The president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, Astrid Pérez, inaugurated this Thursday the conference “The Canarian Roma People in the 21st Century,” a space for reflection and dialogue focused on the reality, challenges, and contributions of the Roma community in the archipelago. The president of the regional Chamber emphasized the importance of highlighting the role of Roma individuals in the social, cultural, and economic development of the Canary Islands.
“Today we gather in this institutional space, at an opportune moment, to reflect on the identity and future of the Roma community in our islands,” Pérez pointed out, stressing that this community, present in five of the eight islands, “has come a long way, overcoming obstacles and leaving an important cultural mark on our territory.”
Present at the conference were the counselor of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood, and Families of the Government of the Canary Islands, Candelaria Delgado; the commissioner for Transparency, Noelia García; and the deputy counselor for Relations with Parliament, Víctor Chinea, along with spokespersons and deputies from the different parliamentary groups.
The keynote speeches were given by Doctor in Psychology Santiago Carmona, who addressed the construction of Roma identity in the Canarian context; journalist Miguel Heredia, who provided a critical analysis of the media representation of the Roma people in the islands; and José Carmona, member of the State Council of the Roma People, who closed the event with a reflection on the challenges facing the community in the 21st century.
The goal of the meeting, as highlighted by the organizers, is to promote a space for recognition, inclusion, and institutional commitment to a community that, although demographically minority, plays an active role in the social fabric of the Canary Islands and continues to fight for equal opportunities and respect for its cultural identity.
