欧洲需要罗姆工人阶级
罗姆人占欧盟新成员国新增劳动力的 20% 以上，但自许多罗姆人成为欧盟公民以来，他们的生活条件实际上恶化了。
Roma represent more than 20% of new entrants into the labor force in the European Union’s newest member states but their living conditions have actually deteriorated since many of them became EU citizens.
在整个欧洲，数百万人正遭受失业和长期经济停滞的困扰。但没有哪个群体比罗姆人受到的打击更沉重。
Across Europe, millions are suffering from unemployment and the prospect of a long period of economic stagnation. But no group has been harder hit than the Roma.
欧洲生活着超过 1000 万罗姆人，主要集中在巴尔干地区和欧盟最新成员国，尤其是罗马尼亚、保加利亚、斯洛伐克和匈牙利。令人震惊的是，自其中许多人成为欧盟公民以来，他们的生活条件实际上恶化了。与此同时，在欧洲几乎每个地方，多数族群的态度也变得更加敌对。
There are more than 10 million Roma living in Europe, mostly concentrated in the Balkans and in the European Union’s newest member states, especially Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary. What is truly shocking is that their living conditions have actually deteriorated since many of them became EU citizens. At the same time, the majority population’s attitude has become more hostile almost everywhere in Europe.
这两个趋势相互强化：边缘化滋生蔑视，反之亦然。摆脱这一陷阱的唯一方法是对教育进行投资，这将带来巨大的社会红利。
The two trends are mutually reinforcing: marginalization breeds contempt, and vice versa. The only escape from this trap is investment in education, which would pay enormous social dividends.
举个例子，在上述国家，罗姆人占新增劳动力的比例超过 20%。
好消息是，我们知道如何帮助罗姆儿童成为社会的有生产力成员。我的基金会从事罗姆人教育事业已经超过 25 年。这段时期里，我们教育了一小批年轻的罗姆人，他们既保留了自己的身份认同，又能打破与之交往者心中怀有的敌意刻板印象。
Consider, for example, that Roma represent more than 20% of new entrants into the labor force in the countries above. The good news is that we know how to prepare Roma children to be productive members of society. My foundations have been active in educating Roma for more than 25 years. Over that period, we have educated a small cohort of young Roma who retain their identity and yet can break the hostile stereotypes held by those with whom they interact.
2005 年，我们与世界银行共同成立了罗姆人教育基金。该基金随时准备帮助欧盟各国的教育主管部门，改善其教育罗姆儿童的表现。事实上，其项目目前每年惠及超过 10 万名学生，其中包括超过 1600 名获得奖学金的大学生。
Together with the World Bank, we established the Roma Education Fund in 2005. The REF is ready to help national education authorities across the EU improve their performance in educating Roma children. Indeed, its programs currently reach more than 100,000 students each year, including more than 1,600 university students who receive scholarships.
但相比问题的严重程度，这些数字实在少得可怜。罗姆人中有半数处于学龄阶段，而人口增速已超过罗姆人教育基金（REF）的承载能力。该基金年度预算仅有 1200 万欧元（约合 1000 万英镑），我的基金会承担了近一半，而筹集更多资金十分困难。这令人无法接受。各国政府应在欧盟协助下，将罗姆人教育基金的项目推广开来，让所有罗姆儿童都能受益。
But these numbers are woefully inadequate relative to the magnitude of the problem. Half of the Roma are of school age, and the population is growing faster than the capacity of the REF. The fund’s annual budget is only €12m (£10m), of which my foundations cover nearly half, and we find it difficult to secure additional funds. That is unacceptable. The programmes developed by the REF ought to be scaled up by governments, with the help of the EU, and made available to all Roma children in Europe.
欧盟委员会通过其结构性基金发挥了非常有益的作用，这些基金可覆盖罗姆人融入社会所涉额外成本的 80%。遗憾的是，由于整个欧洲普遍存在的反罗姆人情绪，剩余 20% 的资金难以调动。
The European commission has played a very helpful role through its structural funds, which cover up to 80% of the additional costs involved in integrating the Roma. Unfortunately, the remaining 20% is difficult to mobilise, owing to widespread anti-Roma sentiment throughout Europe.
为打破这种负面刻板印象，必须教育罗姆儿童，让他们庆祝并自豪于自己的罗姆传统。这正是罗姆人教育基金（REF）所做的。事实上，受过教育的罗姆人并不符合那些刻板印象，所以他们很容易融入主流人口，但主流社会的敌意依然存在。如果罗姆人教育基金所开发的方法得到普遍采用，将大大有助于打破这些刻板印象。
To break the negative stereotypes, Roma children must be educated to celebrate and take pride in their Roma heritage. That is what the REF has done. As it is, educated Roma do not fit the stereotypes, so they can easily blend into the majority population, but the majority’s hostility remains. If the approach developed by the REF were generally adopted, it would go a long way toward breaking the stereotypes.
但仅有教育是不够的。罗姆人还必须能找到工作。持久的解决方案需要欧洲建立一个罗姆人劳工阶层。在这方面，私营部门也可以发挥作用。
But education is not enough. The Roma must also be able to find employment. A lasting solution requires Europe to build a Roma working class. Here the private sector also has a role to play.
欧盟委员会的专家和我基金会的专家正在共同开发一个示范项目，旨在为就读于职业学校的罗姆青年提供私营部门的实习机会。
Experts from the European Commission and from my foundations are developing a demonstration project to make private sector internships available to Roma youth enrolled in vocational schools.
罗马尼亚已经为占多数的族群设立了一个类似的项目，教育部长雷姆斯·普里科皮承诺将向罗姆人开放该项目。我敦促其他政府采取类似措施。
Romania already has a similar programme for the majority population, and minister of education Remus Pricopie has pledged to open it up to the Roma. I urge other governments to take similar steps.
坦诚讲：欧洲存在一个罗姆人问题，而且日益严重。但问题本身及其恶化，都折射出一种根深蒂固的敌意与长期忽视相互叠加的毒性组合。
Let’s be honest: there is a Roma problem in Europe, and it is getting worse. But both the problem and its worsening reflect a toxic combination of deep-seated hostility and persistent neglect.
事实上，欧洲那些受过教育的罗姆人每天都在证明，这个问题是完全可以解决的。但要解决它，需要的不是一代人的时间，而欧洲等不起经济复苏。恰恰相反，考虑到罗姆人口的增长，欧洲的长期繁荣取决于扭转当前的趋势——而且必须立刻着手。
In fact, Europe’s educated Roma are proving every day that the problem is eminently solvable. But solving it will take more than a generation, and Europe cannot afford to wait for economic recovery. On the contrary, given the increase in its Roma population, Europe’s long-term prosperity depends on reversing current trends – and getting started right away.