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Inclusion

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Inclusion

Inclusion is about celebrating diversity and recognising individual and group differences.

When we talk of ‘inclusion’ we mean treating people as individuals and placing value on them in the community and in the workplace. Inclusion supports the acceptance of equality for everyone in society and removes barriers so that we can reach and support those who need it most. In this module we will focus on one of the largest ethnic minorities in Europe.

In this module we will learn more about the Traveller community.

The Traveller Community

In Europe, over 12 million people are Travellers. There any many different communities, each with their own unique identities.

Travellers make up the largest ethnic minority community in Europe. They are recognised communities in the U.K. but are often treated poorly by permanent communities and local authorities and can be subject to prejudice and discrimination.

The Main Traveller groups in the UK are:

• English Gypsies • Romany Gypsy refugees and asylum seekers• Irish Travellers• Fairground and Show people• Scottish Travellers• Bargee and water craft Travellers• Welsh Travellers• New Age Travellers (people from the settled community,

inspired by the Hippies or the Bohemians).• Circus Performers

Different traveller community symbols

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Inclusion

Irish Traveller and Romani Gypsy Facts

• Romani gypsies are originally a Hindi People from Northern India

• The Gaelic nickname ‘tinker’ denoted a Gypsy who repaired or worked with metal and tin (tin-ker)

• Travellers refer to non-Travellers as ‘settled people’.

• Most Irish Travellers have a strict Roman catholic upbringing, disrespecting elders is unacceptable, couples marry young, and are expected to be virgins beforehand.

• Large families are the ideal, with many couples having up to ten children.

• There are an estimated 120,000 nomadic Travellers and Romani Gypsies in the UK and a further 200,000 who live in housing.

• The original Travellers lived in horse-drawn wagons called ‘Vardo’.Todaythemajorityliveincaravansonofficialsitesprovided by local authorities.

• Some Travelling communities use a language known as ‘the Cant’ or ‘Shelta’, a mixed language of Irish and English.

• Gypsies have very strict rules about hygiene, often requiring that toilets be completely away from living areas.

• Some Traveller communities have strict social morals; Irish Traveller men and women (who are unmarried) are often not allowed to socialise alone together.

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Inclusion

Gypsy Origin Timeline

ThefirstGypsypeoplemigratedintoEuropefromIndiaintheMiddleAges,arrivinghereinthe1500s.Duetothedarkness of their complexion, it was thought they had come from Egypt and were called ‘Egyptians’, hence the spelling of ‘Gypsy’ from ‘Egypt’.

Around 1000 ADRomany people reach the area of modern Turkey and Greece1505 First record of 'Gypsies' in Britain.

1554 First law making being an 'immigrant Gypsy' in England a crime punishable by death.

1650's Last known execution for being 'Gypsies', in Suffolk. Others are transported to America.

1750's By selling themselves as slave labour, some reached Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

1816 Despite several charitable projects now supporting Gypsy lifestyles; many are shipped to Australia on convict ships.1939-45 During the Second World War, up to500,000gypsiesaretargetedforextermination under the Nazi Party in Europe.1945-60 Gypsies and many other types of Traveller begin to use motor-drawn trailers, and buy land to settle on.1968 Caravan Sites Act insists that from 1970, local authorities should provide caravan sites for Gypsies.1994 The Caravan Sites Act is abolished; which previously protected families from eviction. Over5,000familiesareleftwithwithnolegal home. 2010French President began a systematic deportation against the Romani and Bulgarian Gypsy community in France.

An Isle of Tribes and TravellersIt took a long time for Great Britain to be divided into the countries of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, and also for it to be governed as such. If we were to go back to ancient history, to around the time of the Romans, wewouldfindthatBritainwashometodozensoftribesand was subject to regular invasions from neighbouring European tribes, bringing their languages and customs to our thinly populated isles.

In1554alawwaspassedtomake'beingaGypsy'punishable by death, and so followed a hundred years of executions or forced emigration over to America. Later, in the 1800s, famine and starvation forced many Irish families to become mobile in order to work and eat.

Britain today is still a multicultural society, and is proud of its identity, although attitudes of tolerance towards the traveller community are still troubled and Gypsy/Traveller rights still have a long way to go.

A Modern Day Traveller community in YorkshireYorkshire has a history rich with the presence of Travellers andGypsies.Somefamiliesstillliveincaravansonofficialsites, on privately owned sites, or on the roadside. Most families have moved into housing across the city.

The majority of these adults never had the opportunity to complete their schooling and many are still illiterate. Roadside Families are those who have no where to settle and are constantly being evicted and moved on. They live without water, sanitation, rubbish collection, postal delivery, electricity or security. The places they are forced to camp on are often near busy roads, derelict buildings or other hazards such as industrially polluted land, rivers, or canals.

Source: http://www.grtleeds.co.uk/home/travellersLeeds.html

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Inclusion

Traveller Culture and Influence

Gypsy and Traveller identity has been woven into the fabric of world culture for a long time. Artists have depicted the romantic elements of their lifestyles and their unique traditions for centuries. Here are a few famous paintings depicting Gypsy culture and tradition.

La Bohémienne Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Gypsy WomanAmadeo Modigliani

Gypsy CaravansVincent Van Gough

Gypsy Fortune TellerBartolomeo Manfredi

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Inclusion

World Day for Cultural Diversity: May 21st

Culture is part of everyone’s life. We celebrate culture in the form of literature, movies and the arts. Culture also embraces the way we live, our value systems, traditions and beliefs. Bridging the gap between cultures is vital for peace, stability and development. Recently, celebrations have focused around the theme of ‘Do One Thing For Diversity and Inclusion’.

