Monthly Archives: March 2015

France News Western Europe

Shantytowns in Lyon: A reportage from the Swiss television

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The Swiss television “Mise au Point” presented a reportage on the Rroma shantytowns outside of Lyon. Beside the obvious fact that they forget to say that this is a very small minority of migrants, less than 15’000 over all of France (against ca. 500’000 integrated Rroma), the commentaries of the neighbours are really really scary. Listen …

Germany News Western Europe

Germany’s President of the Federal Tribunal ashamed at old practices

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The current president of the federal tribunal, Ms. Bettina Limperg is ashamed at an old judgement from the tribunal referring to Rroma as a “plague”. Contrary to what one could think, this judgement was not made under the Nazis but in 1956, so eleven years after the end of the War.

This statement was alas by no mean an exception, as the Rroma Holocaust was not recognised as having been based on ethnicity until the 1970’s.

News Eastern Europe

Slovak Psychatrists slam the Police

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Following the case of Rroma children being bullied and humiliated by the police in a police station in Kosice, an action filmed by the police, Roma civic associations asked psychiatrists to asses the police actions based on the video that a judge refused as evidence.

Their verdict is clear: This would not have been tolerated with anyone from the mainstream population. Some of the experts spoke of systemic failure of the system and society!

News Western Europe Spain

Beautiful Photographs, same old views …

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A Madrid based French photographer, Pierre Gonnord has produced beautiful pictures of Rroma that he has taken in Spain. The pictures, while truly stunning, still play the old card of poor, non integrated Rroma. This is a pity, and actually, we do not need this – especially when presented as a general view of this minority.

News Eastern Europe Romania Slovakia

Gypsy Music. The Quest of Budapest Restaurant Music

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The BBC published a long reportage about the vanishing Gypsy “Cigan” Music in Budapest. This music, while played by Rroma musicians on some of the typical Rroma instruments such as the Cymbalom, has little in effect to do with Rroma music. It is and was a collection of Hungarian Schlagers, a few Hungarian folk songs and the odd typically Rroma song, these later ones can still be heard across the borders in Slovakia, still sung in Rromanes, and in Romania, especially in Transylvania.

There were and are still some great dynasties such as the Lakatos who perpetuate the style, but, in a time where recorded music is ubiquitous, the Rroma orchestras of Budapest are a vanishing breed, only kept in a few touristy restaurants. The past is gone, but music still stays, in new forms as for example with the munch more modern Roma Varadi Café!

France News Western Europe

French Magazine condemned for incitation to hatred

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The French Magazine “Valeurs Actuelles” has been condemned for incitation to racial hatred against Rroma for an article and title page of the magazine called: “Les Roms, l’Overdose” – The Rroma, the overdosis that was published in August 2014. The director of the publication, Yves de Kerdrel has been sentenced to a fine of 3’000 Euro.

This is a news, and good news, especially in France where the image of the Rroma is not good, and where even the Prime Minister is not adverse at racists statements against this minority.

France News Western Europe

Meanwhile in France …

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As usual, not a week can pass in France without the press lamenting about illegal settlements, or reporting on the judicial actions of Rroma or NGOs fighting evictions. This time, these are again the Rroma from Roubaix, in the North of France whose expulsion is pending a legal hearing that has now been reported to mid April.

News Western Europe

Rroma in Turkey under Erdogan

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Le monde diplomatique published a long article on the Rroma in today Erdogan’s Turkey. Many of them were driven out of centuries old settlements, some such as Sulukule in Istanbul dating back more than a thousand years.

However, in the last five years, some of the key laws against Rroma in Turkey have been revoked. These gestures are due in part to the pressure of the EU concerning the rights of minorities in Turkey are not fundamentally changing their situation. Prejudices are strong, very strong in that country, and Rroma – still called Cingene – are still all too often simply excluded.

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

Why so much hatred?

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While starting with a good intention, Planet.fr, in their article entitled “Roms: pourquoi tant de haine?” [Rroma: why so much hatred], manages to pack quite a few stereotypes and misinformation in a short article. They speak of 17’000 Rroma (only those who have arrived from Romania and Bulgaria), associating Rroma with migrants and neglecting the 500’000 who live in that country, speak of poverty, etc.

On the positive side, they mention that France is indeed quite racist at this stage against Rroma and tha French politics have a problem with Rroma.

News Western Europe

Pankok and Eskildsen

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An exhibition in Duisburg shows art from Maurice Pankok (1893-1966), and artist who dedicated a lot of his art to Rroma and Sinti as well as photographs from Joachim Eskildsen, author of the now famous book “The Roma Journeys”. A must in both cases.

 

Ausstellung über Sinti und Roma in Duisburg. In: WAZ. 15.03.2015. http://www.derwesten.de/staedte/duisburg/ausstellung-ueber-sinti-und-roma-in-duisburg-aimp-id10424658.html

News Western Europe

Exhibition in Sweden

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The Swedish exhibition featuring two Rroma beggars continues to make waves. This time, Libération speaks about it, citing the Rroma associations from Sweden / Malmø.

Soraya Post, a MEPalso slammed this exhibition as being disgracefull.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

New Czech Strategy on Rroma

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The Czech government issued a statement in great fanfare a new strategy on Rroma geared towards helping the Rroma minority in the country to “better integrate in society”. Somehow we do hope that this time it won’t be like the Roma Decade of numerous other programs that effectively changed little if anything till now.

News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

Again … Same old Stories

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The Mail Online again distinguishes itself with ludicrous statements that girls as yound as 12 are forced married against thousands of pounds an are now living in Rotterdam. They call for an urgent investigation of how many such cases now live in the UK. As usual, several items are mixed in such news: The fact that Vlax Rroma (originally from Romania) pay for the bride. It by far doesn’t mean that they are “boufght” for this price, often in gold coins belongs to the bride and is a guarantee in case of divorces or difficulties. And again, from Rroma, the first boyfriend or girlfriend is considered to be the “husband” or the “wife”. Add these two facts, and you get a lurid headline that has little to do with reality.

Italy News Western Europe

Italian Textbook slammed for prejudice

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A court in Rome has found a publishing house that published a text book suggesting that „Gypsies“ were criminals, has been condemned for discrimination. This is a landmark case in Italy where these statements are all too often tolerated if not encouraged.

Hungary News Americas News Eastern Europe

Canadian – Hungarian Saga

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A Hungarian Rroma family from Gyongyöspata in North Eastern Hungary has finally won their asylum case and are grated a stay in Canada. The asylum application and the back and forth and set backs have made the news since a long time. We welcome this decision!

Meanwhile a Canadian Lawyer who lost another prominent asylum case for Hungarian Rroma in Toronto admitted that he was negligent in preparing their defence. What can one say to this?

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

01.03.15 Slovakia: Police acquitted of all charges

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Slovak police, who filmed their abuse of Rroma children in that country were acquitted of all charges, as their own videos taken from their own mobile phones was deemed to be illegally acquired evidence.

That the crime took place is not in doubt with the court, only the guilt of the police officers has not been “proven”. Crimes without culprits, especially when the police is involved is not uncommon. Unfortunately.

– Slovakia: Scandalous verdict acquits police of torturing Romani children. In: Romea.cz. 28.02.2015. http://www.romea.cz/…/slovakia-scandalous-verdict-acquits-p…

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