News Eastern Europe News Switzerland North Macedonia

The Šutka

Published by:

Swiss television definitively not at its best. 8-10 Mio Roma (the Council of Europe cites 12 to 14, but then, the Swiss must know it better), and now a capital: the Šutka in Skopje.

It is always amazing what people can write or say about Roma with total impunity.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Niš – Serbia

Published by:

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 …

Germany News Western Europe

Philomena Franz

Published by:

Many articles in the German press and reactions from politicians to the death of the Holocaust survivor Philomena Franz.

May she rest in peace.

A selection of articles below:

Roth würdigt Auschwitz-Überlebende Philomena Franz. In: WDR. 30.12.2022. https://www1.wdr.de/kultur/kulturnachrichten/philomena-franz-sintezza-auschwitz-tod-claudia-roth-100.html

News Eastern Europe Poland

Małgorzata Mirga-Tas

Published by:

An interview on Polish TV of the Romani artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas. She talks openly about her inspirations in art, Roma women who are important to her, and about stereotypes she would like to fight against. She admits that the Roma have to “try twice as hard, prove twice as hard”. “We are second-class citizen,” says Mirga-Tas. The artist is involved in many social projects counteracting exclusion, racial discrimination and xenophobia. She also participated in the reconstruction of the monument commemorating the Genocide of the Roma.

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Croatia and Adoptions

Published by:

A disturbing article about a centre for adoption in Croatia who is “among the leader of realised adoptions” having  placed “18 children of Roma origin” thus giving them “the opportunity for a better and different life”. Follows the rosy story of an adopted girl who now excels at school and will work when she graduates, and of course many stereotypes…

Bad.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria and Mahalas

Published by:

Another story of an “illegal” building, this time in a Mahala (Roma neighbourhood) in Plovdiv, with the police sealing the building waiting for bulldozers to destroy it.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland and Roma

Published by:

A somewhat confusing article about Roma in the Polish Press. On the one hand, the story of Ukrainian Roma and some of the stories that are told about them which are mostly false, and on the other hand, the story of Roam in Norway, with the strong discrimination, removal of children etc. that was the norm in that country. All with a mention of the Swiss policies amounting to the same.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Transcarpathian Ukraine: A Portrait

Published by:

Eleonora Kulchar is an Ukrainian Romni who fascinates and fascinates with her desire to help everyone. She heads the “Blago” charitable foundation and is the national coordinator of the REYN-Ukraine network project, which deals with the early development of Roma children.

In her every word, you can feel how sincerely she is working for her cause and Ukraine. In half an hour, while we were talking, she was called several times, someone came to ask something important, and someone just to say hello.

And even while working in non-stop mode, she continues to radiate a huge force that can literally be felt in the air: “I know what I have to do. I ask God for help and I feel how he fills every cell of my body with strength.

Now Mrs. Eleonora is in charge of the first and so far the only shelter for Roma. About its everyday life, problems and residents – in our material.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Donbas – Shot

Published by:

In the occupied region of Makiivka, a family of 8 Roma was shot. The youngest victim, shot in the head, was a year old. Apparently, they were shot by Wagner Mercenaries who wanted to steal a car. Three of them have apparently been arrested.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Pavel Berky

Published by:

Pavel Berky, born in 1986, is a graduate of the UMPRUM fashion design studio in Prague. He was successful in the Top Style Designer competitions during the Prague Fashion Week, and was at the Exalt Fashion Show and others, world shows in New York, London, Paris or Milan. He placed third in the MasterChef Czechia 2020 competition, appeared in his own TV shows. His cookbook was awarded as the Most Beautiful Book of the Year.

He speaks about his traditions of Christmas dinner.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine: Suspended Sentence

Published by:

The Sykhiv District Court of Lviv sentenced one of the perpetrators who, together with accomplices, attacked a Roma camp in 2018. The attack occurred in June 2018 when seven people attacked the Roma camp, which was located in a forest strip on the outskirts of Lviv.  As a result of the attack, one person died, and four others were injured. The attackers prepared the attack in advance. They bought masks and armed themselves with knives, metal pipes, wooden sticks, chains and hammers.

The man was found guilty of hooliganism and sentenced to 5 years in prison. However, he was released from serving a probationary sentence, having been placed on probation for 2 years.

Really? For premeditated murder?

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma and Religion in Serbia

Published by:

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.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine’s Borders

Published by:

Another case of Ukraine’s border police stopping military age men from crossing the border illegally. The article mentions quite a few men doing that, but the onus is unfortunately on Roma – of which from 17, on 3 were men. Bad and not exactly nice to Roma.

News Eastern Europe Poland Ukraine

Poland and Ukrainian Refugees

Published by:

A large group of war refugees cannot be accommodated in the reception desk at the railway station in Przemyśl in Eastern Poland, and the time of stay, at the Humanitarian Aid Centre limited to 48 hours, is too short for them to find another place of accommodation or decide on their further journey. The problem mainly affects the Roma. Only people with a valid train ticket can enter the accommodation at the reception desk at the PKP railway station in Przemyśl. This was criticised by the Ombudsman.

rroma.org
en_GBEN
de_DEDE fr_FRFR en_GBEN