Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Forced Sterilisation

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Forced Sterilisation

The Czech government has finally agreed to extend the deadline for submitting their claims for forced sterilisation by two years to January 2027. The deadline was originally set to January 2025, but the authorities raised so many hurdles for Romnja, that is was almost impossible to get these sterilisations acknowledged (even when there was some written evidence).

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Research Grant

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Research Grant

Ethnographer Martin Fotta from the Institute of Ethnology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic has received a prestigious grant from the European Research Council (ERC). His project, entitled “Roma Family in the Period of War” (RAW), received financial support of 2 million euros, or approximately 51 million crowns. The aim of the research is to understand how war conflicts and their consequences affected Roma kinship ties, family structures and community cohesion in different parts of Europe and the Middle East.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Doctors and Roma in Czechia

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Doctors and Roma in Czechia

A paediatrician in the Czech town of Aš posted on his door: “In view of the increasing aggressiveness of the Romani people, I am not registering them with immediate effect.”

Apparently, several Roma were in his waiting room without an appointment and behaved aggressively. What really happened remains to be seen.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Czechia and the Holocaust

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Czechia and the Holocaust

The Czechs’ awareness of the genocide of the Roma during the Holocaust remains low, although the situation has been improving in recent years thanks to media coverage. But teaching about the history of the Roma in schools is still insufficient. In an interview with ČTK, historian and director of the Museum of Roma Culture Jana Horváthová said this. She believes that the topic needs to be included in the curriculum.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Roma in Slovenian Education

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Roma in Slovenian Education

Bojana Rozman has been a Roma assistant at Bršljin Primary School for more than 13 years, and her work week is always dynamic. Providing learning assistance, working with a social worker, resolving conflicts between students and visiting a Roma settlement are just a few of the activities of many Roma assistants. Together with other school employees, they solve the problems of Roma students.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Antigypsyism

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Slovenia and Antigypsyism

The Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Nationalities recently published an invitation to participate in a public prize competition for children and young people entitled Together against Anti-Gypsyism.

Roma representatives greeted the idea, but there are several politicians and parties who criticise this as a waste of money.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Roma Spirit

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Slovakia: Roma Spirit

Ethnologist Oľga Bodorová has been nominated for the Roma Spirit 2024 award for her lifetime contribution to ethnography and museology, especially for her documentation of the material and spiritual culture of Roma in Gemer-Malohont. Her publishing and presentation activities and efforts to preserve cultural heritage are of invaluable value for future generations.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria: Protests

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Bulgaria: Protests

Residents of the Roam neighbourhood of Fakulteta in Sofia have been protesting against Kiril Kirov – known as Kiro the Japanese. The protestes claim that for years Kirov and his family have been harassing the residents of the neighbourhood, extorting them and forcing them to leave their homes, even to emigrate abroad. According to the protesters, the Japanese’s associates were distributing drugs in the neighbourhood, beating and even raping women.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Public Collection

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Public Collection

The Brno Museum of Romani Culture launched a public collection on Monday, the aim of which is to raise money to acquire a portrait of Romani singer Věra Bílá. It wants to buy the portrait because it sees Bílá as an exceptional personality who has appealed to a wide audience with her art. The collection will last 60 days, and the aim is to raise 70,000 crowns. Bílá died on March 12 at the age of 64 in a Pilsen hospital. The Rokycany native was probably the most famous Czech singer in the world at the turn of the millennium, and years ago she sold out the Paris Olympia.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

House without an Exit

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Tomáš Hlaváček, director of the film House Without an Exit explains that his documentary shows that since the state and its institutions leaves the Roma to fend off by themselves, they rely on the family. But this is not always an advantage, as it keeps the families in a spiral of exclusion and poverty.

 

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia: Humour?

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Slovenia: Humour?

A Slovenian Radio produced a “humorous” video clip as a parody of a new measure introduced by the Slovenian government about the right to disconnect, i.e. the right not to answer emails.

Their parody involves a debt-ridden Rom who tapped into the water supply and complains about the water “cutoff”.

Bad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia: Campaign against Racism

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Slovenia: Campaign against Racism

The Slovenian government campaign Together against anti-Gypsyism has upset residents living near Roma, as well as Roma. The Government Office for Nationalities explained that by announcing a prize-winning competition for children and youth entitled Together against anti-Gypsyism, they want to tackle so-called anti-Gypsyism, which is an internationally accepted and established term.

In communes with a Roma minority, people have started protesting saying “what will a 4th grader in SE Slovenia, who has a Roma classmate four years older than him, who bullies him every day and demands money from him, think about this prize game?”

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Access to Water

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Slovenia and Access to Water

Representatives of Amnesty International Slovenia, Roma organizations and Roma people warned at a press conference in Ribnica that a fifth of Roma settlements in Slovenia still do not have drinking water, even though the right to water is guaranteed as a human right under the constitution. They therefore called on the government with a special petition to provide water where it is not yet available.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Roma Settlements

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Slovenia and Roma Settlements

An interview of Jasna Hudorovič, a 60-year-old Romni who was born to a single mother in Gornje Lepovče, Ribnica. She has now lived in the Roma settlement in Goriča Vas near Ribnica for forty years and has been without water and electricity her entire life.

This says it all …

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Roma Strategy

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Slovakia: Roma Strategy

The non-legislative document Action Plans for the Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma by 2030 for the years 2025-2027 was submitted to the interdepartmental commentary procedure. The strategy highlights a set of starting points and goals that aim to stop the segregation of Roma communities, a significant positive turn in the social inclusion of Roma, non-discrimination, changing attitudes and improving coexistence.

But it also pushes for de-facto segregated schools by promoting teaching in Romanes.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Education of Roma

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Slovakia and Education of Roma

Vlado Rafael, the Head of eduRoma MGO says Roma children can also study to become psychologists in Britain. Here they end up in special schools.

The article addresses the largest misinformation about Roma and education currently circulating in Slovakia: What is the status of the lawsuit filed against Slovakia by the European Commission for the segregation of Roma children in education, what impact does their placement in special schools for students with mild mental disabilities, where up to 70-80 percent of them end up, have on the future of Roma, why, according to non-governmental organizations, the amendment to the Education Act will further exacerbate the problem, and how Roma students are treated differently in Great Britain, where many of them successfully graduate from universities.

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