Tag Archives: Activist

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Roma and Media

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Roma and Media

Roma have long been portrayed in limited and stereotypical roles in Czech media and film – as victims, perpetrators or caricatures. Alica Sigmund Heráková, founder of the Tuke.TV platform and the TUKINO film festival, talks about why authentic Roma stories, Roma authors and diverse characters are missing in audiovisual media in the new episode of the SODAcast podcast.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Jana Horváthová

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Jana Horváthová

An Interview with the director of the Czech Museum of Roma Culture Jana Horváthová. She was asked what issues from her own family did she have to deal with?

“Throughout my childhood and youth, I considered my Roma origin to be a kind of mark of Cain,” she says.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Joanna Talewicz

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Joanna Talewicz

Dr. Joanna Talewicz, president of the “W Stronę Dialogu” [towards Dialogue] Foundation, has been fighting for years to stop the Roma community from being perceived through the prism of folklore and romantic yet harmful notions. In a conversation with Andrzej Grupa, she discusses why the label of “expert on Roma issues” began to bother her, how the foundation’s new campaign, “Rozprowadzemy stereotypy o Rom(k)ach,” exposes prejudice, and how building community and alliances is the safest “insurance policy” for uncertain times in Poland.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Interview

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Interview

Education, community projects, consulting, activism, writing and support for Romani culture and identity. All of this belongs to the world of Janka Plešková, a native of Slovakia, a student at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University.

“As far as I can remember, I have always lived in two worlds, Romani and non-Romani. And I searched for myself for a very long time, I did not know where I belonged.”

Europe News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

A discussion with Mensur Haliti, Vice President of the Roma Foundation for Europe, about Slovenia’s response to the killing in Novo mesto and about Šutar’s law, which has sparked heated debates about Roma, security and democracy across Europe. Haliti, one of the key voices for the political empowerment of Roma in Europe, warns that the security law opens up dangerous patterns and goes beyond just the Roma issue.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Novo Mesto: Interview

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Novo Mesto: Interview

An interview with Kevin Tudija, a young Roma from Bela Krajina. the 22-year-old is a gastronomic technician by profession. As he couldn’t get a job in Bela Krajina, he accepted an offer to work in Primorska. He worked there for two seasons, and now he’s returning to Metlika, where he will work with Roma children in a multi-purpose centre. He wants to set an example for them that with work and perseverance, they can finish school, continue their education in high school, and find a job.

He speaks about what it means to be a Rom, especially after the killing in Novo Mesto.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Are you Rom?

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Are you Rom?

An interview with Nikolas Ferenc, a 26-year-old Roma actor, voice actor and musician. On the social network Instagram, he creates videos about Roma culture, stereotypes and prejudices that Roma men and women encounter.

When early in his career he was asked whether he was Rom, he then did not say yes.

Austria News Western Europe

Austrian Memorial

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Austrian Memorial

The musician and activist Harri Stojka is calling for the swift construction of a memorial for Roma and Sinti in Austria at Schmerlingplatz in Vienna. “There, at a historically significant location in the heart of Vienna, a visible symbol of remembrance and recognition should be erected.”

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Lúč z tmy – Ray of Darkness 2025

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Lúč z tmy – Ray of Darkness 2025

For the eighth time, the organizers have solemnly presented the Ray of Darkness awards for exceptional activities and contributions in the field of social change and inclusion of Roma men and women in Slovakia. This year, the awards were again given to personalities who, through their work, contribute to a fairer and more open society, break down prejudices, support equal opportunities and give a voice to those who are often invisible.

The first laureate was Florián Giňa – mayor of the municipality of Jarovnice, a native who has lived his entire life in the local area, which many call a settlement.

The second awardee was Michal Zálešák – a lawyer specializing in the field of human rights and minority rights. Since 2012, he has been working as a legal consultant at the European Roma Rights Center.

