Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro Festival Volunteers

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Khamoro Festival Volunteers

Twelve ROMEA scholarship holders participated in the organization of the World Roma Festival Khamoro this year as part of the educational program “Khamoro shares experiences”, organized by Slovo 21. They helped with production, communication with guests, and documentation of events. In the process, they gained valuable experience, strengthened their self-confidence and pride in their own identity. They also shared their impressions on stage during the final gala concert, and Denisa Hamáčková’s vlog captures the process of their involvement.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Domestic Violence

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Domestic Violence

Almost a third of Roma women have personal experience with domestic violence. Yet most of them do not seek professional help. This is according to a new study by the Slovo 21 organization, which also shows a change in attitudes. The number of Roma women who reject traditional family roles and want to be heard is increasing. The research also brings the first extensive probe into the topic of violence in Roma communities.

The Slovo 21 organization for the first time ever examined the experiences of Roma women with domestic violence on a larger scale. 500 women from 19 Czech cities participated in the survey as part of the Speak Out project. Data collection was carried out by 26 trained Roma interviewers.

The issue as usual, is that one generalises based on a sample that is most probably not so representative in the first place. As we always say, if one doesn’t know how many Roma there are, ho can we infer a percentage?

Bulgaria Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Hristo Kjučukov

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Hristo Kjučukov

Last week, a number of prominent Roma personalities came to Prague thanks to the Khamoro festival. Among the guests was linguistics professor Hristo Kjučukov, who comes from Bulgaria. He has struggled with discrimination since childhood, not only as a Rom, but also as a Muslim. And this is what he tried to overcome with education and success.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro Festival

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Khamoro Festival

In the last week of May, the largest Romani festival in the world, Khamoro – translated from Romani as “little sun” – took place in Prague. Over the course of seven days, visitors could experience and taste Romani culture – traditional music, gypsy jazz, theatre, panel debates and a book launch. The festival also drew attention to the unequal conditions faced by Romani people in the Czech Republic.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Industry in Slovakia

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Industry in Slovakia

A new industrial park is being prepared in the Stará Ľubovňa district. The project aims to improve the future of the Roma in the district.

“Together with partners, we are preparing the establishment of an industrial park near the village of Šarišské Jastrabie, which will be focused on social entrepreneurship and the employment of long-term unemployed residents from marginalized communities,” the office informed. One of the first projects will be the ecological production of briquettes, which has the ambition to significantly reduce the problem of illegal logging and the burning of unsuitable materials in households. This step will not only have a positive impact on the environment, but will also bring concrete work to people who need it most.

Let’s see …

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria and Roma

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Bulgaria and Roma

Bulgaria’s Roma community continues to face widespread discrimination and is seeking to leave the country en masse. However, Roma could fill the dramatic labour gap created by the exodus, provided they have access to quality education. An interview with the founder of the Amalipe Center in Veliko Tarnovo.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Novo Mesto – Attack

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Novo Mesto – Attack

A witness in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, said that a man the Roma settlement of Žabjak attacked a citizen with a knife, while he was performing community service at the Novo mesto Komunala.

Whatever the reason, this is bad.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Anti-Discrimination Law

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Anti-Discrimination Law

An analysis published by the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities (ÚSVRK) of the Slovak Republic shaw that Roma, while having been facing discrimination in Slovakia in education, healthcare, work and housing for a long time make little use of the existing anti-discrimination laws. Miriam Žiaková, Director of the Media Department of the ÚSVRK said that: “Despite the fact that the existing anti-discrimination law provides them with formal protection, a large part of Roma do not exercise their rights, even in cases where they are directly exposed to discriminatory treatment.”

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: A Billion for Roma

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Slovakia: A Billion for Roma

The Government of the Slovak Republic has received approximately one billion euros from the European Union to support Roma communities. However, as reported by ta3, the distribution of these funds has caused a serious disagreement between the former and current government plenipotentiary for Roma communities.

Peter Pollák, a former plenipotentiary, claims that the entire billion euros is available, which can be used to solve social problems and improve the living conditions of Roma. On the contrary, the current plenipotentiary Alexander Daško opposes, saying that this money is distributed among various ministries and only a part of it is intended directly for Roma. According to Daško, this is misleading and deceiving the public.

Well, Daško also supports some projects of dubious nature… Planting trees is not  going to integrate Romani communities.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovak Countryside

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Slovak Countryside

Improving housing for the marginalized Roma community (MRK), the rehabilitation of illegal landfills and the education of children are topics that the mayor of Pečovská Nová Ves, Jaroslav Dujava, wants to open during Wednesday’s field meeting of the Slovak government in their municipality.

