Category Archives: Romania

A Friend …

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Last week, a friend died. A friend not only on a personal way – we did tours together, kept in contact through the year – but a friend of Rroma music. Stephane Karo did soo much for it, it was his passion, it was his life. He discovered and managed the Taraf de Haïdouk, the Kočani Orchestar, and more recently the Romanian Mahala Rai Banda.
He was buried in Brussels, Belgium last week end.
As we say: Te ovel o drom angla leste phuterdo. Ame na bistras tut!

– HOMMAGE À STÉPHANE KARO : LES MUSIQUES DES BALKANS PERDENT L’UN DE LEURS PREMIERS AMBASSADEURS. In: Le Courrier des Balkans. 19.11.2016. https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/le-fil-de-l-info/hommage-a-stephane-karo-les-musiques-des-balkans-perdent-l-un-de-leurs-premiers-ambassadeurs.html [link-preview url=”https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/le-fil-de-l-info/hommage-a-stephane-karo-les-musiques-des-balkans-perdent-l-un-de-leurs-premiers-ambassadeurs.html”]

Hungary – Xenophobia

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Latest numbers on Xenophobia in Hungary. They almost make it sound positive. TO quote: “Only 21% of respondents said they would accept Arabs as their neighbors, while 32% would accept Roma, 35% Christian refugees from Syria, 45% homosexuals, 47% Chinese, 50% Americans, 51% African university students, 57% Jews, 60% rock musicians, and 76% ethnic Hungarian immigrants from Transylvania in Romania, index.hu reported”
This is more positive than saying that 79% of Hungarians would not accept Arabs as their neighbours, 68% would not accept Rroma, etc… The level of xenophobia is indeed high.

– Xenophobia skyrocketing in Hungary, surveys reveal. In: Budapest Journal. 17.11.2016. http://bbj.hu/budapest/xenophobia-skyrocketing-in-hungary-surveys-reveal_124920 [link-preview url=”http://bbj.hu/budapest/xenophobia-skyrocketing-in-hungary-surveys-reveal_124920″]

Bullsh*t

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The Gatestone institute wrote a piece on “no go zones” in Germany, and managed to pack a bunch of nasty and totally inacceptable stereotypes in the process… Totally beyonf the point. For example: “thousands of Bulgarians and Romanians (including Sinti and Roma “gypsies”) have flocked to Duisburg”, Sinti are locals, and the thousands are not there; “New migrants from Bulgaria and Romania are adding to the problems”, what problems, if not the ones of the journalist; this mixed with factual reporting such as “At night, Romanian residents dance on the streets, the sound system in the car supplies loud music” taken from the German Press.
Well, this article is full of stereotypes and is BAD!!!

– Inside Germany’s No-Go Zones: Part I – North Rhine-Westphalia. In: Gatestone Institute. 07.11.2016. https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9279/germany-no-go-zones-nrw [link-preview url=”https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9279/germany-no-go-zones-nrw”]

Canada Lifts Visas Requirement

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Canada will be lifting its visa requirements for Romanians and Bulgarians. This is spite of the fears of some that many Rroma from these countries would come.
Good!

– Canada to lift Romania, Bulgaria visa requirement. In: Yahooh News. 01.11.2016. https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/33062016/canada-to-lift-romania-bulgaria-visa-requirement/#page1 [link-preview url=”https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/33062016/canada-to-lift-romania-bulgaria-visa-requirement/#page1″]

Romania: Inexistent Rroma

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An article about the plight of very visible Rroma who have no papers, birth certificates or other documents demonstrating their identities. There are unfortunately quite a number of such cases in the country.

– Romania’s ‘invisible’ Roma battle for identity. In: Digital Journal. 27.10.2016. http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/romania-s-invisible-roma-battle-for-identity/article/478184 [link-preview url=”http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/romania-s-invisible-roma-battle-for-identity/article/478184″]

Bratislava: Roma Youth Empowerment

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The Human Right directorate of the European Commission organised a conference in Bratislava with roughly 200 young Rroma from 30 countries on the theme of Roma Youth Empowerment. These young Rroma got the opportunity to meet and speak with members of the commission and other EU representatives as well as to exchange views and experience. The organisers awarded prices, among which for best Rroma NGO, the Romanian Impreuna; best media, Slovenian Radio Romic; and best personality, which went to Sampicha Souleiman from Greece for his work against stereotypes.

