French Chronicle …

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Not many news this week in France about Roma. First, an article that shows integration works. Roma who were part of a program around Paris found a job. The French defender of Human Rights, Jacque Toubon, lauded the successes of an insertion village near Paris. Other than that, in Triel sur Seine, residents are fighting for the closure of a Roma camp; a fire in a Roma camp is reported in the North of France; and Roma, while more likely to get measles are also more likely to vaccinate against it, given the opportunity.
Finally, two cases of criminality: Romanian thieves attacking women and card thefts in Western France.

– Des Roms quittent le bidonville pour se former. In: La Croix. 19.02.2018. https://www.la-croix.com/Economie/France/Roms-quittent-bidonville-former-2018-02-19-1200914823
– Toubon salue les résultats ” remarquables ” du village humanitaire d’Ivry. In: Le Parisien. 21.02.2018. http://www.leparisien.fr/val-de-marne-94/ivry-toubon-salue-les-resultats-remarquables-du-village-humanitaire-21-02-2018-7571622.php
– Camp de Roms à Triel-sur-Seine : des habitants expriment leur ras-le-bol au conseil. In 78 Actu. 23.02.2018. https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/triel-sur-seine_78624/camp-roms-triel-sur-seine-habitants-expriment-leur-ras-bol-conseil_15586775.html
– Camp de Roms : constat partagé, visions opposes. In: La Gazette. 21.02.2018. http://lagazette-yvelines.fr/2018/02/21/camp-de-roms-constat-partage-visions-opposees/
– Une caravane prend feu dans un camp de Roms, pas de victim. In: La Voix du Nord. 20.02.2018. http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/321051/article/2018-02-20/une-caravane-prend-feu-dans-un-camp-de-roms-pas-de-victime
– Rougeole : ce que la ministre ne dit pas. In: NPA. 20.02.2018. https://npa2009.org/actualite/sante/rougeole-ce-que-la-ministre-ne-dit-pas
– Maine-et-Loire. Les cambrioleurs roumains s’attaquaient aux fermes. In: Ouest France. 23.02.2018. https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/angers-49000/mauges-les-cambrioleurs-roumains-s-attaquaient-aux-fermes-5584470
– Rennes. Six ans de prison requis contre le chef des voleurs de cartes bancaires. In: Ouest France. 20.02.2018. https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/rennes-35000/rennes-six-ans-de-prison-requis-contre-le-chef-des-voleurs-de-cartes-bancaires-5577768 [link-preview url=”https://www.la-croix.com/Economie/France/Roms-quittent-bidonville-former-2018-02-19-1200914823 “]

It is Better Not to Say It

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Integrated Roma seldom say that they are from that minority. The better the integration, the less likely they will openly state their origins and culture, for fear of being confronted with stereotypes.

– “Alles ist besser, als ‘Zigeuner’ zu sein”. In: Der Spiegel. 24.02.2018. http://www.spiegel.de/karriere/sinti-und-roma-alles-ist-besser-als-ein-zigeuner-zu-sein-a-1193918.html [link-preview url=”http://www.spiegel.de/karriere/sinti-und-roma-alles-ist-besser-als-ein-zigeuner-zu-sein-a-1193918.html”]

Hungarian Statistics …

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The Hungarians have caught up with their numbers … The latest statistics about the Roma minority in the country counts 9% of Roma or about 876’000 Roma in the country. This is the number that NGOs and activists have always advanced
This is a major increase to previous numbers which were systematically under-estimated.

– The growth of Hungary’s Roma minority – A fascinating new study. In: The Hungarian Free Press. 23.02.2018. http://hungarianfreepress.com/2018/02/23/the-growth-of-hungarys-roma-minority-a-fascinating-new-study/ [link-preview url=”http://hungarianfreepress.com/2018/02/23/the-growth-of-hungarys-roma-minority-a-fascinating-new-study/”]

More on the Swiss SVP

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Another article, this time in French on the poster of the rightist SVP in Switzerland and the complaint against them from the Association of Sinti and Roma Switzerland.

– Des Roms choqués par une caricature des Jeunes UDC. In: 24 Heures. 23.02.2018. https://www.24heures.ch/suisse/roms-choques-caricature-jeunes-udc/story/17982232 [link-preview url=”https://www.24heures.ch/suisse/roms-choques-caricature-jeunes-udc/story/17982232″]

A Story

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A new book about a Sintica, written by her son. She was deported from Hamburg to Poland and survived 6 years of camps.

– Wiesbadener Buchautor erzählt die Geschichte einer Sintifamilie. In: Merkurist. 20.02.2018. https://merkurist.de/wiesbaden/familiengeschichte-wiesbadener-buchautor-erzaehlt-die-geschichte-einer-sintifamilie_iIl [link-preview url=”https://merkurist.de/wiesbaden/familiengeschichte-wiesbadener-buchautor-erzaehlt-die-geschichte-einer-sintifamilie_iIl”]

Travellers Rights

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A portrait of a young Scottish traveller activist. We need more of this.

