Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

Poland and Roma

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An article in the Polish Vogue on  the W Stronę Dialogu Foundation campaign aimed at expanding knowledge about the Roma community in Poland and increasing its visibility in our country. People of different ages, different genders, living in different parts of Poland and representing different professions will take part in it.

Schools and Roma

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An interesting article about integration of Roma in Slovak schools. Most non-Roma parents would prefer Roma to be in segregated schools. This is precisely what the recent research of the Centre for Environmental and Ethical Education Živica and the non-profit organization Teach, co-financed by the EU, addressed. He revealed some interesting things, namely that the majority of the public have no problem with their children going to class with a child from socially excluded communities. However, they are convinced that it would be best for Roma children to be educated in separate classes or even schools.

For as long as this attitude prevails, it will be difficult to de-segregate schools.

Slovenia and Roma

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Two very different articles about Roma in Slovenia. One about a brawl between Roma in a town, the other, about children in a Roma (segregated?) kindergarten cleaning up the surroundings.

Amnesty on Slovakia

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In its latest report, Amnesty criticised Slovakia for its discrimination against Roma. Specially, they also drew attention on cases of police brutality against Roma.

Amnesty on Czechia

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Amnesty criticised the Czech Republic for the discrimination faced by Ukrainians and for the school segregation for Roma. The latter has not improved over the last 20 years.

Lety

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Many articles in the Czech press about the inauguration of the Lety Memorial in presence of the Czech president Petr Pavel.

Czechia and Roma Discrimination

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An editorial on discrimination of Roma in Czechia, but also on the comparison to other European states such as Germany and Spain. Conclusion is, well, while in other states discrimination does exist, at least it is being fought again. While in Czechia …

Vidin, Bulgaria, and the European Elections

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Dr. Tsvetan Tsenkov, the Mayor of the Vidin municipality, has decided to move the 8 polling stations that traditionally were located in the Roma neighbourhood of Nov Pat, to other parts of town. According to the mayor, this is to prevent irregularities and voter manipulation.

Well, it will also prevent man Roma from voting…

Slovakia and Marginalised Roma Communities

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An editorial on the disastrous conditions faced by some segregated Roma settlements in Slovakia. The author cites that it is totally unacceptable that people live in conditions of the 15th (sic!) century. He also states that nothing has been done in the last 20 years, and that segregated education is not acceptable either.

Volvo, Slovakia, and Roma

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After the announcement by Volvo that in their new factory in Eastern Slovakia they will employ Roma, the Slovak Government is pitching in … Fact is, the car industry will need up to 25’000 new workers, and the Volvo factory needs 7’500 by itself. This will not be possible without Roma.

Romane Paramisja

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A new book of Romani Tales from the former Czechoslovakia originally recorded by Milena Hübschmannová, a well-known Romologue, was just published in Czechia. In contrast to older books of Roma tales that were extremely successful in Czechoslovakia in the 60s and 70s, these tales were not severely edited to make them more “palatable” to a non-Romani audience. This newer book present stories that are thus quite different. Raw, dishevelled, expressive; disorganized, full of digressions, the irregular structure sometimes makes readers dizzy.

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A Czech reportage on the notorious Lunik IX Roma housing estate outside of Košice, Slovakia. According to the reportage, an average of 12 people live in each of the flats of the estate.

The article also recalls how this ghetto was created: Originally, there were both Roma and others living there. Ut from 1995 onward, the city relocated Roma from the centre to the estate, and non-Roma to the centre. In addition, people who did not pay their rent were also relocated there. So, effectively, the population in Lunik IX is almost entirely Roma.

InDaHouse: A project in Hungary

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Fruzsina Benkő founded InDaHouse in the most disadvantaged area of Borsod, one of the poorest Hungarian Counties in 2014, driven by her own resources, her frustration with the child protection system, her personal desire to do something and, as she says in the interview, some naivety.

The aim is to show the Roma children that the majority society can believe in them.

Difficult in Hungary …

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A reportage in a Budapest district that is going to be displaced for building the National University of Public Service’s teacher training school. Where’s the catch: Well, 80% of the residents are Roma. And they fear that they will be relocated to nowhere, in the countryside.

Clearly, the buildings are in need of repairs, but many residents invested and renovated their flats by themselves. Now, they are being expropriated by the state.

Slovakia, Roma, and Politics

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Slovakia, Roma, and Politics

According to Ingrid Kosová, member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic for Progressive Slovakia, it is very important that Roma have representation in political parties. At the same time, she emphasized that they must be experts. “Personally, I would like political parties to choose Romani candidates who are experts, and not just because they are Roma,” she said in an exclusive interview for the first Romani internet television, ROMEA TV, in which she spoke with Jarmila Balážová about her journey into politics, the importance of Roma representation in political structures and her priorities as a parliamentarian.

Germany and Roma Refugees

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An article on Roma Refugees from the Ukraine in Germany. They are fleeing war, but instead of help, in Germany they often experience racism. The Center for Reporting and Information on Antigypsyism demands action.

More than 1.1 million people fled to Germany from the war in Ukraine, including, it is estimated, several thousand Roma, members of Europe’s largest ethnic minority. While other Ukrainian refugees received unbureaucratic and warm care, most arriving Roma experienced a very different Germany: overly formalized, unhelpful, suspicious, derogatory and racist.

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