Monthly Archives: septembre 2024

Interview with Vera Kopčič

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Vera Klopčič is an honorary member of the Association of Roma in Slovenia. Until her retirement, Vera Klopčič was employed at the Institute for Ethnic Issues. She devoted an important part of her career to the study of Roma communities in Europe and Slovenia. In 2007, within the framework of the institute, she published a book entitled Position of Roma in Slovenia: Romi and Gadže.

“We must encourage the study of culture, the development and preservation of language and identity even among the Roma themselves. Self-confident Roma will integrate into society more easily,”  she believes.

Slovenia: A Diatribe

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A long and bitter article bemoaning the fact that Roma have been allowed to become unemployed, criminals, of not sending children to school, etc. Of course, the fault is that laws have been made specially for them, and that the equailty of all citizen in front of the law is not guaranteed.

Ribnica and Roma

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The Vice President of the Council of the Roma Community of the RS, Fatmir Bečiri, today visited three Roma settlements in the municipality of Ribnica. The council of the Roma community recently got involved in resolving the dispute between the municipality and the local Roma. The aim of the visit is to prove that it is possible to talk to the Roma and find solutions to their problems, Bečiri told the media during the visit.

The mayor of Ribnica said that Roma would not get drinking water uless they showed they wanted to integrate and send their chlcren to school.

Czechia and Populists

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Tomio Okamura’s Czech SPD movement created a series of graphics and posters before the elections, on which the themes of refugees or the Roma minority are presented. One poster, for example, features a bloodied dark-skinned man with the caption that the SPD rejects “imported surgeons”. Another shows supposed Roma children with cigarettes. Both were generated with AI.

Not all of them

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The problem is not the entire Roma community, but individuals with a first and last name. After the meeting on solving Roma issues, Minister of Internal Affairs Boštjan Poklukar and a representative of the Roma community emphasized that this area can only be solved through dialogue.

Slovenia and Roma

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At an extraordinary session, with 50 votes in favour and 29 against, the parliament adopted the recommendations on the effectiveness of dealing with Roma issues, which proposes to the government to prepare systemic measures by amending the Act on Municipal Financing. At the end of the several-hour debate, which at times devolved into political reckoning, two amendments from the opposition were not accepted.

Croatia: Integration

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The “Join II” project brings activities aimed at the integration of the Roma community. Since March of this year, the Centre for Missing and Abused Children has continued to implement the “Join II” project, in cooperation with the Roma Resource Center (RRC). The goal of the project is to encourage the integration of the Roma community and strengthen social cohesion through diverse activities.

School Segregation in Czechia

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In the Czech Republic, there are still 130 segregated schools where Roma make up at least a third of the students. Veronika Hlaváčová’s documentary brings the experiences of Roma whose children ended up in such classes and points to the vast differences in the quality of education.

“Normally, the teacher leaves us there and goes to the office because she has her child there. Completely disinterested,” describes Zdeněk in the documentary. He attends the eighth grade along with 14 other Roma. “We come to school, the teacher comes, we have mathematics and he tells us, for example, to write something down and we do whatever we want for the rest of the lesson,” he adds.

 

Roma and Politics

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Roma in Europe cannot rely on the support of traditional political parties and must build their own political power in order to gain more influence on political events. Željko Jovanović, director of the Roma Foundation for Europe, stated in an interview for the first Roma internet television, ROMEA TV, in connection with the fact that after 20 years the Roma have no representative in the European Parliament, Jovanović also emphasized the need to strengthen the economic potential of Roma and Roma women and develop their cultural identity.

Czechia: Children’s Book

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The illustrated book Jekh, duj, trin! [One, two, three!] introduces children to the everyday life and traditions of an ordinary Roma family and prepares them to enter school.

Well, with a few stereotypes…

Glasgow: Ando Glaso Roma Fest

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Glasgow is gearing up for the return of Ando Glaso Roma Fest 2024, promising a rich program of music, dance, film and cultural workshops. Taking place on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th September, this two-day festival will welcome talented artists from across the UK and Europe and offer visitors a unique insight into the rich and diverse Roma culture.

NGOs and Roma

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The Roma Council of the City of Brno (RRB) expressed serious concern over the selection of Martin Máša as the new director of the IQ Roma service organization. According to the council, a long-term problem is that Roma themselves are not included in leadership positions in organizations that focus on helping Roma.

Nothing new, unfortunately…

Slovenia, Crime, and Politics

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The Minister of Internal Affairs, Boštjan Poklukar, met with representatives of the regional civil initiative for solving the Roma issue from Novi Mesto, Kočevje, Brežice, Grosuplje, Šentjernej and Škocjan. After the meeting, Poklukar said that the meeting was constructive and that he was happy about the dialogue, while the representative of the civil initiative Novo mesto Silvo Mesojedec expressed several criticisms of the inaction of all Slovenian governments so far and announced the escalation of activities.

Slovenia and Roma

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Another expert on the Roma problem. This one says that one needs a new healthy approach to the issues. Bu he also says that in Kočevje, someone said, if you don’t give me water, the children won’t come to school. Children are a means of extortion, as well as a part of the family economy.

No comments …

Schools in Slovakia

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With a camera, the staff of Slovak Television went to the village of Rakúsy in the Kežmar district to see the beginning of the school year. In the Osada (the Roma settlement), the number of pupils is increasing. Due to limited capacity, the school has two-shift teaching.

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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An article whose title says it clearly: Integration in a ghetto? It is like learning to swim on dry land.

In brief, the article discusses the problematic of integration when some of the basics are simply not given.

Slovenia: Discussion

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A round table was held on Slovenian TV  on the topic of Roma. The themes were how to provide Roma with drinking water, solve the problem of ownership and use of the land they live on, and better integrate them into the majority population? Present were the president of the forum of Roma councillors, Darko Rudaš, the mayor of Ribnica, Samo Pogorelc, and Olivera Mirković, who has been working with Roma children in Kerinove Grmo for decades.

Czech Romani Music

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On August 22, an energetic Roma Bašavel was held as part of the 21st International Festival of New Circus and Theatewr Letní Letná. The main stars of the evening were DJ GADJO CZ, the Roma band Trio Romano and the young dance star Lily Sarah Ščuková.

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