Category Archives: Czech Republic

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Scholarships

Published by:

Roma students of secondary and higher professional schools as well as university students can apply for a scholarship from the ROMEA organization for the school and academic year 2024/2025 from Monday 17 June to Monday 22 July. The scholarship program of the ROMEA organization was launched in 2016, and since then a total of 605 scholarships worth 10.025 million crowns have been distributed to 301 students. ROMEA will support 20 more students this year than last year. A total of one hundred Roma students will be able to receive a scholarship.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Roma and Czech Schools

Published by:

A dreadful reportage in a segregated school in the Czech Republic. Karel Rajchl, the director of the Vojanova Elementary School in Děčín says that getting children and their families to cooperate is often almost impossible.

“Shh, they’re writing a test,” she warns, upon entering the seventh-grade physics class. The teacher replies “It doesn’t matter, they can’t do anything anyway”. In the last pews, two boys don’t even bother to have an open notebook in which to calculate the task entered on the blackboard, they just giggle. “These boys are one step away from raping our young female teachers,” states principal Rajchl dryly as he leaves the class again.

No Comments…

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia, Roma, and Strasbourg

Published by:

The city of Vsetín will file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in the case of the eviction of Roma in 2006. In his opinion, the right to a fair trial was violated in the dispute. The court condemned the city of Vsetín for the eviction of Roma from a boarding house in 2006.

The house was in bad condition, and the city then had it demolished. Some of its residents, including the plaintiffs in the case, had previously failed to pay rent. The Roma ended up either in container houses elsewhere in Vsetín or in old houses outside the region.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Miss Romani Czechia-Slovakia

Published by:

On the weekend in Hodonín, the final of the Roma beauty queen pageant took place. Twelve finalists, who were chosen from more than sixty applicants, competed for the title. The winner was sixteen-year-old Martina Balažová from Liptovský Mikuláš.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Brno and the Killing

Published by:

A year ago, in Brno, a young Rom died after being stabbed by a Ukrainian. The court acquitted the man this spring. According to the verdict, it was a necessary defence. Representatives of the Roma minority in Brno would like to reopen the case are seeking legal advice.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia, Elections, and Roma

Published by:

A reportage on a small town close to the Polish border where many Roma were moved into a dilapidated housing estate and did not vote in the European elections. They either are not registered in that town, or simply have no idea what elections were held.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Social Centre

Published by:

The Roma community centre Lačo jilo [Good heart] in Přerov, which until recently was located in a dilapidated building  and has acquired new facilities for its activities. Charita Přerov, under which the centre falls, agreed on a lease with the owner of the building in Škodova street. Roma children from socially excluded locations can use the premises for various activities.

Czech Republic Europe News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Debate

Published by:

On Wednesday, June 5, Romani internet television, ROMEA TV, broadcasted a live debate of three Romani candidates running for seats in the European Parliament. All candidates accepted the invitation to the debate: Ivana Batthyány (Left), David Beňák (ANO) and Jaroslav Miko (STAN).

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Lety Testimonies

Published by:

In 1942, eighteen-year-old Romni Bozena Růžičková was sent to the “gypsy” concentration camp in Lety u Písek. She was pregnant but had to face beatings and go to hard work, breaking stones on a road construction site. On October 16, 1942, she gave birth to a baby girl at the “marodka” with the help of an older fellow inmate, whom she named Markéta. He daughter died two months later of typhus.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro: Synagogue Concert

Published by:

The atmosphere of the ancient Jerusalem Synagogue in Prague turned into a treasure house of Romani and classical music for one evening on 5/29/2024. This unique fusion was performed by the group Lavutari di Praga, led by violin virtuoso Ivan Herák.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro Video

Published by:

Thursday evening at the 26th edition of the Khamoro festival in the Prague club La Fabrika belonged to traditional Roma rhythms. In addition to Ame Roma from Latvia and Ciganos d’Ouro from Portugal, the visitors were also introduced to the classical dulcimer Erika Holuba from the Czech Republic. This recently formed group brings together leading Roma musicians who have been working together for many years on various events.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Culture Project

Published by:

On April 30, 2024, the final press conference for the “Culture Breaks Borders” project implemented by I Am The Sound s.r.o. was held in Přerov. The main goal of the two-year project, supported by the EEA and Norway Funds, was to strengthen the business of Roma music artists in the Czech music and culture industry.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Khamoro: Theatre

Published by:

The Slovak National Theatre presented a play about a tragic 1928 pogrom against Roma in Pobedimi which killed 6 Roma and left many without a house at the Khamoro Festival.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Racism in Czechia

Published by:

Inadmissible in the West, normal in the Czech Republic. Roma are the least popular minority and many openly express their hatred. “If I got five crowns every time someone tells me they don’t like Roma, but I’m fine, I’d already have a villa,” says journalist Patrik Banga, a Rom. Together with Romanologue Saša Uhlová, they talked about why antigypsyism is so common and what can be done about it in the Aktuálně.cz Rasování program.

rroma.org
en_GBEN
de_DEDE fr_FRFR en_GBEN