Author Archives: Roma Foundation

Rroma Women and the Balkans

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Rroma Women and the Balkans

An article on Rroma women in the Balkans. Starts quite badly, as the picture in the headlines depicts a woman prostitute and drug addict in Serbia – we reported on this article a while ago. Then it gets worse … “The Roma identity generally refers to a traditionally nomadic ethnic group, with various linguistic dialects and many sub-groups, living mostly in Europe” Full stereotypes. 99.9% of Rroma, especially in the Balkan were always sedentary (except for their migration from India, but then what to say about Germans J). While the article is right about the discrimination, it is also wrong on the generalisation (and on the numbers). It also presents sex trafficking and exploitation as Rroma issues which it is not, it is a poverty issue. On the other hand (and not in the Balkans, it presents the sterilisation issue in the Czech Republic, and other facts that are quite correct.

The Result: LOTS OF STEREOTYPES, a few facts, and lots of generalisations.

Child Poverty in France …

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Child Poverty in France …

The French government is defending its policies on fighting children poverty at the UN in Geneva. Besides the high number of children living in poverty in that country, France was also criticised about access to schools and discrimination of migrants, especially of Rroma.

 

Hamburg: Still in the Church

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Hamburg: Still in the Church

Rroma refugees who are supposed to be expulsed back to their country of origin following their declaration as “safe countries” are still occupying and living in a Church in Hamburg. Thy had occupied this church in the Fall of 2015.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

And the first full French chronicle of the year. An article about young Rroma doing their civic service among poor Rroma; in Grenoble, a Rroma camp is reopened after a fire in December; in the North, in Hautbourdin, life goes on; in Lyon, the first Rroma families settle in a new insertion village; a reportage on la Courneuve – one of the oldest camps around Paris that was closed recently; in Toulouse, an abandoned building that was squatted by Rroma will finally be destroyed; and finally, a social theme with an open table in Roubaix in the North of France.

Rroma thieves …

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Rroma thieves …

A Frenchman working in a dump made money by re-selling scrap metals. The theft of metals was then attributed to the “gens d voyage” – Travellers, aka Rroma.

Wonder how many of the thefts that are announced whenever there are Rroma around are really done by them …

Miskolc and a German City

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Miskolc and a German City

Aschaffenburg, a German city which was recently awarded a prize for its engagement for democracy, freedom, and human rights, is celebrating this year the 20th anniversary of its partnership with Miskolc, Hungary. This is problematic, as the city, and more generally Hungary, does not reflect the values for which Aschaffenburg stands …

Documentation Centre in Hamburg

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Documentation Centre in Hamburg

A new documentation centre on the site of the former Hannover Railway station will document the plight of Jews, Rroma, and Sinti who were deported from there during the Nazi times.

60 Years Ago

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60 Years Ago

A commemoration of a judgement by Germany highest court 60 years ago. On January 7th, 1956, Germany highest court ruled that Rroma and Sint were not persecuted on racial grounds by Nazi Germany and thus were not entitled to reparations.

SHAMEFUL DAY!

Milan: Families Threatened by Eviction

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Milan: Families Threatened by Eviction

Several Rroma families in Milan and Rome are being threatened with eviction. Again, it is one of those situations of camps in Italy that have never been really properly handled nor ever thought over…

BAD …

Another Movie …

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Another Movie …

A French Documentary movie entitled “Toto and his sisters” received the “grand prix” in the Anger Festival. It is unfortunate to say the least that it shows all stereotypes associated with Rroma without any analytical discourse: Rroma live in Ghettoes, deal with drugs, have lots of children (implied in this case), but without stating that this is not a Rroma thing, this is a poverty and social problem.

We are generally against those kind of documentaries, as they reinforce already strongly held stereotypes about us …

NOT GOOD!!!

Lausanne and Beggars

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Lausanne and Beggars

An article about the somewhat peculiar relationship between Lausanne and its few beggars. There are around 60 of them at any given point in time (not much), a few of them are Rroma, mostly from one region of Romania, and Lausanne is in a love hate relationship with them.

A lot of noise for a small problem…

Slovak Media, Rroma, and Refugees

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Slovak Media, Rroma, and Refugees

A Study conducted on Slovak Media by the Media Academy in Bratislava and a Rroma organisation – Romano Kher – shows that the Slovak Media have a strong bias in their presentation of Rroma and Refugees. Negative stereotypes prevail in both cases.

Unfortunately not surprising.

Domari Today

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Domari Today

Two articles on Domari, the Rroma’s Middle Eastern Cousins and their current plight in Syria and as refugees in other countries.

Another minority that is forgotten in this conflict.

Jews, and Rroma

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Jews, and Rroma

This is new and really welcome! A Jewish view that Jews and Rroma (including of course Sinti) were singled out and are somehow therefore related. This is definitively new and good, as not so long ago, this was definitively not so.

Not so good is that the interpretation of Gadžo is not quite to the point, and that the historical view is very much Western European and not European …

 

20% …

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According to a report of the Roma Education Fund, only 20% of Rroma complete their secondary education.

20% of what … According to the Hungarian official statistics, there are less than 200’000 Rroma in Hungary. According to the same government, there are more poor Rroma than that and actually, there are 600’000 Rroma in Hungary. The reality is that there are around 800’000 Rroma in Hungary.

So, which 20%?

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