Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Moravian Theatre

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Moravian Theatre
The Moravian Theatre Olomouc will present a Romani fairy tale inspired by a story recorded by Milena Hübschmannová, a prominent romologist in Czechia. It is a unique music and dance production called The Fairy Tale Enchanted by the Cimbalom. The project is directed by Dana Račková in collaboration with Romani musician Michal Taragoš and connects children’s imagination with the rich tradition of Romani music. The premiere of the production is scheduled for January 26, 2025.
République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Romano Suno: Roma Dream

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Romano Suno: Roma Dream

Almost 200 Romani texts were submitted to the Romano Suno competition this year and sent entries to the literary and audiovisual. The quality of the submission was greatly improved and even children were better than adults this year. The competition is organized by the organization Nová škola, which also offers seminars on Romani and Romani literature, creative writing workshops in Romani, Romani language courses and much more.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Stolipinovo

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Stolipinovo

The vlogger is the American Drew Goldberg, known by his online pseudonym Drew Binsky, with more that 5 mio followers visited the Stolipinovo Mahala in Plovdiv.

It is considered the largest in Bulgaria with over 40,000 Roma residents. To date, the problems in this district are many, the main ones being the problem with garbage, crime and drugs. Some people even describe the place as a “city within a city”.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria, Schools, and Roma

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Bulgaria, Schools, and Roma

Dimitrinka Georgieva, the principal of the “Lyuben Karavelov” school in the Varna Asparuhovo district in Bulgaria was awarded in the “Person of the Year” competition of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee in the Inspiration category.

There are 400 children at the “Lyuben Karavelov” school at the moment. Of these, 121 are children from Ukraine from preparatory classes to grade 11. Of the remaining less than 280 children, about 90 percent are students of Roma and Turkish origin, and the rest are Bulgarians.

Sounds like a segregated school …

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne

Poland: Podcast

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Poland: Podcast

A podcast on the future of Roma in Poland, told by Joanna Talewicz, co-founder and president of the “Towards Dialogue” foundation and the Roma Community Centre in Warsaw, member of the Polish delegation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

Lituanie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Vilnius and Roma “Amaro Džipen – Our Lives”

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Vilnius and Roma “Amaro Džipen – Our Lives”

A few years ago, the former mayor of Vilnius proudly announced on Facebook that the city had gotten rid of the “dark warehouse” that scared everyone. This is how the authorities of that time dehumanized the Roma settlement in the Porubanka district, which was finally razed to the ground in 2020.

Today, four years later, young Roma who grew up in Porubanka decided to take the floor and tell their story on their own terms. The exhibition not only restores the memory of the former settlement, but, above all, challenges established stereotypes and questions the way the city treats its marginalized residents.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Crime and Slovenia

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Crime and Slovenia

The Slovene Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar says that Slovenia is one of the safest European countries and that its crime rates are very low. The article goes on to say that “many people are probably left with a bitter taste when they remember the problems caused by Roma in parts of Slovenia or the past epidemic of robberies in Ljubljana by migrants”.

Bad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Role Models

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Slovenia and Role Models

Sandi Horvat, editor, journalist and host of Roma radio and television programs on the national RTV speaks very openly about the problems and challenges of the Roma community, without shame, and at the same time proudly says that he is Rom. He gave a talk in the Fran Metelko Škocjan Elementary School.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Žilina, Slovakia

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Žilina, Slovakia

The city of Žilina completed of its ongoing projects before the year end, entitled Everyone Different, All Equal. Its goal was to expand the Community Centre on Bratislavská Street, which was created to help the marginalized Roma community. The city hall is trying to integrate Roma into society through various inclusive activities.

Well…

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Czechia: Fundraising

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Czechia: Fundraising

On Wednesday, December 18, a thank-you concert was held at the Nuselská Town Hall in Prague in support of Nela Charchoňová, a ROMEA scholarship recipient who lost her hand after a car accident. The event was organized by students of the ROMEA Scholarship Program under the leadership of Natália Kuchárová and they wanted to thank everyone who contributed to the collection for a bionic hand. The ROMEA organization announced this on November 1, 2024 and over 2.3 million crowns (around 91’000 euros) were raised to support Nela.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Southern Slovakia

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Southern Slovakia

In Fil’akovo, a third of the city’s population are Roma. However, there are no excluded communities and makeshift dwellings like in eastern Slovakia. There is a different historical development behind this.

The local Roma mostly speak Hungarian, the majority language in the city. They attend secondary schools, and some then go on to study at universities. Jobs in this region are still scarce, far away, and poorly paid. For Roma, this means that it is even more difficult to find one, which is why many choose to go abroad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia, Romnja, and Work

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Slovakia, Romnja, and Work

Romnja from the Bardejov district in  Slovakia have been trying to improve their financial situation by getting a job for years, but many are not successful. The obstacles are persistent racism, practical problems of life in the settlement, but often also resentment from their own families. Women from marginalized Roma communities thus remain the least working group.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria: Weird

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Bulgaria: Weird

Really weird Bulgarian news … A prisoner behind bars in Plovdiv posts a video on TikTok declaring his love for his girlfriend, rapping it in Romanes. Well, mobiles phones are officially not allowed in prisons in Bulgaria … Maybe only if you don’t pay the guards …

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Inclusion

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Slovakia and Inclusion

The deaf Pavel Šarina (32) employs more than a hundred people, seventy percent of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Among them are dozens of Roma who do not let the young boss down. In Veľký Krtíš and the surrounding area, he has a total of five establishments, from which they serve thousands of portions of food daily. He was recently awarded the Roma Spirit award, which he sees mainly as an appreciation of the work of his employees.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Czechia and Anti-Roma Racism

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Czechia and Anti-Roma Racism

The Czech parliament adopted the IHRA non-binding definition of antigyspyism. Now, a charter against Antigypsyism is being created in the Czech Republic. Those who can sign up include firms, local governments, nonprofit organizations, public authorities and schools. This proposal is pushed by the Czech Govt Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Fuková, but the Czech official Ombudsman Stanislav Křeček, not all negative behaviour toward Roman can be considered antigypsyism. As an example, he mentioned the case of the doctor in Aš who refused to register Romani patients. Well that one was definitely racist …

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne

Poland: Commemoration

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Poland: Commemoration

A commemoration for Roma murdered by the German gendarmerie in November 1942 in the town of Nur. The unveiled memorial brings back the memory of about fifty Roma – men, women and children, from the camp that was then in the forest near Kunin.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia, Real Estate, and Roma

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Slovakia, Real Estate, and Roma

The case of a town who ceded some land on the promise that some social housing would be built for Roma from the town. Well, the developer got the land, but social housing is nowhere to be seen. Sad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia: Municipal Funding

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Slovenia: Municipal Funding

Currently, funds for the integration of Roma are allocated according to the size of the municipality, not aligned to the number of Roma who live there. This may be changing, if the current discussions come to an agreement.

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