The COVID19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities for Travellers and Roma – but has also created opportunities to address inequalities – Pavee Point Traveller & Roma Centre reported to a meeting of European ngos hosted by the Fundamental Rights Platform this week.

Ronnie Fay, Pavee Point Co Director spoke at the meeting “Human rights work in challenging times – ways forward” of ways of working with the state and civil servants and Traveller and Roma organisations that met some success during the pandemic.
Participating in emergency COVID19 related forums enabled measures to help mitigate against COVID in the Traveller and Roma communities.
Examples include government regulations for local authorities to provide sanitation on both official and unofficial sites, isolation facilities for Travellers and Roma, moratorium on evictions during COVID-19 and Traveller and Roma participation in the design and delivery of frontline services including testing and, it is hoped, vaccination.
“All of this was possible because of ongoing relations, hard work and strong NGOs who could engage and seek human rights,” said Ms. Fay.
Martin Collins, Pavee Point Co Director, outlined Pavee Point’s ongoing commitment to community development as fundamental to realising human rights as well as recognising racism as a key and entrenched barrier to human rights.
