Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Roma Short Stories

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An exceptional collections of Roma short stories depict struggles for a dignified life has been published in Prague by the Roma Literature publishing house “Kher”.

The books Samet Blues and Šude sámá krasa present the events of the last century, including the fall of communism, through the lens of Roma men and women. They capture the atmosphere in the Roma minority and the rise of racism in society. They are united by helplessness, existential uncertainty and sadness from social exclusion.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne

Poland and Roma Integration

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As part of the Program of social and civic integration of the Roma in Poland for 2021-2030 adopted by Resolution No. 190/2020 of the Council of Ministers of December 21, 2020, the Ministry of the Interior and Administration is starting the procedure related to submitting applications for the implementation of tasks in 2023 year.

According to the “Information on the procedure for granting subsidies from the Social and Civic Integration Program of the Roma in Poland for 2021-2030 for tasks in the fields of: Education, Housing, Innovative Integration Projects in 2023” prepared by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, the deadline for submitting applications to voivodes is November 15, 2022.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Paramilitaries

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The paramilitaristic group Slovenský branci ends after 10 years of activity. The movement said goodbye to its supporters on Facebook, where its representatives say they have already won their battle.

The commander, Peter Švrček, claimed that his movement was trying to protect the nation. In November 2021, the Ján Kuciak Investigative Center drew attention to the fact that members of the group cooperate with Polish extremists, whom they associate with an attack in Ukraine with a pro-Russian background. Some members of the Polish Strelec unit were even part of neo-fascist groups.

In the past, they collaborated with the extreme right-wing Slovak Movement of Revival and together celebrated the establishment of the Slovak state, Aktuality.sk reported. In addition, the portal pointed out that the logo of the conscripts is strikingly reminiscent of the emblem of the paramilitary youth organization Hitlerjugend. We interviewed one of the former members of the SB in an interview, in which he also talked about, for example, how they went to beat the Roma.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Ukraine

Discrimination?

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At the North Elementary School “Am Reitbahnsee” in Neubrandenburg in North Eastern Germany, two preparatory classes with Ukrainian students are treated differently: While some are taught in the school building, a two-room apartment was rented for around 20 children – three kilometres away from the school. They belong to the Roma minority. This way they have no contact with other students. In addition, the apartment has safety deficiencies. Those responsible deny the allegations of discrimination.

Bad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Ukraine

The Forgotten Holocaust Victims

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Hardly anyone knows the stories of the Roma who were persecuted by the National Socialists in Ukraine. The survivors still experience discrimination – and suffer particularly from Putin’s war.

Moldavie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Ukraine

Moldova and Ukrainian Roma Refugees

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Ukrainian Roma are taking legal action after an attack of Roma refugees in Chisinau. The Roma refugees were sprayed with tear gas by security personnel. They complained to the EU Council on Preventing and Eliminating Discrimination and Ensuring Equality. A criminal complaint against the assailants has also been initiated ex officio by the public prosecutor. The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) will represent the Romani litigants in both proceedings.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Sofia, Bulgaria: Roma Protests

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There were Roma protests in Sofia following the death of a Roma taxi driver after a fight. The protests ended late last night without serious damage or arrests, the Ministry of the Interior reports. It is known that after the case of the deceased taxi driver, his relatives and friends blocked the capital’s intersections.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria – Progress

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Bulgaria has made tangible progress since 2014 in combating intolerance, introducing inclusive education, combating anti-Semitism, promoting Roma integration and helping refugees. However, hatred and prejudice against LGBTI people persist and must be combated and measures for the integration of refugees must be extended. These are the findings of the new report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) which covers the period from June 2014 to the end of March 2022.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Roma Education

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A project in Dobšina in Domček, in central Slovakia where teachers together with Romnja help children oif a Roma settlement catching up in their education. The project is not funded because some of the women helping out did not finish high school.

The teachers from Dobšina started almost ten years ago with a few young Roma mothers from the settlement. When we talk about young mothers, we do not mean the age of 18 and over, but children who have children while still in elementary school.

One of them are the now 26-year-old twins, Magdaléna and Mariana, both coaches in the project. Magdalena gave birth for the first time in the seventh grade at elementary school and again sometime later. Both have unfinished primary education, but they are clear in their heads. They want their children and the children of the Dobšina Roma to experience success.

