Commissioner László Andor, Member of the European Commission in charge of social affairs and employment, will visit the Fresco Village of Bódvalenke, Hungary, to celebrate the International Romani Day on 5 April 2013.

The International Romani Day is a day to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Romani people.

Bódvalenke is a 95% Roma village in dire poverty, where Roma painters from Hungary and other European countries painted beautiful, gigantic murals on the walls of the houses, whereby an open-air exhibition showing a cross section of contemporary European Roma painting came into being. Bódvalenke is a place of Roma achievement, an important venue of intercultural dialogue, and also a symbol of the striking tension between the potential and reality of Roma people.

The official celebration will begin at 14:30, where Commissioner Andor and Jenő Setét of Roma Community Network will address the assembled guests. Celebrations include music and dancing on the streets of the village, with local women introducing visitors to Roma culinary arts and local artisans presenting their works. The Albert Hall of Bódvalenke will again open its gates with the exhibition “The Heidegger Story – Roma Art and European Culture”.

After the official celebration Commissioner Andor will meet local and regional Roma leaders and representatives of major NGOs with Roma integration programmes.

The day’s programme will be open to representatives of the press.