Daily Archives: October 11, 2026

News Eastern Europe Poland

Józef Merstein Jochymczyk

Published by:

Józef Merstein Jochymczyk

Józef Merstein Jochymczyk, a Sinto musician from Poland, shares his life story, including his early experiences with music and family roots. The family moved through Switzerland, Germany, and wartime Krakow ending up in Chrzanov, where he was born.

He highlights the cultural differences and common  roots between Sinti and Roma and reflects on the historical persecution faced by his community. He continues to perform and compose music in the language he learned before Polish, emphasizing the importance of his cultural identity.

Bosnia News Eastern Europe

Ethnic Cleansing

Published by:

Ethnic Cleansing

Zijo Ribić is a Roma survivor of ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian War. He shares his experiences in the book “I Do Not Hate: The Story of Zijo” by Andrea Rizza Goldstein. Zijo recounts the traumatic events of his childhood, including the murder of his family and his struggle to overcome hatred, ultimately advocating for peace and reconciliation.

Despite the trauma he endured, Zijo emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and has become a symbol of resilience, participating in legal proceedings against his family’s murderers.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Youth Parliament

Published by:

Youth Parliament

On Friday, the first Roma youth parliament was established in Slovakia. Its mission is to facilitate dialogue between Roma and non-Roma people and to address the community’s myriad problems.

The initiative, led by Emília Štrkáčová, follows the creation of other youth parliaments and emphasizes the importance of inclusion and representation.

Young participants have proposed various solutions to improve living conditions, including education on financial literacy and cultural integration activities with non-Roma communities.

News Western Europe Spain

Mallorca and Roma

Published by:

Mallorca and Roma

Laura Jurado’s new work, ‘Mallorca romaní. Una historia de la comunidad gitana’, explores five centuries of Romani presence in Palma and Mallorca, detailing their history and current social debates. The book discusses the historical oppression faced by the Romani people, including restrictions on their clothing, language, and livelihoods, as well as significant events like the Gran Redada in 1749, which targeted all Romani individuals in Spain.

The establishment of Son Banya, a settlement for Romani people in the 1960s, is highlighted as a failed urban planning initiative that has become a stigma for the Romani community, exacerbated by issues like drug problems and illegal constructions.

Germany News Western Europe

Germany, Sinti and Roma

Published by:

Germany, Sinti and Roma

According to Michael Hartmann, the anti-Gypsyism commissioner for Rhineland-Palatinate, Sinti and Roma often face discrimination in everyday school life. “Many teachers know just as little about these minorities as their students do,” the SPD politician said in an interview with the German Press Agency (dpa) in Mainz.

rroma.org
en_GBEN
de_DEDE fr_FRFR en_GBEN