Condemning “children of the highway” as cultural genocide
Published: Monday, Jan 22nd 2024, 12:30
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Travellers demand in an open letter that Switzerland should condemn the "Kinder der Landstrasse" campaign as cultural genocide. In this campaign, the Pro Juventute Foundation took children away from Swiss Yenish and Sinti. Switzerland also sterilized and interned members of this minority.
In the 20th century, the federal Pro Juventute Foundation took children away from traveling people and tore families apart. It is estimated that 2000 children were affected, but the number is unclear. Official Switzerland also persecuted Yenish and Sinti in many ways, for example by interning them for "vagrancy".
In an open letter to Justice Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Yenish organizations and personalities demand the condemnation of "Children of the Country Road" as cultural genocide against Yenish and Sinti.
Despite apologies and compensation, this step had to be taken if Switzerland wanted to stand by its actions. The victims would include not only those directly affected, but also their descendants, relatives, families and the entire Yenish and Sinti people.
The open letter was signed by the Radgenossenschaft der Landstrasse (umbrella organization of the Swiss Yenish and Sinti), the transnational organization Schäft Qwant and the French-speaking Swiss organization Jenisch-Manisch-Sinti.
©Keystone/SDA
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