Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia: Gala Evening for April 8th

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The Serbian Minister of Culture, Maja Gojković, said on the occasion of the gala evening in the House of the Army, organized on the occasion of the International Day of the Roma, that fostering friendship and coexistence, equally interwoven with victories and sufferings, the Roma today are an inseparable and extremely important and valuable part of our society.

Gojković pointed out that the Roma community is an integral part of society and that it has always considered Serbia its homeland, just like the Serbian people, and that it is important to make our climate a better place for both Serbs and Roma to live, as well as all other nations and national minorities that they live in Serbia.

Really????

Austria Czech Republic News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Čeija Stojka

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An article in the Czech press about Čeija Stojka, who survived the Holocaust, and went to write a book about it and paint.

She was a great woman.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria, the Elections, and Roma

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The upcoming elections in Bulgaria represent a key moment both for the political crisis in the country and for its Roma. For too long, Roma have been systematically excluded from mainstream politics and left vulnerable to those in power. However, new anti-corruption parties have emerged that offer policies that offer hope for change.

While their efforts are laudable, they must recognize that systemic state failures are inextricably linked to the plight of the Roma and require a comprehensive approach to address them. Failure to do so risks perpetuating anti-Roma corruption, symbolism and racism. The election results will determine the lasting progress and stability of Bulgaria and whether the country can truly become an inclusive and fair democracy that represents all its citizens. The Roma refuse to be marginalized anymore and are determined to challenge the status quo to make their voices heard. It is up to the political class to recognize their ability and determination and work towards a more inclusive and just political system.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Work, and Roma

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A video on Roma and work. It cites Jan Hero, the plenipotentiary of the Slovak Government for Roma, who says that the society has not made great progress in employing Roma. But is also says that “some Roma simply do not want to work”.

Bad.

Belgium Europe Hungary News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Brussel: Exhibition

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On the occasion of International Roma Day, Fidesz EP representative Lívia Járóka organized a contemporary art exhibition entitled “Time of the Gypsies” in honor of the diverse and special Roma culture and art in the EP building in Brussels.

By presenting the works of eleven Roma visual artists of Hungarian origin, the exhibition explores the unique perspectives of Roma visual art and describes its diverse style and specific traditions in its pictorial world.

Lívia Járóka is herself subject of controverses: She is firmly behind Viktor Orban, and thus in effect and in spite of her origins, supports discrimination and segregation of Roma in Hungary.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria: Bleak future

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Bulgarian elections are coming, and with them articles about vote buying, especially in Roma communities. On one of the dark days of the last election week, the leaders of the Roma community in the neighborhood of the village of Kalipetrovo, located near Silistra, gathered for a cup of tea to share their grievance that “they promised to buy them a bicycle, but another time”. This other time, however, there are not even promises.

They are happy with their mayor, but one bird does not make spring. And they want simple things – a better life for the grandchildren they are raising while their sons and daughters are in England and somewhere else in the world.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Jan Hero on Employment

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The topic of employing disadvantaged applicants on the labour market is more and more a hot topic in Slovakia. According to the Association for Culture, Education and Communication, the finalists of the Roma Spirit award are a real proof of effectiveness in the inclusion in the employment of low-qualified persons. In this context, the government representative for Roma communities, Ján Hero, stated that the percentage of employed people from marginalized Roma communities is growing only very slowly, but the situation is improving. While meeting employers awarded within the framework of Roma Spirit, which took place this week in Poprad this week, Jan Hero stated:

“With segregation and non-inclusive approaches, the concentration of poverty multiplies, and it is very difficult to get out of that situation. We have experience that Roma people also get jobs outside their homes, but they often do not have a permanent job and thus even better housing is more inaccessible for them.”

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma Aid

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Anti-poverty projects have apparently helped “thousands” of Roma find jobs or enrol their children in kindergartens. Up to 64 million euros were handed out in seven years. 150 villages were helped. Improvement can be seen somewhere, but there are also villages where the aid system is failing.

Well, frankly, this amounts to 61’000 Euro per village and per year. What did they expect?

