RAJAN ZED NEWS RELEASE
Religious statesman Rajan Zed will speak about the apartheid conditions faced by Roma (Gypsy) people of Europe at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) on April 7. Zed’s talk is part of the second annual “Day of Remembrance” organized by UNR’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Other speakers include Dr. Emily Hobson of UNR’s “Gender, Race and Identity Program”; Dr. Fred Holman, UNR’s vice provost; Lydia Lebovic, Auschwitz survivor; April Voytko Kempler and Paul Kempler, relatives of a Holocaust survivor; Ric Thompson, son of a World War II veteran; and Daniel R. Sanchez, interfaith youth leader.
“As we remember all whose lives were lost or forever altered by the Holocaust and by genocides around the world, we are challenged to think about what might motivate us to respond to warning signs of genocide today. History teaches us that genocide can be prevented if people care enough to act,” the event announcement says.
Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, will highlight the sufferings European Roma face, including social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, language barriers, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse and racist slogans on the Internet.
Zed points out that it is simply immoral to watch this around 15 million population of Europe continually suffer and face human rights violations since their presence in Europe going as far back as ninth century CE, and do nothing.
The event, starting at 5:00 p.m. at UNR’s Knowledge Center Auditorium, is free and open to the public.