Category Archives: Romania

Politics and Roma

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Politics and Roma

The article critiques the political style of Dávid Endre, the deputy mayor of Székelyudvarhely, Romania, highlighting his use of enemy-focused politics that perpetuates social tensions rather than addressing underlying issues.

It discusses the problematic representation of the Roma community in media and film, particularly criticizing a documentary that portrays them solely through the lens of suffering without addressing structural causes of their poverty.

The author argues for the need for more nuanced and responsible media portrayals that include Roma voices and stories beyond stereotypes of crime and poverty.

Education Project

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Education Project

A total of 820 Roma children received educational, social, and psychological services as part of an inclusion program, with over 6,000 participating in intercultural dialogue activities to foster understanding among children from different backgrounds.

The project aims to improve access to education and increase school attendance for Roma children in 15 localities, with over 95% promotion rate among monitored children, indicating effective interventions.

The initiative, supported by the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation and the Ministry of Education, also developed a common methodological package for educational institutions and created a unique monitoring database for Roma population data.

Exhibition in Romania

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Exhibition in Romania

A new exhibition in Bucharest titled “The History of the Roma Belongs Here” combines video interviews, portrait photography, and scholarly literature to provide an overview of Roma history and culture in Romania, aiming to challenge public perceptions of the minority.

Curators Delia Popa and Luiza Medeleanu emphasize the importance of showcasing diverse Roma voices and addressing the misconceptions and prejudices surrounding the community.

The exhibition, funded by the EU’s NARDIV project, runs until July 5 at the Goethe Institute and encourages visitors to engage with the narratives and history of the Roma.

Romanes in Romania

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Romanes in Romania

In Cluj County, the Romanes is taught in various educational institutions, both urban and rural, with over 5,000 students identified as Roma in the educational system. The teaching is supported by 7 Romani language teachers and 26 school mediators, aiming to reduce school dropout rates in the Roma community. The National Day of the Romani Language is celebrated on June 16, emphasizing the importance of protecting and promoting the language and cultural identity of the Roma community in Romania.

Young Roma

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Young Roma

The Romanian National Meeting of Roma Youth took place in Brașov, focusing on civic engagement, leadership, and community development for young Roma aged 16 to 30 in Romania.

The program included discussions on civil society, project management, financial education, and the importance of Roma identity, featuring speakers from various fields to inspire participants. The event aimed to foster dialogue among youth and representatives from student organizations, emphasizing the role of youth in civic participation and decision-making processes.

Roma and Romanians

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Roma and Romanians

Lucian Dan Teodorovici’s novel “Pe unde înoată urechinii” explores the complex and often avoided theme of racism, particularly the problematic coexistence between ethnic Romanians and Roma in a rural community during the 1980s. The story is narrated through the eyes of an eight-year-old boy who witnesses a tragic event involving the accidental death of a Romanian child, leading to a cover-up by the local community, highlighting themes of truth, perception, and societal division. The novel presents a nuanced portrayal of childhood innocence and the harsh realities of social hierarchies, ultimately revealing the darker aspects of human nature, such as indifference and moral relativism.

Romanian Roma in Germany

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Romanian Roma in Germany

The article discusses the integration challenges faced by Romanian Roma in Germany, emphasizing the need for tailored public policies that address their specific vulnerabilities and circumstances. It highlights the differences between the historical Sinti community and recent Roma migrants from Eastern Europe, stressing the importance of recognizing these distinctions in policy-making. The author calls for collaborative efforts between Germany and Romania to enhance educational and mentoring programs, aiming for genuine inclusion and dignity for the Roma community.

Nadara Festival

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Nadara Festival

A mini-festival called “Roma Roots and Routes” features Roma culture and tradition, with a singing and dancing workshop, a performance by the Nadara band from Trasylvania, and a mini-market with goods and food “in the spirit of Roma traditions” whatever this may mean …

Dumitru Miclescu

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Dumitru Miclescu

The statement from the Coalition on Roma Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Recognition on the passing of Dumitru Miclescu, a Romanian survivor of the Genocide of the Roma during the Holocaust.

Dumitru Miclescu

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Dumitru Miclescu

On May 15th, Dumitru Miclescu passed away at the age of 92.

He was born on March 8th, 1934, and was one of the last Roma Holocaust survivors from Romania who carried within him the living memory of deportation to Transnistria and the suffering endured by Roma families during the genocide of the Roma during the Holocaust.
In 2025, he adressed the world from the the podium of the United Nations General Assembly. Mr. Dumitru Miclescu stood there not only for himself, but for all those who never had the chance to speak. In his testimony, he spoke about the suffering of deportation to Transnistria, to the camps of Vapniarka, Tiraspol, Coronica, and Odessa, and about the way death accompanied Roma families from the very beginning of deportation.
May he rest in peace.

Te avel o drom angla leste puterdo i te avel i phuv lokhi!

Roma Slavery

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Roma Slavery

An article stating that Romania is intending to include an optional module in teaching history about the slavey of Roma in the country. Well, it will be optional, and they downplay it as “forced labour”.

Recently the Romanian church denied its involvement in the slavery, even though the church held Roma slaves.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Lolita Cercel, the AI Romani Singer, managed to make it to the French press. So dit the Council of Europe. The rest is unfrotunately the usual, with Roma having been evicted near Nates in Western France, have nowhere to go. And in another place, Roma are being threatened with eviction.

Lolita Cercel

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Lolita Cercel

Lolita Cercel, created virtually with the help of artificial intelligence, is a star in Romania and beyond. Her genre, “Balkan trip-hop”, combines traditional Roma melodies with modern pop, dance and electronic rhythms and has long since become part of the mainstream music scene. But, in addition to fame, she is also the target of critics. “The instrumentalization of Roma culture”, someone called her. According to critics, while real Roma artists are often underestimated, a “virtual, racially charged and dehumanized Roma identity” is suddenly gaining ground.

Romania, Music, and AI

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Romania, Music, and AI

A singer with artificial intelligence was created in Romania. She is called Lolita and already has thousands of fans and millions of views on social networks, local media reported in their reports on the subject.

The creator of Lolita is a young man from Bacău, who calls himself Tom. He is a visual designer by profession with over ten years of experience in editing photos and videos.

“Lolita sings in Romanian. She is a project that connects the old with the new. A specific violin sound, traditional music performed by Roma orchestras, is mixed with modern instrumental accents. Several styles are intertwined,” explains Tom, who writes the lyrics of the songs.

Witches?

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Witches?

An article full of stereotypes and folklore… A few excerpts:

In the village of Săpânța, near the Ukrainian border, two women recall: “If a boy was jealous of another, his mother would cast a spell on the girl to make her feel bad and prevent the marriage from taking place.” Next to her, her friend adds: “When my niece left home, we had a falling out. A woman at the market offered to cast a spell on her to bring her back, by the heavens. I refused, of course.”

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