More than a year after a fire ravaged a Roma settlement in Trebišov, Slovakia, a more suitable housing has been provided by a NGO. Until then, many of the Roma had to live in tents, even through the winter.
The state is pretty much absent here.
The story of a Romni who is now a school teacher. That is really positive. What is less, is that they say that a rich wedding and a future as a housewife awaited her and Ildikó, a Roma a Vlach Romni, defied the rules.
According to the article, men have the decisive say and women’s role is to stay at home and take care of the household. Ildikó Kotlárová also grew up in the Vlach (called Olah in Slovakia) Roma community, refused to accept traditions – she did not want to get married without love in an arranged marriage and she did not want to be a woman whose word would not have weight in society. For not accepting the rules of her community, her life’s dream came true.
Again, the traditions of a very small group of Roma are generalised on all.
The infamous police raid in Moldov nad Bodvou, where Roma were beaten by the police, and then condemned for defamation against the very same police, is coming to an end, more than 9 years after the facts. Slovakia was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights, and now has settled compensations for the victims of police violence.
But .. they did not acknowledge any wrongdoing. This is bad.
Does one really have to report on this? A brawl among Roma in a settlement in Slovakia makes it to CNN.
Bad for all.
A view of the fate of Roma since the accession of Slovakia to the EU. Well, life was better for many Roma in Slovakia under communism than afterwards.
This is a sad commemoration after 20 years in the EU.
An article in the Polish press about the Lunik IX housing estate that is Roma neighbourhood. The situation there is not getting better.
The story of a Roma settlement in Slovakia where people used to live in wooden huts with earthen floors. Now, ten years later, they live in brick houses, and are beter off, but still no one there has completed high school.
They supported employment, folklore and football. 55 years ago, the first Roma “non-governmental organization” was established
The Union of Gypsies and Roma started the emancipation activities of the unrecognized national minority, writes ethnographer René Lužica.
A local project in a Roma settlement saw the creation of a “hygiene centre”, a place where the residents of the settlement can come, take a shower, wash clothes etc. They have set up washing machines. In brief all sort of amenities that do not exist there.
An interesting article about integration of Roma in Slovak schools. Most non-Roma parents would prefer Roma to be in segregated schools. This is precisely what the recent research of the Centre for Environmental and Ethical Education Živica and the non-profit organization Teach, co-financed by the EU, addressed. He revealed some interesting things, namely that the majority of the public have no problem with their children going to class with a child from socially excluded communities. However, they are convinced that it would be best for Roma children to be educated in separate classes or even schools.
For as long as this attitude prevails, it will be difficult to de-segregate schools.
In its latest report, Amnesty criticised Slovakia for its discrimination against Roma. Specially, they also drew attention on cases of police brutality against Roma.
An editorial on the disastrous conditions faced by some segregated Roma settlements in Slovakia. The author cites that it is totally unacceptable that people live in conditions of the 15th (sic!) century. He also states that nothing has been done in the last 20 years, and that segregated education is not acceptable either.
After the announcement by Volvo that in their new factory in Eastern Slovakia they will employ Roma, the Slovak Government is pitching in … Fact is, the car industry will need up to 25’000 new workers, and the Volvo factory needs 7’500 by itself. This will not be possible without Roma.
A Czech reportage on the notorious Lunik IX Roma housing estate outside of Košice, Slovakia. According to the reportage, an average of 12 people live in each of the flats of the estate.
The article also recalls how this ghetto was created: Originally, there were both Roma and others living there. Ut from 1995 onward, the city relocated Roma from the centre to the estate, and non-Roma to the centre. In addition, people who did not pay their rent were also relocated there. So, effectively, the population in Lunik IX is almost entirely Roma.
According to Ingrid Kosová, member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic for Progressive Slovakia, it is very important that Roma have representation in political parties. At the same time, she emphasized that they must be experts. “Personally, I would like political parties to choose Romani candidates who are experts, and not just because they are Roma,” she said in an exclusive interview for the first Romani internet television, ROMEA TV, in which she spoke with Jarmila Balážová about her journey into politics, the importance of Roma representation in political structures and her priorities as a parliamentarian.
A housing estate on Dúžavská cesta in Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia, has about 1’000 residents. The kindergarten has only space for 26 children …
The town wants to do something about it and build a new one.
In a post on the Instagram social network, the popular Slovak singer Paľo Habera shared a photo and expressed his pride in the group of Roma workers who have been going to the Czech Republic for work for several years.
A Rom blogger who has experienced several times the disparaging comments about Roma, writes on the new Slovak President, Peter Pellegrini. He basically says that he supports the current government of Fico who is rabidly anti LGBT and anti-Roma. And he asks how many times die Mr. Pellegrini have to lie to himself to support all of this…
A reportage on Slovak TV about the origins of the Internationa Roma day and the first Roma World Congress.
The current Slovak President Čaputová commemorated International Roma Day. She stated that Roma students would very much like Slovakia to be a more tolerant country that can give Roma children a chance and accept them.
She invited Roma students from universities and secondary schools from all over Slovakia to the palace.
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