Ukrainian neo Nazi vigilantes burnt down a Roma camp and drove away the Roma in Kiev. These Roma are from Transcarpathia – the Western part of the Ukraine that lies on the Western flank of the Ukraine towards Hungary and Slovakia. The region has many Carpathian Roma who are extremely poor.
– Ukrainian neo-Nazi C14 vigilantes drive out Roma families, burn their camp. In: KHPG. 23.04.2018. http://khpg.org/en/index.php?id=1524441220 [link-preview url=”http://khpg.org/en/index.php?id=1524441220″]
The Prešov region will have a new counsellor for “socially excluded” communities – i.e. for Roma. The Role was given to Róbert Neupauer, who has field experience, mainly from a Roma settlement in the village of Križova Ves (Kežmarok district), where he worked in a mission-community centre.
The role is supposed to look for concrete solutions to the problems faced by Roma in the region.
– Prešovský kraj bude mať poradcu pre sociálne vylúčené komunity. In: Korzar. 19.04.2018. https://presov.korzar.sme.sk/c/20807491/presovsky-kraj-bude-mat-poradcu-pre-socialne-vylucene-komunity.html [link-preview url=”https://presov.korzar.sme.sk/c/20807491/presovsky-kraj-bude-mat-poradcu-pre-socialne-vylucene-komunity.html”]
A project in Slovakia is helping Roma families to build their own houses. For that they need to save some money – 50 Euros per month for a year at least. Some of the houses will be built on the Lunik IX site in Košice.
Good!
– Rok si odkladá 50 eur, aby mohla preč z osady. In: Aktuality. 20.04.2018. https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/582410/rok-si-odklada-50-eur-aby-mohla-prec-z-osady/ [link-preview url=”https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/582410/rok-si-odklada-50-eur-aby-mohla-prec-z-osady/”]
A Slovak teacher simply refused to grade racist essays. Good! Read the interview.
– Slovakia: Meet the Romani teacher who refused to grade racist essays. In: Romea. 14.04.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/world/slovakia-meet-the-romani-teacher-who-refused-to-grade-racist-essays# [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/world/slovakia-meet-the-romani-teacher-who-refused-to-grade-racist-essays#”]
Again an article about poor dogs and pets being saved from their plight and being removed from a Roma ghetto – this time in Slovakia.
Did they check the conditions in which the Roma live?
This kind of journalism is not acceptable.
– Große Tierrettung aus Müll und Elend. In: Frankenpost. 18.04.2018. https://www.frankenpost.de/region/muenchberg/Grosse-Tierrettung-aus-Muell-und-Elend;art2441,6086226 [link-preview url=”https://www.frankenpost.de/region/muenchberg/Grosse-Tierrettung-aus-Muell-und-Elend;art2441,6086226″]
A survey of the situation of Roma settlements in Slovakia. There are 2’927 municipalities and towns in Slovakia and there are Roma settlements in 1’170 of them. The general situation seems to be improving but really slowly.
– Zaplavia Slovensko chudobné osady? Črtá sa iný trend. In: Aktuality. 17.04.2018. https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/580532/zaplavia-slovensko-chudobne-osady-crta-sa-iny-trend/ [link-preview url=”https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/580532/zaplavia-slovensko-chudobne-osady-crta-sa-iny-trend/”]
Milan Mazurek, a MP from the far right party Kotelba’s People Party was condemned to a fine of 5’000 Euros for his racist statements on a radio in 2016. He is appealing the verdict. Let’s hope he looses again!
– Far-right MP Ordered to Pay Fine by Court for Statements on Roma. In: New Now. 16.04.2018. http://newsnow.tasr.sk/policy/far-right-mp-ordered-to-pay-fine-by-court-for-statements-on-roma/
– Mazurek si na súde vypočul trest za výroky v rádiu na adresu Rómov. In: TV Noviny. 16.04.2018. http://www.tvnoviny.sk/domace/1915412_mazurek-si-na-sude-vypocul-trest-za-vyroky-v-radiu-na-adresu-romov [link-preview url=”http://newsnow.tasr.sk/policy/far-right-mp-ordered-to-pay-fine-by-court-for-statements-on-roma/ “]
An interview of the Slovak journalist Stanislava Harkotova on Roma, stereotypes, and how they are presented in the press in that country. Her comments are not devoid of some stereotypes, but she did make the step and went to see for herself.