– Bratislava združila 200 mladih Romov iz vse Evrope. In: RTVSL. 14.10.2016. https://www.rtvslo.si/evropska-unija/bratislava-zdruzila-200-mladih-romov-iz-vse-evrope/405171 [link-preview url=”https://www.rtvslo.si/evropska-unija/bratislava-zdruzila-200-mladih-romov-iz-vse-evrope/405171″]

France: Montreuil makes it to International Press

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The hunt for the Rroma who were expelled in July from their camp made it to the international press. The French are now trying to expel these Rroma from France, i.e. send them back to Romania.
Good read to see what is really going on.

– ‘Trying to run them out of town’: French police confront Roma. In: CBC News. 18.10.2016. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/roma-france-montreuil-eviction-1.3808464 [link-preview url=”http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/roma-france-montreuil-eviction-1.3808464″]

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Two articles in the aftermath of the ban of begging in Lausanne. One by a photographer, Yves Leresche, who has been taking picture of these beggars in both Switzerland and Romania, and the other, on the actual effects of banning beggars. The bans are actually bad and make matter worse.

– Yves Leresche: «je m’étonne de l’absence de débat sur la mendicité» In: La Côte. 30.09.2016. http://www.lacote.ch/articles/regions/vaud/yves-leresche-je-m-etonne-de-l-absence-de-debat-sur-la-mendicite-1-2-585162
– A Genève, le bilan inquiétant de la loi anti-mendicité. In: Le Courrier. 29.09.2016. http://www.lecourrier.ch/142819/a_geneve_le_bilan_inquietant_de_la_loi_anti_mendicite [link-preview url=”http://www.lacote.ch/articles/regions/vaud/yves-leresche-je-m-etonne-de-l-absence-de-debat-sur-la-mendicite-1-2-585162″]

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Montreuil again, where people who were expelled this summer still haven’t found proper housing; in Troyes, the plight of Rroma who haven’t found a place to stay; in Angers, the owner of a building squatted by Rroma cut them the water; in Strasbourg, in the East, they may have closed the camps, but the Rroma are still there; in Marseille, Rroma are again expelled; in the North, two Rroma are condemned for beating up a Romanian who threw racist insults at them; and finally, also in the North, Rroma who were expelled from a site are back.

– Montreuil : les soutiens des Roms veulent se faire entendre. In: Le Parisien. 30.09.2016. http://www.leparisien.fr/montreuil-93100/montreuil-les-soutiens-des-roms-veulent-se-faire-entendre-30-09-2016-6164793.php
– Montreuil: 60 jours à la rue dans la France «généreuse et solidaire» In: Mediapart. 26.09.2016. https://blogs.mediapart.fr/juliette-keating/blog/260916/montreuil-60-jours-la-rue-dans-la-france-genereuse-et-solidaire-0
– Montreuil : des économies annoncées pour redresser l’office HLM. In: Le Parisien. 29.09.2016. http://www.leparisien.fr/montreuil-93100/montreuil-des-economies-annoncees-pour-redresser-l-office-hlm-29-09-2016-6161805.php
– De nouvelles familles roms en errance boulevard Jules-Guesde à Troyes. In: L’Est Éclair. 02.10.20-16. http://www.lest-eclair.fr/570524/article/2016-10-02/de-nouvelles-familles-roms-en-errance-boulevard-jules-guesde-a-troyes
– Immeuble squatté : le bailleur coupe l’eau. In: Ouest France. 29.09.2016. http://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/angers-49000/immeuble-squatte-le-bailleur-coupe-l-eau-4528480
– Strasbourg se débarrasse des bidonvilles, pas des Roms. In: Boursorama.com. 29.09.2016. http://www.boursorama.com/actualites/strasbourg-se-debarrasse-des-bidonvilles-pas-des-roms-507c0e4cce5ca06cc3fc6a5a02f4ae2d
– Roms : interpellée pour héberger, la Ville de Marseille fait expulser. In: La Marseillaise. 28.09.2016. http://www.lamarseillaise.fr/marseille/societe/52812-roms-interpellee-pour-heberger-la-ville-de-marseille-fait-expulser
– « Je ne voulais pas de Roms dans la famille » In: La Voix du Nord. 01.10.2016. http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/52721/article/2016-10-01/je-ne-voulais-pas-de-roms-dans-la-famille
– Les Roms de la friche Bidermann de retour à Sainte-Henriette. In: La Voix du Nord. 29.09.2016. http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/51789/article/2016-09-29/les-roms-de-la-friche-bidermann-de-retour-sainte-henriette [link-preview url=”http://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/angers-49000/immeuble-squatte-le-bailleur-coupe-l-eau-4528480″]

