A student becomes an activist because she wants to accept her own gypsy identity and bring a change in the society.
In the 11th grade Iulia Damian was the president of the Pupils Education Council from the high school „Alexandru Rosetti” of Vidra, Ilfov County, after she won at a difference of only five-seven votes. She wanted to stand for it because she liked to get involved in projects and she saw in the competition a chance that could have helped her to organize different events in the school where she studied, but also to accumulate some experience. She didn’t expect that the fact that she is of gypsy ethny to cause her problems and be a reason of discrimination in the competition for the president position of the Pupils Council. When it happened, she started wondering about her identity and what means to be part of a minority.
Each of the pupils who have joined the race for the Pupils Education Council had to make a file which should enclose, among other things, also a discourse of presentation. She had her speech in every classroom from the school and she tried to convince her classmates to choose her.
Because one of the other candidates was the brother of the ex-president of the Council, the girl also walked through the classrooms in order to convince the pupils to vote for her brother. In one of these classes, the girl told the pupils that they should not vote Iulia because she is a gypsy and they shouldn’t let a gypsy to rule. Iulia found out all these from a classmate and she suffered „When I heard I went into the bathroom and I cried so much. I didn’t even know what is going on with me”.
Then she started wondering if she should or not candidate. „Why am I, precisely I, a gypsy?” she accused her parents when she arrived at home. They tried to calm her down and tell her that she is not guilty at all for the reactions that the specific girl had. Iulia does not take part of a traditional family and she does not know Romany language. Her parents never avoided their gypsy status and they did not hide her that she takes part of an ethny, but they focused more on giving a positive example for the community. Iulia never had problems of discrimination in Colibași, the locality where she was born from Giurgiu County. She thinks that people did not treat them differently because the parents worked honestly.
Iulia Damian decided then, in 2011, not to retreat her candidature and, after the elections conclusion, went to the principal to complain about the discrimination case. The woman, who did not take any measures not even in the case of some past complaints related to discrimination, received from other young people, told her that she should calm down, that it happens sometimes when there are elections. The situation remained unsolved.
When she organized a Halloween party, after winning the position of president of the Pupils Education Council, she realized that young people can have power if they have initiatives and can bring a change. Although in the end she didn’t succeed, because of a too religious teacher, the fact that she planned the first party of Halloween from the high school history and that the pupils were anxious, was important for her. Also when she was in high school, she tried to help a classmate who came from a family with a modest financial situation and who has given up school. Iulia went together with her form teacher, talked to the parents and she succeeded in convincing them to divide the little money that they had in such a way that their daughter could continue her studies.
Iulia is now 20 years old and is a student in the 2nd year at SNSPA, at the Faculty of Communication and Public Relations, where she was admitted on the places for gypsy people. She didn’t want to choose special places because she was embarrassed, but she was finally convinced by her mother’s requests.
When Iulia was still in high school, Romani Criss, an NGO which fights for the gypsies rights, developed a program of civic involvement at the school from Vidra. Pupils were invited to come up with ideas which can bring something new within the school. Iulia and her team especially arranged a classroom where no formal activities were made. She liked very much to work with Romani Criss, so that when she came to Bucharest she decided to have a voluntary participation at them – „I want to go on the projects side, to see how it is to be an activist”.
At Glina, near Bucharest, she helped at selecting the gypsy children who were going to participate to an education centre which the NGO opened in the area. She talked to people and she went from one door to another in order to explain them the situation and ask them if they agree with their children registration. When the centre opened and the parents started bringing their children, Iulia felt that she did something truly important and that she changed something – „it was a spiritual joy which I cannot describe in words”.
She chose to work in an NGO because she felt that she must do something tangible to help as much as she can that the picture which the gypsies have in the society to be better, not to wait that she or the others not to be discriminated anymore. About those who commit crimes, says that they damage the image of others about the ethny, and this represents a step behind after so many efforts.
Although she is not necessarily afraid of discrimination, Iulia says that she feels different from the Romanian people. „I myself have a reticence in me and I know that I am lower than them”, says she. „When I think about the gypsy ethny I think about something lower and (n.r – When I think about) Romanian people, of something higher”. She feels that because she is aware that there are clear differences in favour of the Romania people, especially when it comes about a workplace.
The difference between Iulia Damian the activist who thinks that she can change something in the society, and Iulia Damian the person who is ashamed of her gypsy status is a constant challenge. „This is a battle which is daily fought in me. And, I usually choose the tough part, to go and fight”.
What she now knows is that she dreams about a career in communication and she wants to give the gypsies a voice, to prove that she can be an example for the others.
This article can also be read here http://narratory.ro/cautarile-iuliei/