– Myslela som si, že Rómov sa treba báť. Až kým sa o mňa nestarali rómski učňovkári. In: HN Slovensko. 13.04.2018. https://slovensko.hnonline.sk/1727343-myslela-som-si-ze-romov-sa-treba-bat-az-kym-sa-o-mna-nestarali-romski-ucnovkari [link-preview url=”https://slovensko.hnonline.sk/1727343-myslela-som-si-ze-romov-sa-treba-bat-az-kym-sa-o-mna-nestarali-romski-ucnovkari”]
The Lunik IX housing estate in Košice has a very bad reputation: It is a rundown neighbourhood of decaying buildings mostly if not entirely inhabited by Roma. There are now plans to destroy some of the worst buildings and to beautify the neighbourhood hoping to create a mixed society.
Let’s not hope it turns out like most gentrification projects, simply evicting Roma.
– Obroda Lunika IX: Môže byť atraktívny nielen pre Rómov. In: Korzar. 10.04.2018. https://kosice.korzar.sme.sk/c/20799565/obroda-lunika-ix-moze-byt-atraktivny-nielen-pre-romov.html [link-preview url=”https://kosice.korzar.sme.sk/c/20799565/obroda-lunika-ix-moze-byt-atraktivny-nielen-pre-romov.html”]
The Roma flag hangs on the US Embassy and on the Czech Foreign Ministry (yes – not the interior). And a report from Slovakia on the events in Prague.
– Czech Foreign Ministry flies Romani flag, outgoing Foreign Minister and Justice Minister meet with Roma. In: Romea. 10.04.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/zech-foreign-ministry-flies-romani-flag-outgoing-foreign-minister-and-justice-minister-meet-with-roma
– US Ambassador hangs the Romani flag at the US Embassy in Prague. In: Romea. 10.04.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/us-ambassador-hangs-the-romani-flag-at-the-us-embassy-in-prague
– V Prahe sa začínajú oslavy Medzinárodného dňa Rómov. In: Dobre Noviny. 06.04.2018. https://www.dobrenoviny.sk/c/128884/v-prahe-sa-zacinaju-oslavy-medzinarodneho-dna-romov [link-preview url=”https://www.dobrenoviny.sk/c/128884/v-prahe-sa-zacinaju-oslavy-medzinarodneho-dna-romov”]
David Scheffel, a Thompson Rivers University Professor (close to Vancouver, Canada) has been arrested on charges of child pornography, sexual offences and even arm trafficking. He denies the charges claiming that they stem from his study of child prostitution among Roma in Slovakia. The professor is reputed to be an expert on Roma culture.
– Thompson Rivers University Professor in Jail in Slovakia. In Kamloop this week. 10.04.2018. http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/news/thompson-rivers-university-professor-in-jail-in-slovakia-1.23262600 [link-preview url=”http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/news/thompson-rivers-university-professor-in-jail-in-slovakia-1.23262600″]
Incredulity on the Slovakian side at the statements of Janos Lazar, one of Orban’s staunchest supporters on Roma and Migrants whereby the situation of Roma shows one cannot integrate migrants. He said that Roma could not be integrated even in 600 years…
Mind you, Mr. Lazar was in charge of the integration of Roma between 2008 and 2012 with the money of Georges Soros … What an irony.
– Maďarský minister pochybuje o začlenení prisťahovalcov: Nepodarí sa ich integrovať tak ako ani Rómov. In: Aktuality. 29.03.2018. https://aktualne.centrum.sk/zahranicie/europa/madarsky-minister-pochybuje-zacleneni-imigrantov-pristahovalcov-nepodari-integrovat-tak-ako-ani-romov.html
– Maďarský minister to povedal narovinu: Prisťahovalcov sa nepodarí integrovať, ako ani Rómov. In: Topky. 29.03.2018. http://www.topky.sk/cl/11/1699931/madarsky-minister-to-povedal-narovinu-pristahovalcov-sa-nepodari-integrovat-ako-ani-romov
– Maďarský minister: Migrantov nezačleníme. S Cigánmi sa to nepodarilo za 600 rokov. In: HNSvet. 29.03.2018. https://hnonline.sk/svet/1719700-madarsky-minister-migrantov-nezaclenime-s-ciganmi-sa-to-nepodarilo-za-600-rokov [link-preview url=”https://aktualne.centrum.sk/zahranicie/europa/madarsky-minister-pochybuje-zacleneni-imigrantov-pristahovalcov-nepodari-integrovat-tak-ako-ani-romov.html “]
Positions available at the Roma Education Fund.
