Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Roma

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Slovakia and Roma

600 years ago, the King Sigismund of Luxembourg, King of Hungary, issued a protection document for the Roma in Spiš Castle (Slovakia). This event was commemorated on Wednesday at an event in the European Parliament (EP) by Slovak MEP Peter Pollák (OĽANO), who handed over a copy of this document to the House of European History in Brussels during a ceremony.

Nouvelles suisses

Switzerland: Holocaust Memorial

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The Swiss Federal Council voted yesterday to erect a Holocaust memorial in the city of Bern in a yet to be determined central location. They allocated a 2.5 Mio CHF credit to the Memorial.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne

Poland: Controversy

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The Polish stand up performer recently made jokes about Roma of Limanowa. They told him he would not be welcome, but he nevertheless went, leading to protests.

Again, as usual, racist statements and jokes about Roma do not receive the same treatment as for other minorities.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Prague: Catholic Congress

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The Congress of the International Catholic Committee for Roma was held in the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, in which more than 130 participants from 20 European countries took part, who discussed the topic: “Crisis and wounds as a source of change.” In his message to the Polish news agency KAI, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Service to Integral Human Development, cited the words of St. Pope Paul VI addressed to the Roma in 1965: “You are not on the side-lines, but in the very heart of the Church”.

Well, these are just words …

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Relocation

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Roma from Svrčinovac have to be moved. The settlement will fall victim to the construction of a viaduct for the D3 highway. Construction should have already started, the Roma should have been moved, the houses were bought, but they are said to be inadequate. So today no one knows where they will actually go. And not even how many there actually are. According to information from the village, there are 35 of them. In reality, however, there are up to 70 of them. Three houses will not be enough for them.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Royaume-Uni

Diane Abbott

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The statements of the Labour MP about racism continue to draw criticism.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Czech Republic: Role Models

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Three Roma recently won prizes in the Czech Republic. Patrick Banga, a Romano journalist won the prestigious Magnesia Litera literary prize in the new authors category; Renata Berkyová, a historian who works on the Holocaust of Roma won a 4 month months scholarship at the Washington Holocaust Museum; and finally, the actor Marsell Bendig won the Czech Lion for supporting actor for his role in the film Banger.

Well done!

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Relocation

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A Roma settlement of Svrčinovec stands in the way of an ecoduct (a wildlife overpass) above the D3 highway. The Roma were to be relocated, but it turns out, there are twice as many of them as initially assessed (70 instead of 35), so that the replacement housing is not sufficient …

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Roma Segregation

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The temporarily appointed Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger (Democrats) and Peter Pellegrini (Hlas-SD). Answered questions from the Audience. Some questions also touched on the lawsuit that Slovakia is currently facing for the segregation of Roma children. While Heger claimed that it is not a problem that could be solved overnight with money, ex-prime minister Peter Pellegrini has a completely different opinion. Eduard Heger says that the segregation of Roma children must be solved by their integration, but he did not present concrete steps to achieve this. Peter Pellegrini, on the other hand, is against interfering with the composition of classes. i.e. introducing quotas.

In fact, the issue is not that complex: Segregation occurs when schools are located in Roma settlements, and moving the children to other schools would solve the issue. The US knows about it.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Royaume-Uni

Diane Abott

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The British Labour MP Diane Abott had to resign following an outcry after a letter she wrote to a newspaper in which she suggested that “prejudice” experienced by “white-seeming people” is distinct from racism against black people.

This when one in three Roma and Travellers have experienced racism in the UK.

France Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

French Chronicle …

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Not much this week. Ab amusing (and inaccurate) article on the French slang expression “nachave pelo” meaning in slang “get away”, “run”. It comes from the verb našav, to flee or to escape, and pelo, a testicle (and not a man as they say). Near Paris, an abandoned camp is an ecological problem, and near Bordeaux, the future closure of a camp means many inhabitants will loose their lodgings, and no replacement solutions have been organised.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria: After the Fight

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A few weeks ago, tow Roma families clashed in Kazanlak, Bulgaria, leaving 2 victims and several wounded. The police and the involved municipalities decided to re-settle these families to avoid other clashes.

Remains to be seen if that works.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Roma

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The Slovak historian and member of the Science Adademy Ondrej Ficeri debated Roma issues:

High unemployment, poor hygiene, low literacy, crime and, most recently, an epidemic of infectious diseases.

He specialised in the Study of the Roma and claims that the situation will not change easily. In the discussion, however, things went really bad. In the debate, they discussed “whether and how to change the mindset of some Roma, who do want sewage and drinking water, but do not want to pay for it.”

According to Ficeri, “No, that cannot be changed in my opinion. But even so, it is the responsibility of the municipality to ensure adequate housing and re-educate residents to pay at least for unavoidable services such as rent, water, electricity. Hopefully it will be beneficial at least in the long run, even though it may seem like throwing peas against a wall at the moment. We cannot do nothing.”

So basically, Roma are incapable to adapt and change … Nice statements.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Germany: Grimme Prize

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The German Grimme Prize is considered the most important prize for German TV. The winners have been known for a while, but they only now received their prizes. In the “Information & Culture” category, Peter Nestler was honoured for his documentary film about the injustice against German Sinti and Roma families. He tells of Romani Rose’s family, their resistance and their insistence on justice (ZDF/3sat, 112 minutes).

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Pologne

Łódź and Roma

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The Provincial Vojevode office of Lodz organized a conference devoted to the situation of Roma children in schools. In its course, cultural and historical issues were often referred to. There was also a presentation of the achievements of the most talented Roma.

Erwin Brzeziński, is a Roma painter who started early at the age of 6.. His work is at a border between imagination and reality. Each of the works focuses on a man and each shows a fragment of Roma culture to the viewer.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Serbia, Roma, and Rap

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The Gypsy Roma Urban Balcan Beat (GRUBB) is a show in Serbia created by young Roma artists. Here, in the article, a young Rom participated for two years and wants to continue. A reportage on Serbian television that will be shown on April 26th.

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