Author Archives: Roma Foundation

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Illegal Dumps

Published by:

Illegal Dumps

A roundtable discussion in Brod na Kupi in Croatia highlighted the illegal dumping and burning of waste by residents of the Gusti Laz area, raising concerns about environmental damage and public safety.

Local officials called for the relocation of part of the Roma population to more suitable living conditions, citing ongoing issues with crime and environmental degradation.

There is a significant debate over the labeling of the residents involved, with some officials arguing they should not be identified as Roma but rather as Croatian citizens, emphasizing the need for legal compliance and state intervention.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Lucie Fukova

Published by:

Lucie Fukova

Lucie Fuková resigned as the Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs due to disagreements over the new coordination system for the Romani agenda, which she believes undermines her ability to fulfill her vision for the role. She highlighted concerns that transferring the Romani agenda to the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry could reinforce negative stereotypes about Romani people being associated with social issues.

Fuková emphasized her achievements in fostering dialogue, combating antigypsyism, and promoting Romani participation in decision-making during her tenure, while vowing to continue advocating for Romani rights despite her resignation.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Unemployment in Serbia

Published by:

Unemployment in Serbia

Roma face high unemployment and discrimination, often leading them to work in the informal economy with low-paying jobs.

Marko, a 25-year-old from Kraljevo, struggled for three years to find a job after completing his hospitality education, facing consistent rejection due to prejudices against Roma. His experience reflects a broader issue in Serbia, where many Roma encounter similar barriers in the job market.

The articles discuss the broader challenges faced by Roma, including high unemployment rates, lack of access to education and healthcare, and the prevalence of working in the informal economy.

The BBC one emphasizes the need for targeted support and educational opportunities to improve the employment prospects of Roma, particularly women, who face additional discrimination and economic dependency.

Greece News Western Europe

Greece and a Dead Nurse

Published by:

Greece and a Dead Nurse

A nurse died in Nafplio. According to several early reports the 55-year-old nurse collapsed while on duty at the General Hospital, reportedly due to a cardiac arrest during a tense situation involving injured Roma. The incident apparently escalated when relatives of the injured Roma reacted aggressively after being informed that no doctor was available, leading to threats against medical staff. The number of articles reporting this and accosing Roma is so long that we cannot publish it here.

Now, the story is somewhat different, highlighting a bias against Roma in the Greek press. Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis clarified that the death of a nurse in Nafplio hospital was not related to violence from a Roma family, who were concerned about their unconscious child. The hospital workers’ union president stated that the nurse should not have been in the emergency department at that time, as she was not on duty.

Bosnia News Eastern Europe

Bosnian Unity

Published by:

Bosnian Unity

Leaders of Roma organizations in Bosnia emphasize unity among Roma to improve living conditions, education, and employment opportunities. Future collaboration will focus on joint projects, youth support, and preserving Roma culture while strengthening ties with local communities.

The situation for Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina is gradually improving, with education and community involvement seen as key to further progress.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Brawl in Bulgaria

Published by:

Brawl in Bulgaria

The leader of the Roma neighborhood “Kremikovtsi” in Garmen municipality, Krasi Aydarov, was hospitalized after a brawl in the area.Following the incident, police were dispatched to prevent escalation as a group of his friends and relatives gathered outside the hospital.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the clash, and the situation remains under control.

Bad

News Western Europe United Kingdom

Louisa Price

Published by:

Louisa Price

Louisa Price, known as the ‘queen of Gypsy queens’, is being honored in an exhibition celebrating Romany and Gypsy culture in Walsall, where she lived for over 70 years. The exhibition also highlights the contributions of Pat Collins, a prominent fairground businessman and politician, who played a significant role in the local community and served as Walsall’s MP and mayor.

The event aims to celebrate the diversity of Walsall and recognize the historical presence of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities in the area.

Germany News Western Europe

Reaction against AfD

Published by:

Reaction against AfD

The German AfD party publicly humiliated Roma individuals in Gelsenkirchen by forcing them to clean the streets, which sparked a response from the art exhibition “Radikale Hoffnung” that addresses resistance against racism.

The exhibition features works by Roma artists, including Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, who highlights the struggles of Roma women against discrimination, and Selma Selman, who critiques societal exclusion through performance art. The exhibition emphasizes the importance of collective action and social justice, linking historical labor struggles to contemporary issues of marginalization and identity loss.

News Eastern Europe Romania

Young Roma

Published by:

Young Roma

The Romanian National Meeting of Roma Youth took place in Brașov, focusing on civic engagement, leadership, and community development for young Roma aged 16 to 30 in Romania.

The program included discussions on civil society, project management, financial education, and the importance of Roma identity, featuring speakers from various fields to inspire participants. The event aimed to foster dialogue among youth and representatives from student organizations, emphasizing the role of youth in civic participation and decision-making processes.

Moldova News Eastern Europe

Moldovan National Program

Published by:

Moldovan National Program

The central goal of the Moldovan Roma National 2027-2030 Program is to enhance social inclusion and ensure equitable access for Roma to education, health, employment, social protection, and public participation.

The program includes measures to combat discrimination, develop community mediators, and promote Roma culture, validated by a meeting involving various stakeholders including government representatives and civil society organizations. Emphasis is placed on reducing inequalities and increasing access to quality public services, with active involvement from all stakeholders deemed essential for the program’s success.

Hungary News Eastern Europe Serbia

Hungary and Roma

Published by:

Hungary and Roma

Under the new leadership of Prime Minister Peter Mađar, Hungary is taking significant steps to address discrimination against the Roma community, marking a historic moment in the country’s political landscape.

The new government includes four Roma parliament members, with Krištijan Kesegi becoming the first Roma vice president, signaling a shift towards greater representation.

