Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne

Krakow Festival

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The 12th International Days of Roma culture will take place in Krakow on July 1 and 2, in Łąki Nowohuckie. We will visit a former Roma camp, see museum wagons, ethnographic exhibits, an exhibition of paintings and photographs. On the outdoor stage, traditional dances will be presented by artists from Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Great Britain, Poland and France.

Unfortunately, some of the kitsch and stereotypes are presented here …

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Roma

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A nasty story. The town of Michalovce, in Slovakia, sold the run-down buildings of a housing estate where ca. 1’000 Roma live. The new owner says that if they don’t pay, he will evict them.

This is bad, as most probably they do not have the means to pay rent.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Fakulteta

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An article on the largest Mahala in Bulgaria, the Fakulteta in Sofia. Unfortunately, the article, not knowing history, speaks of centuries of discrimination. This was not the case until the end of the Ottoman Empire, and has only really taken off with the fall of Communism and the rise of populism.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Czech Republic and Roma Settlements

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A bad story in Ušti nad Labem. The city council is taking measures against littering, destruction of material, littering etc., which de-facto are directed at Roma. Roma organisations are protesting.

There are unfortunately two sides to this issue: The clear fact that these housing estates are run down, and that the residents are not exactly tidy nor respectful of the property, but on the  other hand, these very residents have been excluded from society by racism.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne

Adam Bartosz

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Adam Bartosz, a Polish Roma activist, will become an honorary citizen of the city of Tarnów on Friday. The decision to grant him such a title was made on Thursday by the Tarnów councillors in recognition of Adam Bartosz’s outstanding merits for the Republic of Poland and the community of the city of Tarnów, related to the extraordinary commitment to the cultural development and activities for the development and popularization of research on multicultural history of Tarnów, including the history of Roma and Jews.

Croatie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Slavonski Brod, Croatia: Exhibition

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As part of the projects ‘Equality for Roma through suppression of discrimination’ and ‘School of Human Rights’, the Slavonski Brod Information and Legal Center organized the ‘Photovoice’ exhibition in the City Library.

It is an exhibition of photos of Roma mediators, volunteers and pupils of the Hugo Badalić Primary School in Brod with scenes from the everyday life of members of the Roma national minority in their settlement in Slavonski Brod.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Brno: Continuation

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On Saturday, June 17, a memorial service was held on the Old Town Square for a young Roma killed in Brno. The representatives of the Roma and Ukrainian minorities strongly rejected the spreading wave of hatred and xenophobia.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia and Statistics

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The Serbian language is the mother tongue of 84.4 percent of the population of Serbia according to the latest numbers published by the Serbian Republic Institute of Statistics.

After Serbian, the most represented mother tongues are Hungarian, 2.6 percent, Bosnian, 2.2 percent, Romani, 1.2 percent, and Albanian, 1.0 percent.

We can only guess that many Roma simply wrote their mother tongue is Serbian (or Hungarian).

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Brno – Another Manifestation

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About two hundred Roma gathered at the beginning of Cejl Street in Brno yesterday at 2 p.m., who had arrived there to guard against an alleged demonstration by Ukrainians. The police came to calm the situation. The tension between the two minorities increased after the recent violent incident at the Brno dam in which a Roma man died.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Brno – Manifestations

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A report on the manifestation last Saturday that saw around 1’000 participants. It was spontaneous gathering. Already before two o’clock, when the event started, there were several hundred people on the square in front of the theater – apart from journalists and a few individuals from the majority, they were mostly Roma. Not many people outside the community came to share Roma grief and anger.

This time, the reason could also be that the otherwise solidary part of the Brno majority was discouraged by the anti-Ukrainian framing of the demonstration originally planned for the same time and place, which, however, the organizer herself cancelled precisely because of the fear of spreading hatred and collective guilt.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Prague and the Brno Murder

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Following the murder of a young Rom in Brno last week at the hands of a Ukrainian, manifestations were held, notably in Prague with both Roma and Ukrainians denouncing racism and bigotry.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

10 Years

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Tomorrow, ten years since the brutal police intervention in Moldova nad Bodvou, Slovakia, will have passed. The Roma went to court, only to find themselves condemned for perjury and defamation, a judgement that went to the EU court of justice which condemned Slovakia for the facts. Now, it is back in court there, under the very same person who indicted the victims, the Roma.

Not ideal to say the least.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Espagne Ukraine

Spain Symposium

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More than forty people from the Roma community, among them refugees from Ukraine participate here in a “protected space” in a symposium on the management of traumas and their healing, for strengthening and empowering oneself.

Roxanna-Lorainne Witt, co-founder of the association Save Space and co-organizer of the symposium, explains in an interview for DW: “Who strengthens those people, who are strong for all of us? How are role models supported, so that strengthen themselves, while they themselves often have to work without stable perspectives and structures? Normal experiences – such as seeing the sea once in a lifetime – are often completely undervalued.”

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Brno Murder: Commemoration

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Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková will take part in a commemorative event on the Old Town Square in Prague today. Representatives of Roma and Ukrainians will meet there. The event is organized by PULS Europe and the Czechoslovak Roma Union, in cooperation with the Olašské Roma Union.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Brno – Roma Reactions

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An interview with Nick Budai, a Roma activist in Brno, Czech Republic following the murder of a Rom by a Ukrainian last Saturday.

He portrays the Brno Roma community, shaken by the violent death of a young man at the dam a few days ago, as a diverse mass of people with diverse opinions and attitudes. He admits that things are boiling so much among the Roma in the South Moravian metropolis that some of them can hear about manipulations and extreme attitudes. However, he believes that the upcoming Saturday pieta will take place in a calm and dignified manner.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria: Discrimination

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Two young Romnja in Bulgaria signed a contract for managing a restaurant. The contract was cancelled after a few days, apparently because of their ethnicity. The owner claims it is because of the tenant’s plans to organize noisy parties, weddings and baptisms.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria, Roma, and Schools

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The Bulgarian government approved funding for 50% of the costs of the 1’000 school mediators. The rest is funded by a project called “Success for you”. These mediators are working with Roma children to try to avoid them dropping out of school too soon.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne

Poznan and Roma

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A reportage on a Roma settlement in Poznan, Poland. The Roma community has been living in that area of at Lechicka Street for many years. In an area of several hectares, they try to cope as best they can. “It’s hard here. It’s hard to keep clean. We are poor, but we have small children, so it must be clean everywhere,” says Veta, one of the residents, pointing to the carpeted ground.

Despite the early hour, the sun made itself felt. The weather doesn’t bother Ecatarina, who drinks her pickle outside. She is wearing a patterned ankle-length dress and a thick sweater with a zipper. Her gray hair is covered with a colourful scarf. – Every day I get up at 7. I drink coffee and prepare food for my grandchildren – describes the woman. “Then I’m going to fetch water to wash up and do the laundry.” I take a cart that holds four canisters. I do everything by hand because we don’t have a washing machine. I go begging. I’m not lying. I know it’s forbidden, but I have no other choice. We need food and hygiene products.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Brno Murder: Riots

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Following the murder of a young Rom by a Ukrainian las Saturday in Brno, Ukrainians and Roma clashed in the city resulting in the police intervening. What is also tragic is that the extreme right is also using this murder to protest the presence of Ukrainian refugees.

This is bad.

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