– Positions Available: Two Country Coordinators for VELUX Foundations Project Shaping Academic and Employment Skills for Young Roma in Hungary and Slovakia. In: Roma Education Fund. http://www.romaeducationfund.org/news/ref/news-and-events/positions-available-two-country-coordinators-velux-foundations-project-shap [link-preview url=”http://www.romaeducationfund.org/news/ref/news-and-events/positions-available-two-country-coordinators-velux-foundations-project-shap”]
The Roma museum in Brno opened an exhibition of the works of Anrej Pešta, a photographer who documented the Roma live in Czechoslovakia in the 1960-80s.
– Andrej Pešta: Mire sveti / Světy Andreje Pešty. In: ArtMap. 22.03.2018. http://www.artmap.cz/en/andrej-pesta-mire-sveti-svety-andreje-pesty
– Andrej Pešta: Mire sveti / Světy Andreje Pešty. In: Go To Brno. https://www.gotobrno.cz/akce/andrej-pesta-mire-sveti-svety-andreje-pesty/
– Brno Museum displays Roma photographer’s unique works. In: The Prague Daily Monitor. 26.03.2018. http://www.praguemonitor.com/2018/03/26/brno-museum-displays-roma-photographers-unique-works [link-preview url=”https://www.gotobrno.cz/akce/andrej-pesta-mire-sveti-svety-andreje-pesty/ “]
The Swedish photographer Åke Erikson is publishing a book called “Non Grata” on Roma children in the Lunik IX settlement in Kosiče, Eastern Slovakia.
The look of the picture shows an influence of Koudelka, and his 1975 book about Roma.
– The big picture: Romany children in Slovakia. In: The Guardian. 25.03.2018. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/mar/25/the-big-picture-romany-children-in-slovakia-ake-ericson-non-grata-book [link-preview url=”https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/mar/25/the-big-picture-romany-children-in-slovakia-ake-ericson-non-grata-book”]
More on the election of Eva Kučova to the district court of Bardejov. She had compared Roma to rats and is not backing off on her statements…
– Smerácka sudkyňa z ľudu: Rómovia ako potkany. In: Korzar. 21.03.2018. https://presov.korzar.sme.sk/c/20785980/smeracka-sudkyna-z-ludu-romovia-ako-potkany.html
– Smerácka sudkyňa prirovnala Rómov k potkanom. In: Kormidlo. 23.03.2018. http://kormidlo.blog.pravda.sk/2018/03/23/smeracka-sudkyna-prirovnala-romov-k-potkanom/ [link-preview url=”https://presov.korzar.sme.sk/c/20785980/smeracka-sudkyna-z-ludu-romovia-ako-potkany.html “]
Protests continue in Slovakia against the current government, following the recent murder of a journalist and his girlfriend. The journalist was investigating the involvement of the mafia in skimming EU subsidies as well as its closeness to the government.
During these protest, the question of the EU money for Roma was raised – where did this money go? Certainly not to the Roma themselves!
– Banskobystričania na Námestí slobody odmietli bábkovú vládu. In: My Bistrica. 23.03.2018. https://mybystrica.sme.sk/c/20788297/banskobystricania-na-namesti-slobody-odmietli-babkovu-vladu.html [link-preview url=”https://mybystrica.sme.sk/c/20788297/banskobystricania-na-namesti-slobody-odmietli-babkovu-vladu.html”]
Slovakia and Roma [link-preview url=””]
The opposition parties to the current Slovak Government called the Government to action to combat segregation of the Roma, noting that the country cannot afford to loose another generation of Slovak Roma children.
Good – but let’s see…
– Opozícia žiada vládu bojovať proti segregácii Rómov. In: SME Domov. 21.03.2018. https://domov.sme.sk/c/20786088/opozicia-ziada-vladu-bojovat-proti-segregacii-romov.html [link-preview url=”https://domov.sme.sk/c/20786088/opozicia-ziada-vladu-bojovat-proti-segregacii-romov.html”]
Nils Muižneks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that segregated education leads to poor outcomes and prevents Roma children as well as disabled children from joining society. It is to be noted that Slovakia often segregates Roma children into schools for children with disabilities.
The Commissioner urged the Slovak authorities to address, on a broader scale, the persistent segregation in the education of children with disabilities as well as Roma children and to apply inclusive an education.
– Muižnieks: Vzdelávanie Rómov a detí s postihnutím potrebuje víziu. In: Dobre Noviny. 17.03.2018. https://www.dobrenoviny.sk/c/127312/muiznieks-vzdelavanie-romov-a-deti-s-postihnutim-potrebuje-viziu [link-preview url=”https://www.dobrenoviny.sk/c/127312/muiznieks-vzdelavanie-romov-a-deti-s-postihnutim-potrebuje-viziu”]
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