Moldavie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Moldova and Roma Education

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An article in the Slovenian press about a young Romni who finished high school. The article claims she is the first Romni to achieve this is Moldova which is more than doubtful. The article, while well meant, actually serves all stereotypes of an archaic Roma society.

Maria Stoian, a Roma girl from Moldova, was raised by her grandmother. She encouraged her throughout her primary schooling and stood by her side, because in Moldova, the vast majority of Roma girls stop going to school after the age of thirteen. “In our country, girls get married at the age of 15 at the latest. I have 18. I’m already too old,” Maria laughs and continues: “Of course I’m thinking about having a family, about having children, but not before the age of 25.” It was because of her grandmother that she enrolled in high school after finishing elementary school school in the city of Soroca. “I was scared, I cried because I was afraid that they wouldn’t accept me, since I was the only Roma in the class. But those were the best years of my life. I feel free, here at school I can put off the mask that the traditional environment in the Roma community put on me, here I can do what I want, talk about anything and learn.”

Croatie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Croatia: Bi-Lingual Town

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For the first time in history, Roma are given the right to bilingual signs. This is the result of the recent census in which the

Međimurje municipality of Orehovica has become the first local self-government unit in which the Roma minority exceeded 33 percent of the population which is a prerequisite for bilingualism.

Of all the national minorities, only Roma recorded growth, and that by some six percent. This can have many reasons, as Roma usually do not declare themselves as such in censuses.

Europe Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovak MPs Reactions to the EU Vote

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On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a set of recommendations aimed at improving “the precarious situation of Roma settlements in the European Union”. MEPs underlined that the Roma – in all the diversity that this term covers – are the largest ethnic minority in Europe and suffer from poverty and social exclusion in several Member States.

This article interviewed the Slovak MPs and their reactions to the vote. The reactions are generally positive and highlight the difficulty to resolve the problems.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria: Condemned

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Bulgaria has been condemned to pay 109’000 Euros to Roma who were expelled from Vojvodinovo. Good!

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgarian Elections and Roma

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Voting in the country’s Roma neighbourhoods was met with an extremely low interest, probably due to regular and massive police operations against vote-buyers, an unfortunately common practice. The previous trend of local voters favouring GERB, a conservative and populist party and to some extent DPS was maintained, as can be seen from the protocols of the sectional election commissions.

That Roma favour GERB is somewhat surprising, as they are not specially kind to them.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne Ukraine

OSCE Conference and Ukraine

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During the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference organised by the OSCE, the plight of Ukrainian Roma both inside and outside of the country was thematised. Ukrainian Roma NOGs attended the conference, most notably the Chirikli Romnja NGO.

  • Monitoring and addressing the human rights challenges faced by Roma fleeing Ukraine discussed at ODIHR event. In: OSCE. 03.10.2022. https://www.osce.org/odihr/527619
Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria: More Fraud?

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In the current Bulgarian elections, one party (SIK) claims that another one (GERB) voted instead of the Roma in a Roma neighbourhood in Shumen.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria: Fraud?

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There were some information of  potential sabotage of voting machines in some Roma neighbourhoods in Bulgaria. Several voters claim that the machine miscounted their vote.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Roma Literature

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A new book, called “A starling pencil on the cuff. The story of Roma literature” by Karolína Ryvolová was just published. According to Romea’s Review, she is a strong storyteller, the book has an exciting plot and contains an incredible amount of previous research work. She succeeded in creating such a bridge between the narrative and the literary-scientific quest for Romani literature.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Racism

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The National Council of the Slovak Republic (NR SR) adopted the definition of anti-Roma racism. The definition was developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance – IHRA, and Slovakia is one of its 35 member countries. Among other things, the adopted resolution of the National Assembly of the Slovak Republic defines the current manifestations of anti-Roma racism, among which are, for example, the distortion or denial of the genocide of the Roma or the stereotyping of the Roma as persons who commit criminal behavior. The definition serves as an important practical tool that can help individuals, organizations and governments to raise public awareness of the problem of anti-Roma racism in society. It will help recognize anti-Roma stereotypes and can also be used in the fight against hate speech against Roma.

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