Scotland’s Roma suffer extreme prejudice but one inspired individual is turning the health crisis into an opportunity to empower his community . Robert Armour finds out more...
Govanhill has had more than its fair share of negative publicity. As Scotland’s most culturally diverse area, much of it has been fuelled by racism. What starts as a rumour on social media soon becomes a chain of whispers and before long another myth has been cemented, fuelling a vapid ideology to justify the agenda of the bigots.
Rami Pavlenko, a second generation Roma who has lived in Govanhill with his wife and four children for eight years, has seen and read it all. From being spat at on the streets, being sworn at and his family attacked, to Facebook posts saying his community are stealing children for modern slavery, there’s little that shocks him anymore. One post, however, incensed him so much he sent a letter to his local MSP, a certain Nicola Sturgeon, and ended up having a personal audience with the first minister, such was his response.
“It was a video of a group of Roma outside a shop and none were wearing masks. The caption said something like “Share if you agree those who don’t abide by our rules should be deported. It wasn’t the actual picture that shocked me; it was the sentiment and the fact it had been shared thousands of times. And of course the picture was fake. It wasn’t Govanhill – it was London.”
Rami used the video as an example of how bigots were trying to actively undermine ethnic communities in Govanhill when he had the meeting with Sturgeon. “She was shocked and outraged this was happening in her own constituency,” says Rami. “I wanted to let her know the real problems we face, not just my community but all communities here.”
Rami’s response however was not to fight fire with fire. Instead he wanted to show how charitable and spirited the diverse minorities of the area are. So he hatched a cunning plan.
“It was late February, before lockdown, and we got the Sikh, Muslim, Roma and eastern European communities together to start a community group to clean up the area. There has been a lot of stories about how minorities were trashing the area. So what better response than the same minorities cleaning up the area? What would be the bigots’ response then?”
In just two weeks, Rami said the group had cleared dozens of back closes and people’s gardens from waste and old furniture that had been sitting for years. “Even though this problem has been in Govanhill long before different cultures settled here, it’s a convenient lie to blame minorities,” says Rami. “We got in touch with the council and they took all the trash away. In just one month the area was transformed.”
Then just as the project was moving ahead apace, lockdown hit. However not one to be put off, Rami saw it as an opportunity. “Gurdwara Singh Sabha (Sikh place of worship) made meals for people in the community who were vulnerable, cut off, isolated or simply had no money and we all got together to distribute them.” The effort hit the headlines for all the right reasons – exactly what Rami wanted to achieve as a way to counteract the years of negative stories coming from Govanhill. Then when lockdown began to ease, the community again came into its own. Rami explains: “There were a lot of lies circulating on social media how ethnic communities here in Govanhill were deliberately flouting lockdown,” he says. “It was blatant racism, created by racists and kept going by a general public who didn’t know any better. It was really sad that after everything we had done to help people in the community that this is what some wanted to believe.”
Yet, again the community came together and as restrictions eased, began distributing free masks. “What better way to challenge the doubters?” said Rami. “As far as I know we are the only area in Scotland with a community group distributing free masks. We also set up small stands outside supermarkets to give them out. It was really effective.”
Rami believes the misinformation affecting Govanhill won’t ever stop because it is founded on a deep-seated bigotry that many want to believe, despite knowing it is either wrong or exaggerated. Conversely, to the deep chagrin of the bigots, it has given rise to a community movement intent in displaying all that is good about the area.
“You only hear about the problems in Govanhill when this is actually one of the country’s most active and vibrant communities,” says Rami. “We are regularly targeted by far-right groups who try and agitate unrest in the community. They want to create a reaction, a violent one, among the diverse communities here. This is our response: positive action. They hate that more than anything.”
The community reacted when the Black Lives Matter protests came to the fore, again turning it into positive action. “There was some needle from far-right groups but it played into our positive message that we will work to make sure all communities are represented and not discriminated against. The wider world doesn’t really know how much positive action is happening in Govanhill. We make sure it is known.”
Despite lockdown and the effects of the pandemic, Govanhill International Festival is back for its fourth consecutive year. Although the annual carnival parade will not take place this year due to restrictions, there is still a lively programme of events online and on the streets. The anti-racism event is organised by Govanhill Baths Community Trust and each year creates more positive publicity for the area, no matter how much negativity is thrown at it.
“There’s a whole train of positivity in Govanhill that just can’t be put down,” says Rami. “Most of it isn’t formally organised; its people coming together to help and support others. Just don’t believe the hype. Govanhill is an amazing community because of its multiculturalism and its diversity. Haters won’t change that no matter how hard they try. It’s a living, breathing, vibrant community that we all want to celebrate.”
