Thank you Professor Haliti
Professor Bajram Haliti, one of the greatest and most respected Roma intellectuals in Serbia, passed away on July 18, 2022. years. From his youth until his death, he devoted his life to his community, trying to use all possible mechanisms available to the state and the EU to lift our Roma community out of an oppressed position and present it as a community with potential, never at war, as a progressive nation.
Haliti was born on May 21, 1955, in Gjilan, Kosovo. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Kragujevac and obtained the title of lawyer, in 1985 he graduated from the Yugoslav Institute of Journalism, majoring in journalism.
He did not stop his education until he was old, he worked on his doctorate concerning the Roma in the Second World War and the right to reparations. He was among the best connoisseurs of Roma history and a pioneer in naming our suffering in the Second World War "ROMOCIDE". He did not accept the definitions of the majority people, but through a careful analysis of terms and previous names, he determined that the correct name for our suffering in the Second World War is Romocide, which means the systematic, targeted killing of Roma.
He visited India several times and worked for India to recognize us as its diaspora. Haliti was truly a man who went to bed and woke up with thoughts of how to politically organize and preserve his community.
His Roma interest was above all else, which is also proven by his sentence in the Serbian -Roma dictionary: "If the majority wants to improve its culture and identity through the state, the minority must also be enabled to promote its identity and culture with the help of the state." Bajram Haliti "Serbian-Roma Dictionary" 2011)
Professor Bajram Haliti is also known for the fact that he unquestionably shared his knowledge with young Roma men and women. He taught us our history, culture, and identity. He would never refuse an invitation to talk and dialogue with us, and we would never leave the discussion without having learned something new. The professor would leave behind books, knowledge, and ideas that we openly accepted and thanked.
Thank you Professor Haliti.
Professor Bajram Haliti's awards:
- The first prize for the literary creativity of Roma in the world - the prize of the President of Italy.
- 1997. Second prize at the Amico Rom event for the book Romi, narod zle kobi.
- 2002. Slobodan Berberski Charter for Literary Creativity in Serbia.
- 1999 Charter for special merits and contribution to the improvement of the cultural and educational life of Roma and for successes in developing Roma culture.
- 2002. Charter for Peace and Tolerance for contribution to the struggle for peace, tolerance, and understanding among people and nations.
- 2004 Charter for notable work in writing and affirmation of Roma culture
- 2005. Diploma of Joan Cioaba for Roma integration in Serbia
- Charter of the Balkan Roma Federation for the Affirmation and Emancipation of Roma in the Balkans and many others.