Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Social Media, and Roma

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Slovaks do not spare hateful comments on Roma on social networks, but they often try to hide their identity. Hateful comments usually appear under anonymous pseudonyms, as research by the Institute for Human Rights and other organizations confirms.

It shows the stereotypes held by the general population, but also that they realise these comments are racist and could be sued against.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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At the request of the Slovenian Democratic Party, the Committee of the National Assembly for Petitions, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities discussed the increasingly pressing Roma issue in Southeastern Slovenia at an emergency meeting. The meeting was also attended by some mayors and deputy mayors and councilors, representatives of the Novo mesto Police Department and Šentjernej Police Station.

The initiator of the meeting, MP Anja Bah Žibert, pointed out in the introduction that the coalition promised its legal solutions to the Roma issue by the end of 2023.

You wonder how do you resolve an exclusion and discrimination problem with repressive legislative measures?

News Eastern Europe News Switzerland Ukraine

Switzerland and Roma

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Another two articles in the Swiss press about Roma refugees from the Ukraine who “abuse” the system and are “most probably” not from the Ukraine. All because the Swiss seem to be oblivious that Western Ukraine is Hungarian speaking …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: A Project

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In western Slovakia, the project Better Future for Young Roma was born under the auspices of the non-profit organization Human in Danger. Roma children get a chance to go to school and work for a better future. The project is currently being developed mainly in Lozorn, Plavecký Štvrtek and Zlaté Klasy.

If necessary, the children’s parents also receive help and support. They have already worked with 94 children and their families. They provided counseling to more than a hundred children, while 46 of them got a job during the project.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma Settlement in Slovakia

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A Roma settlement in Slovakia is being destroyed. Reason is, it became so run down that it cannot be saved. The article says it is the residents’ fault. Well, they did not do anything, but neither did the municipality nor the owners.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland, Schools, and Roma

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Robert Bladycz, a Rom teaching assistant from schools in Kamienna Góra, has been trying to get a teaching job for many years, he tells Radio Wrocław. He has a higher degree in education, has been working in schools for 20 years, and despite repeated attempts, he has never been offered a position as a beginner teacher.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Ljubjana: Roma Wedding

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A report on a Roma wedding in Ljubljana, Slovenia. These articles (and the showing of) do not help the cause.

According to the article, the house has 600 square meters, there was a bar of gold and 10 thousand euros as some of the gifts that the newlyweds received at the Roma wedding in Ljubljana.

News Eastern Europe News Switzerland Ukraine

Switzerland and Ukrainian Roma Refugees

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In Switzerland, there is currently an influx of Roma refugees from the Ukraine, mostly from the Transcarpathian region. We have seen many cases, and they unfortunately come from segregated settlements, often as large families (8 children etc.). They mostly speak only Hungarian and a limited amount of Ukrainian, and seldom Romanes.

The article in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung is totally unacceptable. They effectively say they are not really Ukrainian, without any proof, and even put up a picture of Uzhgorod, maybe part of Greater Hungary for the editors of this paper. They insinuate that they have all Hungarian passports, which could be the case, as Hungarian speakers from outside Hungary have been granted passports by Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister. However, one of the pre-requisite is to be able to read and write (and not to be Roma), which does not apply in most of the cases here in Switzerland.

In addition, these Roma, even though they are not fluent, speak Russian and Ukrainian. Which cannot be said of Hungarians.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

The Case of an Anthropologist

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The case of David Scheffel, a Canadian university teacher, who was accused and convicted of the crime of sexual abuse concurrently with the offense of endangering the moral education of youth is being reopened.

In January 2024, the media reported that the case was being heard again at the District Court in Prešov, where two of the victims should testify that no abuse took place and deny their statements from the preliminary proceedings and previous court hearings. The defendant’s prominent lawyer, Daniel Lipšice (now a special prosecutor), said that Roma lie and are therefore untrustworthy…

Bad.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Social Media, and Roma

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A recent study by the Human Rights Institute shows that on social media in Slovakia, there are many hateful and racist comments about Roma. People try to hide behind pseudonyms and post many disparaging comments on Roma.

Bad.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

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On February 6, a new Roma-led community center (“Roma Integration Space”) was officially opened in Mukachevo, Zakarpattia Oblast, after which another such community center will be opened in Berehove, Zakarpattia Oblast. UNHCR and its local partner NEEKA supported the reconstruction of the buildings and the renovation of the premises of these two centers.

The spaces will work as multifunctional centers to support Roma communities, primarily Roma women and girls, and will complement the national Roma strategy of the Government of Ukraine. Based on the experience and lessons learned from a similar Roma integration space, which has been under the care of the UNHCR and its partner NGO Nehemiah in Uzhgorod since 2022, a wide range of measures aimed at strengthening the access of Roma communities to rights and services, strengthening their potential and integration into local communities.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Vojvodina: Romanes Courses

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The Roma Center Association from Crepaja implemented a project in the Elementary School “Sveti Georgije” in Uzdin with the aim of fostering the language, culture and tradition of the Roma.

The Romanes course with elements of national culture in Uzdin is attended by 20 students. The goal of teaching Romanes is for students to master the basic rules of Romanes, as their mother tongue, to communicate in it, and to get to know the literature of their people.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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Yet another article about the Roma problematic, and the initiative of several mayors to change legislation. Their proposal was thankfully declined by the parliament, as it was pretty much targeted against Roma. The members of the coalition stated that they would put up a proposal by the end of 2023.

The article here complains that not much has been done so far.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria, Police, and Roma

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The project “Improving coordination and dialogue between the police and the Roma community”, financed under the “Internal Works” Program of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism,  is equipping and renovating police reception centres  in Roma neighborhoods in Varna.

They are part of a total of 20 reception centres in Roma neighborhoods in oBulgaria – in Sofia, Burgas, Varna, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Vidin, Montana, Sliven and Yambol. The renovated reception areas will create better working conditions for police officers and be a point of contact for local communities when problems arise.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Miss Roma 2024

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Twelve finalists were chosen from more than sixty registered girls from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and even Ireland, who will fight for the title of Roma beauty queen. This competition, which is being held for the twenty-second time, aims to support the self-confidence and pride of Roma girls, to show their beauty and talent, and at the same time to bring Roma culture and traditions closer to the general public.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Romeo and Juliet

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A new reading of “Romeo and Juliet” is being prepared in Belogradchik, Bulgaria. A story of modern Romeo and Juliet, between Roma and Bulgarians will be told by a Bulgarian-Roma theatrical production. The idea is of the People’s Community Center “Razvitie” in Belogradchik.

Well not quite, the Roma Theatre Pralipe had this idea during the siege of Sarajevo.

Montenegro News Eastern Europe

Isen Gaši

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“Isen Gaši dedicated his entire life to the fight for Roma rights, he was often lonely, but he never gave up on his principles. As the president of the Roma Council, Isen Gaši left an indelible mark on the development, integration, inclusion and socialization of the Roma community in Montenegrin society “, the statement of the Roma Council points out.

May he rest in peace.

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