Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: New Law

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The new law on Roma community has been undergoing public hearing. During this period, 16 complaints were received at the Nationalities Office on the proposed amendments to the law on the Roma community. While, according to some Romani organizations, there are some positive ideas, others point to an even greater discrimination against the Roma and think that the proposed change in the composition of the Council of the Roma community are not positive.
To be watched.

– V javni razpravi o romskem zakonu pripombe na sestavo sveta romske skupnosti in opozorila o diskriminaciji. In: STA. 31.12.2017. https://www.sta.si/2466367/v-javni-razpravi-o-romskem-zakonu-pripombe-na-sestavo-sveta-romske-skupnosti-in-opozorila-o-diskriminaciji [link-preview url=”https://www.sta.si/2466367/v-javni-razpravi-o-romskem-zakonu-pripombe-na-sestavo-sveta-romske-skupnosti-in-opozorila-o-diskriminaciji”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

First and Second Diaspora

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A portrait of an Indian physicist who studied in Moscow, married in Czechoslovakia and has since lived in the Ostrava region. He founded an association called Mutual Collaboration, which implemented a number of successful programs for Roma in the Ostrava region and in the Moravian-Silesian Region in an effort to bring them closer together to the majority population. He has received several awards and general respect from all sides: from politicians, Roma, police of the Czech Republic, foundations and embassies. He has no problem to stand in the middle of a crowd and calm them down. With his conduct, patience and grace, he has also received grudging respect from some of the extremists.

– Mohol žiť ako boháč v Indii, vyštudoval fyziku v Moskve, radšej však pracuje s Rómami v Česku. In: Dennik. 31.12.2017. https://dennikn.sk/961326/mohol-zit-ako-bohac-v-indii-ale-vystudoval-fyziku-v-moskve-a-pracuje-s-romami-v-cesku/ [link-preview url=”https://dennikn.sk/961326/mohol-zit-ako-bohac-v-indii-ale-vystudoval-fyziku-v-moskve-a-pracuje-s-romami-v-cesku/”]

News Eastern Europe Romania Russia

Bear Skins

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An old custom in Comanesti, Romania, traced back to Roma: A ritual in bear skins to ward off evil.
On a side note, RT (a Russian government sponsored site) could do better: “The Roma community of Gypsies” WTF !!!

– Romanian villagers perform ritual ceremony in bear-skin costumes. In: RT. https://www.rt.com/in-motion/414691-romania-bear-skin-ceremony/ [link-preview url=”https://www.rt.com/in-motion/414691-romania-bear-skin-ceremony/”]

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary: A bit too Easy

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Tibor Ágoston, a Jobbik representative in the city of Debrecen in Eastern Hungary, voted against the local government scholarship for a young Rom. In his speech, he said he would support real talent in Debrecen, but not a “catch all” program.
Jobbik initiated an investigation into the case.
It turns out that Tibor Ágoston was sentenced to a HUF 750,000 (2’500 EUR) in March 2016 for holocaust denial. A nice fellow he certainly is.
He has now made a written statement resigning from all his positions and functions in Jobbik.

– Kilépett a Jobbikból a roma fiatal támogatását megvonó képviselő. In: Index. 28.12.2017. https://index.hu/belfold/2017/12/28/kilepett_a_jobbikbol_a_roma_fiataltol_a_tamogatast_megvono_kepviselo/
– Inkább kilép a Jobbikból a roma fiatalon gúnyolódó debreceni képviselő. In: HVG. 28.12.2017. http://hvg.hu/itthon/20171228_Inkabb_kilep_a_Jobbikbol_a_roma_fiatalon_gunyolodo_debreceni_kepviselo [link-preview url=”https://index.hu/belfold/2017/12/28/kilepett_a_jobbikbol_a_roma_fiataltol_a_tamogatast_megvono_kepviselo/ “]

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: New Community Law

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The Ombudsman, Vlasta Nussdorfer, sharply criticized the planned revision of the law on the Roma community. The law will not bring water and electricity to Roma, but will continue to violate human rights, she concluded. Roma organizations are also concerned with the attempt to distinguish between Roma and “autochthonous” people.

– Varuhinja: Če Romom odrekamo vodo in elektriko, se v naseljih razrašča criminal. In: Dnevnik. https://www.dnevnik.si/1042795985/slovenija/varuhinja-ce-romom-odrekamo-vodo-in-elektriko-se-v-naseljih-razrasca-kriminal [link-preview url=”https://www.dnevnik.si/1042795985/slovenija/varuhinja-ce-romom-odrekamo-vodo-in-elektriko-se-v-naseljih-razrasca-kriminal”]

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary – Fig leaf

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In the framework of a program called a “Home in Tanoda – a chance for the Roma children in the suburbs of Szeged”, a total of forty students of the Kiskundorozsma and Szeged Roma classrooms were allowed to play in the Szeged Teke and Bowling Centres. From small to big, from the age of four to adolescents, all of them could try it on the alleys.
Nice, but does it really help?

