Western Donors, Romani Organizations, and Uses of the Concept of Nation after 1989
Western Donors, Romani Organizations, and Uses of the Concept of Nation after 1989
Author(s): Douglas Neander SambatiSubject(s): Nationalism Studies, Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: Romani Studies Program Central European University
Keywords: Roma; Donors; Nationalism; Essentialization;
Summary/Abstract: This article discusses the relationship between Western donors and Romani and Romani-friendly organizations in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989. Based on literature review, interviews,reports, and websites, this paper upholds that the burst of Romani and Romani-friendly organizations in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989 primarily was made possible by financial support and expertise coming from Western organizations.Together with their work methodology, so-called donors took their own framework on understanding groupings and enforced the concept of nation upon Gypsy/Romani populations.Therefore, Western donors and Romani activists and intellectuals alike essentialized (claimed) Gypsy/Romani traits in order to support a nation-building rhetoric. These Romani activists and intellectuals, in turn, are a legacy of policies from planned economies, and they actually might represent Gypsy/Romani communities from a privileged perspective – no longer fully insiders but as a vanguard.
Journal: Critical Romani Studies
- Issue Year: 3/2020
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 26-44
- Page Count: 19
- Language: English