Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine: Roma Settlement

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An employee of the Secretariat of the Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine carried out a planned monitoring visit to the site of a compact Roma settlement, located on Pershotravneva and Radyanska Streets in the village of Ozerna, Safyanivska Rural Territorial Community, Izmail District, Odesa Region, in order to verify the observance of the rights and freedoms of representatives of the Roma national minorities under martial law.

During the visit, it was found out that residential buildings of representatives of the Roma national minority were at risk of collapsing into Lake Yalpug. Due to landslides, the coastline is decreasing. Today, the distance from the cliff to the nearest yard is less than five meters.

It has also been established that only eight of the sixteen houses are inhabited. They need to be resettled urgently. Another issue is the strengthening of the coastline to avoid further erosion of the coast.

Taking into account the above facts and circumstances, the situation requires the state authorities and local self-government bodies to implement a policy aimed at solving problematic issues. In particular, this is a solution to the issue of coastal fortification, provision of water supply and other communications, as well as the inclusion of these issues in the strategic development plan of the community where the Roma settlement is located.

Let’s see what effectively happens … Probably all Roma will be resettled, but not provided with new houses …

Europe Hungary News Eastern Europe

Brussels, Hungary, and Roma

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Géza Ásós, who opened Hungary’s first Gypsy restaurant in Békés 11 years ago, gave a presentation at the first International Roma Business Forum in Brussels. In an interview with the Hungarian broadcast of Euronews, he said that his restaurant connects Hungarians and Roma. According to him, integration is helped by the fact that there is a labour shortage in Hungary, as a result of which Roma workers are encountered in more and more places and in more and more positions.

The Roma Business Forum was held in the European Parliament. The conference was organized by Fidesz MEP Lívia Járóka in order for Gypsy businessmen and EU decision-makers to share their experiences of difficulties and best practices. It is to be noted that Lívia Járóka is somewhat contested, as she fully supports the Orban government in spite of its repeated statements and acts on Roma.

Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, Olivér Várhelyi, the EU Commissioner responsible for enlargement and neighbourhood policy, and Attila Sztojka, a member of the Hungarian Parliament, who as a government commissioner assists with matters related to the Roma, spoke at the meeting.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Roma at War

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The twenty-nine-year-old Rom Vasil Medvědenko, together with his brother, volunteered for the Ukrainian army after seeing the footage of the massacre in Bucha. He decided to defend his homeland. At first Vasil could not believe the news about the Russian invasion, but after a few days he was sure that it was really a war. “I realized that this is a big problem for my country, where I grew up and raised my children. At first I thought that it wouldn’t last long, maybe a month, maybe it would end sooner, but when I saw the news about Bucha, I realized that it would be for a long time. It was the terrible events in Bucha that forced me to act – to voluntarily defend my native country,” he told RomaUA, a Ukrainian Roma information site that reported his story.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary: Fekete Vonat

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The music group “Fekete Vonat” [Black Train] has reunited and released a new album. They played together for only five years, and it has been twenty years since the band broke up.

The band was founded in 1997. It got its name from the train transporting workers during the Kádár era. The black train brought and took workers from Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county to the capital and the country’s major cities. Among the passengers there were many unskilled Roma helpers living in segregation.

With this choice of name, the Fekete Vonat band announced their support for the Hungarian Roma and the importance of the fight against segregation and racism. That is why around the turn of the millennium they enjoyed huge popularity among the Roma in Hungary and abroad, and the whole country was in love with their songs and soundscape.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria: OMG!

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Very recently, a discussion started in Bulgaria as to whether the singer Preslava, who is famous in Bulgaria might be a part or fully Romani. She did not comment on it …

And frankly, so what?

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary: Teachers Protests

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Katalin Törley, a teacher in the Ferenc-Kölcsey High School is one of five teachers who were recently fired for having circumvented a right to strike that had become impossible to exercise. These firings prompted unprecedented protests in Hungary.

What is less known is that Katalin Törley, on a part time basis is providing school support for young Roma.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria and Roma

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Bad journalism in Bulgaria. A title that says “Furious Roma action in Montana: Father and son killed their son-in-law and…” a picture that has nothing to do with the facts showing Roma with weapons, and finally a text that states:

“After a family scandal, a 47-year-old father and his 20-year-old son from the Roma neighbourhood “Kosharnik” beat up their 27-year-old son-in-law. As a result of the fight, the injured son in law suffered moderate physical damage, with 2 broken ribs, a concussion and a head wound.”

Bad enough, but certainly not dead.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Lublin: Contest on Roma Culture

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On October 18, 2022 in Lublin, an educational and cultural event will be held: It is entitled  “Contest of Knowledge about Roma Culture” implemented thanks to a grant awarded by the Minister of the Interior and Administration as part of the “Program of social and civic integration of the Roma in Poland for the years 2021-2030”. The project will be an opportunity to establish mutual contacts between representatives of the Roma and Polish communities of the younger generation, strengthen the already existing ties and learn about the Roma traditions and customs.

