Facing Pressure, Finding Purpose: Roma Activism in Serbia - Interview with Maja Simic

In this episode, we talk with Maja Simic, a Roma activist from Belgrade, Serbia, who is also the president of the Roma Youth NGO „Romska organizacija mladih Srbije“. She shares her personal journey — one shaped by discrimination, the loss of a parent, and the strong belief that change must come from within the community. She began her activism at the age of 19, driven by painful experiences but also by hope and determination.She explains why she decided to create a Roma organization instead of working through existing NGOs. Many of them, she says, failed to give real space or power to Roma voices. Her story highlights the struggles of building something new, often without funding or broad support — and sometimes even facing resistance from other Roma groups.We talk about many important issues: fighting early marriage, reclaiming the Romani language, challenging stereotypes, and staying active in Serbia despite political and social pressure.Subscribe our YouTube Channel to support us and to not miss any episodes.Stay connected and never miss out on any updates by following us on our social media channels! You can find us on Instagram, TikTok & co. https://linktr.ee/amaro_voice and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmaroVoiceStay tuned for all the latest news and updates!This Podcast is funded by the „Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft (EVZ)“ as part of the project “Amaro Voice - digitale Bildungsarbeit über die Communitys der europäischen Sinti:ze und Rom:nja” by the NGO „Medien- und Kulturzentrum Deutscher Roma e.V.“