News Western Europe Spain

Beautiful Photographs, same old views …

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Beautiful Photographs, same old views …

A Madrid based French photographer, Pierre Gonnord has produced beautiful pictures of Rroma that he has taken in Spain. The pictures, while truly stunning, still play the old card of poor, non integrated Rroma. This is a pity, and actually, we do not need this – especially when presented as a general view of this minority.

News Eastern Europe Romania Slovakia

Gypsy Music. The Quest of Budapest Restaurant Music

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Gypsy Music. The Quest of Budapest Restaurant Music

The BBC published a long reportage about the vanishing Gypsy “Cigan” Music in Budapest. This music, while played by Rroma musicians on some of the typical Rroma instruments such as the Cymbalom, has little in effect to do with Rroma music. It is and was a collection of Hungarian Schlagers, a few Hungarian folk songs and the odd typically Rroma song, these later ones can still be heard across the borders in Slovakia, still sung in Rromanes, and in Romania, especially in Transylvania.

There were and are still some great dynasties such as the Lakatos who perpetuate the style, but, in a time where recorded music is ubiquitous, the Rroma orchestras of Budapest are a vanishing breed, only kept in a few touristy restaurants. The past is gone, but music still stays, in new forms as for example with the munch more modern Roma Varadi Café!

France News Western Europe

French Magazine condemned for incitation to hatred

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French Magazine condemned for incitation to hatred

The French Magazine “Valeurs Actuelles” has been condemned for incitation to racial hatred against Rroma for an article and title page of the magazine called: “Les Roms, l’Overdose” – The Rroma, the overdosis that was published in August 2014. The director of the publication, Yves de Kerdrel has been sentenced to a fine of 3’000 Euro.

This is a news, and good news, especially in France where the image of the Rroma is not good, and where even the Prime Minister is not adverse at racists statements against this minority.

France News Western Europe

Meanwhile in France …

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Meanwhile in France …

As usual, not a week can pass in France without the press lamenting about illegal settlements, or reporting on the judicial actions of Rroma or NGOs fighting evictions. This time, these are again the Rroma from Roubaix, in the North of France whose expulsion is pending a legal hearing that has now been reported to mid April.

News Western Europe

Rroma in Turkey under Erdogan

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Le monde diplomatique published a long article on the Rroma in today Erdogan’s Turkey. Many of them were driven out of centuries old settlements, some such as Sulukule in Istanbul dating back more than a thousand years.

However, in the last five years, some of the key laws against Rroma in Turkey have been revoked. These gestures are due in part to the pressure of the EU concerning the rights of minorities in Turkey are not fundamentally changing their situation. Prejudices are strong, very strong in that country, and Rroma – still called Cingene – are still all too often simply excluded.

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

Why so much hatred?

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Why so much hatred?

While starting with a good intention, Planet.fr, in their article entitled “Roms: pourquoi tant de haine?” [Rroma: why so much hatred], manages to pack quite a few stereotypes and misinformation in a short article. They speak of 17’000 Rroma (only those who have arrived from Romania and Bulgaria), associating Rroma with migrants and neglecting the 500’000 who live in that country, speak of poverty, etc.

On the positive side, they mention that France is indeed quite racist at this stage against Rroma and tha French politics have a problem with Rroma.

News Western Europe

Pankok and Eskildsen

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Pankok and Eskildsen

An exhibition in Duisburg shows art from Maurice Pankok (1893-1966), and artist who dedicated a lot of his art to Rroma and Sinti as well as photographs from Joachim Eskildsen, author of the now famous book “The Roma Journeys”. A must in both cases.

 

Ausstellung über Sinti und Roma in Duisburg. In: WAZ. 15.03.2015. http://www.derwesten.de/staedte/duisburg/ausstellung-ueber-sinti-und-roma-in-duisburg-aimp-id10424658.html

News Western Europe

Exhibition in Sweden

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Exhibition in Sweden

The Swedish exhibition featuring two Rroma beggars continues to make waves. This time, Libération speaks about it, citing the Rroma associations from Sweden / Malmø.

