Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Osteuropa Slowenien

Slovenia and Roma

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Urška Klakočar Zupančič, the speaker of the Slovene Parlaiment, received representatives of the Association of Roma Councillors of Slovenia. They pointed out that the situation of the Roma is still bad, and they are also concerned about the low reputation of the Roma in society.

News Osteuropa Polen

Auschwitz: Commemoration

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On Tuesday, Roma representatives commemorated Roma inmates in Auschwitz who, 79 years ago, rebelled in the so-called Zigeunerlager, which is part of the German KL Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

“Today we celebrate the 79th anniversary of the Roma rebellion. On May 16, 1944, one of the most heroic events during the functioning of KL Auschwitz-Birkenau took place in this area. (…) Today, by laying wreaths and lighting candles at the monument to the murdered Roma, we pay tribute to all the heroes of that day and honour the memory of those murdered here,” said Władysław Kwiatkowski from the Roma Association in Poland.

News Osteuropa Ukraine

Ukraine Roma Strategy

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The Roma Women’s Foundation “Chirikli” initiated a discussion of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for Facilitating the Realization of the Rights and Opportunities of Persons Belonging to the Roma National Minority in Ukrainian Society for 2024-2025.

The discussion took place online on May 12, 2023. It was attended by Roma mediators (Valentyna Zolotarenko, Zhuzhuna Duduchava, Maksym Jum, Bublyk Marina, Rada Kalandia) and representatives of 15 Roma organizations from Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Zakarpattia, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Donetsk, Kirovohrad regions (Yulian Kondur, Vasyl Bilous, Vira Drangoy, Eleonora Kulchar, Myroslav Horvat, Kostyantyn Musenko, Oleksiy Padchenko, Mykhailo Bilyavskyi), as well as the representative of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Zemfira Kondur.

https://www.facebook.com/Chiricli/photos/a.1337218203040379/6029698317125654/

News Osteuropa Slowenien

Slovenia: Weapons

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According to this article, there are more and more weapons to be found in Roma settlements in Slovenia. Why this is the case is not explained, nor is the source of those weapons.

Bad for all.

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Role Model

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Roma university student and futsal talent Dominik Balog says he want to show the way to Roma children. He is completing his bachelor at the university in Prague, where he is studying criminology and will also play in the finals of the Czech futsal league. He was also a member of the delegation of successful Roma students, with whom the presidential couple recently discussed the possibilities of better integration of Roma into Czech society at Prague Castle.

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Czech President on Lety

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Petr Pavel, the new Czech president says the state carries responsibility in not having acted faster to buy the pig farm on the site of the concentration camp of Lety.

News Osteuropa News Schweiz Ukraine

Roma Refugees from the Ukraine

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An article and video on Roma refugees from the Ukraine. According to the article, there could be as many as 100’000 of them. This number is probably too high an estimate. The article focuses on Roma from Transcarpathian Ukraine in the Czech Republic, a problematic issue.

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Czech Republic: Paroled

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In 2009, Václav Cojocara and Ivo Müller participated in an arson attack Roma on a home in Vítkov in the Opava region. They were caught and condemned to a prison sentence. Now, they have been conditionally released as they purged part of their sentence and showed good behaviour.

Whether this is a good idea remains to be seen…

News Osteuropa Slowakei

Slovakia: Judgement

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The staff of a cafe in Lučenec, Slovakia, made a mistake when they refused to serve a guest because he was  Rom. After almost six years of litigation, the Bratislava I District Court issued a judgement condemning the café to pay 1,500 euros and apologise.

In August 2017, a refused to serve Ladislav Rácz and his friend. He said it was because  he did not have a club card which costs 300 euros. Ladislaw said “When I asked him if it was by chance because we are Roma, gypsies and we are darker, he said that it is not for such a reason and that we should leave the area immediately.”

Ladislaw friend, non-Roma, went to the cafe. They served her without any problems. “She asked the waiter that she saw on the door that entry was only possible with a club card. The gentleman clearly told the camera that it is only for Roma, that they cannot serve Roma.”

News Osteuropa Slowakei

Slovakia and Integration

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907 Mio EUR have been secured from the next period of the integration of Roma in Slovakia. The money will contribute to improving the situation of marginalized Roma communities (MRK). The changes also strengthened the position of the plenipotentiary office, as well as the centralization of the entire agenda, which should lead to a more efficient use of funds. Slovak Government Plenipotentiary for Roma communities, Ján Hero, stated this in response to Wednesday’s (May 10) press conference of the member of the Slovak National Council for SaS Vladimír Ledecký, who criticized the state’s current actions in the area of MRK inclusion.

News Osteuropa Slowakei

Slovakia and Discrimination

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The District Court of Bratislava ruled in the case of discrimination against a Rom, Ladislav Rácz, who was refused service in a cafe in Lučenec in 2017. The defendant must apologize to him for the discrimination and compensate him financially, the court’s decision is not final, as the defendant can still appeal.

News Osteuropa Ukraine

Ivan Korniyovych Bilashchenko

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On May 6th, 2023, Ivan Korniyovych Bilashchenko passed away at the age of 97. He was born in the village of Dmytrivka, Zolotoni district, Cherkasy region.

He was a lieutenant colonel and a veteran of the Second World War. He survived the famine when he was 7. When the Second World War began, he was 14 years old, and was sent to a concentration camp. He escaped, he was caught again and sent to forced labour – to build a railway in the Zolotonsky District.

In 1943, when he was already 17 years old, Zolotonishchyna was liberated by the Red Army, and Ivan Korniyovich joined it. He was sent to the front in Vitebsk, where he began his military service, and finished the War in the Baltics States as a commander of a platoon.

May he rest in peace!

News Osteuropa Polen

Poland: Exhibition

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The District Museum in Nowy Sącz, Poland, is presenting an exhibition consisting of exhibits collected by Paweł Lechowski, an ethnographer who has been continuously interested in Roma culture since the 1960s. Thanks to his collection showcases the life of travelling Roma for those who know travels only from the stories of the older generation.

Koratien News Osteuropa

Spin the Wheel

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Ri Rock Association in partnership with the Roma Youth Organization of Croatia organised the second cultural and artistic event dedicated to Roma culture and art. The event, called “Spin the Inclusive Wheel” aims to promote Roma culture and identity through music and art.

Radio Roža is an internet radio program that is conducted as part of the Gyroscope culture project.

News Osteuropa Serbien

Ljiljjana Petrović Butler

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The story of a Serbian Romani singer, Ljiljjana Petrović Butler, born in 2944 in Belgrade, who died in 2010 in the Netherlands, having fled the wars in Yugoslavia.

Unfortunately, this story also reinforces many stereotypes: early marriage and children, no education, dirty, and so on. Sad, as it could have been told differently.

Tschechische Republik News Osteuropa

Patrick Banga

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Another article in the press about the Romano journalist Patrick Banga whose first book won the prestigious Czech Magnesia Litera award in the new author category.

It does not please certain people. According to the article, Patrik Banga now reads almost every day that he bribed the entire jury of the Magnesia Litera award. Many people cannot accept the fact that the book award went to Rom.

Bad

Koratien News Osteuropa

Erdelezi in Croatia

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The Ri Rock Association started the celebration of its eighteen years of activity with Open House Days, which will culminate at the end of the year at the 45th Ri Rock Festival. The association, together with the Roma Youth Organization of Croatia they are organizing the second edition of the cultural and artistic manifestation dedicated to Roma culture and art: “Turning the Inclusive Wheel”. The goal of the event is to promote Roma culture and identity through music and art.

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