Monthly Archives: November 2017

Bulgaria: Hepatitis

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There is an hepatitis A epidemic in the Roma Mahala in the small town of Rakovski near Plovdiv in the centre of the country. Non Roma parents have been protesting and requesting Roma children be removed from the elementary school.
How about treating them instead?

– Hepatitis A Sparks Protests for Removing Gypsies From an Elementary School. In: EU Scoop. https://www.euscoop.com/en/2017/11/23/gepatitis-infection-in-rakovski
– Roma Ghetto in Southern Bulgarian City Struggling with Hepatitis A Outbreak. In: Novinite. 23.11.2017. http://www.novinite.com/articles/185524/Roma+Ghetto+in+Southern+Bulgarian+City+Struggling+with+Hepatitis+A+Outbreak

More on Bern …

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More articles on the vote of the Bern parliament in favour of the establishment of a camping site for travellers in the canton.

– Am Schluss gabs bei den Fahrenden ein Selfie. In: Berner Zeitung. 22.1..2017. https://www.bernerzeitung.ch/region/bern/am-schluss-gabs-bei-den-fahrenden-ein-selfie/story/23767423
– Statt «Marschhalts» folgt die Planung des Platzes in Wileroltigen. In: Der Bund. 22.11.2017. https://www.derbund.ch/bern/kanton/neuhaus-setzt-sich-mit-seiner-fahrendenpolitik-durch/story/29077277
– Berner BDP will Fahrende vertreiben. In: Nau. 23.11.2017. https://www.nau.ch/news/berner-bdp-macht-gegen-fahrende-stimmung-65269502
– Berner Kantonsparlament gegen Planungsstopp für Transitplätze. In: Swiss Info. 22.11.2017. https://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/alle-news-in-kuerze/berner-kantonsparlament-gegen-planungsstopp-fuer-transitplaetze/43697220

Travellers in the UK: Two Stories

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According to one councillor in Bristol, people are fed up of funding an “alternative lifestyle” for travellers, while in Plymouth, they are attempting to find temporary camping sites to avoid travellers “hogging” council land.

– Bristol is ‘fed up’ with ‘subsidising’ the ‘alternative lifestyle’ of travellers. In: Bristol Post. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-fed-up-subsidising-alternative-815076
– Plans for new traveller sites in Plymouth. In: The Herald. 21.11.2017. http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/more-traveller-sites-could-introduced-808736

Bern Switzerland: Good News

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The Parliament of the Canton Bern in Switzerland voted against a motion that would have resulted in a stop for the search and construction of a suitable camping site for foreign travellers (mostly Roma and Sinti).
The fact that Switzerland segregates its sites for travellers is actually not acceptable but seems not to be noted by anyone in the country.

– Wileroltigen wird konkret. In: SRF. 22.11.2017. https://www.srf.ch/news/regional/bern-freiburg-wallis/transitplaetze-fuer-fahrende-wileroltigen-wird-konkret

Theatre Project

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A German Theatre project called “Schuchten – Neue Nachbarn” [canyon – new neighbours] is being nominated for the Amadeu Antonio Price. This price is awarded to projects fighting racism. The play consists of Roma and Sinti telling stories while walking through a neighbourhood of Augsburg where many of them live.

– NOMINIERT FÜR DEN AMADEU ANTONIO PREIS 2017 – “SCHLUCHTEN – NEUE NACHBARN”. In: Bell Tower, 21.11.2017. http://www.belltower.news/artikel/nominiert-für-den-amadeu-antonio-preis-2017-schluchten-neue-nachbarn-12911

Slovenia: Health Program

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An article about a Slovenian Health program aimed mostly at poor Roma, especially at women and children. Good idea, unfortunately, the article manages to put all Roma in the same pot, as usual…
So good program, not so good article, as usual.

– Izobraževanje Romov glede zdravja naletelo na dober odziv. In: RTV Slovenia. 17.11.2017. https://www.rtvslo.si/lokalne-novice/izobrazevanje-romov-glede-zdravja-naletelo-na-dober-odziv/438167

Livia Jaroca

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The Hungarian Romni, Livia Jaroca who was recently elected as a vice-president of the European Parliament, recently gave an interview in the Hungarian Press. Well, she is indeed a member of Fidesz, a party that is not exactly known for its kind policies towards migrants (and Roma). In there, she states:
“We would like it if they [the refugees] would understand that we find it important that, after a rapid and effective integration, armed with European knowledge, they would be able to return to their own homelands.”
Seems that Hungary accepted around 1’000 refugees – very quietly indeed. But these words from the Fidesz Party are new.

