VZCZCXRO3857
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHHE #0197 1471325
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271325Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4984
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000197 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DRL/AE FOR DAN NADEL OR CORTNEY DELL, EUR/NB FOR MIGUEL 
RODRIGUES, EUR/OHI FOR GREG MATTSON, EUR/OHI FOR CHRISTIAN 
KENNEDY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: APER KPAO PHUM SOCI FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: ROMA OUTREACH 2009 
 
REF: A. STATE 20359 
     ¶B. 08 STATE 29991 
     ¶C. 08 HELSINKI 00489 
 
¶1. (SBU) Post maintains strong ties with the Roma 
community in Finland and has remained active in Roma 
engagement.  On April 17, PolOff and PAS Cultural 
Assistant attended the opening of a Romani written and 
directed play on Finnish minority stereotypes entitled 
"Botox".  In February, PolOff attended a museum 
exhibition opening on the history of Roma in Finland. 
Post nominated Miranda Vuolasranta, a Roma activist now 
working with the Council of Europe, for the Woman of 
Courage award this year and maintains contact with her 
on Finnish activities. Post also maintains contacts 
with Finnish government officials on Roma issues; 
PolOff and Pol Assistant met with City of Helsinki 
officials on April 22 about their work on Roma 
migration, an assessment of the situation of Roma 
beggars who have come to Finland from Bulgaria and 
Romania. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Embassy Helsinki will track one proposed Roma- 
centered event currently in its early stages.  In a 
meeting with Embassy staff on January 12, two leaders 
in the Roma community - Nina Casten and playwright 
Veijo Baltzar - expressed their intention to organize a 
seminar in 2010 that would address European Roma 
victims of the Holocaust.  The two expressed 
disappointment with treatment of the Roma community in 
Finland, pointing for example at poor handling of Roma 
issues in the education system.  Beyond Finland, they 
see a Europe-wide ignorance of the legacy of the Roma 
population's treatment during World War II, including 
poverty and unemployment, discrimination, and the 
dispersion of the Roma population across Europe. 
Baltzar and Casten wish to organize a "high level" 
conference that will include academics and diplomats 
and will address history, the arts, "lessons learned" 
and social integration.  Poloff attended a follow-up 
meeting on the event with Baltzar and representatives 
of the City of Helsinki and various European embassies, 
and later referred Baltzar and Casten to the Holocaust 
Memorial Museum for background. 
PLOSSER