An interview with Anton Karagyozov, a Roma activist who has been active since the 1980s and has created the Roma Plovdiv Regional Development Foundation.
He tells about his work, successes, and challenges.
A flash mob took place in the center of Chisinau on July 7. The mostly Roma participants chanted slogans such as “Stop ethnic discrimination!” or “Stop the hate speech. Yes! Stop inciting hatred against Roma. Yes! Stop inciting hatred towards anyone. Yes!”
A decision of the Supreme Administrative Court says that the Ministry of Health must now actively verify whether an applicant for compensation was subjected to illegal sterilization in the past.
The impetus for changing the system was the request of a woman whose request for compensation was rejected by the Ministry of Health in the spring of 2022. The decision was mainly justified by the fact that the applicant’s medical records had already been shredded and she herself had not proven the illegality of her sterilization.
The Roma settlement in Koszary, located in the Limanowa region, are to be demolished as they were built without permits. A company has been contracted to demolish the houses. But they are not empty, as nothing has been done to re-locate the Roma families living there.
Bad.
Bronisława Wajs (Papusza) is one of the best know Romani poets. She owes part of the fame to Jerzy Ficowski, a Polish poet and ethnographer who published her poetry. In the article here, Emilia Kledzik, a professor in the university of Poznan, claims that the poetry were largely constructed by Jerzy Ficowski.
She even uses the word “forgeries”.
More and more of Sweden’s Finnish Roma, who are also called Kalé Roma, are moving to Finland, even though many have grown up in Sweden and spend their lives here. Above all, it is the fear of increasing gang crime but also poorer educational opportunities in Sweden that make the neighboring country attractive.
The Pilsen club Pixla mainly cares for underprivileged children from nearby hostels, having many Roma among its clients. Ukrainian refugees were added to this recently. For its work, the club won the second prize in a national competition for social services in May.
An Interview with Igor Andre, a Slovcak from Bratislava who worked in the office for the plenipotentiary of the Roma and moved 10 years ago in Eastern Slovakia and taught in a Roma school.
Well, his view of Roma is stereotypical. He states: “The debate about the Roma in our country is influenced by the woke ideology”; that the debate is “automatically based on the principle that the majority is the oppressor and the Roma are the victims.” He continues and says that Roma are gifted in crafts… In brief, he knows and sees only a part of the Roma community and thinks he knows it all.
Another Slovak article about the latest measures from Minister of Labor Erik Tomáš to reduce unemployment and prevent abuse of the social system.
“We want to employ and get to work as many Roma as possible,” said the minister at the beginning of the press conference. How will it work in practice? If an unemployed person rejects a job offer, the material need benefit will be withdrawn or reduced for 12 months. According to the law, it still applies that it must be such an offer that is suitable for the person in question and corresponds to his abilities.
Well, how will it work with Roma? Since most companies do not want to employ them, how is this supposed to work? This is just another of those populists measures that bring nothing.
The premiere of a short documentary film “Domov západ života” [Home, the basis of life], dedicated to the innovative practice of guaranteed housing, was held in Prague on June 28, 2024.
The guaranteed housing system, as presented in the document, plays a key role in providing affordable housing. A key role in this process is played by the guarantor, which can be a municipality or a non-profit organization. In the slide you can see how the system works, its benefits for all stakeholders and the real impacts.
An article that highlights the issues in Slovenia: In Šentjernej – A group of underage Roma – two girls and a boy – are extorting drivers at parking lots, forcibly opening car doors and inspecting the interior and making it impossible to start the vehicle, demanding money from drivers violently and with threats. Many women no longer dare to go to the store, bank, or church alone without the accompaniment of men, nor do the elderly and children.
This is bad for all.
The government should immediately ensure the safety of the citizens of the municipality of Škocjan and inform them within one month of the already adopted or promised measures and systemic plans for solving the Roma problem. This is what the Škocjan municipal council decided at yesterday’s extraordinary meeting, which was called by mayor Jože Kapler due to the increase in violence and crime by individual Roma or groups of Roma in their municipality in recent weeks.
Not good.
An emergency meeting of the Slovenian Commission for Petitions, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities was held in the National Assembly yesterday on the role of the Parents’ Council of the Velika Dolina Elementary School in connection with the attack on a student at the Velika Dolina Primary School.
According to the mayor of the town where the attack occurred, the government does not want to talk about Roma issues. The session was also not attended by members of the commission from the left parties. They said they estimate that it is indecent and inappropriate for the Commission to serve as a platform for spreading intolerance and pointing fingers by convening the meeting.
More news this week on Roma in France, and not all good. First, a man shot and wounded several Roma in a camp near Montpellier. Most probably another racist attack. In Marseilles, three Roma were wounded in a knife attack following a collision. The motive there is unclear. In Nantes, in Western France, planning has started for the closure of a large Roma camp. Then, several articles about a catalytic converter theft and traffic network which was dismantled in Romania after a theft committed in Calvados in Western France. This organized criminal group is said to have transported more than 900 catalytic converters through Roma camps in the Paris region.
A reaction from Serbia on the introduction by Google of Romanes in Google translate. Not surte how they arrive at the 4.6 Mio number … But well, this is taken from Euronews.
Nearly 800 pilgrims from about 30 towns will arrive on Saturday to Mátraverebély-Szentkút, for the national Roma pilgrimage, headed by Bishop János Székely, chairman of the Pastoral Committee for the Roma.
Nice headline, but reality is somewhat different: there are more than 800 Roma in most villages around this part of Hungary. So frankly, this is not a Roma pilgrimage, but a showcase.
An article about Vlach Roma (called Olah in Slovakia) and their lavish customs for weddings. It is bad on both sides, the press dwelling on stereotypes, and Roma just showing off.
The theater group Ara Art decided to help women who were victims of involuntary illegal sterilizations in the past. Their new project combines a theatrical production, an information campaign and personal support for compensation claims.
The law on the provision of a one-time financial sum to persons sterilized in violation of the law entered into force at the beginning of 2022. Since then, over 500 women, mainly of Roma origin, have received compensation. “Hundreds more have submitted applications that have not yet been approved, and many other women do not know how to deal with the administrative process or do not trust it,” said the Ara Art organization in a press release sent to the Romea.cz news site.
The Roma culture festival Ara Fest has become a tradition in recent years. Since its inception in 2017, however, it has grown considerably – not only in terms of the program, but also in terms of the number of cities where it takes place.
This year, for the first time, Ara Fest will take place in four Czech cities. The festival “string” will begin in Pilsen, where the program is divided into three days from July 4 to 6. It will continue from 17 to 19 July in Brno, from 22 to 24 August it will delight the residents of Ostrava, and in Jablonec nad Nisou from 6 to 7 September.
Two articles in the Bulgarian media about the introduction of Romanes in Google translate. “I’m looking for a job” or “Rodav buti” – so everyone with Romani language can now help themselves with Google translator.
“This is a recognition, a sense of self-confidence for the Roma, that their language is important, that the language is part of the culture, part of the worldview, and that they are on equal footing with other peoples,” says Ognyan Isaev from the “Trust for a Social Alternative” foundation.
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