March 3, 2014
Today, when Russia, in fact, has begun its military intervention against Ukraine, it launched
also an information war to discredit the Ukrainian state, both inside and outside. It’s very dangerous
if Roma will be a tool in this war.Spreading unverified information on inter-ethnic conflicts, as it does the ICO "Roma Women'sFund "Chirikli", plays docilely into the hands of the forces that shatter the unity of Ukrainian civil society and its commitment to democratic values, which millions of citizens of Ukraine are showing for
the past three months, and which experts call to be the Ukrainian revolution of dignity.Some "leaders" invite Roma of Ukraine to lurk, to seek asylum in Russia or in EU, and in noway to express their civic standpoint. Such "advices", according to our and some other Roma organizations,automatically foment distrust among nations, provoke perception of Roma as victimsrather than as full citizens of Ukraine who we are. For the Roma community in Ukraine, the unity ofourselves and with the Ukrainian people is important.