– “We are finally finding our voice to speak up and stand up for ourselves and our rights!” In: Youth Traveller Times. 19.02.2018. https://www.travellerstimes.org.uk/ytt/news/2018/02/we-are-finally-finding-our-voice-speak-and-stand-ourselves-and-our-rights [link-preview url=”https://www.travellerstimes.org.uk/ytt/news/2018/02/we-are-finally-finding-our-voice-speak-and-stand-ourselves-and-our-rights”]

Swiss Extreme Right

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The Association of Sinti and Roma Switzerland, together with the Association for the protection of threatened people lodged a legal complaint for racism against the youth wing of the Bern SVP following their publication of a poster which is essentially racist.
Even some of the SVP members seem to agree. Let’s see what the justice will do, as in Switzerland, it is not certain that this will be condemned.

– Junge SVP Bern wegen Plakat angezeigt. In: Der Bund. 23.02.2018. https://www.derbund.ch/schweiz/standard/junge-svp-bern-wird-wegen-plakat-angezeigt/story/22360279
– Die Junge SVP wird wegen Plakat angezeigt. In: 20 Minuten (CH). 23.02.2018. http://www.20min.ch/schweiz/news/story/Junge-SVP-wird-wegen-Plakat-angezeigt-21196778
– Sinti und Roma zeigen Junge SVP an. In: SRF. 23.02.2018. https://www.srf.ch/news/regional/bern-freiburg-wallis/wahlkampf-im-kanton-bern-sinti-und-roma-zeigen-junge-svp-an [link-preview url=”https://www.derbund.ch/schweiz/standard/junge-svp-bern-wird-wegen-plakat-angezeigt/story/22360279 “]

Swiss Extreme Right Switzerland

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The Bern youth wing of the Swiss rightist party SVP went overboard in the canton Bern. They published a cartoon on the Internet against “Zigeuner” which states:
“Millions for building and maintenance, dirt, faeces, theft, etc. against the will of the population.”
We say NO to the camping sites for foreign Gypsies”
REALLY? This is racist. [link-preview url=””]

Roma Slavery

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An article on the Roma slavery in Romania on the anniversary of its abolition.

– Roma Slavery is Historical Trauma. In: Harvard Center for Health and Human Rights. https://fxb.harvard.edu/roma-slavery-is-historical-trauma/ [link-preview url=”https://fxb.harvard.edu/roma-slavery-is-historical-trauma/”]

Movies and Roma …

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A conference on the theme of Antitziganism and Movies started in Berlin on Wednesday, February 21st. The conference was convened on the back of the controversy of the German television movie “Nelly’s Adventures” which depicted Roma in a negative and stereotypical way. These stereotypes are all too often present in movies as soon as Roma are present. This needs to stop.

– ANTIZIGANISMUS IM FILM: DIE PRODUKTION VON RASSISTISCHEN STEREOTYPE. In: Belltower News. 22.02.2018. http://www.belltower.news/artikel/antiziganismus-im-film-die-produktion-von-rassistischen-stereotype-13363 [link-preview url=”http://www.belltower.news/artikel/antiziganismus-im-film-die-produktion-von-rassistischen-stereotype-13363″]

More on Frankfurt

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The story of the stamp and the note on the passport of a Romni from Romania continues to feed the news. It made it to the Romanian news, where they noted that the German administration effectively defaced property of the Romanian State (yes, the passport). It continues to get coverage in Germany, as it is all too reminiscent of practices of the Nazis.

– Bedenkliche Vermerke in Pässen: Will Frankfurt obdachlose Roma-Migranten vertreiben? In: Sputnik. 21.02.2018. https://de.sputniknews.com/panorama/20180221319658092-deutschland-frankfurt-sinti-roma-vertreiben/
– Ţigani români, în centrul unui nou SCANDAL: Riscă expulzarea din Germania – ‘Comportament scandalos’. In: Stiripesurse. 22.02.2018. https://www.stiripesurse.ro/tigani-romani–in-centrul-unui-nou-scandal–risca-expulzarea-din-germania—-comportament-scandalos-_1250381.html [link-preview url=”https://de.sputniknews.com/panorama/20180221319658092-deutschland-frankfurt-sinti-roma-vertreiben/ “]

Slovenia and Roma

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More reactions in Slovenia following the publications of an Amnesty International report on the situation of refugees and Roma in Slovenia. The report says that the country does too little to stop discrimination and segregation against Roma.

– AI: Slovenija se nikakor ne more pohvaliti glede sprejemanja beguncev. In: RTV SLO. 22.02.2018. http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/ai-slovenija-se-nikakor-ne-more-pohvaliti-glede-sprejemanja-beguncev/446745
– Odnos do Romov in beguncev pod drobnogledom. In: Delo. 22.02.2018. https://www.delo.si/novice/slovenija/odnos-do-romov-in-beguncev-pod-drobnogledom.html
– Amnesty International Notes Plight of Refugees and Roma in Slovenia. In: STA. 22.02.2018. http://www.total-slovenia-news.com/news/705-amnesty-international-notes-plight-of-refugees-and-roma-in-slovenia [link-preview url=”https://www.delo.si/novice/slovenija/odnos-do-romov-in-beguncev-pod-drobnogledom.html “]

Slovenia, Refugees, and Roma

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Slovenia has been slammed by Amnesty International for undermining the rights of refugees and for the continuing discrimination and seggergation of Roma.

