A reportage in the South Serbian town of Bosilegrad, a city that historically was part of Bulgaria and is predominantly still Bulgarian with a significant Roma population. Many of them do no longer want to be Bulgarians.
The promotion of the documentary called a “Musical Biography of Shaban Bajramovic” produced by the Association FROS, began with the sounds of one of the most famous Shaban songs “Sajbija”, performed by famous trumpeter Nebojsa Sejdic.
A few articles in the Balkan press on the celebrations of Erdelezi or Đurđevdan – simply Saint Georges day in the orthodox calendar – which fell on May 6th, and is celebrated by all Roma in the Balkans.
A the claim by Srdjan Šajn, the leader of a Serbian Roma party, that Roma were given 2 Mio Euros to vote in the last elections.
Roma in Serbia are being courted by all parties, as usual, and being promised a lot or bought outright. The electoral list “Roma Patria – Srdjan Šajn” called on the citizens today to take whatever is being offered to in exchange for votes, but to vote according to their conscience, noting that “buying votes is a collapse of democracy”.
Roma in Serbia are actively courted by political parties, but have very little political clout when it comes to elections in spite of their large number in Serbia.
“Revolutionaries” on the one hand, “pioneers” of the fight against discrimination against Roma on the modern music scene, girls who stand not only for the rights of Roma women, but for all women – Silvia Sinani, Zlata Ristic, Diana and Zivka Iva Ferhatovic, Selma and Elma Dalipi , make up the band Pretty Loud.
More than half of Roma in Serbia do not know their rights or anti-discrimination mechanisms, according to a survey “Roma Perceptions of Discrimination” initiated by the Commissioner for Equality in Serbia and supported by the German NGO GIZ.
Many Roma children and adolescents in Belgrade are forced to work. They do not go to school regularly, and cultural practices and sports activities are often beyond their reach. The (per)Spective project wants to open the doors of cinemas and museums to them.
An article on the struggle of the Roma in Leskovac, Serbia. They see their problem, above all, in their own disunity and weak organization, and the struggle for functions that will bring someone the most personal, but not collective benefits.
Well, this is not the only issue to be frank.
The Italian press is full of the story of an altercation of a Serbian footballer Sinisa Mihajlovic who clashed with the Italian police after being insulted as a “Gypsy” …
Serbia is adding three million EUR to its budget for the social inclusion of Roma. Not an awful lot in view of the current situation.
– Another EUR 3 million for social inclusion of Roma. In: B92. 24.01.2019. https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2019&mm=01&dd=24&nav_id=106060 [link-preview url=”https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2019&mm=01&dd=24&nav_id=106060″]
Nataša Tasić Knežević, an Opera star and Romni was singled out for search at a local supermarket in her hometown of Novi Sad. She accuses the shop of racial profiling…
– Singled out for search at a Serbian supermarket, Roma opera superstar accuses the store of racism. In: Global Voices. 07.01.2019. https://globalvoices.org/2019/01/07/singled-out-for-search-at-a-serbian-supermarket-roma-opera-superstar-accuses-the-store-of-racism/ [link-preview url=”https://globalvoices.org/2019/01/07/singled-out-for-search-at-a-serbian-supermarket-roma-opera-superstar-accuses-the-store-of-racism/”]
A reportage on the impact of the discussions of an eventual swap of land between Kosovo and Serbia – for the Serbs, the Albanians, but also for the Roma.
– Entre Kosovo et Serbie, le spectre d’un échange de territoires. In: Le Temps. 04.01.2019. https://www.letemps.ch/monde/entre-kosovo-serbie-spectre-dun-echange-territoires [link-preview url=”https://www.letemps.ch/monde/entre-kosovo-serbie-spectre-dun-echange-territoires”]
Serbians were involved in the arrest, deportation, and killing of Roma during World War Two. A chapter that is largely occulted in Serbia nowadays.
– Serbia’s Forgotten Role in the Roma Holocaust. In: Balkan Insight. 17.12.2018. http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/serbia-s-forgotten-role-in-the-roma-holocaust-12-14-2018 [link-preview url=”http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/serbia-s-forgotten-role-in-the-roma-holocaust-12-14-2018″]
A reportage and an article in the Belgian press on the situation of Roma in Serbia and the constant discriminations they are facing.