That would be a good start…

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Settlements

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Slovakia and Settlements

A pilot project for the construction of modular houses in a Roma settlement in the town of Veľký Šariš will implement many years of experience with similar construction in the Netherlands. Well, difficult to fathom what similar constructions occurred in the Netherlands, as segregated settlements are not common there…

Alexander Daško, the Slovak plenipotentiary for Roma communities also emphasized the merit and motivational factor. “Future tenants will not get anything for free,” he declared. He explained that the condition for obtaining rental housing is participation in the construction. “The contribution will be at least 20 percent of the costs in the form of participation in the construction work.” He also pointed out that tenants will not be able to create debt on energy and water supplies, and they will also be able to reduce the set rent based on compliance with the rules. “Zero debt, compliance with compulsory school attendance of children, maintaining order, regular employment, all of this will be able to reduce the amount of rent.”

This is a total alibi exercise that builds up on stereotypes that Roma abuse the social system. The real issue are land rights, connection to municipal services (water, electricity), and of course, work.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Atlas of Roma Communities

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Atlas of Roma Communities

Data collection as part of the sociographic mapping of Roma communities will continue until the end of June. This was announced at a press conference on Tuesday by the Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Government for Roma Communities Alexander Daško and the staff of his office. The reason is the effort to integrate data from the maximum number of municipalities with a relevant presence of Roma communities into the census.

What is remarkable, is that this atlas doesn’t really coincide with the official census …

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Transcarpathian Ukraine: Shootout

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Transcarpathian Ukraine: Shootout

In a Roma settlement in Velykyi Berezne, in Transcarpathian Ukraine, right on the Slovak border, a confrontation between Ukrainian border guards and local Roma escalated. Background is not clear, but Roma threw stones at the border guards, and they fired live rounds. There are wounded, apparently on bth sides, although between stones and rifles, this can’t really be equitable.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Romani Children Festival

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Romani Children Festival

The Bulgarian children’s Roma Festival “Open Heart” gathers over 1,500 children from all over Bulgaria. The program includes exhibitions, music, theatre, crafts, and traditions. The main emphasis this year is the desire to give a voice not only to children, but also to Romnja, cultural figures and community leaders.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria: Child Poverty

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Bulgaria: Child Poverty

Almost every third child in Bulgaria lives in material deprivation, according to data from the National Statistical Institute for last year. The most affected by the phenomenon are Roma children – over 2/3 of them, while for Bulgarians the indicator is below 1/5, and for children of Turkish origin – nearly 1/3.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Sofia: Brawl

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Sofia: Brawl

Another news we do not really need. Romnja fought each other in the centre of Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. The action took place near St. Peter’s Park, around Konstantin Velichkov Blvd. in Sofia.

According to a wtiness, Romnja literally grabbed each other by the hair in a mass melee. However, he was unable to count how many women participated in the fight. “They were like wild animals. Imagine animals in a zoo fighting for prey. The sight was just like that. They just made my eyes water,” he says on Facebook.

According to him, police arrived at the scene in a flash, and some of the brawlers quickly spat on their heels. The police are currently searching for the attackers.

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

France, Roma, and Bulgaria

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France, Roma, and Bulgaria

The French Institute of Bulgaria is opening its doors to Roma culture from June 2 to 5, 2025. Through screenings and evenings of discussions, this series will highlight their history, creativity, and the diversity of their artistic expressions across Europe.

Unfortunately, being French, they bring a baggage of stereotypes starting with the names of “Roms, Tsiganes, Manouches, Bohémiens, Romanichels, Sintis, Gitans…” And then go on with saying that Roma reside in Europe since the XVth century.  This in Bulgaria, one of the cradles of Roma culture as part of the Byzantine Empire where Roma have been for more than a thousand year.

One can only wish that journalists manage to learn something at some point …

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma Money

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Slovenia and Roma Money

At the end of October last year, suspicions of the controversial use of state money for Roma in the municipality of Krško were raised. The municipality, led by Janez Kerin, outsourced almost 80 thousand euros worth of workshops and training to the municipal construction company Kostak, about which none of our interlocutors knew anything

At the same time, the municipality, under unusual circumstances, allocated another 20 thousand euros of money to an association founded by Roma councilor Dejan Brajdič. Mayor Kerin needed his vote to support the planned projects. At the time, the municipality denied accusations of misuse of funds received from the state.

This is now being investigated by the police.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Integration

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Slovenia and Integration

A round table held in Slovenia on Roma integration stated that one of the key challenges is the legalisation of Roma settlements. Roma representatives, however, warn that solutions and legislation on them are often adopted without them.

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