Soraya Post, a MEPalso slammed this exhibition as being disgracefull.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

New Czech Strategy on Rroma

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The Czech government issued a statement in great fanfare a new strategy on Rroma geared towards helping the Rroma minority in the country to “better integrate in society”. Somehow we do hope that this time it won’t be like the Roma Decade of numerous other programs that effectively changed little if anything till now.

News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

Again … Same old Stories

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Again … Same old Stories

The Mail Online again distinguishes itself with ludicrous statements that girls as yound as 12 are forced married against thousands of pounds an are now living in Rotterdam. They call for an urgent investigation of how many such cases now live in the UK. As usual, several items are mixed in such news: The fact that Vlax Rroma (originally from Romania) pay for the bride. It by far doesn’t mean that they are “boufght” for this price, often in gold coins belongs to the bride and is a guarantee in case of divorces or difficulties. And again, from Rroma, the first boyfriend or girlfriend is considered to be the “husband” or the “wife”. Add these two facts, and you get a lurid headline that has little to do with reality.

Italy News Western Europe

Italian Textbook slammed for prejudice

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Italian Textbook slammed for prejudice

A court in Rome has found a publishing house that published a text book suggesting that „Gypsies“ were criminals, has been condemned for discrimination. This is a landmark case in Italy where these statements are all too often tolerated if not encouraged.

Hungary News Americas News Eastern Europe

Canadian – Hungarian Saga

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Canadian – Hungarian Saga

A Hungarian Rroma family from Gyongyöspata in North Eastern Hungary has finally won their asylum case and are grated a stay in Canada. The asylum application and the back and forth and set backs have made the news since a long time. We welcome this decision!

Meanwhile a Canadian Lawyer who lost another prominent asylum case for Hungarian Rroma in Toronto admitted that he was negligent in preparing their defence. What can one say to this?

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

01.03.15 Slovakia: Police acquitted of all charges

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01.03.15 Slovakia: Police acquitted of all charges

Slovak police, who filmed their abuse of Rroma children in that country were acquitted of all charges, as their own videos taken from their own mobile phones was deemed to be illegally acquired evidence.

That the crime took place is not in doubt with the court, only the guilt of the police officers has not been “proven”. Crimes without culprits, especially when the police is involved is not uncommon. Unfortunately.

– Slovakia: Scandalous verdict acquits police of torturing Romani children. In: Romea.cz. 28.02.2015. http://www.romea.cz/…/slovakia-scandalous-verdict-acquits-p…

Croatia Czech Republic News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

22.05.15 The Final Solution of the Gypsy Question

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22.05.15 The Final Solution of the Gypsy Question

A theatre piece in Berlin, called “Zur Endlösung der Zigeunerfrage” – the final solution of the Rroma question – relates the murder of Rroma during the Nazi times. The collective behind the piece, composed of youngsters and scientists, have researched first hand accounts of Rroma and Sinti of that period and brought them to the stage. Questions on ethnicity, racial profiling are also raised in the piece.

A must, and a stark reminder that Rroma were murdered in scores by the Nazis during world war two. In some countries such as the Czech republic or in Croatia, the entire Rroma population was wiped out. In others, one estimate that 250 thousands to maybe a million or more were murdered in camps, but also simply shot on the spot.

– Dokumentartheater zur NS-Geschichte: Zur Endlösung der Täterfrage. In: TAZ. 20.02.2015. http://www.taz.de/Dokumentartheater-zur-NS-Geschichte/!155110/

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

22.02.15 A Slovak Film on a Rroma boxer in Slovakia

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22.02.15 A Slovak Film on a Rroma boxer in Slovakia

Koza – the goat – is a Slovak docu-movie on the life of a young Rroma boxer whose career peaked at the Olympic game but has since gone wrong. He lives in poverty with his girlfriend and daughter in a run down estate. The film related his life, but does not touch the subject of Rroma in Slovakia, a touchy subject.

