Guess what, Roma are bad, but migrants are worse, because they are foreign … Statements from the Hungarian Prime Minister Orban.
– Orbán says migrants are like gypsies, but migrants are worse because they come from outside Hungary. In: Budapest Beacon. 02.03.2018. https://budapestbeacon.com/orban-says-migrants-like-gypsies-migrants-worse-come-outside-hungary/ [link-preview url=”https://budapestbeacon.com/orban-says-migrants-like-gypsies-migrants-worse-come-outside-hungary/”]
A Photo exhibition on Vlach Roma women is opening in Bratislava. There are a few problems with the presentation and with the text which mentions a lot “nomadic” Roma. Which Vlach were not really until they were freed from slavery in the 1860’s
– Svet veštkýň z komunity olašských Rómov vám priblíži výstava Lucie Sekerkovej. In: Bratislave Noviny. 28.02.2018. https://www.bratislavskenoviny.sk/kultura/48554-vystava-aku-ste-zrejme-nevideli-zavedie-vas-do-sveta-vsetkyn-z-komunity-olasskych-romov [link-preview url=”https://www.bratislavskenoviny.sk/kultura/48554-vystava-aku-ste-zrejme-nevideli-zavedie-vas-do-sveta-vsetkyn-z-komunity-olasskych-romov”]
The new laws on Roma have been adopted in Slovenia. These laws have been controversial and contested by Roma organisations.
– Govt adopts changes to Roma law. In: STA. 01.03.2018. https://english.sta.si/2488273/govt-adopts-changes-to-roma-law [link-preview url=”https://english.sta.si/2488273/govt-adopts-changes-to-roma-law”]
An article about volunteers helping homeless and Roma in Kiev. Nice, but actually disturbing: A state of life, i.e. being homeless is cobbled together with a minority. This amalgamation is dangerous as it perpetuates clichés about the minority.
It would have been simple to say “homeless” and add “and among them some Roma” …
– Kyiv volunteers help homeless, Roma people. In: Kyiv Post. 01.03.2018. https://www.kyivpost.com/lifestyle/people/journalism-of-tolerance/kyiv-volunteers-help-homeless-roma-people.html [link-preview url=”https://www.kyivpost.com/lifestyle/people/journalism-of-tolerance/kyiv-volunteers-help-homeless-roma-people.html”]
Although the high rate of Roma unemployment in Central and South-Eastern Europe is often attributed to a low level of education and professional skills, one of the more important reasons is discrimination that prevents Roma from entering the labour market on an equal footing.
Integration into the labour market should be a priority in promoting a full social inclusion. Some steps towards this goal were made by the recently completed two-year international Working Roma project, which included the Novo Mesto Society for the Development of Volunteer Work.
As project coordinator Tina Cigler says, in the Working Roma project, partners from nine European countries have tried to develop new tools to prevent intolerance against Roma in the labour market, thereby increasing their employment prospects. The tools and recommendations were developed on the basis of study visits by partner countries, consultations within different groups and good practices that we detected in our partner countries: Italy, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Greece, Malta and the United Kingdom.
Let’s see.
– Se zaposlovanju Romov obetajo boljši časi? In: Dolenski List. 28.02.2018. http://www.dolenjskilist.si/2018/02/28/191553/novice/dolenjska/Se_zaposlovanju_Romov_obetajo_boljsi_casi/ [link-preview url=”http://www.dolenjskilist.si/2018/02/28/191553/novice/dolenjska/Se_zaposlovanju_Romov_obetajo_boljsi_casi/”]
The Pole Szymon K., a 33-year-old from Środa Wielkopolska, appears on the Internet under the name ‘IsAmUxPompa’ and produces videos that are extremely racist against Roma. He says openly “I hate Roma” and some of his videos have had more than a million views.
The Poznan prosecutor office is investigating. Everyone should ask Google to remove the guy from YouTube.
– Popularny youtuber: “Nienawidzę Cyganów. Jeb… brudasów. Jeśli ich nienawidzisz, daj lajka”. Prokurator wyrozumiały. In: Wyborca. 01.03.2018. http://poznan.wyborcza.pl/poznan/7,36001,23081636,popularny-youtuber-obrazal-na-nagraniu-romow-prokurator-wyrozumialy.html [link-preview url=”http://poznan.wyborcza.pl/poznan/7,36001,23081636,popularny-youtuber-obrazal-na-nagraniu-romow-prokurator-wyrozumialy.html”]
Another article on the currently ongoing campaign in Slovakia to present positive Roma role models. There are many of them!
– Campaign for Roma sets out to make Nazis cry. In: The Slovak Spectator. 27.02.2018. https://spectator.sme.sk/c/20769300/campaign-for-roma-sets-out-to-make-nazis-cry.html [link-preview url=”https://spectator.sme.sk/c/20769300/campaign-for-roma-sets-out-to-make-nazis-cry.html”]
The Council of Europe is organising a meeting with representatives of Roma youth organisations on February 27th and 28th to discuss Roma youth participation at all EU level.
