Monthly Archives: May 2023

Serbia: Mentors

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The Roma organisation called “Romani asvin” from Kruševac launched a peer mentoring program. Until the end of August, a program called “Mentors on a click” is available to all Roma students at universities. Since the beginning of May, about twenty people interested in getting mentors have contacted us electronically – says Alma Kajtazi from the Association, explaining the advantages of the website www.romaniasvin.org on the Edu info-roma platform.

Slovak Emigration

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A documentary film, entitled “Leaving” and directed by Mira Erdevički, presents a picture of the Roma that will probably surprise many viewers in Slovakia. The three main protagonists speak perfect English, are appreciated in their professions, and especially accepted by their surroundings, to which they repay by actively helping the community. But there is one catch. Although they come from Slovakia or the Czech Republic, they had to go to Britain to get such an opportunity.

Slovakia, Roma, and the EU

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The European Commission criticizes Slovakia for not being able to effectively use hundreds of millions of euros from European funds. The money is intended to improve the quality of life of marginalized communities. There are about 500,000 Roma in Slovakia. Many live in extreme poverty, on the margins of society.

Belarus and Roma

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The Roma organization of the Ashmyany Land region has been closed by the authorities. It has officially existed for twenty years – it was registered in 2003. It is one of the smallest ethnic associations in the Grodno region in terms of the number of members. As of January 1 last year, the Community had only 22 members, eight fewer than in 2014, when the list of organizations included thirty names.

Officially, there are only 7’079 Roma in Belarus.

Czech Republic: Arson Victims

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The Karel Janeček’s foundation, in response to the early release from prison of two of the Vítkov arsonists, has established a collection called “We Stand With Natálka” (“Stojíme za Natálkou”). The aim to not only to help the victims of this arson, but also to highlight that little is done in the country for victims of serious crime.

Catalan Rumba in Hungary

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Catalan Rumba in Hungary

MazsiMó-GipsyMó’s first album titled Gypsy DNA was launched in a concert on May 19, 2023 in the Akvárium Klub in Budapest. The formation, which plays music based on Catalan rumba, was created in August 2021 by the internationally recognized band Romengo and the head of the International Gypsy and World Music Network, Mihály Mazsi Rostás. The Catalan rumba was made known all over the world by the Gipsy Kings.

The members of the band express themselves most easily in the Lovári language, and they also want to get the young Gypsies – who generally speak the language of their grandparents less and less – to sing as much as possible to the catchy tunes in Gypsy.

Lausanne and Roma

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Marc Vuilleumier, a MP in the parliament of the canton of Vaud wants a new approach towards Roma in the towns of the canton. He asked the government to develop a policy of inclusion rather than discrimination and repression, especially for families with children. The elected representative proposed to draw inspiration from the experience of a “transition village” in Montpellier (F).

Slovakia and Inclusion

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Peter Pollák, a Slovak EU MP stated that when it comes to Roma children, there was not a single minister of education who would give them a chance for the future. The government should come with a clear commitment to drastically revise the current plans in the area of school desegregation.

More on the Wickham Horse Fair

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A few articles on the fair, plus one on an exhibition.

Roma Graves

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Austria’s National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) is looking for a solution to permanently preserve the graves of Sinti and Roma who survived the Holocaust. The German model could serve as a model, he said in the APA double interview with the chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Romani Rose. The federal and state governments split the costs there. Sobotka now wants to take a closer look at this model.

Slovakia and Roma Settlements

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Support and improvement of the standard of living of localities where predominantly marginalized Roma communities live, as well as adjacent areas with non-Roma population, were the topic of the meeting of representatives of the city of Humenné with the representative of the Slovak government for Roma communities on Thursday (18 May) Ján Hero and Member of the European Parliament Peter Pollák in Humenno.

Berlin Memorial

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The Memorial for the Roma and Sinti victims of the Nazi genocide was damaged. The Central Council of the German Sinti and Roma sharply condemned this attack and asked for the underlying motives to beunderstood.

Bulgaria: Theatre Program

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A project, “Educational theatre, a tool for improved awareness of the art and culture of the Roma ethnic group in Bulgaria” did a casting for candidate actors. The goal is to develop skills through culture and art, and for theatre to be a path to education. And to stimulate greater social cohesion and mutual understanding between the majority and minority cultures with a focus on the Roma.

Slovakia and Roma

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Gataum Rana,  who, after eight months of living in Slovakia and after regularly traveling around this beautiful country, is firmly convinced that the Roma minority is the biggest source of Slovakia’s untapped potential.

30 years

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Sinti and Roma have been recognized as an autochthonous ethnic group in Austria for 30 years. At a celebratory event in Parliament, the chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Romani Rose, acknowledged the progress made towards equality for the minority, but at the same time warned against anti-Semitism becoming stronger again.

Slovakia and Osada

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A rather bold project in a village in Slovakia: Connect the Roma settlement to the centre of the village. They want people to get closer and know each other better by removing the existing physical barrier.

A common feature of all excluded Roma communities is that they are located on the outskirts of municipalities, often kilometres from the centre, where a person from the majority rarely gets to

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