– Tekézni vitte a kiskundorozsmai gyerekeket a Szegedi Roma Tanoda. In: NLCafe. 27.12.2017. https://www.nlcafe.hu/foto/20171227/tekezni-vitte-a-kiskundorozsmai-gyerekeket-a-szegedi-roma-tanoda/ [link-preview url=”https://www.nlcafe.hu/foto/20171227/tekezni-vitte-a-kiskundorozsmai-gyerekeket-a-szegedi-roma-tanoda/”]

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Green Jobs

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A conference on green jobs for Roma took place at the Slovenian Tourist Complex of Jezero. The conference was organized by the Union for the Development of the Roma minority Preporod in cooperation with the Office for Nationalities of the Republic of Slovenia and the People’s University of Kočevje. Its purpose was to present examples of best practices to Roma and the wider local community to show that Roma themselves can find work.
There were few Roma participants to the conference, something that the Secretary General of the Association Preporod, said was a reflection of the current situation in Kočevje in the field of Roma issues.

– DL: Zelena delovna mesta za Rome – Romi si lahko sami najdejo delo. In: Lokalno. 26.12.2017. http://www.lokalno.si/2017/12/26/188103/aktualno/DL_Zelena_delovna_mesta_za_Rome___Romi_si_lahko_sami_najdejo_delo/ [link-preview url=”http://www.lokalno.si/2017/12/26/188103/aktualno/DL_Zelena_delovna_mesta_za_Rome___Romi_si_lahko_sami_najdejo_delo/”]

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Kiev: Integration Help

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Activists are helping Roma to integrated. Always to be taken with a grain of salt, as Human Rights are not necessarily the best angle for integration. Education of the overall population and generally education are key.
But good an necessary job in any case!

– Human rights activist from Kharkiv helps Roma community to integrate. In: Kyiv Post. 25.12.2017. https://www.kyivpost.com/lifestyle/people/journalism-of-tolerance/human-rights-activist-kharkiv-helps-roma-community-integrate.html [link-preview url=”https://www.kyivpost.com/lifestyle/people/journalism-of-tolerance/human-rights-activist-kharkiv-helps-roma-community-integrate.html”]

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Sofia: No carriages

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Another article on the new interdiction of horse drawn carriages in the centre of Sofia. This deprives many Roma of their only source of income.
Bad.

– Les charrettes ne sont plus le dada de Sofia qui accueille l’UE. In: Swiss Info. 22.12.2017. https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/les-charrettes-ne-sont-plus-le-dada-de-sofia-qui-accueille-l-ue/43776542 [link-preview url=”https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/les-charrettes-ne-sont-plus-le-dada-de-sofia-qui-accueille-l-ue/43776542″]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Ctibor Nečas

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Ctibor Nečas, one of the leading researchers on the history of the Roma died on Tuesday December 19th.
May he rest in peace!

– Czech Republic: Professor Ctibor Nečas, a pioneer in researching the history of the Roma, has passed away. In: Romea. 22.12.2017. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-republic-professor-ctibor-necas-a-pioneer-in-researching-the-history-of-the-roma-has-passed-away
– Roma history expert Ctibor Nečas dies aged 84. In: The Prague Monitor. 22.12.2017. http://praguemonitor.com/2017/12/22/roma-history-expert-ctibor-neč-dies-aged-84 [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-republic-professor-ctibor-necas-a-pioneer-in-researching-the-history-of-the-roma-has-passed-away “]

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

At Last …

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Milan Mazurek of Kotleba LSNS party is facing not only a high fine, but also a premature departure from the national parliament. And all because of his derogatory statements on Roma, immigrants, or Muslims that he made on Radio Frontinus on October last year.
Slow progress but progress nevertheless.

– Poslancovi ĽSNS Mazurekovi hrozí, že v parlamente skončí. In: Atkuality. 22.12.2017. https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/549933/poslancovi-lsns-mazurekovi-hrozi-ze-v-parlamente-skonci/ [link-preview url=”https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/549933/poslancovi-lsns-mazurekovi-hrozi-ze-v-parlamente-skonci/”]

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia – No Surprise

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62% of the Slovaks would not want Roma neighbours… They are worse off than Moslems (54%), migrants (43%) and homosexuals (37%).
No surprise, unfortunately.

– Slováci to dali najavo jasne: Za susedov najčastejšie nechceme Rómov, moslimov či homosexuálov. In: Novy Čas. 18.12.2017. https://www.cas.sk/clanok/634463/slovaci-to-dali-najavo-jasne-za-susedov-najcastejsie-nechceme-romov-moslimov-ci-homosexualov/ [link-preview url=”https://www.cas.sk/clanok/634463/slovaci-to-dali-najavo-jasne-za-susedov-najcastejsie-nechceme-romov-moslimov-ci-homosexualov/”]

Bosnia Germany Kosovo Montenegro News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Serbia

Voluntary Return

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The rate of voluntary returns in Germany has drastically decreased during the year. Germany is still deporting Roma refugees from Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and even Kosovo back to their countries following the declaration of these as “safe countries”.
Safe maybe, but not necessarily for Roma.

