FOREWORD
HATS OFF TO ROMANIA AT THE HALLOWEEN BALL

October 2005

Racial discrimination is ugly anywhere, and the fact is that it exists almost everywhere, in every country to varying degrees. One example is that of my own country, Australia, and the deplorable way Aborigines have been treated historically, first by the British settlers and later by white Australians right up to the present day; another is that of the United States, most recently illustrated by the plodding reaction of the emergency services to stricken people in New Orleans who were mainly poor and black. I came across instances of racism frequently last year during the making of the Forgotten Holocaust, a documentary about Romania’s involvement in the Holocaust.

Perhaps because there are so many more Roma than Jews in Romania, Roma are an easy target for discrimination. This reputation is entirely undeserving; it is highly likely that a few bad eggs have contributed to the feelings that many Romanians hold towards them. Romanians say they don’t want to work – well that is true of people from everywhere – there are Americans, Australians, Italians who don’t want to work as well, but I refuse to believe that an entire race is not interested in improving their situation and their circumstances. Unless we do something now, these feelings will continue. Even if their parents might be guilty of some wrongdoing, it is entirely unjust that discrimination should be handed down to their children. Please come to the Halloween Ball – and donate what you can. Every little bit helps and you can be sure that Ovidiu Rom, and its Gata, Dispus si Capabil (eng: Ready, Willing and Able) programmes will spend every cent of your donation wisely.

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The Halloween Ball is looming as one of Romania’s largest ever charity events, if not the largest. A committee of 15 or so people have been working since March on the event. There are too many people to thank for donating their time and service and money, but it is particularly gratifying and noteworthy that there are local companies that are getting in on the act. As of now, we have four major Romanian born and bred companies – Pro TV, Rompetrol, Flanco and Class that are donating significantly to the event. Each of these companies – leaders in their fields – have shown that they truly have a social conscience. What a wonderful example and precedent that sets for their many admirers and customers for the future.

On the creative side, we have had Sister running our ad campaigns, mainly through the direction and supervision of Alexandra Tinjala, its GM and a member of the organising committee. Sister is a wholly Romanian advertising agency but their sheer tenacity and creativeness is running rings around some of their older, slower, fatter, better known competitors.

Jeepers Creepers. The Halloween Ball is just around the corner and I haven’t got a thing to wear. Initially I was thinking about the getup worn by the Johnny Depp character in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ but mused that its not just the look, it’s the attitude as well, isn’t it? And could I carry that off? Quite categorically not.

How about you? If you’re a man black tie is a viable alternative to fancy dress. Women don’t really get much of a look-in as far as black tie goes, but even my limited experience of Romanian women tells me that any opportunity girls here get to dress up and go all out is grabbed with both hands.

One of the most entertaining elements of the Ball will be to see what people are wearing. And just in case you are thinking of wearing black tie (if you’re a man) or looking merely glamorous (if you’re a woman) you will be interested to know that there is a fabulous prize to be won for the best costume. And I am talking fabulous with a capital F. Needless to say, black tie ain’t gonna win it.
Back in 1997, I was head of the organising committee of ABN AMRO’s staff party, and despite the strong objections of every other member of the committee, I pushed my agenda through, which was to have the theme as fancy dress. I got all the usual comments – “This is Romania, we don’t do fancy dress here, don’t you understand?” – but, come the night, the efforts that 98 per cent of staff and their partners went to was absolutely astounding. Eight years on, we’ve had the same comments, but we are confident that Romanian natural flair and creativity will come to the fore just as it did eight years ago.