– BEWARE, THE REFUGEES ARE COMING! IN: The Hungarian Spectrum. 20.11.2017. http://hungarianspectrum.org/2017/11/20/beware-the-refugees-are-coming/

Sofia: Interdiction of Carriages

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Horse carriages have been banned “for security reasons” from the centre of town. This means that many Roma who use them to earn their livings will no longer be able to come in the centre and will loose their livelihood.
According to TV Nova, this is more about the image that Sofia wants to project when Bulgaria will be the president of the EU in the first semester of 2018.

– BULGARIE : LES CHARRETTES DES ROMS VONT DISPARAÎTRE DU CENTRE DE SOFIA. In: Le Corrier des Balkans. 19.11.2017. https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/Bulgarie-Les-charrettes-vont-disparaitre-du-centre-de-Sofia

Lausanne: Homeless Manifestation

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Homeless people, Roma, addicts etc. and some militants have spent the night outside in front of a church in the centre of town to protest about the lack of sleeping places in the town. The city is known for its interdiction of begging, something directed at Roma even though the number of beggars in the city was never more than 60.

– Ils passent la nuit dehors avec les sans-abri. Le Courrier. 13.11.2017. https://www.lecourrier.ch/154243/ils_passent_la_nuit_dehors_avec_les_sans_abri

I even met happy Gypsies …

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The old movie “I even met happy Gypsies” from Aleksandar Petrović was re-released in a newly re-mastered version. The movie had won the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury in cannes in 1967 (ex aequo with another movie).
While it is an iconic movie, it also perpetuates all stereotypes …

http://www.culturopoing.com/cinema/reprises/aleksandar-petrovic-jai-meme-rencontre-des-tziganes-heureux-skupljaci-perja-1967/20171113

Swiss Jenische

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The Jenische Organisation “Radgenossenschaft der Landstrasse” wrote to the Swiss Federal Council, deploring the increase of racism against travellers in the country, the closure of camping sites, and the inaction of the authorities. They deplore the fact that the Jenische are thrown into the same pot as other “foreign” and mostly Roma group and that politics at the same time plays one group against the other.

– Jenische fürchten den “Dammbruch”. In: Der Bund. 17.11.2017. https://www.derbund.ch/bern/kanton/Jenische-fuerchten-den-Dammbruch/story/26684903#overlay

French Chronicle …

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Not many news this week in France – probably a reflection on the moratorium on expulsions during the winter. Well, the least news there are, the better!
First, a reportage on Roma children who are not attending school, essentially because their parents are not registered in the commune. Sometimes also because mayors are actively preventing Roma children from attending school in their districts. Then, the usual news: In Alfortville, residents want a camp to be closed; in Ivry, a collective is trying to help Roma who were expulsed a long while back from their camp; in Pantin, an illegal traffic of pets; in the North, the decision to forbid foraging trash has been upheld by the Conseil d’Etat; and finally in Strassbourg, a new camp for roughly 30 asylum seekers and some Roma.

– Enfants déscolarisés: reportage dans un bidonville rom en France. In: RFI. 16.11.2017. http://www.rfi.fr/emission/20171116-reportage-bidonville-roms-france-enfants-descolarises
– Alfortville : les riverains réclament le départ des Roms. In: Le Parisien. 17.11.2017. http://www.leparisien.fr/alfortville-94140/alfortville-les-riverains-reclament-le-depart-des-roms-17-11-2017-7399185.php
– Ivry-sur-Seine : que sont devenus les expulsés du bidonville Truillot ? In: Yahoo. 17.11.2017. https://fr.news.yahoo.com/ivry-seine-devenus-expulsés-bidonville-truillot-175828371.html
– Pantin : un trafic d’animaux derrière le chenil clandestin ? In: Paris Vox. 13.11.2017. https://www.parisvox.info/2017/11/13/pantin-trafic-danimaux-derriere-chenil-clandestin/
– Le Conseil d’État valide l’arrêté interdisant la fouille des poubelles. In: La Voix du Nord. 15.11.2017. http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/265900/article/2017-11-15/le-conseil-d-etat-valide-l-arrete-interdisant-la-fouille-des-poubelles
– Un nouveau bidonville de demandeurs d’asile, cette fois au Neuhof. In: Rue 89 Strasbourg. 14.11.2017. http://www.rue89strasbourg.com/nouveau-bidonville-camp-migrants-demandeurs-asile-neuhof-strasbourg-127673

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