A small town in Portugal is trying evangelism tto integrate Roma there. This is dangerous, as evangelism has a tendency to erase traditions.
The “Join II” project brings activities aimed at the integration of the Roma community. Since March of this year, the Centre for Missing and Abused Children has continued to implement the “Join II” project, in cooperation with the Roma Resource Center (RRC). The goal of the project is to encourage the integration of the Roma community and strengthen social cohesion through diverse activities.
An article whose title says it clearly: Integration in a ghetto? It is like learning to swim on dry land.
In brief, the article discusses the problematic of integration when some of the basics are simply not given.
The Slovenian government is preparing several measures in the field of Roma issues. The Ministry of Labor announces the opening of new multi-purpose Roma centres and three new day centres for children from the Roma community, while the Ministry of Education announces several changes to the law on elementary schools.
Let’s see what this brings …
Since in their views, the state’s measures in the field of solving the Roma problem have been unsuccessful, the Regional Civil Initiative for solving the Roma problem demands that the government invite them to a meeting within a month. “We want to check whether they will accept the proposals formulated by the 11 mayors of the southeast region,” explained Silva Mesojedec: “If the government does not accept us, we will no longer prevent the creation of village guards and other forms of organizing residents.”
The proposal was refused on the grounds that it singled out a minority, i.e. was not conform to the constitution.
An article that brings it to the point. It says that politicians and media speak as if the Slovenian side is doing everything for Roma, and now Roma themselves must take a step forward and prove themselves morally to the state.
Slovenian state institutions, from centres for social work through schools to ministries, do implement certain programs, but they are not coordinated among themselves and in most cases, they do not cooperate with the Roma when drawing up plans.
In reality, Roma often do not have a water supply or electricity in their settlements, nor are these legally regulated. Their children face discrimination in schools, the school system does not take into account their language needs and finally they are excluded due to failure, which is often the result of language problems. Thus, we blame the Roma for not sending their children to school, and throw out the Roma children who are in school.
Hungary’s favourite Roma baker has been nominated for a prestigious award. Alex Galamb, a Roma baker from Borsod, has chosen a new direction: he will work as a vocational teacher at his former school, the Márton Agricultural and Geographical Vocational School in Debrecen.
Roma representatives are complaining that the Agency for Social Inclusion cannot effectively solve the problems of excluded localities. “Roma have a role on a theoretical level, but their real representation is weak,” according to Marian Dancso, deputy chairman of the Government Council for Roma Minorities. “Solving social exclusion is a self-governing competence of the municipality, we cannot do it for it,” s director Martin Šimáček defends the agency for social inclusion.
A much more differentiated article about the issues with Roma in Slovenia. It says that after thirty years of deliberate neglect of the minority, politics will now finally agree that something must be done. What the consensus now is, unfortunately is, is to limit and deprive the Roma of social rights, to make life even more difficult in general, and even to adopt stricter criminal legislation especially for them.
Two articles in the Slovene press with two different views. One is asking why in spite of all efforts, integration of the Roma minority failed, while the other questions whether funds earmarked for integration really were used for that …
We will have to introduce a Slovenian chronicle, akin to the French Chronicle we have been doing due to the high number of articles on the Roma “problem” in the Slovenian press. Thes articles are divided pretty much along party lines. One side says that the issues, and the recent attacks are the result of the current government inaction, while the other side is more differentiated.
Here the view on the government inaction…
Citizen members of the Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs and representatives of the organization RomanoNet today issued a statement calling on the government of the Czech Republic to immediately suspend all decisions regarding the future of the Agency for Social Inclusion (ASZ) and to start a broad public discussion about its future. They stated that the participation of Roma in the ASZ is only a formal one.
Roma from the village of Brekov in the Humen district in Eastern Slovakia became famous in the region for the production of fired bricks. They were the only ones, and the construction boom in the interwar period guaranteed them sales. They spoke little about the Holocaust.
Today, all these activities remain only in the memories of the oldest inhabitants of the village. Their conversation were captured by Elena Cinová, born Gunárová, whose parents come from Brekov.
A qualified teacher with a focus on Roma culture, she works at the Methodological and Pedagogical Centre in Prešov. She supplemented the audio recordings with photographs from the albums of the families of Martina Petrova, Etela Kirvejová, Magda Tokárová and the Gunár family and exhibited them in the hall of the cultural centre.
Another incendiary article about the Roma “Problem” in Slovenia. The article states that in recent months, the debate about the Slovenian government’s ineffective handling of the Roma issue has been rekindled, as the media reports on an increased number of crimes related to the Roma minority. Despite the disobedience, the mayors persist and strive for legal changes as soon as possible, because the minority must have exactly the same obligations as other citizens, emphasizes the mayor of Ribnica Samo Pogorelc.
The SDS (Slovenian Democratic Party) parliamentary group is proposing the establishment of a Subcommittee for monitoring Roma issues.
According to SDS deputy Anja Bah Žibert, the initiative is a call to all political parties in the National Assembly to come together and find appropriate solutions for the Roma issue. “Despite the large financial resources earmarked for the integration of the Roma population, the situation is getting worse. We are retreating and we already witness conflicts and violent behaviour practically every day, which is really worrying.”
She added that one doesn’t even know how many Roma there are in Slovenia.
Attitudes towards Roma in Latvian society are changing – and for the better, admitted the President of the International Association of Roma Normunds Rudevich on the air of the Open Conversation program of Latvian Radio 4. Roma, according to him, feel integrated, but there are problems that still lie ahead.
“For Roma, integration is an outdated word. We are integrated both culturally and nationally. We are looking for our place in this state, in employment – this is our main problem. It is important that people come to our events. Only with positivity can you change attitudes and kill stereotypes,” says Normunds Rudevich.
The Slovak Ministry of Health reacted to the comments of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’ Flaherty, who, after a recent visit to Slovakia, called on the Slovak authorities to urgently address the “terrible living conditions” of thousands of Roma, and improve their access to health.
The ministry said they would support programs for “socially excluded groups”.
Let’s see.
A Slovak journalist, Petra Strižková, went to two Slovak villages: Bystré and Hlinné. What they have in common is that they succeeded in what many only dream of or say is impossible! Roma-non-Roma coexistence is harmonious there – and has been for decades. The beginning of the successful story of integration was the demolition of a Roma settlement 50 years ago.
Well, that is clear: If you segregate people in a ghetto, you will definitively not integrate them.
The Office of the Government declared that, in addition to focusing on the field of civil protection, it will make maximum effective use of European funds aimed at the restoration of cultural monuments. “The restoration of cultural monuments, […], also has an important social element, in the form of social enterprises that employ a significant part of members of marginalized Roma communities during the restoration of cultural heritage,” according to the document approved by the government on Wednesday.
It means, like in Hungary, that they hire Roma (usually at low rates) for unskilled work…
The State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic, Katarína Roskoványi, met today with the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Michael O’Flaherty. The subject of the meeting was the human rights of the Roma.
Commissioner O’Flaherty informed about his visit to Slovakia. During the initial days, he visited eastern Slovakia, where he met with representatives of the Roma community and held interviews about their situation, access to housing and other rights.
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