Another unfortunate article about Roma in the Slovenian press. They speak of criminality, brutality, gangs, and the like. In this article, they “explain” that Roma are driving customers away with the intent to extorting money from the businesses.
Bad.
August 2nd is celebrated at the commemoration of the genocide of the Roma during the Holocaust since 2015. But Roma have long been second-class victims. The interest of the public in this commemoration and this part of the suppressed history is not least thanks to people like Čeija Stojka, who broke the silence. A major show is now being dedicated to Stojka at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York.
A conservative MP from Wales created a sh*tstorm by asking his constituents whether they would (yes/no) like to see a traveller site next to their house. Police is investigating, conservative media think it is a perfectly ok question. Like “would you like to see [any other minority] a your neighbour…
Some articles from Eastern Europe on the commemoration of the Genocide of the Roma.
Recordings of Czech and Slovak Roma victims of the Holocaust are now available in a new database.
Several articles highlighting the continuing discrimination of Roma in Europe.
Many articles in many countries on the commemoration of the 79th anniversary of the liquidation of the “Zigeunerlager” in Auschwitz, the day that has been chosen as the commemoration of the genocide of the Roma during the Holocaust.
Gedenken an Roma. In: Der Standard. 02.08.2023. https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000181507/gedenken-an-roma
Recent statistics (see second article cited here) in Hungary give a dim view of the state of the education system. According to the result, 40% of the 8th grade students are functional analphabets. What is the response of the government (see first article cited here), well, according to Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister office of the Orban government, it is because of the Roma.
He is not a friend of arithmetic… If 40% of the children in Hungary are Roma, it is an interesting trend. Currently, the Roma minority in the country stands at around 10%. And it is true that their education level is low, mostly since in the countryside, they are taught in de-facto segregated schools.
An interview with Joanna Talewicz, PhD, co-founder and president of the Foundation for Dialogue and the Roma Community Centre in Warsaw on stereotypes and prejudice.
The Genocide of Roma by the National Socialists is often called the forgotten Holocaust.
According to Jens-Christian Wagner, head of the Buchenwald memorial site, the commemoration of the mass deportation and murder of Sinti and Roma under National Socialism receives too little attention. “This is a topic that is in fact not nearly as present in public as the Shoah, i.e. the murder of European Jews,” Wagner told the German Press Agency.
The Russian government forcibly evicts the “Gypsy population” from the territory of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, because they “distribute prohibited substances and violate the laws of the Russian Federation.”
In addition, in the document, they call for strengthening the controls over publications in Telegram channels – since dissatisfaction among the “Gypsy youth” with the forced deportation has become a noticeable problem for the Russian authorities.
Another Russian crime.
Manifestations of Roma against Ukrainian refugees continue in the Czech Republic. Not only due to the few incidents, but also because of the resentment of the Roma who feel that while nothing has been done in the country for them, the Ukrainians are helped more than they ever were.
The Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic has published a call in the amount of almost 60 million euros, the aim of which is to create “development teams” in selected municipalities. They will contribute to solving adverse situations with an impact on both the minority and the majority at the level of the entire residential community. They will focus on employment, education, housing and the fight against anti-Roma racism.
In the context of the commemoration of the 2nd of August, Romani Rose called the European Union to outlaw anti-Roma racism alongside antisemitism.
A commemoration of the genocide of the Roma in Oberwart on August 2nd. Obewart, Austria, is known for the 1995 bomb attack by right wind extremists which killed 4 Roma.
A commemoration of the genocide of the Roma in Auschwitz on August 2nd.
A bridge in Patras, Greece, partially collapsed, killing one person and wounding another one. The victims are Roma who lived in a camp below the overpass.
Not much this week in France. The French prefect of the Herault, in the South of France, known for his hard stance against Roma camps is on the go. Near Paris, a new camp has been dismantled. And near Nantes two caravans took fire.
The Slovak Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport published a call for proposals entitled “Support for the provision of early care and early intervention to children aged 0 to 6 years from the environment marginalized Roma communities and from an environment of generational poverty”.
Let’s see …
The position of Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs was established by the government in December 2022 and is independent of political parties. Lucie Fuková, a Romni, is the first one. There are already voices in the Roma community who say “We didn’t vote for you, don’t speak for the Roma! You won’t do anything anyway!”
Her answer is: “So I am the very first person in the Czech Republic to take on this position. In contrast, in Slovakia, the Roma government representative has been operating for many years. I’m only a few months in and I’m building my entire office from scratch – in every way. I have nothing to follow up on. That’s why I spend a lot of time setting up the functioning of the office (people, processes…) and unfortunately I can’t be everywhere.”
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