Examples of what we can do to celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity:• Visit an art exhibition or a museum dedicated to

other cultures.

• Rentafilm,readabookorlistentomusicfromanother country or religion.

• Cook food from different cultures.

• Volunteer with an organisation working for diversity and inclusion.

• Learn another language.

• Spread the word and invite people from a different culture to share your customs.

May

S M T W T F S

1

4 5 6 7 8 9 102 3

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23

27 28 29 30 31

24

25 26

JuneS M T W T F S1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10 11 12 13 1415 16 17 18 19 20

24 25 26 27 28

2122 23

29 30

Gypsy, Romani and Traveller History Month: June During the month there are many varied and interesting events to raise awareness and make efforts to deal with prejudice. These range from exhibitions, talks, circuses and arts workshops to school competitions and cultural awareness assemblies.

The month aims to:• Promote knowledge and awareness of Gypsy

and Traveller history, culture and heritage.

• Inform others about the positive contributions the communities have made to British society.

• Celebrate their culture and heritage.

• Heightentheirownconfidenceintheirculturalheritage.

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Bob Hoskins

1942 - 2014

Full Name: Robert William Hoskins Jnr.

English actor known for playing ‘Cockney’ filmcharacters.HehasappearedinfilmssuchasThe Long Good Friday (1980), Mona Lisa (1986), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Mermaids (1990), Hook(1991),Nixon(1995),A Christmas Carol (2009), Neverland (2011), and his finalroleinSnowWhiteand the Huntsman (2012).

Rita Hayworth

1918 - 1987

Full name: Margarita Carmen Cansino

Americandancerandfilmactress who achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era’s top stars. AppearingfirstasRitaCansino, she agreed to change her name to Rita Hayworth and her natural dark brown hair color to dark red to attract a greater range of roles. Her appeal led to her being featured on the cover of Life magazine fivetimes,beginningin1940.

Michael Caine

1933 - Present

Full name: Maurice Joseph Micklewhite CBE

English actor and author renowned for his distinctive Cockney accent. Caine is a multiple award winner, appearinginover115filmsand is one of the U.K.’s most recognisable actors.

Charlie Chaplin

1889 - 1977

Full name: Sir Charles Spencer ‘Charlie’ Chaplin KBE

English comic actor, filmmaker,andcomposerwho rose to fame in the silent era. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona ‘The Tramp’ and is considered one of the most important figuresinthehistoryofthefilmindustry.Hiscareerspannedmorethan75years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death at age 88, and encompassed both adulation and controversy.

Famous People of Traveller Descent

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Inclusion

Johnny Cash

1932 - 2003

Full name: John R. Cash

Johnny Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author who was considered oneofthemostinfluentialmusicians of the 20th

century. Although he is primarily remembered as a country icon, his songs and sound spanned other genres including rock and roll, blues, folk, and gospel. This crossover appeal won Cash the rare honor of induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Picasso

1881 - 1973

Full name: Pablo Ruiz y Picasso

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright who spent most of his adult life in France.

Ronnie Wood

1947 - Present

Full name: Ronald David ‘Ronnie’Wood

Ronnie Wood is an English rock musician and songwriter best known as a member of the Rolling Stonessince1975,aswellas a former member of the Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood was born in Hillingdon, London, into a family of English “Water Gypsies” (river/canal barge operators, sometimes also called “Bargees”). He has said that his generation wasthefirstinthefamilytobe born on dry land.

Elvis Presley

1935 - 1977

Full name: Elvis Aaron Presley

Elvis was an American singer, musician, and actor born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in the United States. One of the most significantculturaliconsof the 20th century, he is often referred to as ‘The King of Rock and Roll’, or simply, ‘The King’.

Inclusion

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

BohemianThe practice of an unconventional lifestyle with few permanent ties. Bohemians may be wanderers, adventurers, or migrants.

DepictedTo show something in a picture, painting, or sculpture.

HeritageSomething or someone’s history.

HippyA youth movement in the United States during the early 1960s, celebrating harmony with nature, communal living and experimental music.

IlliterateUnable to read or write.

RuralFound in or living in the countryside.

SanitationSystems which help prevent human contact with hazardous wastes such as sewage and wastewater.

UrbanFound in or living in the city.

Inclusion

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Discussion Points

Have a think about the subjects covered:

Suggest some ideas on how

your organisation could participate and raise awareness of World Day for Culture and Diversity and how

could this aid inclusion in your organisation.

How will understanding the

history and culture of the Gypsy and Traveller community promote

inclusion and reduce prejudice in your workplace?

Why not have a go at

the practical exercise?

Please be prepared to share your thoughts with your Learning Advisor on your next visit.

Further Reading:

Gypsy Traveller Networkwww.gypsy-traveller.org

Famous Gypsieswww.imninalu.net/famousgypsies.htm

Cultural Diversitywww.un.org/en/events/culturaldiversityday/index.shtml

Links

On an A4 piece of paper, design your own Traveller settlement.

• Remember to include basic facilities for cleanliness and waste, ensure children are provided with suitable facilities – what else can you think of?

• Put yourself in the position of a Traveller - what would you and your family need to survive?

• How will the local community react to your arrival?

Have your plan available so that you can discuss it with your Learning Advisor, who can copy it as evidence.

Talk through your ideas and justify your choices; be prepared to look at your plan from the point of the Traveller and the community.

Practical Exercise

R7268 v2 30.07.2014

Congratulations!You have completed the learning for this module.

Please be ready to complete the discussion point section with your Learning Advisor on your next visit.