Dženo Association is the legal successor of Foundation Dženo, which was established by Ivan Veselý and Dr. Klára Samková-Veselá on January 18, 1994. Dženo Association was created in response to the start of a massive wave of Romany immigration from the Czech Republic to the countries of Western Europe and Canada. The Foundation and one of its branches, The Association of Friends of Foundation Dženo, merged in 1999 and were renamed Dženo Association. Ivan Veselý is the acting Chairman of Dženo Association, as he was of the original foundation. 

Dženo focuses on the emancipation process of Romany in Central and Eastern Europe. The association aims to support and develop traditional Romany values and characteristics, which include open-mindedness, independence, sense of honor and righteousness, respect for elders, loving care for children and solidarity among Romany regardless of their social status. All of Dženo’s activities are aimed at supporting and promoting this basic goal.

Emphasis is placed on influencing international actions concerning Romany and increasing global awareness of Romany issues. The organization serves as an information center on an international level, helping to promote Roma human rights and an end to discrimination and racism.  Local activities include those that support the education of Romany youth, such as establishing scholarships for gifted Romany students in order to deepen the professional knowledge and capabilities they will need as local Romany activists. Dženo also provides assistance to regional Romany organizations by organizing regional events and transferring experience and skills to local groups. This support of various initiatives in the civic sector and government institutions has earned the acknowledgement and respect of other Romany organizations.

In order to expand their efforts, Dženo is working on establishing regional branches in other countries. Dženo has an office in Slovakia, Dženo Association-Spiš, and has plans for a Canadian office in the near future. Regional expansion is also planned into countries where Dženo currently works closely with local Romany organizations, such as Hungary, Romania, Ukraine and Macedonia.

 Dženo has contributed to a number of international projects since its inception. Since 2003, Dženo has been a partner of the International Organziation for Migration (IOM), and is working on a project for the return and reintegration of Roma (RCAI). Previous important international initiatives were the PASSPORT and INTRINSIC projects, which were completed in cooperation with the Minority Rights Group of Great Britain and three partner organizations from the countries of Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania. Within the PASSPORT project, Dženo organized an educational course entitled “Preparation of Regional Romany Leaders.”  For the INTRINSIC project, Dženo conducted a media course for Romany journalists in the Czech Republic. The course was followed by a conference entitled “Creation of a Positive Romany Picture in the Media” and additional study at the Romany Press Center in Budapest. In addition, Dženo has contributed to many reports about the state of the Romany minority in the Czech Republic for organizations such as UNESCO and the Czech government. And in both 2001 and 2002, Dženo served as a consultant group for the European Stability Pact.

Dženo Association is the publisher of Amaro Gendalos, a monthly Romany socio-cultural magazine. As an active monitor of all forms of media for Romany themes, Dženo is preparing a wide-range of reports on how Romany subject matter has been treated in the media since 1989. At present, analyses of the years 1992-1996 have been completed and are available to the public. Dženo also contributes to the Romany Information Service, an international project with two other partner organizations – the Romany Press Agency in Slovakia, and the Romany Press Center in Hungary. The partners exchange articles and information, and publish their work in both the mainstream and Romany press, and on the Internet at www.dzeno.cz.