Embassy Events

US Speaker Tells Roma Conference: Poverty is not Ethnic, but Social and Knowledge Problem

Poverty expert Dr. Ruby Payne addresses conference on Roma education and culture in Košice. Credit: Igor Schneeweiss.

Dr. Ruby Payne, an expert from Texas on poverty, addressed the participants of a conference “Roma – Romanies: Culture and Education,” organized by the State Scientific Library in Košice from March 25-26. The Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires Keith Eddins opened the conference together with Library Director Mr. Gašpar and Dr. Marek Lisánsky, Director of the Human Rights and Minority Section of the Slovak Government Office. In his opening remarks, Mr. Eddins mentioned the Embassy’s commitment in promoting tolerance and understanding through a small grants program and other projects. The U.S. Embassy, as one of the partners at the conference, helped to organize a digital video conference with Dr. Ruby Payne, in which she answered questions on bridging the knowledge gap between economic groups. More than 50 participants from academia, government, NGO’s, as well as other cultural institutions had a chance to learn more about how American businesses are making partners in economically disadvantaged communities. The Embassy donated Dr. Payne’s books to the InfoUSA center at the Library in Košice, among them the recently published “Framework for Understanding Poverty” and “Bridges Out of Poverty”.