Slovenia: Not Good

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Slovenia: Not Good

The now 40-year-old Bogdan Miklič, a Rom from the village of Stranska vas pri Novem mesto in Slovenia, had a promising career as a journalist at RTV Slovenia, and he is also active in his Roma Civil society. Among others, he was the president of the association Gypsies once – Roma today,  and still is the legal representative or president of the Roma Association for Dolenjska.

According to the article, he is nowadays most often seen in court for fraud and theft, and in this particular case, for threatening his farmer neighbour.

Whatever he did, this kind of articles does not further the Romani cause.

Czechia: Campaign

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Czechia: Campaign

The RomanoNet platform, covering more than fifteen Roma and pro-Roma organizations, is launching a new online campaign called “50 shades of anti-Roma racism in the Czech Republic”. The main goal of the campaign is to fight against prejudices, stereotypes and expressions of hateful behavior directed against the Roma.

Slovakia: Museum of Roma Culture

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Slovakia: Museum of Roma Culture

The Museum of Roma Culture in Slovakia has been actively involved in research, documentation and presentation of the rich cultural heritage of the Roma since 2004. “The exhibition will introduce visitors to the history of the museum and its predecessor – the Documentation Centre of Roma Culture, its development and professional activities, as well as the importance of preserving the cultural identity of the Roma through museum activities,” said Kiripolská.

The Exhibition is titled “Hin amen museum!” –[We have a museum].

Poland: Movie

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Poland: Movie

“Wrooklyn zoo” is a tribute to youth. A film with Wrocław as background is now in cinemas

Director Krzysztof Skonieczny himself comes from Lower Silesia and, like the main character of the film, as a teenager he roamed the streets of Wrocław on a skateboard.

It’s a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, except that Romeo is a skater, Juliet is a Romni and Verona is Wrocław.

Bulgaria, Elections, and Accusations

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Bulgaria, Elections, and Accusations

With the upcoming elections in Bulgaria, the visit of a politician Kiril Petkov, to a Roma settlement, prompted accusations that he was trying to buy votes. The article says he met with the “Romani Barons” and moneylenders who are know vote buyers…

Greece and the “Copper Mafia”

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Greece and the “Copper Mafia”

Several articles in the Bulgarian press about a police action in Roma settlements in Greece against the “copper mafia”, which steals and trades metals on the black market. According to the police, these are usually Roma gangs, and the target of their raids are copper cables and railway tracks. Catalytic converters are also removed from the cars, which are then sold on the black market for between 400 and 900 euros. The more expensive ones are stolen to order from illegal car repair shops.

Among the people arrested there were Greeks, Bulgarians, and Romanians.

Mukachevo Region: Measles Epidemic

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Mukachevo Region: Measles Epidemic

The measles virus continues to spread on the territory of the Mukachevo community, and the epidemic situation remains tense. According to doctors, 25 cases of this disease have been recorded since the beginning of the year, 22 of them in September-October. A measles outbreak occurred in a compact Roma settlement. Currently, 7 children are receiving inpatient treatment. Measles is a dangerous, contagious viral disease that spreads quickly. 9 out of 10 people with whom an infected person has been in contact will also become ill if they have not been vaccinated.

Ukraine: Inclusion Program for Minorities

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Ukraine: Inclusion Program for Minorities

Aproject in the Lutsk region, “Stronger together: support and expansion of opportunities for national minorities in Lutsk during the war” financed in part by the Council of Europe, is aimed at creating a favorable and inclusive environment for national minorities in the community, helping to overcome challenges caused by the war, etc.

Resource meetings, psychological consultations, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and leadership workshops take place within the project. The target audience is representatives of national minorities (communities), internally displaced persons, representatives of the public sector who actively work with national minorities (communities).

Ukraine, the Economist, and Roma

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Ukraine, the Economist, and Roma

A Ukrainian translation of the article of the Economist about Roma in the Ukraine which, unfortunately, is not exactly up to the standards of this publication.

It states, for example, that almost half of the Roma who lived in Ukraine before the war fled Ukraine. But actually base themselves on Transcarpathian Ukraine. And anyhow, one doesn’t know how many Roma lived in Ukraine before the war…

Journalism on Roma is nearly always bad.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Another one of these misinformed “documentaries” in France that show one can say anything about Roma. Here, in one of the main TV chanels, where they say there are 17’000 Roma in France – well, if you use that (as the French do) aas a synonym for Romanian Roma of recent arrival, this is correct. But nevertheless, this is pitifull.

