Category Archives: Czech Republic

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Concerts

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Singer and choirmaster Ida Kelarová, in cooperation with the Czech Philharmonic, will organize two extraordinary concerts for International Roma Day, this time under the name “Paĺikerav”, which means thank you in Romanes. Together with Ida Kelarová, the children’s choir Čhavorenge, Desiderius Dužda, the Jazz Trio, the Chamber Orchestra of the Czech and Czech Student Philharmonic Orchestra, the cymbalom band Pekovci and other guests will perform.

The first concert takes place in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum on Saturday, April 6 from 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live by Czech Radio on the Vltava station, and the second concert at the same time on Sunday, April 7. The recording on International Roma Day will be broadcast by Czech Television on the CT art program.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Brno: The Aftermath

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A crisis meeting of the Roma Council of the City of Brno took place in Brno. It was a response to the acquittal verdict of the Regional Court in the case of the death of a young Rom. The verdict caused a wave of disappointment among the members of the council and confirmed, according to them, the concerns of the Roma community about distrust in the justice system, especially when the victims are Roma. Brno Mayor Markéta Vaňková and Deputy Mayor Robert Kerndl also took part in the meeting.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Brno: Verdict

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The court pardoned a Ukrainian who was originally charged with the murder of a young Rom in Brno last summer. According to the final verdict, it was a necessary self-defence. The verdict caused was met with disbelief and sadness by  the Roma minority.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Jan Bendig

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Jan Honza Bendig, currently without a doubt the most successful Roma singer in the Czech Republic, was attacked a while ago while attending a gala event. It later turned out that he himself had staged the attack. He now still insists on his position – that he did not arrange it and was a victim, despite the overwhelming evidence gathered by the Czech Police.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Lety and Denial

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The author of a Facebook post criticizes that the state bought and demolished a pig farm in Lety, where a Roma concentration camp stood during the Second World War. The author considers this a waste of money and as evidence he attaches a photo of a newspaper article from 2018 with the headline “Archaeologists did not find Roma graves”.

Archaeologists actually found the graves of Roma in Lety, in 2019.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Roma Vakeren

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Roma program about the forgotten story of Antonia Single, an extraordinary Roma flamenco dancer,

Photographer Antoine Le Roux on nomads and on the RomanoNet organization has been coordinating the cooperation of non-profit organizations engaged in work with the Roma minority.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia and School Segregation

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Two articles dwelling on what happened in the 16 years since the Czech Republic was condemned for school segregation and discrimination against Roma. There are still segregated school, and according to the Deputy Minister of Education Jiří Nantl (ODS), Czech society is thereby producing clients of the welfare state.

These schools should be closed, and desegregations should be enforced.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Uzhhorod Roma School

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The Czechoslovak president Masaryk contributed to the establishment of a should for Roma in what is now Transcarpathian Ukraine and before was the Ruthenian region of Czechoslovakia. The school was opened as an experiment to try to integrate Roma in the regular school system and Roma contributed to its creation. It was also a de-facto segregated school…

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic and Roma Education

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In 2007, the European Court of Human Rights, in a ground-breaking decision, condemned the Czech Republic for discriminating against Roma pupils in their access to education.

However, the Czech Republic continues to discriminate against Roma children in education in spite of this condemnation. Recent statistics show that 15% of Roma children are educated outside of the regular school system (i.e. special schools) whereas for the majority population, this is the case only for 3% of the children.

So there are still special schools in addition to at least 130 segregated ones.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prague and Roma History

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Jana Kokyová, chairwoman of the Roma Holocaust Compensation Committee, recalled the tragic fate of the Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust at a memorial meeting in Prague-Ruzyn on the 11th of March. In her speech, she emphasized that almost 90% of the Czech Roma and Sinti were exterminated and that this chapter of history is still neglected. She pointed to personal family experiences with Nazism and expressed concern that history might repeat itself. She criticized the insufficient representation of Roma history in school curricula and called for the support of educational programs that would help build a fairer and more tolerant society. At the same time, she drew attention to the current increase in extremism and the need for financial support for the Roma and Sinti Centre to continue its important work.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech President on Roma

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Czech President Petr Pavel commented about Roma in his speech Deník na Kladno.  On Wednesday, he visited the Vinařice prison, where the majority of Roma prisoners are. He thought about why that was.

He stated: “We have fifteen primary schools here, two of which are racially segregated, almost all the children are Roma. I think we will not move on until the majority realizes that the integration of Roma is an important long-term task of the Czech Republic. And until we get Roma for the task as well.”

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Vodaphone and Roma

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Vodafone has joined the scholarship program for Roma students, which is implemented by the ROMEA organization. With this step, Vodafone wants to support equal opportunities and fight against discrimination against Roma in the Czech Republic, which has long been criticized by the Council of Europe. Vodafone contributed one hundred thousand crowns to scholarships for Roma students of secondary, higher vocational and university schools, who face many obstacles in achieving a quality education. The scholarship program offers them not only financial support, but also mentoring, mutual meetings, advice, educational activities and internships in organizations or companies, including Vodafone.

Well done!

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Exhibition

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An exhibition in the 400 ASA gallery showcases pictures taken by young Roma from two Roma settlements.

A must see.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Pilsen, Czechia

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The Pilsen Roma Council is a project financed by Norwegian funds. Its aim is to get Roma involved in the events in the region thanks. “The idea of how to ensure the participation of Roma at the city level led me to establish the Pilsen Roma Council. How to bring together a group of people that represents the majority. Pilsen is a city founded on great families,” David Tišer explains the motives behind the founding of the Council.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prague, a School, and Minorities

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The story of a school in a district of Prague that has a high percentage of Roma and Ukrainians. The city council considers the school to be segregated (as it has a large number of Roma), and wants to transform the school into a Waldorf system.

The parents disagree…

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Jan Bendig

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The romano singer Jan Bendig has spoken out after four days of silence since the police said the attack in Český slavík, where he was pelted with flour by an alleged racist, was staged. He posted a lengthy statement on his Facebook profile in which he apologizes for his silence, denies that the attack was premeditated and explains what he believes happened. However, his words contradict what the police investigation found.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Photographs

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An exhibition of photographs taken by young Roma from Roma settlements is being shown in Prague 400ASA gallery. They are the results of workshops with the Roma youngsters.

Well done!

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