– Simon, Alissa. Berlin Film Review: ‘Koza’. In: Variety. 11.02.2015.http://variety.com/…/re…/berlin-film-review-koza-1201434408/

News Eastern Europe

22.02.15 Rroma in Turkey and the AK Party

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Rroma in Turkey are increasingly the victims of the urban renewal that was started by Erdogan and the AK party. Several Rroma neighbourhoods in Istanbul, most notably Sulukule, one of the oldest Rroma settlement in Europe were dismantled since 2012. Rroma have been relocated far from the centre, and those who wanted to stay cannot afford the new rents. The house destruction programs were all parts of the urban renewal concepts, but have resulted in dismantling some of the last Rroma mahala from Istanbul.

– Urban transformation threatens unique Roma way of life. In: Sunday’s Zaman. 20.02.2015. http://www.todayszaman.com/national_urban-transformation-th…

France News Western Europe

22.02.15 The case of the dead child that could not be buried

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22.02.15 The case of the dead child that could not be buried

The case of the dead child that could not be buried in France after a mayor refused to sign the inhumation permit came to a close this week. The police had launched an investigation on the mayor’s actions following the reports of the case in the press. This investigation has now been closed without further actions. This in spite of the fact that prominent politicians like Toubon declared the mayor’s action to be clearly illegal.

– Refus d’inhumer un bébé rom en Essonne: L’enquête classée sans suite. In: 20 Minutes. 18.02.2015. http://www.20minutes.fr/…/1544115-20150218-refus-inhumer-be…

News Switzerland

22.02.15 Rroma, these unknown people whom we love to hate

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22.02.15 Rroma, these unknown people whom we love to hate

In Geneva, a theatre piece directed by Jérôme Richer questions the way we see Rroma. His show, oscillating between humour and seriousness serves many of the stereotypes on Rroma and their origins in the family and traditions. However, the actor and director mixes several topics in his presentation, speaking about travellers, speaking about Jenische, and the resulting picture, while coming from good intentions, misses the point. Rroma are clearly not as the gadže see them…

– Genecand, Marie-Pierre. Les Roms, ces inconnus qu’on adore détester. In: Le Temps. 19.02.2015. http://www.letemps.ch/…/Les_Roms_ces_inconnus_quon_adore_dé…

News Eastern Europe Romania

22.02.15 Romanian Rroma and Exclusion

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22.02.15 Romanian Rroma and Exclusion

The Economist reports on a wall that was erected in the Romanian city of Baia Mare around one of its Rroma settlements. The economist cites poverty, segregation, education as some of the biggest hurdles faced by Rroma in Romania. Interviewing the town’s mayor, he reports that there is nothing discriminatory in the wall and states that the commune is investing in desegregated housing, and that one of the building in the settlement will anyhow be renovated, with its inhabitants being re-located. A NGO helping Rroma integration is blunter: People like the wall, and there is “latent racism” against Rroma.

– Romania’s Roma: The art of exclusion. In: The Economist. 20.02.2015.http://www.economist.com/…/21644532-wall-segregated-towns-r…

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

22.02.15 A documentary on Rroma in Toulouse

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22.02.15 A documentary on Rroma in Toulouse

A young filmmaker Sahra Denard is currently making a documentary on Rroma migrants in the city of Toulouse. She is working with three Romanian sisters who live in an camp and will go with them in Romania, in their village of origin.

While the filmmaker wants to reduce stereotypes, the choice of subject contributes to re-enforce the general views on Rroma; Migrants from Romania or Bulgaria, poor, uneducated etc. On such a topic, the line between helping and damaging Rroma is a thin one to walk.

– Sarah Denard, un documentaire sur les Roms. In: La Dépèche. 19.02.2015. http://www.ladepeche.fr/…/2052220-sarah-denard-un-documenta…

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