Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovenia and Roma

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The President of the Slovene Republic, Nataša Pirc Musar, recently held a consultation with representatives of the Roma community, which was also attended by the State Secretary from the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Anton Grizold. The latter is the head of the working group for dealing with the Roma “issue”, which met for the first time almost half a year ago. At the meeting, Grizold said that the task force will tackle the challenges in a two-pronged manner – with an action plan for the most pressing problems and with systemic solutions.

The area of particular concern is the region of Novo Mesto where the police intervene hundreds of times a year in the Roma settlement Žabjak.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Theatre and Teaching

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Jana Pierová, a Romni, founded a theatre club in 2016 after she became a classroom teacher at Podsadok Primary School in Stara Ľubovna, Slovakia.  “I attracted the children to the activity, they were probably oversaturated with dancing and singing. They welcomed it, thanks to the theatre they could express their emotions,” she recalls

“We try to use art to break down prejudices so that the majority perceives us differently,” she explains. Among other things, theatre helps children process difficult topics, such as the Roma Holocaust.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Patrick Banga

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“I am sincere and not politically correct,” says Patrik Banga, author of the autobiographical novel titled Skutečná cesta ven – The real way out. This book, which traces the eventful life of a Roma child and adolescent in the effervescence of the 1990s, won its author the Magnesia litera prize for the first novel.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Forced Sterilisation in the Czech Republic

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Time has passed since the legislation allowing people who were forced sterilised to ask for compensation. Well, so far, only 275 have received the money. This is almost deliberately slow.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

The Pope in Hungary

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The pope met Roma, Ukrainian refugees, and many other refugees and migrants while on visit in Budapest this weekend.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovak Segregation

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A podcast on the issue of segregation of Roam children in the Slovak school system for which the country is sued by the European commission.

In Slovakia, 65% of Roma pupils between the ages of 6 and 15 attend schools where all or most of the pupils are Roma, which represents an increase of 5 percentage points compared to 2016. Slovakia is thus the EU member state with the highest rate of segregation of Roma in education, reports the European Commission.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech President and Roma

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On April 13, President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva received a group of Roma students at Prague Castle. The meeting took place as part of this year’s International Roma Day, which fell on April 8.

“What I consider to be one of the biggest dangers of our time – and it is far from only affecting Roma people – is prejudice. They often stem from a lack of information, from stereotypes, from a lack of will to listen to each other and understand each other’s arguments… For me, you represent an opportunity to point out good examples not only towards your community, but above all to the majority community. You are an example of the fact that it is possible to get out of the circle of prejudices,” Pavel said at the beginning of the meeting.

Europe News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Roma Refugees from the Ukraine

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An editorial on the discrimination faced by Roma refugees form the Ukraine in Western Europe.

While some of the statements on the Roma situation in Ukraine are not fully correct, the fact is that many Roma faced discrimination while fleeing.

Europe News Eastern Europe Slovakia

600 Years

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Since Wednesday, the House of European History in Brussels has exhibited a copy of the protection document for the Roma, which was issued 600 years ago at the Spiš castle by the Hungarian king and Roman-German emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg. This event was also attended by the vice presidents of the European Commission (EC) Věra Jourová and Maroš Šefčovič, who took part in the ceremony of handing over a copy of the historical document.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Divadlo 21

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During this year’s celebrations of International Roma Day, D21 theater visitors presented a new theater production Pal e marikľi? Actors Michal Žolták and DAMU student Nikolas Ferenc played the roles of two bakers, Michal and Hynk. A fairy tale based on the motifs of three Romani fairy tales brings the situation from the life of the Roma people closer, which bear many features and characters of the present day.