The third awardee was Marián Balog – an actor, playwright and director, one of the most prominent figures of Roma culture in Slovakia.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Award

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Award

This year’s Prize of the Museum of Romani Culture went to activist Josef Miker from Teplice. He will receive the award for his lifelong fight against hatred and racism. He was one of those who significantly contributed to the demolition of the pig farm in Lety near Písek on the site of a former concentration camp. In the community where he lives, he helps Romani youth, poor people and the homeless.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria: New Web Platform

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Bulgaria: New Web Platform

“Romalo” is the new voice of the Roma community in Bulgaria – the platform where Roma can find answers to important questions. The goal is to significantly reduce misconceptions about Roma, says its creator Mihail Mishev.

If you type “Roma” into the most popular online search engines, you will mostly come across headlines about crimes committed by Roma. You will also find publications about the attitude of other ethnic groups towards Roma, and most likely a video by the most popular YouTuber in Bulgaria – Slavi Katsarov (The Clashers), entitled “50 facts and myths about Roma, between reality and stereotypes”. You may also come across a story from the “good example” category.

In “Romalo”, Roma people tell stories, explain the daily problems of the community and comment on political events and important topics. “There was no platform where we could talk and read, communicate in a meaningful language for the community,” says the activist, political scientist and freelance journalist. In conversations with his relatives and acquaintances from the Roma community, Mihail recognized the need for such a place. And decided to create it.

Germany News Western Europe

Reimar Gilsenbach

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Reimar Gilsenbach

One of the earliest activists who fought for the recognition of the Genocide of the Roma was born 100 years ago.

In early 1965, the popular Eastern German (GDR) newspaper Wochenpost published a letter from a Sintiza from Leipzig. In it, she described the persecution during the Nazi era, but also the discrimination in the GDR. “They see us as idlers, call us scumbags […] But no one considers that we too suffered bitter hardship, that the earth at Auschwitz and other camps was stained red with our blood. […] I would be grateful for an article.”

The editor who received these letters was Reimar Gilsenbach. He researched, found other Sinti, and wrote an article – which, however, was never published. In it, he mentioned the Marzahn forced labour camp for the first time. In connection with the preparations for the 1936 Olympic Games, police units interned Sinti and Roma there.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Pavel “Sliško” Krtek

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Pavel “Sliško” Krtek

The Roma activist Pavel Sliško Krtek died at 51 and was buried on August 27.

May he rest in peace, and te ovel i phuv lokhi.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Pavel Sliško

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Pavel Sliško

On August 21, 2025, at the age of 51, Romani activist, proud Romani and good person Pavel Sliško, whom we all knew as Pavel Krtek, left us forever. His passing saddened not only the Romani community in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but also everyone who knew him.

May he rest in peace. Te ovel I phuv loki.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

A good story?

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A good story?

Martin Halík, a successful IT worker, left all behind an moved to a Roma settlement in Gemer. He does concrete help, charity, but also is a priest and as such also preaches.

Nice intentions, one needs to understand more.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Stolipinovo: Cleanup

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Stolipinovo: Cleanup

Georgi Kochev and Sasho Chirkov – two young representatives of the Roma community – organized a campaign to clean up the Plovdiv Roma neighbourhood of Stolipinovo on July 5, The initiative was open to anyone who wanted to get involved in creating a cleaner and more welcoming urban environment.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Obituaries in Serbia

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Obituaries in Serbia

Several articles on Dragoljub Asković in the Serbian press.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

In Memoriam

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In Memoriam

Dragoljub Asković, a prominent Serbian Romano intellectual, writer and researcher of Romani history, has died at the age of 72. He was the founder of the Museum of Romani Culture in Belgrade, president of the World Parliament of the Roma and the author of a number of studies on the suffering of the Roma during

He was born on November 23, 1952 in Osipaonica near Smederevo, Serbia. He studied at the gymnasium in Smederevske Palanka and then graduated from the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade and the Department of Ethnology at the Faculty of Philosophy. He completed his postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade and received his doctorate from the UN Peacekeeping Faculty.

May he rest in peace. Te ovel I phuv loki!

Italy News Asia News Western Europe

Everest …

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Everest …

Gennaro Spinelli, an Italian Roma activist and artist, raised the Romani flag at the base camp of the Everest on April 30th. He gave an interview to Romea.

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