Author Archives: Roma Foundation

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

Anti-Roma rhetoric is on the rise in Slovenia, echoed by the media and fueled by politicians of all persuasions, following several incidents involving members of the community in the south-east of the country. While Roma are the most discriminated against minority in Slovenia, there are solutions to improve integration. An interview with a Roma activist.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

More news this week about Roma in France. First, a photography exhibition about Roma in the Balkans. The issue, they speak of “nomad” populations, which is totally wrong in the Balkans. Second, it shows the usual pictures of poverty and many children, which is a result of exclusion, not Roma traditions. In brief, these exhibitions strengthen stereotypes.

A reportage in Nantes  focuses on a new camp near the city and the controversies that it generates there. The story of a premature baby who was abbducted by its parents recently made the headlines in France. The parents were later stopped in Belgium. Here, the article says that the father and mother are Roma, that the father is a petty criminal and the mother a toxicoman.

The other news are more common: A camp near Paris and one near Toulosue were dismantled.

Bulgaria: Vote Buying and Threats

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Bulgaria: Vote Buying and Threats

An article whereby a Romano “baron” threatened the journalist Maria Tsantsarova from B TV after she had been investigating vote buying.

Bulgaria: Razzia

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Bulgaria: Razzia

The Bulgarian Police raided the Sliven Roma district “Nadezhda” and blocked all exits for several hours. They apparently found notebooks with names and money amounts pointing to possible vote buying in the upcoming Bulgarian elections.

It is a common theme that Roma vote are there to be bought in Bulgaria.

Russia and Roma

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Russia and Roma

Following the murder of a taxi driver in the region of Cheliabinsk, a murder that was bamed on Roma, a pogrom took place in the Roma neighbourhood.

Bad.

Oświęcim: Commemoration

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Oświęcim: Commemoration

On October 21st, 1981, an incident occurred in Oświęcim that quickly turned into a series of acts of violence directed against Roma families. The argument between Roma and non-Roma over their place in the queue escalated to such an extent that the townspeople formed a committee to “expel the Gypsies” from Auschwitz. Houses were set on fire, cars were destroyed, and physical violence was committed. Over 100 people were forced to leave the town and eventually the country. Instead of passports, the Roma were given so-called travel documents, which allowed them to leave Poland but did not allow them to return.

Łodź: Conference

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Łodź: Conference

A conference on Roma settlements and houses by the political scientist Andrzej Grzymała-Kazłowski will be held on the 26 of October in Łodź.

Padua and Roma

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Padua and Roma

The city of Padua received 1 million euros for th integration of Romane children and adolescents. That’s nice, but that is also not much …

Slovakia: Romani School

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Slovakia: Romani School

According to the articles, many children from the Podtatra  Roma community speak exclusively Romanes at home. When they start school, they may therefore have a problem with understanding the Slovak language. This is already a false premise, Roma are dual language speakers from early on.

The pilot project in the village of Rakúsy aims to improve this situation thanks to the first national school, where teaching will also be in the Romani language. In the village, 74 percent of the over 2,000 inhabitants claim to be Roma. The most used language is Romanes.

Well, this will result in a segegrated school, whose standards will drop, and will contribute to further marginalisation.

Slovenia: Not Good

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Slovenia: Not Good

The now 40-year-old Bogdan Miklič, a Rom from the village of Stranska vas pri Novem mesto in Slovenia, had a promising career as a journalist at RTV Slovenia, and he is also active in his Roma Civil society. Among others, he was the president of the association Gypsies once – Roma today,  and still is the legal representative or president of the Roma Association for Dolenjska.

According to the article, he is nowadays most often seen in court for fraud and theft, and in this particular case, for threatening his farmer neighbour.

Whatever he did, this kind of articles does not further the Romani cause.

Czechia: Campaign

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Czechia: Campaign

The RomanoNet platform, covering more than fifteen Roma and pro-Roma organizations, is launching a new online campaign called “50 shades of anti-Roma racism in the Czech Republic”. The main goal of the campaign is to fight against prejudices, stereotypes and expressions of hateful behavior directed against the Roma.

Slovakia: Museum of Roma Culture

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Slovakia: Museum of Roma Culture

The Museum of Roma Culture in Slovakia has been actively involved in research, documentation and presentation of the rich cultural heritage of the Roma since 2004. “The exhibition will introduce visitors to the history of the museum and its predecessor – the Documentation Centre of Roma Culture, its development and professional activities, as well as the importance of preserving the cultural identity of the Roma through museum activities,” said Kiripolská.

The Exhibition is titled “Hin amen museum!” –[We have a museum].

Poland: Movie

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Poland: Movie

“Wrooklyn zoo” is a tribute to youth. A film with Wrocław as background is now in cinemas

Director Krzysztof Skonieczny himself comes from Lower Silesia and, like the main character of the film, as a teenager he roamed the streets of Wrocław on a skateboard.

It’s a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, except that Romeo is a skater, Juliet is a Romni and Verona is Wrocław.

Bulgaria, Elections, and Accusations

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Bulgaria, Elections, and Accusations

With the upcoming elections in Bulgaria, the visit of a politician Kiril Petkov, to a Roma settlement, prompted accusations that he was trying to buy votes. The article says he met with the “Romani Barons” and moneylenders who are know vote buyers…

Greece and the “Copper Mafia”

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Greece and the “Copper Mafia”

Several articles in the Bulgarian press about a police action in Roma settlements in Greece against the “copper mafia”, which steals and trades metals on the black market. According to the police, these are usually Roma gangs, and the target of their raids are copper cables and railway tracks. Catalytic converters are also removed from the cars, which are then sold on the black market for between 400 and 900 euros. The more expensive ones are stolen to order from illegal car repair shops.

Among the people arrested there were Greeks, Bulgarians, and Romanians.

Mukachevo Region: Measles Epidemic

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Mukachevo Region: Measles Epidemic

The measles virus continues to spread on the territory of the Mukachevo community, and the epidemic situation remains tense. According to doctors, 25 cases of this disease have been recorded since the beginning of the year, 22 of them in September-October. A measles outbreak occurred in a compact Roma settlement. Currently, 7 children are receiving inpatient treatment. Measles is a dangerous, contagious viral disease that spreads quickly. 9 out of 10 people with whom an infected person has been in contact will also become ill if they have not been vaccinated.

Ukraine: Inclusion Program for Minorities

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Ukraine: Inclusion Program for Minorities

Aproject in the Lutsk region, “Stronger together: support and expansion of opportunities for national minorities in Lutsk during the war” financed in part by the Council of Europe, is aimed at creating a favorable and inclusive environment for national minorities in the community, helping to overcome challenges caused by the war, etc.

Resource meetings, psychological consultations, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and leadership workshops take place within the project. The target audience is representatives of national minorities (communities), internally displaced persons, representatives of the public sector who actively work with national minorities (communities).

Ukraine, the Economist, and Roma

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Ukraine, the Economist, and Roma

A Ukrainian translation of the article of the Economist about Roma in the Ukraine which, unfortunately, is not exactly up to the standards of this publication.

It states, for example, that almost half of the Roma who lived in Ukraine before the war fled Ukraine. But actually base themselves on Transcarpathian Ukraine. And anyhow, one doesn’t know how many Roma lived in Ukraine before the war…

Journalism on Roma is nearly always bad.

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