Author Archives: Roma Foundation

Austria News Western Europe

Austria: Oberwart Commemoration

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Austria: Oberwart Commemoration

The commemoration of the Oberwart attack which killed 4 Roma in that town exactly 30 years ago was held on Tuesday evening in this town.

On the night of February 5, 1995, a pipe bomb killed four Roma in Oberwart: Josef Simon, Peter Sarközi and Karl and Erwin Horvath. The men wanted to remove a sign with the inscription “Roma back to India”

May they rest in peace.

Germany News Western Europe

Racism in the Church

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Racism in the Church

A Protestant pastor in Hamburg who was suspended for racist statements against Sinti and Roma (he used the Z-word) has been back on duty since the beginning of January. The man had filed a lawsuit against his suspension before the church court, the disciplinary chamber of the Evangelical Churches in Germany (EKD) and was successful at the end of last year on labour law grounds.

Shame …

Germany News Western Europe

Hamburg: Graves Desecrated

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Hamburg: Graves Desecrated

Unknown perpetrators have desecrated graves of Sinti and Roma in a cemetery in the Altona district of Hamburg. Graves were damaged and materials such as copper were stolen. According to the Sinti Association of Hamburg, a gravestone was even sawn into pieces. In a joint statement, all parties in Altona City Hall, except for the AfD, (surprise?) condemned the acts. The public prosecutor’s office is investigating.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Romano Suno

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Czechia: Romano Suno

The Romano suno (Roma Dream) competition has been organized by the non-profit organization Nová škola since 1996. It is open to everyone who knows Romanes and wants to write their own text in that language, make a video, or compete live in Romanes. The purpose of the competition is to encourage people to take an interest in Romanes, to create in it, and to use Romanes publicly.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Plenipotentiary

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Slovakia: Plenipotentiary

According to Romano Forum, the current Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities, Alexander Daško,  is failing to prevent discrimination in the policies of other ministries.

The fourth government of Robert Fico is marked by a frontal attack on civil society and the weakening of non-governmental organizations. This political trend is also being copied by the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government for Roma Communities under the leadership of Alexander Daško, who is the nominee of the Smer-SD party.

After the elections, the Office suspended the organization of the Congress of Young Roma, which was founded by Daško’s predecessor Ján Hero. It was a format that allowed young university students from excluded communities to collaborate on proposals for inclusive policies and the fight against poverty.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Bratislava: Neo-Nazis

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Bratislava: Neo-Nazis

The police have identified several people who have been going on a rampage in the centre of the capital for several months. Their victims are mainly foreigners or Roma. The group of neo-Nazis flees after the attack, they film everything on their mobile phones and publish it on social networks.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland: Disinformation

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Poland: Disinformation

Fighting disinformation is one of the priorities of the Polish presidency of the European Union. However, this problem is not limited only to the harmful influences of Russia and Belarus. In Poland, the distorted image of Roma in the media, perpetuating long-standing stereotypes and false narratives, is having increasing consequences. The latest report by the Dom na Pograniczu Foundation is the first in Poland to reveal the scale of this phenomenon, which contributes to the further marginalization of one of the most stigmatized social groups in the country.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Romanes Radio

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Romanes Radio

The Centre for Research and Preservation of Roma Culture from Novi Romanes Romani language. The project was funded by the Provincial Secretariat for Education and the RTV Roma Program Editorial Office, while the author and director is Dr. Marija Aleksandrovic.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Kyiv: National Forum on the Implementation of the Roma Strategy

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Kyiv: National Forum on the Implementation of the Roma Strategy

The event brought together Roma activists, representatives of civil society organizations, government representatives and international partners to discuss the involvement of Roma communities in public life and the development of an inclusive and diverse society in times of war.

The forum discussed the issues of discrimination against Roma, access to education, medical care and passporting of citizens, as well as ways to build a joint system of work, response and informing communities for the further implementation of programs and initiatives of various organizations.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Discrimination

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Slovakia: Discrimination

Michal Sivák, a gifted teacher and Rom has a job in a school in Bratislava. The problem: he can’t find an apartment as his applications are rejected because he is Rom.

He now says he won’t stay in education. What a waste.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Monika Vontszemüová

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Monika Vontszemüová

She is a fashion designer, runs a fashion shop in Bratislava, and is a Romni.