– Roma Youth: Searching for sustainable and meaningful participation. In: Council of Europe. https://www.coe.int/en/web/youth-roma/-/roma-youth-searching-for-sustainable-and-meaningful-participation [link-preview url=”https://www.coe.int/en/web/youth-roma/-/roma-youth-searching-for-sustainable-and-meaningful-participation”]
A reminder of the very bad situation of Roma in Kosovo. One speaks of the Gurbeti of Mitrovica but one should not forget all the others who are discriminated against or who have fled their country.
– Kosovo’s Roma still endure prejudice and aftermath of toxic UN camps. In: The Irish Times. 24.02.2018. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/kosovo-s-roma-still-endure-prejudice-and-aftermath-of-toxic-un-camps-1.3403333 [link-preview url=”https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/kosovo-s-roma-still-endure-prejudice-and-aftermath-of-toxic-un-camps-1.3403333″]
Not many news this week in France about Roma. First, an article that shows integration works. Roma who were part of a program around Paris found a job. The French defender of Human Rights, Jacque Toubon, lauded the successes of an insertion village near Paris. Other than that, in Triel sur Seine, residents are fighting for the closure of a Roma camp; a fire in a Roma camp is reported in the North of France; and Roma, while more likely to get measles are also more likely to vaccinate against it, given the opportunity.
Finally, two cases of criminality: Romanian thieves attacking women and card thefts in Western France.
– Des Roms quittent le bidonville pour se former. In: La Croix. 19.02.2018. https://www.la-croix.com/Economie/France/Roms-quittent-bidonville-former-2018-02-19-1200914823
– Toubon salue les résultats ” remarquables ” du village humanitaire d’Ivry. In: Le Parisien. 21.02.2018. http://www.leparisien.fr/val-de-marne-94/ivry-toubon-salue-les-resultats-remarquables-du-village-humanitaire-21-02-2018-7571622.php
– Camp de Roms à Triel-sur-Seine : des habitants expriment leur ras-le-bol au conseil. In 78 Actu. 23.02.2018. https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/triel-sur-seine_78624/camp-roms-triel-sur-seine-habitants-expriment-leur-ras-bol-conseil_15586775.html
– Camp de Roms : constat partagé, visions opposes. In: La Gazette. 21.02.2018. http://lagazette-yvelines.fr/2018/02/21/camp-de-roms-constat-partage-visions-opposees/
– Une caravane prend feu dans un camp de Roms, pas de victim. In: La Voix du Nord. 20.02.2018. http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/321051/article/2018-02-20/une-caravane-prend-feu-dans-un-camp-de-roms-pas-de-victime
– Rougeole : ce que la ministre ne dit pas. In: NPA. 20.02.2018. https://npa2009.org/actualite/sante/rougeole-ce-que-la-ministre-ne-dit-pas
– Maine-et-Loire. Les cambrioleurs roumains s’attaquaient aux fermes. In: Ouest France. 23.02.2018. https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/angers-49000/mauges-les-cambrioleurs-roumains-s-attaquaient-aux-fermes-5584470
– Rennes. Six ans de prison requis contre le chef des voleurs de cartes bancaires. In: Ouest France. 20.02.2018. https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/rennes-35000/rennes-six-ans-de-prison-requis-contre-le-chef-des-voleurs-de-cartes-bancaires-5577768 [link-preview url=”https://www.la-croix.com/Economie/France/Roms-quittent-bidonville-former-2018-02-19-1200914823 “]
The Hungarians have caught up with their numbers … The latest statistics about the Roma minority in the country counts 9% of Roma or about 876’000 Roma in the country. This is the number that NGOs and activists have always advanced
This is a major increase to previous numbers which were systematically under-estimated.
– The growth of Hungary’s Roma minority – A fascinating new study. In: The Hungarian Free Press. 23.02.2018. http://hungarianfreepress.com/2018/02/23/the-growth-of-hungarys-roma-minority-a-fascinating-new-study/ [link-preview url=”http://hungarianfreepress.com/2018/02/23/the-growth-of-hungarys-roma-minority-a-fascinating-new-study/”]
A new book about a Sintica, written by her son. She was deported from Hamburg to Poland and survived 6 years of camps.
– Wiesbadener Buchautor erzählt die Geschichte einer Sintifamilie. In: Merkurist. 20.02.2018. https://merkurist.de/wiesbaden/familiengeschichte-wiesbadener-buchautor-erzaehlt-die-geschichte-einer-sintifamilie_iIl [link-preview url=”https://merkurist.de/wiesbaden/familiengeschichte-wiesbadener-buchautor-erzaehlt-die-geschichte-einer-sintifamilie_iIl”]
An article on the Roma slavery in Romania on the anniversary of its abolition.
– Roma Slavery is Historical Trauma. In: Harvard Center for Health and Human Rights. https://fxb.harvard.edu/roma-slavery-is-historical-trauma/ [link-preview url=”https://fxb.harvard.edu/roma-slavery-is-historical-trauma/”]
The story of the stamp and the note on the passport of a Romni from Romania continues to feed the news. It made it to the Romanian news, where they noted that the German administration effectively defaced property of the Romanian State (yes, the passport). It continues to get coverage in Germany, as it is all too reminiscent of practices of the Nazis.
