BWA General Council Resolution 2008.8

The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, July 20- 25, 2008;

Laments that the Italian government, without objection of the European Union, is practicing the involuntary fingerprinting of all Roma people within its borders, including children, which we regard as ethnic profiling;

Acknowledges that there can be legitimate reasons for registering people, but recognizes that history has taught us that selecting, isolating and targeting a minority group or a people on the basis of culture, ethnicity, or race are discriminatory practices that justify acts of violence;

Recalls that the Roma people were targeted and persecuted many times in history leading to the genocide perpetrated against them by the Nazi regime;

Affirms that Baptists worldwide stand against all forms of discrimination and for the safeguarding of the dignity and human rights of all human beings, and in this context notes that the Christian Evangelical Baptist Union of Italy has strongly opposed the compulsory fingerprinting of Roma people;

Calls on all leaders within the Baptist World Alliance to urge representatives of the United Nations, European Union and national governments to issue a strong protest to the Italian government against such discriminatory practice and firmly request its immediate cessation.

Citations

Original Source Bibliography: Callam, Neville, editor. Baptist World Alliance 2008 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. Falls Church, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2008.

Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Neville Callam, ed., Baptist World Alliance 2008 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (Falls Church, VA: Baptist World Alliance, 2008), pp. 135- 136.

Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 2008.8 Involuntary Fingerprinting of Roma People in Italy; https://baptistworld.org/resolutions.

In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 2008.8).