Centuries ago, a nation of nomads, coppersmiths, musicians and storytellers came from Northwest India towards the West. This group of people, known as Roma, lives a remarkable existence.
‘Decade of Roma Inclusion’ is an initiative drawn up by the European Union, the World Bank and several NGO’s, aiming on the promotion of the socio-economic status and integration of Roma. In practice it seems to suggest that discrimination and violence against Roma antagonise acceptance. In ‘The good, the bad and the Roma’ photographer Peter van Beek creates an intense image of the reality of Roma everyday life. It is his mission to gain a better understanding of the issues and to draw attention to their increasingly precarious situation.
