A reportage in the Sinto Settlement “Maro Temm” in Kiel. Well, with some stereotypes from the journalists too. Large families, feasts, etc.
The movie “Injustice and Resistance” (Germany/Austria 2022, 113 minutes) by Peter Nestler received the 3sat Documentary Film Award, endowed with 6000 euros, for the best German-language documentary at the 46th Duisburg Film Week.
In Peter Nestler’s film, civil rights activist Romani Rose talks about his family history and his experiences. As early as 1970 Nestler shot “Att vara zigenare” (“To be a gypsy”) for Swedish television. Back then it was the first film that didn’t talk about the minority, but rather let the people themselves have their say. 52 years later, Nestler shows how stubbornly prejudices and enemy stereotypes have persisted.
A commemoration of the Roma victims in the former concentration camp of Lackenbach was held this week.
This week is more usual. An article about the effectiveness of the “transition village” that was set up in Montpellier, with more people finding jobs and housing, showing this is the better way to do things. In Nantes, a conference will be held on Roma and precarity. And the rest is the usual: A fire in a Roma camp near Paris; a closure of a camp in Villeurbane near Lyon and another one that neighbours would like to see closed in the same town.
For the last few weeks, the NDR has been touring the north of Germany with the series “The North Reads”. The series has made a stop at the Kultur Palast in Hamburg-Billstedt and was practically a guest – at the ARD theme week “We wanted! What holds us together?”. Bestselling author Ildiko von Kürthy and the two authors Daniel Schreiber and Gianni Jovanovic described what they mean by “we”.
As a Rom, Gianni Jovanovic has already thought a lot about what this “we” means, which is talked about so much. Of course he sees himself as a German, he says, despite the crimes committed under National Socialism on Sinti and Roma:
“It’s true that we have one country. Half a million people were exterminated. Nevertheless, we feel that we belong to this country,” says Jovanovic. “I have a problem with the word Heimat, but Germany is my home and my safe haven. I’ve noticed that a lot of Sinti and Roma don’t say they are Sinti and Roma because they’re afraid of being discriminated against – and that is a big problem.”
A new study in Germany, the Leipziger Sudie zürich Extremismus shows improvement since the last one tow years ago. However, racism isn’t sill a problem, against Jews, Moslems, and of course Roma. In Eastern Germany, more than 50% of respondent would have a problem if Roma would move into their neighbourhood, while in the Western part of the country, it is still around 30%.
Bad.
The Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) presented its 18th Annual Report “Discrimination and the Roma Community” today in Seville. The focus of the report is the Discriminatory bias in the use of artificial intelligence and its impact on the Roma community.
The report presents 554 cases of discrimination and antigypsyism reported and assisted by the FSG in 2021, in its capacity as coordinator of the Service of Assistance and Guidance to Victims of Racial or Ethnic Discrimination and the Calí programme for the Equality of Roma Women. In addition, the report includes the most recent advances, good practices, jurisprudence and strategic litigation in the field of discrimination led by the FSG.
In a mass brawl in a parking lot in Düsseldorf, a man drove his car into a group of people and injured several people. Five men were so badly injured in the incident early Saturday morning that they had to be taken to hospital for treatment, police and prosecutors said. After outpatient treatment, the men were released.
Witnesses estimated that up to 50 to 60 participants took part in the brawl, as reported by the “Neue Ruhr Zeitung”, citing a police spokeswoman. The participants apparently came from the Sinti and Roma milieu.
Interesting week about Roma in the French press. First, an article about a “reportage” on Travellers in France that simply panders to the worst common stereotypes. This is definitively not journalism, but rather disinformation, unfortunately watcher by 2.9 Mio French. In Mulhouse, in Eastern France, there will be an information day on Roma and Travellers. In Grenoble, in the Southeast, young Roma can do sports. Then, an article about the rumour about a traffic of human organs and abduction, all involving Roma. The article investigates where the rumour started and how it spread through social media. Finally, a more common news in Toulouse, where Roma camping near the river have been told to leave.
A genetic study among the Cale population of Spain, with clear results and an interesting diversity of matrilineal material hinting at an original greater diversity of the proto-Roma population than previously thought.
An article about the exhibition of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, a Polish Romni who represented Poland at this year’s Venice biennale.
The Ake Dikhea Film festival closed. The award for the best film was given to “Pongo Calling” from director Tomáš Kratochvil; the movie “Auf Spurensuche” from Michael Telkmann got the Jury special mention; best short film was “9/8 fight 41” by Gizem Aksu.
In early summer 2021, Kelly Laubinger wanted to join a gym in her hometown of Neumünster, but she didn’t get a place. Because she is Sintica, she believes – and is now suing the studio for violating the Equal Treatment Act. It was only because of Corona, claims the operator of the fitness studio. But in court he got caught up in contradictions. Case is still open.
Not much this week on France and Roma. A rumour about people being abducted and of a traffic of human organs involving Roma spread through France. Las time such a rumour occurred, Roma were victims of attacks. Other than that, three camps closed near Paris, one in Lyon, and in Montpellier, apparently some success at integration.
The exhibition “Last Seen” of photographs of Holocaust victims just before they were sent to their death opened in Düsseldorf, Germany.
A new spectacle by the Romanes Circus in Paris.
The Ake Dikhea Sinti and Roma Film Festival opened yesterday in Berlin. It will show 9 bibliographies of Roma and Sinti Holocaust victims.
Ten years ago, the memorial to the Sinti and Roma of Europe who were murdered under National Socialism was inaugurated in Berlin, but little is known about this Nazi genocide. Young descendants of the victims want to change that.
It’s a cool autumn morning. It rained during the night. Stefan Pavlovic and his colleague David Nikolic are part of the “Me Sem Me” project, which was launched by the “Rroma Information Centre” in Berlin. In the project, young descendants whose families were affected by Nazi persecution report on the genocide of the Roma and Sinti. David says he feels a kind of obligation to his ancestors to bring the story closer to others. “Me Sem Me” is Romani and translated into German means: “I am I”. The association wants to make it clear that they want to be accepted as Roma.
Germany’s Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier honoured the memorial for Sinti and Roma in Berlin on its tenth anniversary. The President criticized ongoing discrimination against Roma in Germany and Europe. According to Steinmeier in Berlin, the old anti-Roma prejudices persisted in many parts of society. They could be revived all over Europe by radical right-wing forces. “The everyday discrimination against Roma and Romnja must stop,” he said.
The Federal Government’s Antiziganism Commissioner has denounced far-reaching discrimination against Sinti and Roma in Germany. “We have a racist profiling in the areas of police and justice, education, the housing market and social administration,” said Commissioner Mehmet Daimaguler of the German Press Agency. The genocide of the National Socialists against the Sinti and Roma has not been dealt with either. That is why he is planning a truth and reconciliation commission for the coming year.
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