Category Archives: Slovenia

The Ombudsman, Vlasta Nussdorfer, sharply criticized the planned revision of the law on the Roma community. The law will not bring water and electricity to Roma, but will continue to violate human rights, she concluded. Roma organizations are also concerned with the attempt to distinguish between Roma and “autochthonous” people.

– Varuhinja: Če Romom odrekamo vodo in elektriko, se v naseljih razrašča criminal. In: Dnevnik. https://www.dnevnik.si/1042795985/slovenija/varuhinja-ce-romom-odrekamo-vodo-in-elektriko-se-v-naseljih-razrasca-kriminal [link-preview url=”https://www.dnevnik.si/1042795985/slovenija/varuhinja-ce-romom-odrekamo-vodo-in-elektriko-se-v-naseljih-razrasca-kriminal”]

A conference on green jobs for Roma took place at the Slovenian Tourist Complex of Jezero. The conference was organized by the Union for the Development of the Roma minority Preporod in cooperation with the Office for Nationalities of the Republic of Slovenia and the People’s University of Kočevje. Its purpose was to present examples of best practices to Roma and the wider local community to show that Roma themselves can find work.
There were few Roma participants to the conference, something that the Secretary General of the Association Preporod, said was a reflection of the current situation in Kočevje in the field of Roma issues.

– DL: Zelena delovna mesta za Rome – Romi si lahko sami najdejo delo. In: Lokalno. 26.12.2017. http://www.lokalno.si/2017/12/26/188103/aktualno/DL_Zelena_delovna_mesta_za_Rome___Romi_si_lahko_sami_najdejo_delo/ [link-preview url=”http://www.lokalno.si/2017/12/26/188103/aktualno/DL_Zelena_delovna_mesta_za_Rome___Romi_si_lahko_sami_najdejo_delo/”]

15 years ago, Slovenia issued a law allowing for Roma to be represented at the local councils in all municipalities where they are present. This institution and the association of Roma Councillors have done a great deal to further the cause of Roma in that country.

– Romski svetniki najbolj poznajo potrebe Romov. In: Večer. 16.12.2017. https://www.vecer.com/romski-svetniki-najbolj-poznajo-potrebe-romov-6368042 [link-preview url=”https://www.vecer.com/romski-svetniki-najbolj-poznajo-potrebe-romov-6368042″]

An article about a radio show called “Our Path” on the lives of a Roma community in Slovenia. The broadcast has been on for ten years now and highlights the ups and downs of the community, their successes, and their issues.
A small drop in the ocean, but a start to show that Roma are citizen like any others.

– “Tudi če si izobražen in dobro situiran, ni lahko biti Rom”. In: RTV Slovensko. 08.12.2017. https://www.rtvslo.si/kultura/drugo/tudi-ce-si-izobrazen-in-dobro-situiran-ni-lahko-biti-rom/440038 [link-preview url=”https://www.rtvslo.si/kultura/drugo/tudi-ce-si-izobrazen-in-dobro-situiran-ni-lahko-biti-rom/440038″]

The Slovenian Roma Councillors Association in Slovenia celebrated the 15 years of their right to be represented in local councils with a conference.
This initiative from Slovenia should be followed in all countries and places where there is a significant Roma minority.

– Conference marks 15 years of Roma councillors. In: STA. 08.12.2017. https://english.sta.si/2459185/conference-marks-15-years-of-roma-councillors [link-preview url=”https://english.sta.si/2459185/conference-marks-15-years-of-roma-councillors”]

An excavation of mass graves dating back to World War Two in Slovenia uncovered the remains of 53 Roma, amongst which there were several children. The Roma were shot in 1942 by Yugoslav Partisans.
Roma massacres were not just done by Ustaša and Germans …

– Partizanski pokol Romov pri Ljubljani: izkopali so ostanke 53 ljudi, med žrtvami tudi otroci. In: Reporter. 30.11.2017. http://reporter.si/clanek/slovenija/partizanski-pokol-romov-v-iski-izkopali-so-ostanke-53-ljudi-med-zrtvami-tudi-otroci-608100
– “Preventivno uničenje” zaradi strahu pred izdajo – v Iški odkrito množično grobišče Romov. In: RTV. 30.11.2017. https://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/preventivno-unicenje-zaradi-strahu-pred-izdajo-v-iski-odkrito-mnozicno-grobisce-romov/439284
– 53 ROMOV NAJ BI POBILI PARTIZANI. In: DNEVNIK. 30.11.2017. http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/dnevnik/174505815 [link-preview url=”https://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/preventivno-unicenje-zaradi-strahu-pred-izdajo-v-iski-odkrito-mnozicno-grobisce-romov/439284 “]

An article about a Slovenian Health program aimed mostly at poor Roma, especially at women and children. Good idea, unfortunately, the article manages to put all Roma in the same pot, as usual…
So good program, not so good article, as usual.

– Izobraževanje Romov glede zdravja naletelo na dober odziv. In: RTV Slovenia. 17.11.2017. https://www.rtvslo.si/lokalne-novice/izobrazevanje-romov-glede-zdravja-naletelo-na-dober-odziv/438167 [link-preview url=”https://www.rtvslo.si/lokalne-novice/izobrazevanje-romov-glede-zdravja-naletelo-na-dober-odziv/438167″]

Activists in Slovenia say Roma need to become more active in politics and be recognised as a minority so that they can have a representative in Parliament. This later point is always a subject of debate. What an a minority representative do in a parliament?

– Roma need representative in National Assembly, debate hears. In: STA. 17.11.2017. https://english.sta.si/2451623/roma-need-representative-in-national-assembly-debate-hears [link-preview url=”https://english.sta.si/2451623/roma-need-representative-in-national-assembly-debate-hears”]

Slovenian Roma celebrated the International Romanes Day in advance, on November 3rd.

