Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Osteuropa Polen Ukraine

Roma Refugees in Poland

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An estimated 400,000 lived in Ukraine before the Russian invasion. A quarter fled the war-torn country. Many went to Poland. Władysław Kwiatkowski, president of the Roma Association in Poland, stated in an interview that “Not everyone in Poland realizes that many Roma fight in the ranks of the Ukrainian army. They defend their country. They are citizens of Ukraine, just like the rest”.

Dr. Małgorzata Kołaczek from the Foundation for Dialogue – one of the authors of the report “Human rights, and discrimination – the situation of Roma refugees from Ukraine in Poland. Report on research and intervention activities” Said:

“The Roma, like other Ukrainians, lose their life possessions, husbands and fathers at the front, and yet they are treated differently – as if their pain and suffering were less. As it happens in a situation of uncertainty and danger, the lowest human instincts are activated, which are directed towards those whom one “always” dislikes “.

News Osteuropa Slowenien

Slovenia: Round Table

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A round table “Roma cultural and artistic influences in Europe” was organized in Murska Sobota, Slovenia.

The keynote speaker of the round table was the advisor for culture of the Republic of Slovenia. In his speech, Marko Sraka Stated: “The topic of today’s round table, Roma cultural and artistic influences in Europe, is extremely important. In the public and the media, the Roma community is not often associated with a rich and vibrant culture, because social issues and problems arising from the relationship between the majority population and the Roma are always in the foreground. Every day, the Roma face hatred and rights violations, and have problems with decent and affordable housing, and are often denied employment and rights, and find it harder to integrate into the education system. The Romani language, culture and art have always been those parts of the Romani heritage, which others also recognize as a special value, especially here in Prekmurje,” he concluded in his speech.

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Brno: Recuperation

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Less than a hundred people took part in an anti-Ukrainian xenophobic demonstration in Brno on June 24th, which was organized by pro-Russian disinformation Jakub Netík. Together with David Mezei, they tried to use the death of young Roma Nicolas to stir up anti-Ukrainian sentiments. Classic pro-Russian propaganda was heard at the demonstration, as well as calls for the resignation of the government.

News Osteuropa Polen

Krakow Festival

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The 12th International Days of Roma culture will take place in Krakow on July 1 and 2, in Łąki Nowohuckie. We will visit a former Roma camp, see museum wagons, ethnographic exhibits, an exhibition of paintings and photographs. On the outdoor stage, traditional dances will be presented by artists from Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Great Britain, Poland and France.

Unfortunately, some of the kitsch and stereotypes are presented here …

News Osteuropa Slowakei

Slovakia and Roma

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A nasty story. The town of Michalovce, in Slovakia, sold the run-down buildings of a housing estate where ca. 1’000 Roma live. The new owner says that if they don’t pay, he will evict them.

This is bad, as most probably they do not have the means to pay rent.

Bulgarien News Osteuropa

Fakulteta

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An article on the largest Mahala in Bulgaria, the Fakulteta in Sofia. Unfortunately, the article, not knowing history, speaks of centuries of discrimination. This was not the case until the end of the Ottoman Empire, and has only really taken off with the fall of Communism and the rise of populism.

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Czech Republic and Roma Settlements

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A bad story in Ušti nad Labem. The city council is taking measures against littering, destruction of material, littering etc., which de-facto are directed at Roma. Roma organisations are protesting.

There are unfortunately two sides to this issue: The clear fact that these housing estates are run down, and that the residents are not exactly tidy nor respectful of the property, but on the  other hand, these very residents have been excluded from society by racism.

News Osteuropa Polen

Adam Bartosz

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Adam Bartosz, a Polish Roma activist, will become an honorary citizen of the city of Tarnów on Friday. The decision to grant him such a title was made on Thursday by the Tarnów councillors in recognition of Adam Bartosz’s outstanding merits for the Republic of Poland and the community of the city of Tarnów, related to the extraordinary commitment to the cultural development and activities for the development and popularization of research on multicultural history of Tarnów, including the history of Roma and Jews.

Koratien News Osteuropa

Slavonski Brod, Croatia: Exhibition

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As part of the projects ‘Equality for Roma through suppression of discrimination’ and ‘School of Human Rights’, the Slavonski Brod Information and Legal Center organized the ‘Photovoice’ exhibition in the City Library.

