of knowledge about the Roma Holocaust, and skills gaps for the training, awareness raising and engagement of (Roma and non-Roma) youth in promoting the memory of the Roma Holocaust, especially on the use of digital media and digital arts-based techniques.
• A Training programme & seminars for youth workers and staff of Roma/Pro-Roma youth and cultural organizations with the participation of 175 youth workers and staff of Roma/Pro- Roma youth and cultural organizations
• A Course curriculum for Roma and non-Roma youth on the Roma Holocaust, an E-learning platform and Seminars for Roma and non-Roma youth and a total of 315 Roma and non-Roma youth trained.
• A Transnational exchange and training event with 120 participants.
• In total 7 Digital archives of oral histories and/ or oral traditions of Roma communities in relation to the Roma Holocaust
• 7 Digital archive presentation events with a total of 350 participants
• 7 Short films/videos about the Roma Holocaust
• 7 National awareness raising events with a total of 350 participants
• 1 Roma Holocaust remembrance and awareness raising EU level event with a total of 320 participants