The Roma organisation ARCA placed an open call for young activists, youth leaders, historians and researchers aged 18 to 35 to apply for their Summer School on Roma History entitled “Remembering Together”, which will take place in Berlin from June 10 to 15, 2025!
A new memorial for 77 Roma who were murdered in Karczew, Poland, in 1943 is planned. During the interwar period, travelling Roma would come to the village of Przewóz (now part of Karczew) for wintering and rented rooms from local farmers. From 1939, Roma lived in the village, as the Germans banned them from travelling. The life of the local Roma community ended tragically on January 2, 1943. Several German soldiers surrounded the village and began to drag Roma out of their homes onto the streets. Anyone who resisted was immediately shot; a total of 77 people were killed during the executions.
Teachers and students of Matej Bel University symbolically buried the code of ethics in protest against the speech of MEP Milan Mazurek at the university. “Dear mourners, on Thursday, March 20, the spirit of the code of ethics of Matej Bel University died.
Milan Mazurek, of the Republic Party (formerly “Our Slovakia”) is an extreme right politician who was condemned for racism against Roma in 2018, a decision upheld by the supreme court in 2019. Hew said in a speech: “The Gypsy anti-socials have never done anything for the nation and never will”.
An article on the Roma ball held in Bratislava and the outfits of the Roma who attended. The article stresses the amount of jewellery and gold worn by the attendees.
Canadian professor David Scheffel, who came to Slovakia to conduct research on child prostitution in Roma settlements near Prešov after the revolution, was prosecuted for sexual crimes for years. He was accused based on the statements of teenage girls from a poor Roma settlement where he conducted his research.
Last year, the girls recanted in an interview with the press and now, they have retracted their statements in court. The court subsequently acquitted David Scheffel.
The Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities Alexander Daško, who has been in place for 15 months, says that there have been enough concepts and analyses, and that one already knows everything about the living conditions in the communities, now we need to work. He also claims that nothing has been done in the last 30 years. He added that changes will take a long time.
Fact is, fires such as the one in Veľký Šaris will continue to happen, for as long as people have to resort to burning plastic in stoves to heat their homes.
Irena Biháriová, the former chairwoman of the Progressive Slovakia party and the first Romni to lead a parliamentary party in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. She entered politics in response to the rise of extremism to protect democracy. On April 6, she will speak at the unique ROMx event, which will present inspiring Romani personalities, their stories and visions for the future as part of the celebrations of International Roma Day in Prague.
On Saturday evening, Romani students during the BARUVAS meeting in Brno symbolically joined the memorial service for the victims of the tragic fire in the Romani settlement in Veľký Šariš, Slovakia. Each of the twenty-five participants lit a candle and together honored the memory of four small children and their great-grandmother who died in the night fire.
Many articles about a a Roma baby boy who was put in a baby box in Jihlava late Sunday evening. He was named František. In the 15 years of the Jihlava baby box’s existence, this is the fourth child and the 273rd in total, said the founder of the boxes, Ludvík Hess.
The boy was put in a minute before 10 p.m. and was wrapped in a red-blue-and-white checkered blanket, otherwise he was naked, said Hess. According to him, Roma children in a baby box are a rarity.
Slovenske novice writes today that after Saturday’s Ceca concert, three young Roma attacked an innocent man from Brežice. Due to numerous punches and kicks, he has a broken nose, a broken finger on his left hand, and an injury to his shoulder…
Bad for all.
In cooperation with the government’s plenipotentiary for Roma communities, Alexander Dašek the city administration is working on a housing solution for the people who lost their homes in the fire in the Roma settlement.
Michaela Cingeľová, a unique teacher who decided to go to teach at the Ľudmila Podjavorinská Elementary School in Luník IX four years ago. This is one of the most notorious ghettos in Slovakia.
In addition, she founded a project in her hometown that makes Roma children look forward to going to school on Saturdays.
Quite a few articles this week in the French press about Roma. Mostly about a Roma camp near Nantes in Western France. Roma in this camp, in Carquefou have been summoned to leave. The issue, they cannot leave with their 131 caravans, as the access road is blocked. No comment.
In Nantes, in another camp, a fire started and in the same city, an organisation is worried about the living conditions in Roma camps. Still in Western France, an exhibition aims at building bridges between Roma and the local population. In Annecy, in the Alps, a camp reopened. In South of France, a German tourist geolocalised his stolen iPad in a Roma camp.
Czech Television reporter and presenter Richard Samko arrived at the Junior Radio Club. He talked to presenter Eva Sinkovičová about his work and the new Minor Theatre performance, in which he portrays a Roma hero, Josef Serenko. He fought in both world wars and he later became a partisan commander nicknamed Černý and worked in the Highlands.
Many articles in the Slovak and in the Czech press about the fire in the Roma settlement of Veľkém Šariši which killed 4 children and a woman and destroyed several houses. Alexander Daško, the government’s plenipotentiary for Roma communities, went in the settlement in the Prešov region. He wants to go to Brussels and provide modular housing for the Roma in the settlements.
Up till now, he hasn’t done much to help and is heavily criticised.
A public rally called Slovakia is Europe is took place on the Town Hall Square in Bardejov.
The most prominent speaker was the singer Katka Koščová, and in addition to her, Roma activist and blogger Štefan Drevenák.
The International Roma Day celebrations will begin in Prague on April 4th, offering concerts, exhibitions, discussions and a gala evening. This year’s 11th year will be held in the spirit of the theme FUTUROMA, which focuses on the future of Roma culture in society. The celebrations are organized by the ARA ART organization and will culminate on April 8th with a gala evening.
The Brno Municipal Court today began hearing the case of Igor Mižák, who, according to the indictment, was supposed to have founded and managed the neo-Nazi website White Media. In the past, the website published hundreds to thousands of private documents and personal data, including e-mail correspondence between former prime ministers Bohuslav Sobotka and Vladimír Špidla. Among the victims are also activists fighting against racism and xenophobia, including several Roma. However, the court is not addressing the website’s hateful content due to the US position. Mižák defends himself by claiming that he only rented the website. If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison.
The fire in a Roma settlement in Veľký Šariš on March 19th claimed the lives of four young children and one adult woman and burnt 8 homes to the ground. It has severely affected not only the local Roma community, but also the general public. Roma activists, politicians and representatives of institutions are reacting to the tragedy. Roma leader Jozef Stojka called on Roma in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and throughout the European Union to light a candle in memory of the victims on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. According to him, the tragedy revealed a long-term crisis in the state’s approach to marginalized Roma communities.
An interview with the coordinator of a facility for children in unfavourable situation who explains that they now have Roma and Ukrainians amongst their client, and that they had to deal with prejudice towards Roma.
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