Category Archives: Serbia

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Roma and other Minorities in Serbia

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The Serbian Roma Centre for Strategy, Development and Democracy submitted an initiative to introduce the Romani language into official use where, based on the census, the Roma community is represented in the local self-government bodies. They also proposed to introduce the Albanian language into official use throughout the territory of Serbia.

If Serbia is on the way to the European Union, then it is obliged to respect the rights and freedoms of minorities, in this case Roma and Albanians, but also Egyptians, Ashkali, Goranians, Bosniaks and Turks who use the Albanian language, according to the announcement.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Niš, Serbia: Forum

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A forum will be held “Suffering of Roma and Sinti in the Second World War” will be held on March 7th in the Synagogue of Niš. Osman Balić, president of the Presidency of the Standing Conference of Roma Citizens’ Associations in Serbia – League of Roma, Đokica Jovanović, retired sociologist and university professor, and Nebojša Ozmić, senior curator of the National Museum in Niš, will speak at the forum.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia, Roma, and Employment

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An initiative called “Open day”  whose goal is to introduce young Roma to potential employers, so that they can learn more about different occupations and motivate themselves to continue their education and choose an adequate profession. “Open door day” is implemented within the project “Promoting the employability of young Roma men and women – phase II”. The mentioned project is supported through the program of German financial cooperation, which is implemented by the German development bank KfW on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Germany – the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia, Police, and Roma

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The European Roma Right Centre and the Vojvoðanski romski centar are taking legal action against the Serbian police for having invaded a Roma home and brutally attacked the Roma.

Let’s see what comes out of it…

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Vasilica

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Vasilica, sometimes also called Bango Vasil, is celebrated all over the Balkans by Roma, be they Christians or Moslems.

Vasilica has been celebrated for a long time, as it is the “Old New-Year” of the Christian Orthodox calendar.

Nebojša Demirović Zeka from Vranje, Serbia, says that his great-grandfather told me that once upon a time, the Čergari Roma crossed some water. Their boats began to sink, and the geese saved them. Since that day, Vasilica is celebrated, while the goose is sacrificed.

The holiday is celebrated for health and happiness. It starts between January 13 and 14, and is celebrated for the next three days.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Niš – Serbia

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or ten years, the 12 February Roma camp in Niš has been trying in vain to obtain a reliable electricity connection. Instead of a solution, the neighborhood was completely without electricity for six months – a record. The inhabitants decided to demonstrate in front of the Ministry of Energy and Mines in Belgrade on December 6th. The authorities then promised representatives of the Opra Roma Srbija movement that the camp would be reconnected and that a lasting solution would be found.

Well, let’s see when this is done …

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Roma and Religion in Serbia

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An article on Roma and religion. Unfortunately not quite correct. First, “Del” means God only in the Vlach dialects, all the others (and thus the large majority of Roma) use the longer Prakrit “Devel”. And yes, while Roma have taken all the religions – generally adapting to the mainstream religion, Vasilica and Erdelezi (St. Georges Night) are only celebrated in the Balkan and are Christian remnants that survived the conversion to the Moslem faith during the Ottoman times.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia and Social Services

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According to Amnesty International, the new Serbian law on the social card is an intrusive surveillance system that risks harming the most marginalized members of the company, in particular to the Roma communities. Amnesty is submitting a legal opinion in the framework of the examination of the constitutionality of this law.

Coming into force on March 1, this law authorizes the creation of a centralized government database which processes 130 data categories concerning people who request social security in order to assess their eligibility. The Serbian authorities affirm that this procedure allows a more equitable distribution of funds intended for socially disadvantaged persons, but it is in reality an intrusive digital surveillance system which threatens the right to equality.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Romnja

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Prejudices are created over centuries and are difficult to eradicate. What is it like to be a girl, a girl and an adult woman, faced with numerous prejudices in society, but also with the traditions of your people?

Roma women are marginalized multiple times: in the Roma community itself, which was and remains very patriarchal, and then as members of the minority by the majority society. We asked eight women about how they grew up and what they experienced in the family, school and society. The stories are very different, even when it comes to close relatives, just as the women we talked to are different, of different generations and destinies.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia and Roma

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Twenty-five years ago, on October 18, 1997, after fishing, basketball and family gatherings, the Saturday day of a fourteen-year-old elementary school student from Belgrade should have ended peqacefully. Instead, around nine in the evening, Dušan Jovanović was knocked to the ground in front of a store near Belgrade’s Slavija by attackers, where they kicked him in the head with a cobblestone, and then hit him with part of a torn gutter.