Germany: Camp Closed

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An illegal Rroma camp was closed in Germany near Kassel. Most of the residents were from Bulgaria and Romania.

– Stadt räumt illegalen Zeltplatz: Rumänen und Bulgaren hatten dort ihr Quartier. In: HNA. 23.09.2016. https://www.hna.de/kassel/bettenhausen-ort94136/stadt-raeumt-illegalen-zeltplatz-rumaenen-bulgaren-hatten-dort-quartier-6779730.html [link-preview url=””]

Rroma “Fleeing” to the US

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Again another article on the purported migration of Rroma to California. To put things in perspective: The police said that less than 500 Romanian Rroma applied for Ayslum. California is not that small …

– Roma Fleeing the EU’s ‘Broken Promise’ seek Asylum in the US, In: Foreign Policy. http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/09/22/roma-romania-migration-united-states/ [link-preview url=”http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/09/22/roma-romania-migration-united-states/”]

Another Blunt Article …

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Another Blunt Article …

Guess what, lots of immigrants from Romania and Bulgaria, mostly Rroma – says who? – and thus “massive abuses” of the welfare system.

This article is typical of what should not be done: Sensation, generalisation, and ethnic branding…

SHAME.

Switzerland: Rroma Beggars in Zurich

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Switzerland: Rroma Beggars in Zurich

Rroma beggars from Romania are camping in a park near a church in the centre of Zurich. And of course, all the clichés are there: clans, with its clan head (patriarchal structures), poor, stealing, etc.

Bad for Rroma in general, and bad that the press needs to say these are Rroma. They are poor people, that is all.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Less news on the front page means more on Rroma in the French Press. First, in the South, were legality seems not to be high on the priorities of the state in Montpellier. In that same city, residents are “exasperated” by a camp there. In Montaucran, in the South, a camp was closed; near Paris, two reportages on life in the camps; in Montreuil, camps are being dismantled; in Lyon, a report on the situation of Rroma in that city; in the North the mayor od a twon is accused of racism following the arson attack against a shop for Romanians and especially Rroma, while also in the North, a pedophile was targeting Rroma children.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

This week, some news about Rroma in France. A camp was closed in Goussainville, near Paris; in Nanterre, on Paris’ outskirt, a camp is being closely monitored following a fire; a camp has been closed near Grenoble; in the North, a tribunal has requested the expulsion of a camp; in the North, a shop selling Romanian products to Rroma was torched – WORRYSOME!; and finally, some quite rich thieves, Rroma from Serbia, who lived in a house with all amenities and luxury products.

Germany / Stuttgart: Begging

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Germany / Stuttgart: Begging

A report on begging in Stuttgart and on the actions of the police against it. Again, Rroma are seen as the main  source of beggars (from Bulgaria, Slovakia, and from Romania). Clearly an amalgamation of Rroma to beggars …

Slavery …

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Slavery …

A sad headline. In Romania, in a remote mountain village, nearly 40 young man and women were detained by a Rroma clan and de-facto held as slaves. The police indicted 38 people.

One can ask whether saying that the criminals are Rroma is relevant. We think not, as this only contributes to yet another negative stereotype. These are criminals, and should be judged as such. Ethnicity has lost nothing here.

Elie Wiesel on Romania

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Elie Wiesel on Romania

Elie Wiesel, who just died, urged his native Romania to confront its past and acknowledge the deportation of Jews and Rroma from Romania. What this article misses, ist that most Rroma were not deported to camps but displaced to Transnistria n the North East where an unknown number died of hunger and illnesses.

rroma.org
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