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary: Condemned

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Hungary was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for the segregation of Roma in the education system and has been asked to provide a plan to remediate this.

It is doubtful whether Orban and his government will comply. Segregated schools are common in Hungary for Roma.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and the Holocaust

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The civic association “Lavuta” with the support of the Fund for the support of the culture of national minorities Kult Minor is organiing a series of cultural and educational events in elementary schools about the Roma Holocaust in the Banskobystrica region.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland: Exhibitions

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From March 31, two open-air exhibitions will be open to visitors on the Market Square in Nakło in central Poland: “The Holocaust of the Roma and Sinti in Europe” and “The Holocaust of the Roma from Wyrzysk County”.

“The Holocaust of the Roma and Sinti in Europe” is an exhibition prepared by the Institute of National Remembrance and made available by the Institute of National Remembrance Regional Office in Bydgoszcz.

The exhibition “Extermination of the Roma from Wyrzysk Poviat” was prepared by the Museum of Krajeńskie Land on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the deportation of the Roma to the Birkenau concentration camp.

News Eastern Europe Poland Ukraine

The Church and Refugees in the Ukraine

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Bishop of Kielce Jan Piotrowski in the company of the Latin Metropolitan of Lviv, Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki visited the parish of St. John Paul II in Lviv and the nearly hundred refugees who live there.

Despite the language barrier, Bishop Piotrowski also talked with Roma children studying in the parish school “Alav” (meaning “word”) organized for them, which, together with the parish priest, Fr. Grzegorz Draus, they sang their own original parish anthem and in Polish “Zielony Mosteczek”. It was a testimony to the success of students who speak Russian and Ukrainian, as well as Hungarian or Romani, on a daily basis.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland, Foreigners, and Minorities

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Latest statistics on whom the Poles like and dislike. Unfortunately, no surprise that nearly 50% of the Poles dislike Roma. What is surprising, is that Roma are only in 4th position, after Russians, Arabs, and Byelorussians (in that order)…

No comments.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Discrimination in Slovakia

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According to the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Slovakia must take the necessary measures to eliminate discrimination and segregation of Roma children in education.

The annual report of Amnesty International Slovakia (AIS) for the year 2022 states that in 2022, systemic discrimination against Roma continued in Slovakia. Roma children are systematically denied the right to education and protection from discrimination in primary education. Investigations into inappropriate use of police force are insufficient.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic and Forced Sterilisations

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The fight for compensation for Roma women who were illegally sterilized lasted over 18 years. Although the compensation law has been in force since January 2022, the officials of the Ministry of Health make decisions slowly and arbitrarily, according to the victims and their representatives. Even the woman, whose medical documentation directly states her Roma origin as the reason for the sterilization, was not granted the compensation of 300,000 kroner until her second attempt.

In an open letter to the Czech Health Minister, NOGs stated that “261 applications were submitted and 74 were decided. However, only 35 applications were successful.” In violation of the law, the officials’ decision-making was delayed several times.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria, the State, and Mahala

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The chief prosecutor of the Plovdiv Region, in South Eastern Bulgaria ordered garbage containers to be placed in the Roma neighbourhood of Stolipinovo, one of the largest Mahala in the country. They inspected the neighbourhood and found numerous illegal landfills in the area.

By order of the District Prosecutor’s Office the municipality has been notified to take immediate action and prepare a plan with a view to ensuring normal living conditions in the neighbourhood.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria: Police Action

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The Bulgarian police raised several mahala (Roma settlements) in Bulgaria in Plovdiv, Kazanlak, Gurkovo etc. They were searching for drugs, but also vote buying and other offences.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Kazanlak: Tensions Remain

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In order to de-escalate the tension between the warring Roma families after the mass fight in Kazanlak, mayors from the area and the leadership of the police in the city discussed emergency measures, bTV reported.

The enmity between the two Roma families has been going on for 30 years. “I cannot live that my child died, that my child was beaten in a fight. I have two sons in hospital, one died and my other son is now with his father in hospital,” said the mother of the man killed in the mass fight.

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