He was killed only because he was a Roma. The killers were only three years older than the boy and were sentenced to a decade in juvenile prison in Valjevo. Both were released from prison in April 2004.

“That was the event that drove us to the streets for the first time,” says Osman Balić, director of the Yurom Center from Niš and president of the presidency of the League of Roma – the permanent conference of Roma citizens’ associations, for the BBC in Serbian.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbian Census

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The Roma Centre for Women and Children “Daje” today called on Roma to declare their national origin “without fear or shame” in the current population census. Roma tend not to declare themselves in censuses, resulting in uncertain numbers of Roma.

The representative of the center, Nada Đuričković, said that it is necessary to determine the exact number of Roma and Roma women and added that even before the census, the “Daje” center was conducting a census of Roma settlements. “We targeted the places where these settlements are located, visited them and talked to people… it is important for us that the state knows where these people are and sends enumerators,” she said.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia – Romodrom

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The ROMODROM event will open on October 1, 2022. at 8 p.m. in the Ciglana club with a discussion entitled “Roma in Serbian cinematography” . Participants in the debate are Goran Gocić , writer, journalist and film critic, Sreten Jovanović , film producer, Radenko Ranković , professor of film production and Gordana Nešić , journalist. The talk will be followed by a treat for music connoisseurs, a concert by the AMARO DEL group.

The ROMODROM project, will see several manifestations whose aim is educating the majority population about culture, traditional heritage and the participation of Roma in the cultural and socio-scientific life of our country. It is aimed at overcoming the gap created by centuries of stereotypical views of the Roma. Through cooperation with various artists and scientists of both Roma and non-Roma origin, the idea is to encourage and strengthen the healthy national pride of the Roma, which has been shaken over time and sometimes even led to negation.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Justice for Roma in Hungary and Serbia

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A report of the discriminations faced by Roma and their lack of possibilities of recourse against these in the judicial system in Hungary and Serbia.  This is bad but not surprising.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia, Schools, and Roma

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The Opre Roma Srbija movement announced today that the decision of the “Klet” publishing house to replace the reading question for the third grade of primary school in which a historically offensive word for Roma was used does not change the essence of the relationship towards the Roma community, but that it is a step in the right direction, because represents the continuity of their historical struggle against inequality.

The controversy surrounding the third-grade reading book that was supported by the education ministry has been ongoing for a while. The government has denied any involvement but initially let the material through.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Leskovac and the Church

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Hundreds of Roma have been gathering in a large church in Leskovac (Serbia) to pray in a evangelical church. This is a new phenomenon in Serbia. It used to e housed iin a tent, and now has been replaced by a brand new church.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia and Evangelical Churches

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Evangelical churches are making inroads among Roma in Serbia. Here a reportage on the church in Levkovac. The article is more on the positive side, saying these churches insist on education, on self-reliance etc., but does not dwell on the fact that generally Roma cultures is often lost.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia, Roma, and Education

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Another article on the third grade reading book with stereotypes on Roma published in Serbia. The Education ministry declines all responsibility although they were involved. The text uses the term “Cigan” and, as an example says: “A gypsy asked her mother: What is the longest day of the year? Those when wait for dinner without lunch”.

No comments.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia and Census

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Serbia will be conducting a census from October 1st to 31st. Many Roma do not choose to declare themselves as such in the census. Some however do. Joca Nikolić is from Sombor, he is a musician and he is 61 years old. As long as he can remember, he declares himself as Rom. His family roots are like that, he says, that’s how he feels. And he does not condemn those Roma who will not declare themselves in the upcoming census: “It is a personal matter, you can freely declare yourself as a Hungarian,” says Nikolić.

There are various reasons why some people do not want to declare themselves as Roma, the president of the Roma National Council, Dalibor Nakić, told DW. “Some of them are afraid that they will be exposed to discrimination, and some of them have reached full social integration over time, so they think that they will be more appreciated, respected and successful in society if they do not declare themselves as Roma. Mimicry reaction is for some people, according to their logic, a way to achieve a better position in society,” says Nakić.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia, Roma, and Schools

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Reading material for third grade children, ” Narodne umotvorine lake za đake trećake”, published by the “Klet” publishing house, which, contains controversial content according to the Roma organisation Opre Roma. It uses the term “Cigan” and, as an example says: “A gypsy asked her mother: What is the longest day of the year? Those when wait for dinner without lunch”.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development announced that it does not encourage racism, nor does it show irresponsibility towards anyone, especially not towards members of the Roma community and added that it does not prescribe nor approve the contents of the reading material.

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