– Romski jezik ima po oceni udeležencev okrogle mize velik pomen za ohranitev kulturne identitete Romov. In: STA. 03.11.2017. https://www.sta.si/2446365/romski-jezik-ima-po-oceni-udelezencev-okrogle-mize-velik-pomen-za-ohranitev-kulturne-identitete-romov [link-preview url=”https://www.sta.si/2446365/romski-jezik-ima-po-oceni-udelezencev-okrogle-mize-velik-pomen-za-ohranitev-kulturne-identitete-romov”]

An article on Roma settlements in the South Eastern part of Slovenia. These are described at potential social time bombs (really …) due to high natality, unemployment and poverty.
The article is biased. The journalist is “astonished” to see that many Roma have “Slovenes” parents or grandparents as if Roma in Slovenia were not “Slovenes” and as if “Slovenes” was an ethnicity.

– Kritične razmere v velikem romskem naselju. In: Novice Najdi. 01.11.2017. http://novice.najdi.si/predogled/novica/18a8e42d2e8a5f12ca53e0d9303c1251/Svet24-si/Slovenija/Kritične-razmere-v-velikem-romskem-naselju [link-preview url=”http://novice.najdi.si/predogled/novica/18a8e42d2e8a5f12ca53e0d9303c1251/Svet24-si/Slovenija/Kritične-razmere-v-velikem-romskem-naselju”]

The protest last week of about 100 Roma in front of the Slovenaian parliament had quite an echo in the local press.
Good!

– Skupina Romov pred vlado zahteva odpravo diskriminacije. In: Delo. 16.10.2017. http://www.delo.si/novice/ljubljana/protest-romov-sredi-ljubljani.html
– Prvi romski protest. In: Mladina. 16.10.2017. http://www.mladina.si/182355/prvi-romski-protest/
– PROTESTNI SHOD ROMOV. In: RTV 4. 16.10.2017. http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/prvi-dnevnik/174496852
– Romi, končno. In: Večer, V Soboto. 21.10.2017. https://www.vecer.com/romi-koncno-6332800 [link-preview url=”https://www.vecer.com/romi-koncno-6332800″]

Many Roma still have no access to drinking water, despite numerous recommendations, the ECRI commission, has now issued conclusions on the situation in Slovenia which highlight the precarious living conditions of Roma in the country. Access to water is one of the key points in the report.

– Nova graja, ker Romi še nimajo dostopa do vode. In: Delo. 18.09.2017. http://www.delo.si/novice/slovenija/nova-graja-ker-romi-se-nimajo-dostopa-do-vode.html [link-preview url=”http://www.delo.si/novice/slovenija/nova-graja-ker-romi-se-nimajo-dostopa-do-vode.html”]

The Council of the Roma Community, an umbrella organization representing the interests of the Roma in Slovenia celebrated on the 23rd of June its tenth anniversary. The association represents Roma in relation to state authorities and addresses specific issues related to their interests, status and rights.

– Svet romske skupnosti proslavil desetletnico delovanja. In: STA. 24.06.2017. https://www.sta.si/2402182/svet-romske-skupnosti-proslavil-desetletnico-delovanja [link-preview url=”https://www.sta.si/2402182/svet-romske-skupnosti-proslavil-desetletnico-delovanja”]

The Slovenian government wants to improve the situation of the Roma in the country having adopted recently an integration plan, and is looking at creating multi-purposes Roma Centres in the country. These will provide various services to the minority.
Let’s see…

– Vlada želi k izboljšanju položaja Romov prispevati tudi z večnamenskimi centri. In: STA. 18.06.2017. https://www.sta.si/2398588/vlada-zeli-k-izboljsanju-polozaja-romov-prispevati-tudi-z-vecnamenskimi-centri [link-preview url=”https://www.sta.si/2398588/vlada-zeli-k-izboljsanju-polozaja-romov-prispevati-tudi-z-vecnamenskimi-centri”]

A short article about the War in Slovenia and testimonies about summary executions carried out by partisans – also executing Rroma.

– Komunistični zločini: Umorili so kogarkoli. In: Reporter. 21.05.2017. http://reporter.si/clanek/slovenija/komunisticni-zlocini-umorili-so-kogarkoli-513536 [link-preview url=”http://reporter.si/clanek/slovenija/komunisticni-zlocini-umorili-so-kogarkoli-513536″]

The European Roma Federation (ERZ) is very critical of the EU institutions, accuses them of systematic anti-Roma bias and says that they do not want to deal with the Roma and to admit that they are European citizens. This was the message from a two-day international conference Roma in Murska Sobota, Slovenia.

– Evropska romska zveza zelo kritična do ustanov EU. In: STA. 12.05.2017. https://www.sta.si/2386596/evropska-romska-zveza-zelo-kriticna-do-ustanov-eu [link-preview url=”https://www.sta.si/2386596/evropska-romska-zveza-zelo-kriticna-do-ustanov-eu”]

Things are apparently getting better for Rroma in Slovenia. Really? There are still numerous problems, mostly related to the Rroma settlements whose existence is threatened by the lack of property titles, and who are seldom hooked up to municipal services. Fact is, Slovenia, with its tiny Rroma population, could do better.

– Življenje Romov se izboljšuje, a ponekod primanjkuje volje. In: MMC. 08.04.2017. https://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/zivljenje-romov-se-izboljsuje-a-ponekod-primanjkuje-volje/419340 [link-preview url=”https://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/zivljenje-romov-se-izboljsuje-a-ponekod-primanjkuje-volje/419340″]