– Die Zahl der freiwilligen Ausreisen geht stark zurück. In: MDR Aktuell. 22.12.2017. https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/politik/regional/rueckgang-freiwillige-ausreisen-100.html [link-preview url=”https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/politik/regional/rueckgang-freiwillige-ausreisen-100.html”]

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Social Benefits

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The latest numbers of people receiving social benefits in Slovakia were published. Overall 3.17% of the population is dependent on benefits, an overall decrease since last statistic.
Well, reading these numbers somewhat differently, not all Roma in Slovakia are dependent of social benefits.
In fact, in an earlier statistic published by the Slovak government, the majority of social benefits goes to non-Roma…

– Potešujúce štatistiky. Počet poberateľov sociálnych dávok klesá. In: Aktualne. 20.12.2017. https://aktualne.centrum.sk/ekonomika/slovenska-ekonomika/potesujuce-statistiky-pocet-poberatelov-socialnych-davok-klesa.html [link-preview url=”https://aktualne.centrum.sk/ekonomika/slovenska-ekonomika/potesujuce-statistiky-pocet-poberatelov-socialnych-davok-klesa.html”]

Albania Bosnia Bulgaria News Eastern Europe Romania

Moslems and Europe

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A scholarly work on the Moslem presence in the Balkan in the last two hundred years. And it concerns Roma too, as the fourth largest Moslem minority in the Balkans, after the Albanians, the Bosniaks, and the Turks.

– Revisiting Europe’s Muslim Heartland. In: TOL. 19.12.2017. http://www.tol.org/client/article/27422-albania-bulgaria-romania-muslims-islam-books.html [link-preview url=”http://www.tol.org/client/article/27422-albania-bulgaria-romania-muslims-islam-books.html”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Lety – What Next?

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Now that the pig farm in Lety is closing – a long fight goes to the end. What comes next, in view of the rising extremism in the Czech Republic is difficult to predict. This reportage shows the situation in Ušti nad Labem and it is scary.

– Czech Roma reclaim Holocaust site from pig farmers. In: Deutsche Welle. 20.12.2017. http://www.dw.com/en/czech-roma-reclaim-holocaust-site-from-pig-farmers/a-41872009 [link-preview url=”http://www.dw.com/en/czech-roma-reclaim-holocaust-site-from-pig-farmers/a-41872009″]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Interview with the Director of the Brno Roma Museum

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Jana Horvathova, the director of the Brno Roma museum gave a lengthy interview to Romea and spoke about the purchase of the pig farm on the site of the former concentration camp of Lety.

– Jana Horváthová: Today Czech society perceives removing the pig farm from the Roma genocide site as necessary. In: Romea. 19.12.2017. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/jana-horvathova-today-czech-society-perceives-removing-the-pig-farm-from-the-roma-genocide-site-as-necessary
– Jana Horváthová: Dnes už společnost vnímá likvidaci vepřína za potřebnou. In: Romea. 19.12.2017. http://www.romea.cz/cz/romano-vodi/jana-horvathova-dnes-uz-spolecnost-vnima-likvidaci-veprina-za-potrebnou [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/jana-horvathova-today-czech-society-perceives-removing-the-pig-farm-from-the-roma-genocide-site-as-necessary “]

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary: Intimidation

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A group of extreme right Hungarians is on trial for having constantly harassed and threatened members of a Roma family in Szucs. They even moved in next to them to better threaten them and their relatives.
Let’s see what the justice does.

– Vádat emeltek a roma családot fenyegető Betyársereg-tagok ellen. In: ATV. 18.12.2017. http://www.atv.hu/belfold/20171218-vadat-emeltek-a-roma-csaladot-fenyegeto-betyarsereg-tagjai-ellen [link-preview url=”http://www.atv.hu/belfold/20171218-vadat-emeltek-a-roma-csaladot-fenyegeto-betyarsereg-tagjai-ellen”]

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary: Eviction

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A case of self-justice in Hungary. In a small village, the residents destroyed a house which was squatted by a Roma family who could only gather a few of their belongings.
The family had been asked to leave repeatedly and the house belonged to the village. No arrests nor any case has been brought up against the vilalgers.

– Durva önbíráskodás Székelyföldön egy roma családdal szemben. In: HVG. 19.12.2017. http://hvg.hu/vilag/20171219_Onbiraskodas_Szekelyfold_roma_csalad_onkenyes_hazfoglalas [link-preview url=”http://hvg.hu/vilag/20171219_Onbiraskodas_Szekelyfold_roma_csalad_onkenyes_hazfoglalas”]

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