Category Archives: Serbia

Roma Ball and Kitsch

Published by:

Roma Ball and Kitsch

An article, quite demeaning, on the kitsch of the outfits of women at the Roma Ball which took recently palce in Bujanovac, Serbia.

called “How much does your outfit cost”, and the latest video was inspired by the Roma World Ball. The outfits are questionable, the prices are astronomical, and the content “gave its soul” for virality, reactions and comments. A girl’s dress, which cost as much as 4,000 euros, stood out in particular.

The article’s title say Serbs wouldn’t pay 4 dinars for such kitsch.

National Minorities

Published by:

National Minorities

20% of Serbia’s inhabitants do not declare themselves to be Serbs, but Albanians, Bosnians, Hungarians, Roma or Ruthenians… 23 National Councils are supposed to defend the interests of these communities, but they have been brought to heel by the ruling SNS.

The Roma community, one of the 23 officially recognized ethnic minorities in Serbia, has its own National Council where its political representatives sit. The National Councils of ethnic minorities are involved in education and culture. Srđan Šajn, president of the Roma Party (RP), believes that political pressure and legal changes have paralyzed the work of the National Council of Roma. “The National Councils are blocked because the elections are rigged and the ruling parties have installed their cronies,” he asserts, noting that previous governments also exerted pressure, but to a lesser extent. “President Vučić and his regime have dismantled all control systems; the National Councils have been completely paralyzed since 2015. They are ensuring that the National Council elections are a sham, just like all other elections.”

Roma Students

Published by:

Roma Students

The best Roma students in primary and secondary schools in Čačak, Serbia, were awarded 10 laptops, of which seven elementary school students and three high school students were awarded towards the end of 2025.

Milena Hübschmanova

Published by:

Milena Hübschmanova

A radio show in Serbia presenting the work of the prominent Czech linguist and ethnographer Milena Hübschmanova, a pioneer in the research of the Romani language and culture. She was among the first to lay the foundations of Romani studies in the then Czechoslovakia and one of the few who dedicated her life to the study and preservation of the Romani language, recording folk tales, songs and life testimonies of the Roma. Her work was of enormous importance for the affirmation of Romani identity and education, and her studies continue to serve as the basis for contemporary research on the Roma in Europe.

Roma Ball

Published by:

Roma Ball

Bujanovac will host the Roma Ball on January 15 – an event that celebrates music, tradition and the spirit of togetherness. The ceremony will be held in the large Agimi Imperial hall, and the organizers expect a spectacular evening filled with top-notch dancing and elegance.

Romani Girls

Published by:

Romani Girls

The final conference of the “Delimo” mentoring program was held in Belgrade. It is an initiative implemented by the Roma Women’s Center Bibija and the Roma Students’ Initiative, with the support of UNICEF, with the aim of strengthening the leadership and activism of Roma girls through mentoring and intergenerational exchange of knowledge and experiences.

School Supplies

Published by:

School Supplies

The Roma Cultural Center Pančevo in the Vojvodina, Serbia, delivered school supplies to children who are studying “Roma language with elements of Roma national culture” at the “Braća Novakov” Elementary School in Paragami near Bačka Palanka.

Musician and Weddings

Published by:

Musician and Weddings

Singer Nikola Ajdinović is among the most sought-after singers at Roma weddings, and now he shocked by admitting that his colleagues steal the tips they receive from guests at the celebrations where they sing. – There are usually a lot of us singers, but I have to say that I do most of the work. I sing almost the entire evening. That’s true, whether some people like it or not. It’s not hard for me, I love gigs and parties, but it’s not always easy – says the singer.

Serbia, Journalists, and Roma

Published by:

Serbia, Journalists, and Roma

In light of recent developments in media, when it comes to insulting and belittling the Roma community, journalists and Roma activists in Serbia have initiated a meeting that would open a space for discussion with the most important institutions. The idea is to jointly review the current situation and find effective mechanisms for responding to the increasingly frequent cases of hate speech and discrimination.

Roma Theatre

Published by:

Roma Theatre

The writer and journalist Luka Šteković, recently wrote “Theatre of the Valjevo Roma – The First Roma Theatre in the World”, published in the Great National Calendar for 2004 – Kolubara, edited by journalists Zoran Joksimović and Zdravko Ranković.

Luka Šteković’s text reveals the fascinating story of the Valjevo Roma Youth and its president, Čedomir Čedo Gračanin (1892–1956), a versatile talent who was a playwright, director and leading actor.