It is an exhibition of photos of Roma mediators, volunteers and pupils of the Hugo Badalić Primary School in Brod with scenes from the everyday life of members of the Roma national minority in their settlement in Slavonski Brod.

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Brno: Continuation

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On Saturday, June 17, a memorial service was held on the Old Town Square for a young Roma killed in Brno. The representatives of the Roma and Ukrainian minorities strongly rejected the spreading wave of hatred and xenophobia.

News Osteuropa Serbien

Serbia and Statistics

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The Serbian language is the mother tongue of 84.4 percent of the population of Serbia according to the latest numbers published by the Serbian Republic Institute of Statistics.

After Serbian, the most represented mother tongues are Hungarian, 2.6 percent, Bosnian, 2.2 percent, Romani, 1.2 percent, and Albanian, 1.0 percent.

We can only guess that many Roma simply wrote their mother tongue is Serbian (or Hungarian).

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Brno – Another Manifestation

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About two hundred Roma gathered at the beginning of Cejl Street in Brno yesterday at 2 p.m., who had arrived there to guard against an alleged demonstration by Ukrainians. The police came to calm the situation. The tension between the two minorities increased after the recent violent incident at the Brno dam in which a Roma man died.

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Brno – Manifestations

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A report on the manifestation last Saturday that saw around 1’000 participants. It was spontaneous gathering. Already before two o’clock, when the event started, there were several hundred people on the square in front of the theater – apart from journalists and a few individuals from the majority, they were mostly Roma. Not many people outside the community came to share Roma grief and anger.

This time, the reason could also be that the otherwise solidary part of the Brno majority was discouraged by the anti-Ukrainian framing of the demonstration originally planned for the same time and place, which, however, the organizer herself cancelled precisely because of the fear of spreading hatred and collective guilt.

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Prague and the Brno Murder

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Following the murder of a young Rom in Brno last week at the hands of a Ukrainian, manifestations were held, notably in Prague with both Roma and Ukrainians denouncing racism and bigotry.

News Osteuropa Slowakei

10 Years

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Tomorrow, ten years since the brutal police intervention in Moldova nad Bodvou, Slovakia, will have passed. The Roma went to court, only to find themselves condemned for perjury and defamation, a judgement that went to the EU court of justice which condemned Slovakia for the facts. Now, it is back in court there, under the very same person who indicted the victims, the Roma.

Not ideal to say the least.

News Osteuropa News Westeuropa Spanien Ukraine

Spain Symposium

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More than forty people from the Roma community, among them refugees from Ukraine participate here in a “protected space” in a symposium on the management of traumas and their healing, for strengthening and empowering oneself.

Roxanna-Lorainne Witt, co-founder of the association Save Space and co-organizer of the symposium, explains in an interview for DW: “Who strengthens those people, who are strong for all of us? How are role models supported, so that strengthen themselves, while they themselves often have to work without stable perspectives and structures? Normal experiences – such as seeing the sea once in a lifetime – are often completely undervalued.”

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Brno Murder: Commemoration

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Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková will take part in a commemorative event on the Old Town Square in Prague today. Representatives of Roma and Ukrainians will meet there. The event is organized by PULS Europe and the Czechoslovak Roma Union, in cooperation with the Olašské Roma Union.

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Brno – Roma Reactions

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An interview with Nick Budai, a Roma activist in Brno, Czech Republic following the murder of a Rom by a Ukrainian last Saturday.

He portrays the Brno Roma community, shaken by the violent death of a young man at the dam a few days ago, as a diverse mass of people with diverse opinions and attitudes. He admits that things are boiling so much among the Roma in the South Moravian metropolis that some of them can hear about manipulations and extreme attitudes. However, he believes that the upcoming Saturday pieta will take place in a calm and dignified manner.

Bulgarien News Osteuropa

Bulgaria: Discrimination

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Two young Romnja in Bulgaria signed a contract for managing a restaurant. The contract was cancelled after a few days, apparently because of their ethnicity. The owner claims it is because of the tenant’s plans to organize noisy parties, weddings and baptisms.

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