Bosnia News Eastern Europe

Bosnia, Dodik and Djokovic

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The president of the Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik started insulting the family of the tennis player Djokovic. He said: “Though, I can tell you, these Djokovics are a bit hard on the motherfucker, ugh… Our people experience it emotionally, and when you get into work aww.. Quite a gypsy, I can tell you… Those associates of his, lose more…”

This provoked protests from Roma organisations.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma

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Slovakia and Roma

600 years ago, the King Sigismund of Luxembourg, King of Hungary, issued a protection document for the Roma in Spiš Castle (Slovakia). This event was commemorated on Wednesday at an event in the European Parliament (EP) by Slovak MEP Peter Pollák (OĽANO), who handed over a copy of this document to the House of European History in Brussels during a ceremony.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland: Controversy

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The Polish stand up performer recently made jokes about Roma of Limanowa. They told him he would not be welcome, but he nevertheless went, leading to protests.

Again, as usual, racist statements and jokes about Roma do not receive the same treatment as for other minorities.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prague: Catholic Congress

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The Congress of the International Catholic Committee for Roma was held in the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, in which more than 130 participants from 20 European countries took part, who discussed the topic: “Crisis and wounds as a source of change.” In his message to the Polish news agency KAI, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Service to Integral Human Development, cited the words of St. Pope Paul VI addressed to the Roma in 1965: “You are not on the side-lines, but in the very heart of the Church”.

Well, these are just words …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Relocation

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Roma from Svrčinovac have to be moved. The settlement will fall victim to the construction of a viaduct for the D3 highway. Construction should have already started, the Roma should have been moved, the houses were bought, but they are said to be inadequate. So today no one knows where they will actually go. And not even how many there actually are. According to information from the village, there are 35 of them. In reality, however, there are up to 70 of them. Three houses will not be enough for them.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic: Role Models

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Three Roma recently won prizes in the Czech Republic. Patrick Banga, a Romano journalist won the prestigious Magnesia Litera literary prize in the new authors category; Renata Berkyová, a historian who works on the Holocaust of Roma won a 4 month months scholarship at the Washington Holocaust Museum; and finally, the actor Marsell Bendig won the Czech Lion for supporting actor for his role in the film Banger.

Well done!

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Relocation

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A Roma settlement of Svrčinovec stands in the way of an ecoduct (a wildlife overpass) above the D3 highway. The Roma were to be relocated, but it turns out, there are twice as many of them as initially assessed (70 instead of 35), so that the replacement housing is not sufficient …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma Segregation

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The temporarily appointed Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger (Democrats) and Peter Pellegrini (Hlas-SD). Answered questions from the Audience. Some questions also touched on the lawsuit that Slovakia is currently facing for the segregation of Roma children. While Heger claimed that it is not a problem that could be solved overnight with money, ex-prime minister Peter Pellegrini has a completely different opinion. Eduard Heger says that the segregation of Roma children must be solved by their integration, but he did not present concrete steps to achieve this. Peter Pellegrini, on the other hand, is against interfering with the composition of classes. i.e. introducing quotas.

In fact, the issue is not that complex: Segregation occurs when schools are located in Roma settlements, and moving the children to other schools would solve the issue. The US knows about it.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria: After the Fight

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A few weeks ago, tow Roma families clashed in Kazanlak, Bulgaria, leaving 2 victims and several wounded. The police and the involved municipalities decided to re-settle these families to avoid other clashes.

Remains to be seen if that works.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma

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The Slovak historian and member of the Science Adademy Ondrej Ficeri debated Roma issues:

High unemployment, poor hygiene, low literacy, crime and, most recently, an epidemic of infectious diseases.

He specialised in the Study of the Roma and claims that the situation will not change easily. In the discussion, however, things went really bad. In the debate, they discussed “whether and how to change the mindset of some Roma, who do want sewage and drinking water, but do not want to pay for it.”

According to Ficeri, “No, that cannot be changed in my opinion. But even so, it is the responsibility of the municipality to ensure adequate housing and re-educate residents to pay at least for unavoidable services such as rent, water, electricity. Hopefully it will be beneficial at least in the long run, even though it may seem like throwing peas against a wall at the moment. We cannot do nothing.”

So basically, Roma are incapable to adapt and change … Nice statements.

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