A Study conducted on Slovak Media by the Media Academy in Bratislava and a Rroma organisation – Romano Kher – shows that the Slovak Media have a strong bias in their presentation of Rroma and Refugees. Negative stereotypes prevail in both cases.
Unfortunately not surprising.
Abwab – the Doors in Arabic – is a new magazine in Germany aimed at its Arabic migrant population. In one article, they mention racism, especially also against Rroma, and explain the German sensitivities on this topic due to their Nazi past.
Unfortunately, it does not address the fact that many of those new migrants share biased views against Rroma too, even when these are Moslems.
A Rroma baby died in a fire in a camp in central Greece. While we regret this death, the reporting and the lack of background on the subject further the standard stereotypes – all Rroma are poor, live in camps, etc…
Some interesting numbers in Serbia and on education. The census counted 147’000 Rroma in Serbia, or rather, 147’000 people declared themselves or were rated as such in the survey. This represents 2.1% of the population in Serbia. Generally, one counts that there are about 10% of Rroma in that country. A bit more.
The ones who were registered have a bleak future with very low education (only one in a thousand will make it to university).
Bleak but not the full picture.
A workshop in Greven, Germany focused on the integration of young Rroma in society. While the aim is definitively to be praised, the suggestions, an orchestra, fall again in the stereotypes. Pity …
Özcan Purçu, the first Rroma Member of Parliament in Turkey, stated that entire segments of the population are being marginalised in Turkey nowadays due to the polarisation seen under Erdogan. This is bad for Rroma, as racism is already common against them in Turkey.
A new prime time movie showcases Sinti on prime time in Germany. We haven’t seen it, but the plot has a few of the standard stereotypes … Unfortunately.
A sordid story of a mal prostitute from Romania and his client and violence. The prostitute slit the throat of the client in whose flat he was living, killed the dogs and torched the flat.
OK, it is crime. What is the relevance here of the fact that the two criminals were Rroma? Does it add anything or does it just strengthen stereotypes?
Not acceptable. Gilles Bourdouleix’ condemnation for racism for having said that “Hitler probably did not kill enough of them” has been slashed. The reasoning from the judges is quite special: He did not intend these words to be made public… But he told them, so he is certainly racist.
SHAME AND PROTEST!!!!
An interview of Kenan Emini, president of the Roma anti-discrimination Network Göttigen on the forced repatriation of Rroma to so-called sagfe countries such as Kosovo.
In eine gefährliche Zukunft: Leiter des Roma Anti-Diskriminierungsnetzwerkes über Abschiebung. In: Ostthüringer Zeitung. 09.12.2015. http://gera.otz.de/web/lokal/politik/detail/-/specific/In-eine-gefaehrliche-Zukunft-Leiter-des-Roma-Anti-Diskriminierungsnetzwerkes-ue-1936862078
An article on a Study of the Italian Association “July 21” on what it means living in camps for Rroma in Italy. In that country, these camps are institutionalised and the police, the authorities and NGOs all maintain this status quo.
A MUST READ!
The French magazine Valeurs Actuelles and its redactor in chief, Yves de Kerdrel, have been condemned in appeal to a fine of 2’000 Euro for “incitation to racial hatred” and racism following their editiorial “ “Roma – the overdose”.
Well done!
The Geneva police went to investigate a case of human trafficking – a man accused to have sold his invalid son to go and beg in Geneva. As usual, stereotypes prevail. No one has so far proven that there are criminal clans engaged in begging. There are families who live from that, but this is about it. And it is not a business – not for 20 CHF per day.
Clearly, with the events in France, the “Rroma Problem” somehow faded in the background. Interestingly enough, the Rroma yes, the “Gens du Voyage” [Travellers], not. So here’s a short overview of the general news: In La Courneuve, where Rroma were expelled from their camp, expelled Rroma organised a dinner for the victims of the attacks in Paris; an article about the scholarisation of Rroma children; in Lyon, a demonstration for migrants was annulled following the attacks; in the north, Rroma have problems to get their skills recognised; Rroma are still squatting; in another place, the illegal camps are resolved – allegedly; in Beziers, in the South, an association against Racism is being asked to vacate their offices; in the West, in la Rochelle, health is more important than money, thanks God; some people are thinking about the causes for the attack; and finally, festivals and music in various place in France on Rroma.
An article on the housing crisis in Europe and on the fact that Rroma are facing much more difficult conditions than the rest of Europeans.
Interesting analysis of racism against Rroma and the collective guilt assigned to them, even coming from the Pope.
The chairman of a foundation in Bulgaria, Vasil Vasilev, is appealing against discrimination based on religion or ethnicity.
GOOOOOOOD!
The French Newspaper le “Progrès” has been cleared for its article on criminality where they explicitely cited Rroma besides Georgians, Albanians and Travellers (by the way, showing they have no clue about what they are talking about).
SHAME.
Seems that if you are Rrom, well, then you are a criminal, that’s not offensive, isn’t it ?
An exhibition in Grenoble attempts to present the history of Rroma to the general public. Unfortunately, it renders the usual stereotypes such as nomadism (which was forced on Rroma in France by the interdiction to settle) and tells a lot of inaccurate things (such as being mercenaries, not being surely out of India, etc. …
There is no space for Belgium “Gens du Voyage” – in this case, many Lovara and related groups.
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