An article in this week’s Economist on Roma in the Ukraine. This article is definitively below par for the Econimist. Platitutes, generalisations, lack of differentiation, and reduction to victims.
A pitty.
The European Commission has sent a formal notice to the Czech Republic for failing to comply with EU anti-discrimination rules, citing the continued segregation of Roma children in schools.
The Commission has found that many Roma children are disproportionately placed in schools for children with disabilities or in separate classes, despite reforms aimed at ending the segregation of Roma children.
Not much and nothing really good in France about Roma this week. A festival against racism in Toulouse. But figthing rcism with stereotyps is not the best approach. Other than that, residents of a commune near Lyon ask for a Roma camp to be closed. And then, petty criminality: in Alsace and near Nantes.
The successful Slovak series Iveta was among the selected film productions at the well-known international Roma festival Ake Dikhea?, which takes place every year in Berlin. This festival, which has been appealing to a wide international community for several years with its uniqueness and cultural significance, focuses on the presentation of Roma films that reflect the diverse stories, lives and perspectives of Roma around the world.
The celebration of the Day of the Croatian Police and their patron Saint Michael was held in the building of the Međimurje Police Department in Čakovec. So far, ok.
The statement of the article saying that “Police officers should be given back their authority in the field, so that they can be efficient, especially in Roma settlements!” is definitively not ok.
As RTL unofficially learns, another criminal complaint has been filed against MP Veljko Kajtazi. After the one due to violence where he is accused of having hit a woman, now we are talking about financial embezzlement, and that is related to a large Roma centre that is under construction.
Bad.
Last Tuesday, a literary evening was held in the Sobos library with the book “White Rom” by Sandi Horvat, and the poetry collection “Tvoj ciganski obraz bledi” by Marcelo Baranja. The two authors shed light on the literary creation, and also spoke about their experiences, challenges and the issue of cultural identity in modern society.
In the book Beli Rom, Horvat describes the experiences of growing up and identity as a member of the Roma community. The book is not only an autobiographical insight into his life, Horvat told STA, but it is also a contribution to the understanding of the broader Roma culture, history and challenges faced by Roma in modern society.
On Saturday, September 28, a protest was held in Šentjerne in support of a parent who physically attacked an elementary school student because he allegedly bullied his son. It turned out that the Roma child who was attacked was not the perpetrator of peer violence at all. The protesters also pointed out the violence that Roma children allegedly cause in school.
This is called racism…
Roma MP Viliam Tankó, a defector from Matovič’s Slovensko movement, joins the Progressive Slovakia parliamentary club. The progressives will thus have 33 deputies in the parliament. The leader of the progressives, Michal Šimečka, presented Tankó on the press as a “long-term sports representative of Slovakia in Olympic boxing”.This prompted discussions as to whether Matovič’s movement is merging with the progressive.
All politics …
The International Roma Memory Camp will be held in Tarnów for the 25th time. The event is planned for the upcoming weekend, from 4 to 6 October. This year’s edition will bring together scientists from various centers. The program features a block of three presentations, referring to the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the so-called The Gypsy Family Camp, which the Germans created on the grounds of the Auschwitz II (Birkenau) camp in the spring of 1943, and which they liquidated on the night of August 2/3, 1944, murdering the last nearly 3,000 Roma in gas chambers.
Roma want to be treated with dignity as citizens and people – says Karolina Kwiatkowska, Communications and PR Director at the Central Council of Roma in Poland. A large number of Roma people live in Poznań. MOPR Poznań is trying to ensure that the integration between the Polish and Roma communities is smooth. One of the more difficult cases is the encampment on Lechicka Street.
An exhibition in the ETH Zurich.
An article about the issue of seggregated schools versus the right to being taucht in one’s language. Background is the current drive by the Fico government to set up a school in Eastern Slovakia where teaching will be done in Romanes.
This is a false debate. All Roma who speak Romanes are dual language speakers. They speak the local language and Romanes. Desegregation is thus the key here, together with some courses about Romanes. Segregation and Romanes only schools will certainly no solve any issue.
The Berlin Memorial of the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialsim is being threatened by work for a new subway line. It could potentially be closed for quite a while.
On Saturday evening, more than 100 demonstrators gathered on Potsdamer Platz to protest against planned construction work for the new S-Bahn line 21 that will not just force the extended closure of this memorial to victims of Nazi genocide, but will also cause a permanent impact due to the felling of nearby trees and other long-term changes to the surroundings.
The general secretary of the Federal Association of Sinti and Roma, Romeo Franz, is said to have been severely discriminated against by an undertaker in Homburg. Franz reported to the taz that the owner of the funeral home refused to sell him a coffin and funeral service. He said that he did not do business with Sinti and Roma. Franz described the incident as “dismaying” in an interview with the taz.
SDS MP Anja Bah Žibert revealed that a group of Roma allegedly beat up several members of the Slovenian Army last week in Cerklje ob Krka, where the military air base is located, and allegedly used tear gas for animals. In the meantime, the Slovenian Army explains that the members of the SV were outside the barracks, outside working hours and in civilian clothes.
Really????
On her debut album, Slovak R&B and pop singer Erika Rein teamed up with producer Jonatan Pastirčák (Isama Zing, Pjoni). The Kamibe album features thirteen songs in three languages – English, Roanes and Slovak – and combines experimentation with global pop, soul or R&B. The release of the album Kamibe introduces the single Toxic on 9/13, the entire collection is then released on Friday 27 September in cooperation with the labels Full Moon Forum and Ruka Hore.
Rudolf Huliak was responsible for a recent vulgar incident that outraged a large number of Slovaks. At Wednesday’s (September 25) session of the parliament, the vice-chairman of the National Council, Andrej Danek (SNS), was bothered by the fact that deputy Lucia Plaváková (PS) had stickers on her computer. He was bothered by the fact that these were stickers with an LGBTI motif. Plaváková did not respond to calls to remove them and objected that she did not violate the rules of procedure.
Danko kicked her out of the hall. Huliak subsequently called Plaváková a “bitch who he does not consider a woman” at a press conference.
He also took the opportunity to insult Roma …
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, has called on Finland to continue to honour its strong record in promoting and defending human rights, following a visit to the country from 23 to 26 September, which focused on the situation of Roma and migration and asylum issues.
Well, there is still room for improvement…
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