Croatian Romani Union "Kali Sara" | |
---|---|
Romani name | Rromengi Unia Ani Kroacia "Kali Sara" |
Croatian name | Savez Roma u Republici Hrvatskoj "Kali Sara" |
Abbreviation | Kali Sara |
Leader [lower-alpha 1] | Veljko Kajtazi |
Founded | 2011[lower-alpha 2] |
Headquarters | Zagreb, Croatia |
Ideology | Romani minority interests |
Colours | Red |
Sabor | 1 / 151 |
Party flag | |
Website | |
kalisara.hr | |
Formation | July 2007 |
---|---|
Type | National coordination of the Romani people in Croatia |
Legal status | Minority self-government organization |
Purpose | Advocacy of rights and interests of the Romani people in Croatia |
The Croatian Romani Union "Kali Sara" (Croatian : Savez Roma u Republici Hrvatskoj "Kali Sara", Romani : Rromengi Unia Ani Kroacia "Kali Sara") is an political and self-government organization of the Romani people in Croatia. [1] Its seat is located in Croatian capital city of Zagreb. [1]
The organization was established in July 2007 and its first president was Veljko Kajtazi, future member of the Croatian Parliament. [2] On the occasion of publication of the first Romani-Croatian dictionary in 2008, the Alliance initiated the signing of the Charter of the Romani Language which was signed by 157 individuals. [2] On the date of the publication of the dictionary on November 5 (authored by the Alliance's president), the local and international Roma community celebrated the World Day of Romani Language. [2] The Croatian Parliament formally recognized Romani Language Day on May 25, 2012. [3] In 2015 UNESCO accepted the alliance's initiative to recognize the Romani language as a part of global cultural heritage by recognizing the World Day of Romani Language. [4] The formal proposal to UNESCO was made by the Republic of Croatia. [5] In 2018, the Alliance published the monograph "Kali Sara - The First Ten Years". [6]
Year | Popular vote | % of vote | Overall seats won | Others seat [lower-alpha 3] | Seat change | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
As "Centre for the Implementation of Integration into the European Union" | ||||||
2011 | 863 | 18.88 | 1 / 151 | 1 / 1 | 1 | Government support |
As "Croatian Romani Union "Kali Sara" | ||||||
2015 | 1.913 | 41.41 | 1 / 151 | 1 / 1 | Government support | |
Opposition | ||||||
2016 | 2.010 | 53.16 | 1 / 151 | 1 / 1 | Government support | |
2020 | 3.745 | 78.48 | 1 / 151 | 1 / 1 | ||
2024 | 3.017 | 62.11 | 1 / 151 | 1 / 1 |
The Romani, also spelled Romany or Rromani and colloquially known as the Roma, are an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin who traditionally lived a nomadic, itinerant lifestyle. Linguistic and genetic evidence suggests that the Romani originated in the Indian subcontinent, in particular the region of present-day Rajasthan. Their subsequent westward migration, possibly in waves, is now believed by historians to have occurred around 1000 CE. Their original name is from the Sanskrit word डोम, ḍoma and means a member of the Dom caste of travelling musicians and dancers. The Roma population moved west into the Ghaznavid Empire and later into the Byzantine Empire. The Roma are thought to have arrived in Europe around the 13th to 14th century. Although they are widely dispersed, their most concentrated populations are located in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Spain, and Turkey.
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