A lecturer of Romanes on the state of the language in Slovakia, with many expressions and words slowly disappearing in spite of promises 15 years ago that this language would be taught as standard in schools.
A new inclusive kindergarten was opened in Spišské Tomášovce in the district of Spišská Nová Ves on Thursday. 70 children are enrolled in it, of which 33 are from the Roma community. TASR was informed about this by Michaela Kotradyová from the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Government for Roma Communities.
The representative of the Slovak government for Roma communities, Ján Hero, attended the opening, who pointed out that the first three years of life are the most decisive for how children will do in kindergarten and how they will be able to apply themselves later in life. “That’s when the fastest brain development takes place. Intervention during this period is therefore crucial. I am very happy that this work was successful and I am grateful that it adheres to the principles of destigmatisation, desegregation, deghettoization,” he declared.
A call for projects entitled “Assistance to municipalities with the presence of marginalized Roma communities in arranging legal relations to land under settlements” has been started in Slovakia. More than 17 million euros have been allocated from European Union. “The aim of the call is to support the processes associated with the arrangement of ownership and use relationships to land in settlements in municipalities with the presence of marginalized Roma communities,” the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma communities said.
The nomination campaign of the jubilee 15th year of Roma Spirit is going to the finals. Last days to submit an application for the award! It is possible to nominate exceptional people and activities that contribute to the improvement of the situation of Roma in Slovakia by filling out the online application only until September 3!
Adriana Dráfiová alias Gitáná, became famous years ago in the Talentmánia talent competition. Since then, she has collaborated with famous names of the contemporary music scene, such as Jan Bendig, or the Slovak rapper Kali. In the past, she sang for, for example, Tina Turner, David Copperfield or top model Claudia Schiffer. She says that “I think I was able to break through in different genres and styles, that’s why my music appealed to the majority. Moreover, my Romanes is perceived as a completely different language. One of my songs is played at non-Roma events, on the radio, and I’m really proud that it caught on. People in it do not know the Romani language at all, and I am happy that with this form of Romani I can bring both cultures closer together.”
However, she admits that her best and favourite language is Hungarian.
A fight involving Roma from several villages took place in Slovakia. This is never good news.
The 22nd Balval Roma festival will take place in Kokava nad Rimavicou, Slovakia, in the Poltár district on Saturday (August 19), with the participation of several stars of Roma music from Slovakia and abroad.
Kamila comes from Prešov from a well-known family of Roma ethno-emancipation activists and intellectuals (František Godla and Erika Godlová). Kamila is a linguist, translator and interpreter. She studies Slovak and English at the University of Prešov, cooperates with the national radio broadcasting RTVS, loves literature and writing.
A new museum in South Slovakia has opened in Dunajská Streda. It is devoted to Roma and their culture in the region of the Žitno ostrovské.
Zuzana Kumanová, PhD., is one of the most prominent experts in ethnology and history of the 20th century, especially in the topic of the Roma Holocaust. In addition to the academic sphere, she is also active in the field of Roma and women’s activism and in public and state administration. She says that as a society, we don’t know what we actually want to do with the Roma.
A strange story: Roma have allegedly dug up disused cables in the Prešov region. However, it is not a few metres, but rather 10 kilometres of trenches that have been dug up in the region.
Peter Pollák, Slovak MEP during the commemoration of the Genocide of the Roma in Banská Bystrica that “The pernicious ideology of Nazism and fascism caused millions of victims, including hundreds of thousands of Roma in Europe. Even the Roma bought today’s peace. However, we must keep in mind that if we don’t remember these atrocities, what our ancestors went through, we can also go through.”
Recordings of Czech and Slovak Roma victims of the Holocaust are now available in a new database.
The Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic has published a call in the amount of almost 60 million euros, the aim of which is to create “development teams” in selected municipalities. They will contribute to solving adverse situations with an impact on both the minority and the majority at the level of the entire residential community. They will focus on employment, education, housing and the fight against anti-Roma racism.
The Slovak Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport published a call for proposals entitled “Support for the provision of early care and early intervention to children aged 0 to 6 years from the environment marginalized Roma communities and from an environment of generational poverty”.
Let’s see …
The Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities will allocate financial aid from the subsidy scheme for emergency situations to the fire-stricken village of Telgárt, where more than half of the huts in the local settlement burned down.
Agátka Berková is a twelve years old Romni from Slovakia who grew up in a Roma settlement. She is an already well-known chess champion and she represents Slovakia at prestigious international chess events with excellent results. The media write about her as a unique chess phenomenon, because not everyone can boast of a draw with chess grandmaster and world chess champion Anatoly Karpov.
Her father Milan, an excellent Romano poet, external editor of the national broadcaster RTVS and chess coach, known for founding and leading the Romani chess club Hrochoťský jazci, took care of her. It is he who has a large share in the fact that his daughter has become a passionate chess player who defeats much older opponents.
The international Roma festival Amaro Fest – open air gipsy festival offers musical, singing and dancing performances by local and foreign performers. This year’s seventh edition is taking place on July 22 and 23 in the Nitra amphitheatre.
Exactly a quarter of a century has passed since the tragedy in which 50 people – mostly children – died. July 20, 1998 was a hot summer day. Around three in the afternoon, heavy rain started, and shortly before six in the early evening, the sky split open. Water rushed through the valley of Mala Svinka. In a single hour, the water level rose by six meters. There was panic and shouting in the settlement in Jarovnice in the local part of Močidľana where 50 people died.
Not much has changed since …
Some images of the Gypsy Fest Festival, Slovakia.
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