As part of the task, a Competition on the Knowledge of Roma Culture will be organized, during which students of Lublin secondary schools will prepare multimedia presentations on the traditions, customs, everyday life of the Roma, their education, culture, cuisine and sports initiatives or prepare artistic performances. It is the first initiative of this type in Lublin.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prague – Romano Journalist

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Patrik Banga’s autobiographical book The Real Way Out was published. It tells the story of his life from his childhood in Žižkov in Prague to his journey into the journalistic world. The sometimes unbelievable stories describe in a raw way the discrimination and racism that Banga encounters already as a teenage boy.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbian Census

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The Roma Centre for Women and Children “Daje” today called on Roma to declare their national origin “without fear or shame” in the current population census. Roma tend not to declare themselves in censuses, resulting in uncertain numbers of Roma.

The representative of the center, Nada Đuričković, said that it is necessary to determine the exact number of Roma and Roma women and added that even before the census, the “Daje” center was conducting a census of Roma settlements. “We targeted the places where these settlements are located, visited them and talked to people… it is important for us that the state knows where these people are and sends enumerators,” she said.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Roma Short Stories

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An exceptional collections of Roma short stories depict struggles for a dignified life has been published in Prague by the Roma Literature publishing house “Kher”.

The books Samet Blues and Šude sámá krasa present the events of the last century, including the fall of communism, through the lens of Roma men and women. They capture the atmosphere in the Roma minority and the rise of racism in society. They are united by helplessness, existential uncertainty and sadness from social exclusion.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland and Roma Integration

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As part of the Program of social and civic integration of the Roma in Poland for 2021-2030 adopted by Resolution No. 190/2020 of the Council of Ministers of December 21, 2020, the Ministry of the Interior and Administration is starting the procedure related to submitting applications for the implementation of tasks in 2023 year.

According to the “Information on the procedure for granting subsidies from the Social and Civic Integration Program of the Roma in Poland for 2021-2030 for tasks in the fields of: Education, Housing, Innovative Integration Projects in 2023” prepared by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, the deadline for submitting applications to voivodes is November 15, 2022.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Paramilitaries

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The paramilitaristic group Slovenský branci ends after 10 years of activity. The movement said goodbye to its supporters on Facebook, where its representatives say they have already won their battle.

The commander, Peter Švrček, claimed that his movement was trying to protect the nation. In November 2021, the Ján Kuciak Investigative Center drew attention to the fact that members of the group cooperate with Polish extremists, whom they associate with an attack in Ukraine with a pro-Russian background. Some members of the Polish Strelec unit were even part of neo-fascist groups.

In the past, they collaborated with the extreme right-wing Slovak Movement of Revival and together celebrated the establishment of the Slovak state, Aktuality.sk reported. In addition, the portal pointed out that the logo of the conscripts is strikingly reminiscent of the emblem of the paramilitary youth organization Hitlerjugend. We interviewed one of the former members of the SB in an interview, in which he also talked about, for example, how they went to beat the Roma.

Germany News Western Europe Ukraine

Discrimination?

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At the North Elementary School “Am Reitbahnsee” in Neubrandenburg in North Eastern Germany, two preparatory classes with Ukrainian students are treated differently: While some are taught in the school building, a two-room apartment was rented for around 20 children – three kilometres away from the school. They belong to the Roma minority. This way they have no contact with other students. In addition, the apartment has safety deficiencies. Those responsible deny the allegations of discrimination.

Bad.

Moldova News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Moldova and Ukrainian Roma Refugees

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Ukrainian Roma are taking legal action after an attack of Roma refugees in Chisinau. The Roma refugees were sprayed with tear gas by security personnel. They complained to the EU Council on Preventing and Eliminating Discrimination and Ensuring Equality. A criminal complaint against the assailants has also been initiated ex officio by the public prosecutor. The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) will represent the Romani litigants in both proceedings.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Sofia, Bulgaria: Roma Protests

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There were Roma protests in Sofia following the death of a Roma taxi driver after a fight. The protests ended late last night without serious damage or arrests, the Ministry of the Interior reports. It is known that after the case of the deceased taxi driver, his relatives and friends blocked the capital’s intersections.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria – Progress

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Bulgaria has made tangible progress since 2014 in combating intolerance, introducing inclusive education, combating anti-Semitism, promoting Roma integration and helping refugees. However, hatred and prejudice against LGBTI people persist and must be combated and measures for the integration of refugees must be extended. These are the findings of the new report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) which covers the period from June 2014 to the end of March 2022.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma Education

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A project in Dobšina in Domček, in central Slovakia where teachers together with Romnja help children oif a Roma settlement catching up in their education. The project is not funded because some of the women helping out did not finish high school.

The teachers from Dobšina started almost ten years ago with a few young Roma mothers from the settlement. When we talk about young mothers, we do not mean the age of 18 and over, but children who have children while still in elementary school.

One of them are the now 26-year-old twins, Magdaléna and Mariana, both coaches in the project. Magdalena gave birth for the first time in the seventh grade at elementary school and again sometime later. Both have unfinished primary education, but they are clear in their heads. They want their children and the children of the Dobšina Roma to experience success.

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