The Canadian Theatre Director Serge Denoncourt on many topics, including Rroma, discrimination, and education.
An overview of what was said about Bulgaria in European Media. At the bottom: News about Rroma – with all bad stereotypes. And this from a Russian newspaper.
Bad!
An article on Rroma women in the Balkans. Starts quite badly, as the picture in the headlines depicts a woman prostitute and drug addict in Serbia – we reported on this article a while ago. Then it gets worse … “The Roma identity generally refers to a traditionally nomadic ethnic group, with various linguistic dialects and many sub-groups, living mostly in Europe” Full stereotypes. 99.9% of Rroma, especially in the Balkan were always sedentary (except for their migration from India, but then what to say about Germans J). While the article is right about the discrimination, it is also wrong on the generalisation (and on the numbers). It also presents sex trafficking and exploitation as Rroma issues which it is not, it is a poverty issue. On the other hand (and not in the Balkans, it presents the sterilisation issue in the Czech Republic, and other facts that are quite correct.
The Result: LOTS OF STEREOTYPES, a few facts, and lots of generalisations.
The Hungarian Government is pledging 4.76 Mio EUR from the EU funds for Roma colleges in Hungary. Nice, but these are de-facto segregated schools so actually VERY BAD … And paod by the EU.
Polish Rroma in Scotland are facing stereotypes and usually cannot say who they are. Here, in Glasgow, a group of Polish Rroma uses music to show their traditions and effectively come out.
The French government is defending its policies on fighting children poverty at the UN in Geneva. Besides the high number of children living in poverty in that country, France was also criticised about access to schools and discrimination of migrants, especially of Rroma.
A French Documentary movie entitled “Toto and his sisters” received the “grand prix” in the Anger Festival. It is unfortunate to say the least that it shows all stereotypes associated with Rroma without any analytical discourse: Rroma live in Ghettoes, deal with drugs, have lots of children (implied in this case), but without stating that this is not a Rroma thing, this is a poverty and social problem.
We are generally against those kind of documentaries, as they reinforce already strongly held stereotypes about us …
NOT GOOD!!!
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.
Apathie, ex-Interviewer in RTL is bashing Eric Zemour in France for his racist views and comments.
GOOD! We need more of this in 2016!
On the first day of the year, there is good and bad … And the bad, while still having happened in 2015 says that there is work still to be done.
In Gyöngyöspata, a village in North Eastern Hungary, a Rroma house was set ablaze. It is the sixth time this year, and no culprits have been arrested. This is not acceptable!
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…
The first Rroma families arrived in the insertion village in Saint-Genis-les-Ollières in spite of a long opposition by the mayor and the residents.
Let’s hope things will work out.
Some of the election posters used by the German rightist party NPD could not banned in spite of being overtly racist. This could change following a review of the ministry of Justice.
GOOD!
Following the stabbing of an African migrant after a dispute with a Rrom, a riot started and there were fights in the street between Rroma and Africans in the town of Roquetas del Mar.
BAD …
But … The paper reporting this is notoriously biased against minorities and refugees. So caution on this!
Another article on the Czech survey of minorities and foreigners (see also http://praguemonitor.com/2015/12/17/poll-roma-are-lazy-muslims-violent): This time, with more details.
SCARY!
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.
After having been freed in first instance, Eric Zemour was condemned in second Instance for incitation to racial hatred for his statement « Les Normands, les Huns, les Arabes, les grandes invasions d’après la chute de Rome sont désormais remplacés par les bandes de Tchétchènes, de Roms, de Kosovars, de Maghrébins, d’Africains qui dévalisent, violentent ou dépouillent » [Normans, Huns, Arabs, the big invasions after the fall of Rome are nowadays replaced by bands of Chechens, Kosovars, Maghrebians, Africans who steal, rape or rob.]
About time …
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