Other news are a festival, l’Arbre vagabond in Chambon-sur-Lignon; a vampo near Nantes, where there was a fire fater which it was vacated; another campo where the city of Nantes dives itself 4 years (yes) to relocate Roma from a camp; and in the same city, a new Roma camp in a site that is full of arsenic and mercury.

The French have done nothing in more than twenty years to integrate around 20’000 Roma from Romania. They are still living in slums, being evicted and resettling in another one. Shame.

Romano Feminist Theatre

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Romano Feminist Theatre

An interview with Mihaela Dragan, founder of a feminist Roma theatre. She says “My grandmother was a matriarch, so I always had feminism first-hand, although I didn’t know that such a word existed. At home, I saw that women are born leaders.”

The manifesto “Roma Futurismi” written by Mihaela Dragan, was translated into Polish by Marta Orczykowska for the Łódź of Many Cultures Festival.

Auschwitz – Oświęcim Pogrom

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Auschwitz – Oświęcim Pogrom

In the Polsih town of Oświęcim, better known by its German name, a pogrom against Roma took place in October 1981. Antoni Rokicki’s report “Wystraczy spark” is a documentary on these events.

Dr. Joanna Talewicz, an anthropologist from Oświęcim and president of the W Stronę Dialogu Foundation, talks about the fact that the pogrom is still a taboo topic, even in some Roma families. “We, the Roma, often bear collective responsibility for things we did not do,” she says.

Slovenia: New Centre

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Slovenia: New Centre

In the Roma settlement of Dobruška Vas in the municipality of Škocjan, the new premises of the multi-purpose Roma centre, which also includes a kindergarten, were officially opened today. The centre was burned down in March this year, and the municipality decided to replace it with a new one. “Especially in the desire to help children,” said Mayor Jože Kapler.

According to the mayor, the new center is built out of three new containers that the municipality rented and remodeled. The municipality also provided water and electricity for the center, and built playgrounds next to it. The entire investment cost around 70,000 euros.

Slovakia: Interview

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Slovakia: Interview

An interviw with MP Viliam Tankó, who also represents Slovakia in boxing and, who in is own words says that had to live with my mother near a garbage dump. He also explains why he recently left the movement of Matovič who scored high within the Roma population in Slovakia. Since then, he worked as a non-affiliated member of parliament until, together with Michal Šimeček, he announced two weeks ago that he was joining the club of the strongest opposition party, Progresívne Slovensko.

80 Years Ago

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80 Years Ago

80 years ago, the Nazis massacred 24 Roma in the settlement near Žiari nad Hronom. They herded people into houses and set them on fire.

Of all the men, women and children, only a 14-year-old girl was saved from death by fire. She managed to jump out of the window of the burning house and hide. After a few days, the locals took her to the hospital, but they were detained by a military patrol and the girl was shot on the spot, ethnologist Arne Mann describes the event.

Roma Settlements and Waste

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Roma Settlements and Waste

An article about the issue of waste from a Roma settlement in Slovakia (an ‘Osada’) which washes down in a water reservoir below. Of course, the blame is on Roma who dump garbage and more behind their houses.

But …

There is no garbage collection, there are no sewers, and in many of those settlements, there is no runnign water. Now, who’s to blame?

Slovakia and the Persecution of Roma

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Slovakia and the Persecution of Roma

An article about a book on the persecution and deportation of Roma during World War Two in Slovakia. It unfortunately centres on “nomadism” and puts a caravan as an image. That there had never been nomadic Roma in Slovakia is not mentioned.

So, with good ntentions, this cements stereotypes.

Conference in Greece

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Conference in Greece

A conference on Antisemmitism and anti-Roma racism in Greece on October 17th. It goes unter the motto “Let us never forget” and investigates the roots of the Holocaust, a systematic genocide during World War II,  which targeted, Jews and Roma on ethnic grounds. Its roots lie in long-standing prejudices and the radicalization of exclusionary ideologies during the nation-building period of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Understanding this historical context is crucial to recognizing and combating similar forms of discrimination today.

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