– La minorité rom en Serbie: des discriminations tenaces (reportage). In: RTBF. 18.11.2018. https://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_la-minorite-rom-en-serbie-des-discriminations-tenaces?id=10076074
– “En centre fermé, c’était le stress, ici en Serbie c’est le stress”: la maman rom enfermée à Steenokkerzeel témoigne. In: Vivreici. 21.11.2018. http://www.vivreici.be/article/detail_en-centre-ferme-c-etait-le-stress-ici-en-serbie-c-est-le-stress-la-maman-rom-enfermee-a-steenokkerzeel-temoigne?id=229516 [link-preview url=”https://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_la-minorite-rom-en-serbie-des-discriminations-tenaces?id=10076074 “]
30 Roma attacked and beat up a postman in a Roma settlement in Čačak in central Serbia. This attack unfortunately prompted many articles less than favourable to Roma in general. No reason was given for the attack.
– ČAČAK: Poštara krvnički pretukli! In: Visegrad 24. 06.11.2018. http://www.visegrad24.info/cacak-postara-krvnicki-pretukli/
– Čačak: Romi pretukli poštara, povređena i Romkinja. In: Vesti. 06.11.2018. https://vesti-online.com/Vesti/Hronika/716389/Cacak-Romi-pretukli-postara-povredjena-i-Romkinja
– Poštara brutalno tuklo 30 ljudi jer “nije donio rješenje za novčanu pomoć” In; Nezavisne. 06.11.2018. https://www.nezavisne.com/novosti/ex-yu/Postara-brutalno-tuklo-30-ljudi-jer-nije-donio-rjesenje-za-novcanu-pomoc/506921
– Romi pretukli poštara, zbrinut u čačanskoj bolnici. In: Kstarica. 06.11.2018. https://www.krstarica.com/vesti/hronika/romi-pretukli-postara-zbrinut-u-cacanskoj-bolnici/
– Poštara kod Čačka 30 ljudi tuklo šipkama!? In: Mondo. 06.11.2018. http://mondo.rs/a1144314/Info/Crna-Hronika/Cacak-pretucen-postar.html
– 30 Romov brutalno preteplo poštarja Marka, ker ni prinesel odločbe. In: Devnik. 09.11.2018. https://www.slovenskenovice.si/kronika/na-tujem/clanek/30-romov-brutalno-preteplo-postarja-marka-ker-ni-prinesel-odlocbe-110886 [link-preview url=”https://vesti-online.com/Vesti/Hronika/716389/Cacak-Romi-pretukli-postara-povredjena-i-Romkinja “]
This does not only happen in Eastern Europe… The State of Nord Rhein Westphalia must pay a compensation to a young Rom from Serbia for having put him in special schools for mentally impaired.
– Land NRW muss zahlen Kölner jahrelang zu Unrecht auf Sonderschule. In: KSTA. 17.07.2018. https://www.ksta.de/koeln/land-nrw-muss-zahlen-koelner-jahrelang-zu-unrecht-auf-sonderschule-30971686# [link-preview url=”https://www.ksta.de/koeln/land-nrw-muss-zahlen-koelner-jahrelang-zu-unrecht-auf-sonderschule-30971686#”]
A Roma family is dragging Serbia in front of the European Court for Human Right for their eviction in Belgrade in 2012.
– Roma family takes eviction case to European Court of Human Rights. In: Al Jazeera. 16.06.2018. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/roma-family-takes-eviction-case-european-court-human-rights-180616102238684.html [link-preview url=”https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/roma-family-takes-eviction-case-european-court-human-rights-180616102238684.html”]
Nothing seems to change in Serbia for Roma.
Sad …
– MARGINALISATION ET DISCRIMINATIONS : RIEN NE CHANGE POUR LES ROMS DE SERBIE. In: Le Courrier des Balkans. 08.06.2018. https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/Rroms-de-Serbie-de-la-discrimination-a-l-isolement [link-preview url=”https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/Rroms-de-Serbie-de-la-discrimination-a-l-isolement”]
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