Documentos

Human Rights

During his first mandate, the new Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Nils Muižnieks, demonstrated his willingness to work and do everything he would be allowed to do. Considered that he is Latvian but he was born in the United States, the Commissioner knows what being emigrant means. Maybe for this reason he doesn’t restrain his critics regarding the present austerity measures that ignore a significant part of the european population.

Austerity measures attack human rights”, in this forceful way Nils Muižnieks talked in front of the Assembly of the Council, affirming that “Gypsy people, migrants and refugees are facing difficult moments in Europe” (see). As gypsy people, we should ask whether we have to expect even more difficul moments compared to what we are already suffering.

Nowadays most of the gypsy families are living in dramatic situations that are becoming even worse and all this sufference is unsustainable. So the most fundamental rights are subjected to harassment with devastating social consequencies.

Before taking every decision, people taking up the reins and deciding the destiny of a population should know very well the importance and the consequences these decisions will have on the more vulnerable groups. Everything has its limit and, if we go beyond these limits, often there is no possibility to go back or  fix.

I am obviously alluding to the death that can be caused, among other reasons, by diseases provoked by lack of nutrition. But I am also alluding to the “death in life” of the most defenceless leading to consequences of different type, including the psychological ones, as result of basic lacks, and the moral consequences that a sick society permits.