The new generation of Roma leaders are slowly but surely integrating their minority into the EU. In the uplifting Roma not a ‘dirty’ word, the website SETimes.com profiles one young Roma leader, who understands on a personal level that education and overcoming suspicions and prejudices among both Roma and non-Roma are critical requirements in achieving broader social goals.

Every day an elderly Gypsy woman walks past my building, following the seemingly quaint custom of calling out for iron and steel for making pots. The destitute world of the Roma is rarely seen by the casual tourist, but once you’re off the beaten track an air of civility barely masks the unspoken distrust and suspicion exhibited by both Roma and non-Roma (photo credit to BBC.)

BBC NEWS | Europe | On the road: Centuries of Roma history.