April 8 is officially declared as the International Day of Roma in Poland in 1990 during the Fourth Congress of the International Union of Roma, in honor of the first international meeting of Roma representatives held in April 1971.
The Roma have kept and developed their own traditions in music, poetry, dance and painting, in handicraft and traditional clothes.
The Roma people came from India to Albania about six centuries ago. They settled in Balkan to be later spread in Europe. Although the state institutions and different organizations work for the inclusion of Roma in society, they are still subject to discrimination.
The Roma have also their flag, which was created by the General Union of Roma in Romania in 1933 and was approved by the International Roma representatives in 1971. The blue color symbolizes the sky, while green represents the land and crops. The flag also holds a red wheel in memory of their Indian origin, which symbolizes the fire, the movement and the progress.The program opened with the welcoming greetings. The schoolchildren of “Iliria” and Roma children performed several different parts: songs and dances. At the end a cocktail was prepared for the guests and participants at the settings of the Village of Peace.