Germany News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Ukraine

Germany and Roma Refugees

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An article on Roma Refugees from the Ukraine in Germany. They are fleeing war, but instead of help, in Germany they often experience racism. The Center for Reporting and Information on Antigypsyism demands action.

More than 1.1 million people fled to Germany from the war in Ukraine, including, it is estimated, several thousand Roma, members of Europe’s largest ethnic minority. While other Ukrainian refugees received unbureaucratic and warm care, most arriving Roma experienced a very different Germany: overly formalized, unhelpful, suspicious, derogatory and racist.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prague and Roma

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In March, the final conference of the “Together we are developing Roma civil society” project took place in the Svornost hotel in Prague. This project, which started in October 2021 and ends in April 2024, aimed to support the development of Roma civil society in Prague.

The RomPrague association, as an umbrella organization of other non-profit entities, established a platform on which, by setting up regular and systematic cooperation of Roma non-profit organizations, the foundations were laid for mutual exchange of information and discussion not only between representatives of these organizations, but also representatives of city districts, the City Hall of Prague and other entities whose touches on the integration of Roma.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Roma “Problem”

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Over last weekend there was a shooting in the Roma settlement Kerinov Grm in the area of the Krško Municipality. While the police intervened and wanted to detain one of the suspects, residents of the local settlement threw stones at the police car.

The former Director General of the Police, Anton Olaj, believes that “the government’s lack of readiness to systematically regulate the Roma issue is reflected in the escalation of violence”. At the same time, he calls on the government to “present the promised softer and “better” solutions to the public after the rejection of the legal initiative of the eleven mayors of SE Slovenia”.

This is a recurring theme in Slovenia and of course populists are on the forefront.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Pre-kindergarten in Ostrava

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A class for Roma children recently opened in Ostrava. Its goal is to make it easier for them to start kindergarten. According to the Ostrava organization Vzájemne sožižití, up to a quarter of Roma children do not go to kindergartens. Therefore, in one of the local community centres, they started operating a product called Brouček, which children can go to before starting kindergarten.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

IHRA’s Definition of Antitziganism

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The Czech Senate, like the government, adopted the definition of anti-Roma racismn, i.e. so-called anti-Tziganism. However, when compared to the government’s proposal, the senate modified its version of the non-legally binding definition to be more in line with the English original, which was established in 2020 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and a Kindergarten

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Less than a month ago, the Roma settlement of Dobruška Vas in the municipality of Škocjan was left without a kindergarten. It was set on fire by a stranger, and the fire completely destroyed the structure. Fires are apparently common in the mentioned settlement, but the the municipality nevertheless decided to build a new kindergarten. According to the mayor Jože Kapler, they hope that it will be in ready in May.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Role Models

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Nikolas Petik, a successful Rom, is part of a program that goes into schools to tell the story of successful Roma to motivate younger Roma to study.

The event is intended to motivate children and their parents for personal development and education, and at the same time introduce the general public to inspiring Roma personalities who overcame a number of obstacles on their way to success. Lucie Fuková, the government commissioner for the affairs of the Roma minority and a native of Pardubice, will also be present.

Europe

ODHIR and Roma Vote

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With Roma and Sinti political participation still marginal in many places and elections taking place this year in almost half of OSCE countries, it is more important than ever that Roma and Sinti have the opportunity to participate in elections and help shape their societies for the better, stated the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the occasion of International Roma Day.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria: Fight

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An argument between Roma in the centre of Silistra, Bulgaria escalated in a fight and in a much larger gathering once the police intervened.

Always bad when the main reporting about Roma is due to fights and brawls.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia Housing Estate

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 A housing estate on Dúžavská cesta in Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia, has about 1’000 residents. The kindergarten has only space for 26 children …

The town wants to do something about it and build a new one.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Lety Portraits

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The stories and faces of Roma and Sinti survivors of the Holocaust will be presented in Prague at the Clam-Gallas Palace. The exhibition wants to avoid the depersonalized language of numbers and photographs of impoverished people taken by the Nazis. Instead, it presents the concrete human destinies of six prisoners from the Lety u Písek concentration camp, for example through authentic family photos and audio recordings of memories. For the first time, the original diary of Josef Serink, who escaped from the camp and became a partisan, and other personal items associated with the survivors will be exhibited. The exhibition, which was presented to journalists on Monday by representatives of the Museum of Roma Culture, will be open until June 30.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland and Roma

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Władysław Kwiatkowski, director of the Centre for Roma History and Culture in Oświęcim, will talk about the history and present day of the Roma this Tuesday (April 16). There will also be a performance by Józef Merstein Jochymczyk – the bard of Romani music, performing songs and ballads in the Sinti Manousche style and Gipsy jazz. It all starts at 17:00 at the Documentation and Exhibition Centre of Germans in Poland at ul. Szpitalna 11 in Opole.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Kalderaša Kitsch

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A series of photographs of Kalderaša interiors and families taken in Transcarpathian Ukraine.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

A Popular Slovak Singer on Roma Guest Workers

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In a post on the Instagram social network, the popular Slovak singer Paľo Habera shared a photo and expressed his pride in the group of Roma workers who have been going to the Czech Republic for work for several years.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: A Rom Blogger on Pellegrini

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A Rom blogger who has experienced several times the disparaging comments about Roma, writes on the new Slovak President, Peter Pellegrini. He basically says that he supports the current government of Fico who is rabidly anti LGBT and anti-Roma. And he asks how many times die Mr. Pellegrini have to lie to himself to support all of this…

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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Several news about the 8th of April in the French press. One is interesting. A French book about Johann Trollmann, the Sinto boxer who won the German heavyweight title in 1933 but was then stripped of the title. Here, no mention about Sinti …

The rest of the news are the usual ones: A camp near Strasbourg will be closed and a fire in a camp in Toulouse.

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