– AI v letnem poročilu opozarja na slab položaj beguncev, Romov in izbrisanih v Sloveniji. In: STA. 22.02.2018. https://www.sta.si/2485287/ai-v-letnem-porocilu-opozarja-na-slab-polozaj-beguncev-romov-in-izbrisanih-v-sloveniji [link-preview url=”https://www.sta.si/2485287/ai-v-letnem-porocilu-opozarja-na-slab-polozaj-beguncev-romov-in-izbrisanih-v-sloveniji”]

Begging and Frankfort

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Seems that the Frankfort authorities are trying to get rid of homeless Roma beggars. The story recently with a stamp in the passport and the comments “aggressive begging” written in the passport are apparently the tip of the iceberg.
Bad.

– Frankfurt authorities are ‘trying to drive homeless Roma out of town’, says rights group. In: The Local. 21.02.2018. https://www.thelocal.de/20180221/frankfurt-authorities-are-trying-to-drive-homeless-roma-out-of-town-says-rights-group [link-preview url=”https://www.thelocal.de/20180221/frankfurt-authorities-are-trying-to-drive-homeless-roma-out-of-town-says-rights-group”]

Inspirational Stories

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A series of portraits of Roma role models in Slovakia. These are part of the new initiative launched a while back by the Dive association to reduce stereotypes and promote integration.

– Inšpiratívne príbehy najúspešnejších slovenských Rómov: Úprimne, dokázali by ste toto? In: Topky. 22.02.2018. http://www.topky.sk/cl/10/1690529/Inspirativne-pribehy-najuspesnych-slovenskych-Romov–Uprimne–dokazali-by-ste-toto- [link-preview url=”http://www.topky.sk/cl/10/1690529/Inspirativne-pribehy-najuspesnych-slovenskych-Romov–Uprimne–dokazali-by-ste-toto-“]

A Parallel

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An article making a parallel between Roma and African Americans due to slavery. Historically, one has to be careful because Roma slavery existed only in Wallachia and Moldova (which later became part of Romania) and to a lesser extent in other regions of Transylvania. Nowhere else. So the parallel is very valid in Romania itself, but cannot be generalised.

– Roma and African Americans share a common struggle. In: The Guardian. 20.02.2018. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/20/roma-african-americans-common-struggle [link-preview url=”https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/20/roma-african-americans-common-struggle”]

Czech Republic and Holocaust

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Following the statements by Tomio Okamura and consorts regarding the Roma Holocaust in the Czech Republic (almost all Roma were killed), a Czech historian reminds his fellow citizen of what really happened.

– Czech historian reminds public that cruel abuse was perpetrated at concentration camp for Roma in Moravia. In: Romea.cz. 20.02.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-historian-reminds-public-that-cruel-abuse-was-perpetrated-at-concentration-camp-for-roma-in-moravia [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-historian-reminds-public-that-cruel-abuse-was-perpetrated-at-concentration-camp-for-roma-in-moravia”]

Really????

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The so-called “Ordnungsamt” – Office of Order – of the city of Frankfurt is in the middle of a controversy. One of their employees stamped the passport of a Romanian Romni with the official office’s stamp and wrote on the passport “Was met while aggressively begging”.
Not only is this illegal but it also reminds one of the past. Let’s hope the person who did this gets booted out.

– Ordnungsamt-Stempel im Pass einer Romni sorgt für Aufsehen. In: Merkurist. 16.02.2018. https://merkurist.de/frankfurt/repressalien-ordnungsamt-stempel-im-pass-einer-romni-sorgt-fuer-aufsehen_tIl [link-preview url=”https://merkurist.de/frankfurt/repressalien-ordnungsamt-stempel-im-pass-einer-romni-sorgt-fuer-aufsehen_tIl”]

Holocaust Memorial Day

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The Czech Government Council is proposing to formally recognise the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day (August 2nd), the day commemorating the liquidation of the Roma camp in Auschwitz.

– Gov’t council for declaring Roma Holocaust memorial day. In: The Prague Monitor. 19.02.2018. http://praguemonitor.com/2018/02/19/govt-council-declaring-roma-holocaust-memorial-day [link-preview url=”http://praguemonitor.com/2018/02/19/govt-council-declaring-roma-holocaust-memorial-day”]

Germany: Treaty

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The German State of Bavaria signed a treaty with the State Association of the Sinti and Roma aimed at achieving a better integration and a reduction of the discrimination they face in that state.
Good!

– Staatsregierung unterzeichnet Vertrag mit Sinti und Roma. In: Die Welt. 20.02.2018. https://www.welt.de/regionales/bayern/article173758265/Staatsregierung-unterzeichnet-Vertrag-mit-Sinti-und-Roma.html [link-preview url=”https://www.welt.de/regionales/bayern/article173758265/Staatsregierung-unterzeichnet-Vertrag-mit-Sinti-und-Roma.html”]

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