– Bedenkliche Vermerke in Pässen: Will Frankfurt obdachlose Roma-Migranten vertreiben? In: Sputnik. 21.02.2018. https://de.sputniknews.com/panorama/20180221319658092-deutschland-frankfurt-sinti-roma-vertreiben/
– Ţigani români, în centrul unui nou SCANDAL: Riscă expulzarea din Germania – ‘Comportament scandalos’. In: Stiripesurse. 22.02.2018. https://www.stiripesurse.ro/tigani-romani–in-centrul-unui-nou-scandal–risca-expulzarea-din-germania—-comportament-scandalos-_1250381.html [link-preview url=”https://de.sputniknews.com/panorama/20180221319658092-deutschland-frankfurt-sinti-roma-vertreiben/ “]
More reactions in Slovenia following the publications of an Amnesty International report on the situation of refugees and Roma in Slovenia. The report says that the country does too little to stop discrimination and segregation against Roma.
– AI: Slovenija se nikakor ne more pohvaliti glede sprejemanja beguncev. In: RTV SLO. 22.02.2018. http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/ai-slovenija-se-nikakor-ne-more-pohvaliti-glede-sprejemanja-beguncev/446745
– Odnos do Romov in beguncev pod drobnogledom. In: Delo. 22.02.2018. https://www.delo.si/novice/slovenija/odnos-do-romov-in-beguncev-pod-drobnogledom.html
– Amnesty International Notes Plight of Refugees and Roma in Slovenia. In: STA. 22.02.2018. http://www.total-slovenia-news.com/news/705-amnesty-international-notes-plight-of-refugees-and-roma-in-slovenia [link-preview url=”https://www.delo.si/novice/slovenija/odnos-do-romov-in-beguncev-pod-drobnogledom.html “]
Slovenia has been slammed by Amnesty International for undermining the rights of refugees and for the continuing discrimination and seggergation of Roma.
– AI v letnem poročilu opozarja na slab položaj beguncev, Romov in izbrisanih v Sloveniji. In: STA. 22.02.2018. https://www.sta.si/2485287/ai-v-letnem-porocilu-opozarja-na-slab-polozaj-beguncev-romov-in-izbrisanih-v-sloveniji [link-preview url=”https://www.sta.si/2485287/ai-v-letnem-porocilu-opozarja-na-slab-polozaj-beguncev-romov-in-izbrisanih-v-sloveniji”]
A series of portraits of Roma role models in Slovakia. These are part of the new initiative launched a while back by the Dive association to reduce stereotypes and promote integration.
– Inšpiratívne príbehy najúspešnejších slovenských Rómov: Úprimne, dokázali by ste toto? In: Topky. 22.02.2018. http://www.topky.sk/cl/10/1690529/Inspirativne-pribehy-najuspesnych-slovenskych-Romov–Uprimne–dokazali-by-ste-toto- [link-preview url=”http://www.topky.sk/cl/10/1690529/Inspirativne-pribehy-najuspesnych-slovenskych-Romov–Uprimne–dokazali-by-ste-toto-“]
An article making a parallel between Roma and African Americans due to slavery. Historically, one has to be careful because Roma slavery existed only in Wallachia and Moldova (which later became part of Romania) and to a lesser extent in other regions of Transylvania. Nowhere else. So the parallel is very valid in Romania itself, but cannot be generalised.
– Roma and African Americans share a common struggle. In: The Guardian. 20.02.2018. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/20/roma-african-americans-common-struggle [link-preview url=”https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/20/roma-african-americans-common-struggle”]
Following the statements by Tomio Okamura and consorts regarding the Roma Holocaust in the Czech Republic (almost all Roma were killed), a Czech historian reminds his fellow citizen of what really happened.
– Czech historian reminds public that cruel abuse was perpetrated at concentration camp for Roma in Moravia. In: Romea.cz. 20.02.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-historian-reminds-public-that-cruel-abuse-was-perpetrated-at-concentration-camp-for-roma-in-moravia [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-historian-reminds-public-that-cruel-abuse-was-perpetrated-at-concentration-camp-for-roma-in-moravia”]
The so-called “Ordnungsamt” – Office of Order – of the city of Frankfurt is in the middle of a controversy. One of their employees stamped the passport of a Romanian Romni with the official office’s stamp and wrote on the passport “Was met while aggressively begging”.
Not only is this illegal but it also reminds one of the past. Let’s hope the person who did this gets booted out.
– Ordnungsamt-Stempel im Pass einer Romni sorgt für Aufsehen. In: Merkurist. 16.02.2018. https://merkurist.de/frankfurt/repressalien-ordnungsamt-stempel-im-pass-einer-romni-sorgt-fuer-aufsehen_tIl [link-preview url=”https://merkurist.de/frankfurt/repressalien-ordnungsamt-stempel-im-pass-einer-romni-sorgt-fuer-aufsehen_tIl”]
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