Serbia: Politics and Roma

Published by:

Serbia: Politics and Roma

Deputy President of the Bujanovac Municipal Assembly Dr. Dejan Stojanović tells Bujanovačke that the start of the session has been postponed. As a reason for the postponement, he declared they had a problem with microphones. Effectively, two Roma councillors were absent, meaning there was no majority in the council.

Apparently, the council needs 21 votes for a majority, but without the Roma and another councillor who is in jail, they only have 20 votes.

Romano Them

Published by:

Romano Them

The show brings the most important news from the country and the world every day in Romanes and Serbian. It deals with topics from Roma life, showing the efforts and measures that are being taken for the emancipation and integration of this, the largest European minority community.

Here, the guest is Luan Coco, director of the Centre for Education of Roma and Ethnic Communities.

Budapest Symphony Orchestra

Published by:

Budapest Symphony Orchestra

The idea for the Budapest Roma Symphony Orchestra, known as the legendary “100 Violins” orchestra, was born in 1984, at the funeral of the famous Hungarian soloist Sándor Jarók Sr. That day, hundreds of Roma musicians from all over Hungary gathered to pay their last respects, and from that emotional moment of togetherness came the idea to found an orchestra that would preserve the spirit of the Roma musical tradition.

A year later, in 1985, the visionary László Berky and his associates founded the orchestra that would become a symbol of the Roma artistic soul and the cultural heritage of Hungary. Today, almost four decades later, the “100 Violins” orchestra continues to travel the world, bringing audiences music that transcends the boundaries of languages, nations, and styles.

Serbia and Education

Published by:

Serbia and Education

At the beginning of another school year, the Municipality of Beočin provided school supplies for 205 Roma students attending two primary schools.

The distribution of school supplies in recent days was carried out by the coordinator for Roma issues of the Municipal Administration of Beočin Ismet Ademovski and the pedagogical assistant at the Primary School “Jovan Grčić Milenko” Feruz Drmaku.

Serbia: Cultural Centre

Published by:

Serbia: Cultural Centre

The Roma Cultural Center “Života Milosavljević” was officially opened in Kragujevac, formed as part of the project “Roma Club – a place of cultural, social and educational emancipation and integration of Roma at the local level”, funded by the European Union and implemented by the City in cooperation with local partners.

Serbia, Schools, and Romanes

Published by:

Serbia, Schools, and Romanes

The director of the Office for Roma Inclusion of the AP Vojvodina Ljiljana Mihajlović, together with provincial deputy Jelena Jovanović, visited the Vršac College of Education and Medicine with the aim of supporting the enrolment of a new generation of students for the preschool teacher program in the Romani language.

Serbia, Media, and Roma

Published by:

Serbia, Media, and Roma

In the past few years, there has been a worrying increase in anti-Roma narratives across the. Discrimination against Roma is now taking on new forms and intensities, especially in periods of political and economic instability. The security situation of the Roma community is not only reflected in physical vulnerability, but also in a constant sense of insecurity caused by hate speech, systemic discrimination and media stereotypes.

Roma are often discussed without Roma, and problems are solved without the participation of Roma experts, who come from the community and know the essential issues, but also the ways in which they can be solved and how to improve the life and position of the most vulnerable and poorest community. Which, despite various programs, measures and experiments, still faces institutional discrimination: difficult access to education, health services, the labour market and housing.

Roma Culture in Banat

Published by:

Roma Culture in Banat

The Citizens’ Association “Roma Center” from Crepaja is organizing the ninth event “Days of Roma Culture in Banat”, which will be held on Friday, August 22, 2025, starting at 7 p.m., in the hall of the Crepaja Local Community.

The theme of this year’s program is “Roma Literature in Vojvodina”, and the guests of the evening will be famous writers Maja Jovanović and Rajko Ranko Jovanović.

St. Michael

Published by:

St. Michael

Saint Michael feast has been a recurring celebration in the Banat. The Banat village of Tornjoš, where Hungarians, Ruthenians, Serbs and Roma live together, this year organized a program that evoked a multicultural spirit, uniting music, sports, gastronomy and tradition, according to a statement from the Ministry for Rural Care.

Niš: Šaban Festival

Published by:

Niš: Šaban Festival

The 14th Roma Music Festival “Zauvek Šaban Bajramović”, dedicated to the Roma musician and composer Šaban Bajramović started on August 6th in the amphitheatre on the Niš quay in Serbia.

rroma.org
en_GBEN