Dear brothers and sisters!

Today we have reason to celebrate! Not only do we commemorate the day of statehood and the memory of the assassination of Prince Wenceslas in Stará Boleslav in 935, but today our association is also being born. An association that has a big dream – to unite our brothers and sisters, help the poor, restore pride to the Romani community and smooth the edges between the majority and our community.

We will not allow ourselves to welcome profiteers, populists or bad people in this association. On the contrary! We rely on volunteerism and work for others, because only in this way can we achieve this wonderful goal!

Currently, we are facing the danger of spreading fear and hatred – unfortunately also from the highest levels of Czech politics. After the wave of migrant hatred, hatred against us Romani people is once again coming.

I accept the position of chairman of this association with humility and on the condition that this position will be unpaid. We want to be a bridge for all good people who are disappointed with various organizations built on their own benefit.

Our association has the ambition to connect people across the Czech and Slovak Republics and avoid the mistakes that our predecessors made. We must be transparent, open and not afraid of a broader dialogue between ourselves and the majority. The common goal is to live in a society without prejudice and xenophobia, where skin color plays no role.

Do we want our association to function as a support for people in poverty? Then we must make a selfless sacrifice in the form of our own example, follow our own set rules and not humiliate or elevate anyone.

Wisdom says: Everyone has two wolves inside them and it is up to them which one to feed. So let’s feed the right one!

Thank you for your attention and I look forward to working with you!

Karel Karika