Monika grew up in Bratislava in the middle of the majority. Her parent had a boutique on Obchodná Street and as a child she played near the Medical Garden. She went through her own path of acceptance and learning about Roma. “Until the beginning of elementary school, I had no idea that such a thing existed. Only then did a classmate scold me for being a gypsy. I came home and asked my mother what it was.”

Monika Vontszemüová received the Roma Spirit award for innovative contribution in fashion and fine arts.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine and Roma

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Ukraine and Roma

On January 30, the “National Forum on the Implementation of the Roma Strategy. Valuing Diversity” was held in Kyiv. The event was initiated by the public organization Association of Roma Women “Voice of Romnja”.

Activists of Roma communities, representatives of the UN, the Council of Europe and the Ukrainian authorities gathered for the forum in the capital of Ukraine.

The discussions at the Forum focused on the implementation of regional action plans of the Roma Strategy until 2030 and monitoring their effectiveness.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Transcarpathian Ukraine: Raids

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Transcarpathian Ukraine: Raids

News on the Hungarian TV about the current raids on Roma settlements in Transcarpathian Ukraine. According to the news, “even the sick and half-blind are being dragged to the front, and companies do not have enough workers to carry out their tasks”.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=WC7FNe&v=1413523512949840&rdid=DZ3sqqoCElq7Lwes

Az ukrán területvédelmi erők toborzóparancsnok helyettese szerint Ukrajnának militarista polgári országgá kellene válnia

Ukrajna mindeközben egyre nagyobb bajban van. Már a betegeket és a félvak embereket is elhurcolják a frontra, a vállalatoknál pedig nincs elég munkaerő a feladatok ellátásához. Egyre kegyetlenebb kényszersorozás zajlik az országban. Az ukrán területvédelmi erők toborzóparancsnok-helyettese azt mondta, hogy a háború után megfosztják az alapvető állampolgári jogoktól azokat, akik nem szolgáltak a hadseregben és felelős állást sem tölthetnek be.

Posted by M1 on Wednesday 29 January 2025
Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Na Plech

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Na Plech

Extremely incorrect comedy “Na plech” is a big hit  in Czech cinemas with more that 65’000 viewers in the first week, Slovak cinemas are afraid of it. It is an extremely incorrect comedy, with uncompromising style and humor that goes beyond the limit. For example, one of the scenes features a group of Roma cooking methamphetamine.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Forced Sterilisations

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Slovakia: Forced Sterilisations

Officially, forced sterilisations, which were common in Czechoslovakia, ceased. But apparently not really. This article states that 110 cases of forced sterilisations have been identified and were done after 1989.

Bad.

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Quite a few articles this week in France about Roma. First, the mayor and five inhabitants from Volleron, near Paris, had to appear in front of a judge, being accused of destruction of property and racist violence. They had violently dispersed a Roma camp two years ago. We have omitted another article on the subject, as this was clearly biased.

Several articles about the evacuation of a Roma camp in Verneuil, and of another one in Persan, both near Paris. An upcoming debate on the movie “A bras Ouverts”, a movie that panders to racist stereotypes about Roma. Finally, in Nantes in Western France, the arrestation of 6 Roma teenagers who apparently are behind the burglaries of  around 15 pharmacies in the region.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine Roma Strategy 2030

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Ukraine Roma Strategy 2030

The UN takes on the responsibility to support the Roma community, to make efforts to include representatives of Roma communities in the decision-making process and to rebuild communities. This was stated by the UN System Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, during the “National Forum on the Implementation of the Roma Strategy. Valuing Diversity” on January 30, 2025 in Kyiv.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine, Roma, and EU

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Ukraine, Roma, and EU

Providing equal opportunities for Romnja, including their participation in decision-making and involvement in all processes, contributes to Ukraine’s progress towards EU membership. This was stated by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Ukraine, Natalka Tsmots.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia and Minority Languages

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Serbia and Minority Languages

Živorad Ajdačić, a Serbian politician, said in a statement at the session of the Committee for Culture and Information of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia held on January 23, 2025 questionned whether it is possible for us to have a program in the Romani language and at 7 p.m.?

Opre Roma says that “this statement represents an unacceptable act of belittling the Romani language and culture, as well as open disrespect for the Romani community, which has been an integral part of Serbian society for centuries.

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