Despite the positive gestures, Roma leaders remain cautious and are waiting to see if these symbolic changes will lead to real policy reforms and improvements in their socio-economic conditions.

However, Aba-Horváth István, a Roma minority spokesperson in Hungary, expresses disappointment over the loss of prestige in parliamentary representation for the Roma community, feeling they missed a historic opportunity for a genuine voice in parliament.

He criticizes the lack of cooperation from Debrecen representatives and the prevailing divisive political culture, which he believes undermines collaboration and community building.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Education in Slovakia

Published by:

Education in Slovakia

Education for children from marginalized Roma communities in Slovakia faces significant challenges, particularly regarding language barriers, as many children arrive at school speaking Romani or a Romani-influenced Slovak. Teachers report that the school system often fails to accommodate these language differences, leading to misinterpretations of children’s abilities and creating additional stress for both students and educators.

There is a call for systemic support, including the return of Roma language assistants and a shift in perspective to view Romani as a valuable part of children’s identity rather than a hindrance to learning.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and the Genocide

Published by:

Slovakia and the Genocide

Martina Znamenáčková, a Slovak actress, discusses her role in the series “Dunaj” and her experiences as an actress. She reflects on the tragic historical context of her character’s storyline, which relates to the Roma Genocide during the Holocaust, emphasizing the importance of remembering such events to prevent future atrocities.

Znamenáčková also addresses issues of racial stereotyping in casting and the need for sensitivity in how questions about her ethnicity are posed, while sharing her ongoing projects in theater and television.

Greece News Western Europe

Crime in Greece

Published by:

Crime in Greece

According to this article, over 70% of criminal organizations in Greece are composed of Roma, raising concerns about crime rates. Most of these organizations are involved in burglaries, highlighting the need for targeted police actions.

Authorities are urged to investigate the underlying causes of this crime and enhance prevention efforts to restore public trust.

These are basically statements without concrete proofs, stigmatising a minority in Greece.

Greece News Western Europe

Roma Settlements

Published by:

Roma Settlements

The article discusses the challenges of demolishing illegal Roma settlements in Greece due to international human rights protections that require alternative housing solutions before eviction. It raises questions about the definition of homelessness, the effectiveness of integration policies, and the potential for new settlements to emerge if current ones are not addressed properly.

Concerns are expressed about the social exclusion faced by the Roma community and the adequacy of existing relocation and integration programs in Patras.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Work in Serbia

Published by:

Work in Serbia

The event “Days of Roma Careers” was held in Bor to improve employment opportunities for Roma and Romnja, focusing on self-employment and job training. It gathered representatives from institutions, civil society organizations, and the Roma community to discuss employment support programs and challenges faced by Roma in education and the labor market.

The project aims to enhance the social status of Roma through active employment inclusion, particularly targeting unemployed youth and vulnerable groups such as Romani women and persons with disabilities.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma Inclusion

Published by:

Roma Inclusion

A ceremony was held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Office for the Inclusion of Roma, which has worked to improve the position of the Roma community in Vojvodina for two decades. Key achievements over the past twenty years include better integration of Roma into society, increased access to education, employment, healthcare, and improved living conditions.

Officials emphasized the importance of continued support for the Roma community through various programs aimed at education, economic empowerment, and strengthening institutional support.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and WWII Victims

Published by:

Slovenia and WWII Victims

The Slovene National Assembly has passed a law regarding the burial of victims of post-war killings. According to the article, the left continues to label as an ‘ideological law’ and a source of ‘division’. The article argues that this law is a necessary civilizational duty to address the thousands of unburied victims of communist terror, supported by archival documents.

It recounts historical atrocities committed by communists, including the execution of innocent civilians, emphasizing the need for the law’s implementation as a moral obligation.

Roma were also killed by Partisans in Slovenia. From mid-May 1942, communists partisans forcibly gathered and drove a large group of Roma from below Krim, from Vrblje and Podpeč into the gorge. At Benkov meadow, they shot everyone in a row without a shred of mercy: children, young people, old people, men and women. At that time, 43 innocent victims ended up in a common grave, which turned Iška into one large cemetery.

What the article fails to mention, is that the mayor od Ljbljana, who is not a leftist, denied the burial of these Roma victims in local cemetary for war victims … This all is part of a narrative whereby Roma were not killed by Slovenes, but by partisans only (some of which were indeed slovenes).

Greece News Western Europe

Greece and Roma

Published by:

Greece and Roma

The number of articles about crime and Roma in the Greek press is horrendous. Not a day passes without 5 or more articles about crimes committed by Roma in Greece.

The show “Autopsia” ‘investigates’ crime among the Roma community, revealing the realities within their settlements. Host Antonis Sroiter interviews Roma individuals about police raids, weapons, drugs, and electricity theft. The program explores the prevalence of Roma in criminal groups and their shift from theft to phone scams, alongside personal stories and police statistics.

Basically, it portrays all Roma as criminals. Bad.

Europe

Roma Education

Published by:

Roma Education

Danijela Dimitrovska highlights that Roma communities in Europe face significant barriers in education and employment, with 36% unemployment among Roma and 56% of young Roma not engaged in education or training.

She emphasizes the need for education, vocational training, and support systems to enable equal participation in the labor market, while also addressing discrimination and racism as major obstacles. Dimitrovska calls for greater integration of Roma into society and warns that Europe cannot afford to exclude millions of young people, especially during times of labor shortages and social challenges.

While her position and statements are correct, the use of percentages is definitively not. There are no definitive population numbers for Roma in Europe. And if one doesn’t know, the population, percentages are meaningless.

rroma.org
en_GBEN
de_DEDE fr_FRFR en_GBEN