Commentary

Commentary: Czech special educators fear the inevitable - inclusive education

Prague, 1.5.2014 0:09, (ROMEA) In the Czech Republic the Association of Special Educators (Asociace speciálních pedagogů - ASP) is cringing and their supporters are sounding the alarm as if they were in real distress. On 19 April, the regional edition of the daily Mf DNES published an interview with Václav Mrštík, director of a regional-level educational-psychological counseling center, entitled "Psychologist: The law is more Catholic than the Pope and does not take children into consideration" (Psycholog: Zákon je papežštější než papež. Vůbec nehledí na děti.)  full story

Commentary: Is Roma unemployment a cause or an effect?

Prague, 19.4.2014 0:24, (ROMEA) I find myself in complete agreement with representatives of the Czech Labor Office when it comes to the dead-end position of the Romani community here. They have said they consider Romani integration into society insufficient, and also that they fear further deterioration of the situation and the growth of right-wing extremism.  full story

videoJovanovic: This is a constant battle for self-definition and we are resolved to win it, as long as we live

Budapest, 10.4.2014 22:11, (ROMEA) Forty-three years ago, the founding fathers of April 8th, gave answers to fundamental questions every nation faces at a certain point. They knew that answers they gave will not be obligatory to anyone. They knew that the answers they gave will not be imposed on us by any governmental decrees, history classes, monuments, museums, memorials, or military parades. And they also knew that these answers must be given by Roma instead of being given by somebody else.  full story

Commentary: "Fear and Loathing" in the Dawn of Direct Democracy party

Prague, 9.4.2014 20:28, (ROMEA) Czech author Bohumil Hrabal once wrote of his friend Vladimír Boudník that he was renewing the myth of Dionysius (the drunken beauty who is the source of all creative action) and the myth of Antaeus (the hero who was only strong as long as he remained in contact with the earth). Czech MP Tomio Okamura is now reviving a few myths of his own as well.  full story

George Soros: Three Ways to Build Upon Roma Progress

Brussels, 9.4.2014 0:30, (ROMEA) Some years ago, I visited a village in Romania, and saw the seeds of a crisis at hand. The area was home to the Roma, an ethnic minority of 10 to 12 million people scattered across Europe who face discrimination and persecution on a daily basis. In this village, the Roma were scavenging on a garbage dump. Without help, I realized, sons would join their fathers on the dump; daughters could only hope to be married off. There was no clear way to escape their fate.  full story

Miroslav Kováč: International Romani Day is a day for Roma to present themselves

Prague, 8.4.2014 20:42, (ROMEA) There is no doubt that Romani people are one of the largest minorities in the world. Their numbers in Europe are estimated at more than 12 million.  full story

David Beňák: Roma Summit showed places in Europe where things work

Brussels, 8.4.2014 18:57, (ROMEA) The EU Roma Summit in Brussels on 4 April brought together representatives of the European Commission, governments, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and Romani people themselves, some of whom had the opportunity of presenting on the day's panels. The summit was addressed by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Vice President Viviane Reding, Commissioner László Andor and Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, demonstrating that some EU politicians are aware this topic exists and is of importance.  full story

Commentary: Czech media choices justify their means

Prague, 6.4.2014 22:37, (ROMEA) On Sunday, 30 March, TV Nova broadcast a reportage about violence in the Czech town of Tanvald. Allegedly, several mothers had called TV Nova's editors to tell them their children had been attacked by the children of "inadaptables".  full story

Commentary: Roma meeting with Czech Human Rights Minister was good

Prague, 6.4.2014 1:31, (ROMEA) The recent meeting between Romani people from all regions of the Czech Republic and the Czech Minister for Human Rights, Equal Opportunities and Legislation, Jiří Dienstbier, was a very pleasant surprise. I first intended to write a classic reportage about it, without any personal remarks - brief, to the point, and objective - but I can't rid myself of my personal opinion and particular point of view, so this will be a cross between a blog and a news report.  full story

Maja Saitovic: To Achieve Roma Equality, Europe Must Address Health Disparities

EU, 28.3.2014 10:22, (ROMEA) Like all Europeans, we represent the patients, caregivers, and families—as well as the doctors, nurses, and paramedics—who make up Europe’s health systems.   full story

Commentary: TV Nova turns Romani murder victim into sausage thief

Prague, 27.3.2014 19:12, (ROMEA) In its main news reporting on the evening of 25 March 2014, TV Nova presented a report about an attack committed last May in Teplice, Czech Republic during which a Romani man was murdered. The degree of false information in that report is unbelievable.  full story

Karel Holomek: Czech PM should have a Romani advisor

Brno, 27.3.2014 16:04, (ROMEA) The Czech PM has assembled 36 advisers for a mere half a million crowns, but the money is not the point. The sheer number of his advisers strikes me as fearsome.  full story

A Roma Reality Check for the UK

London, 27.3.2014 10:19, (ROMEA) Recent months have seen politicians and the media in the UK predicting an influx of Roma migrants from Bulgaria and Romania. Roma have been portrayed as a threat to British society in the form of welfare tourists and beggars. The reality is rather different. The UK is not among the preferred destinations of Roma from other EU countries, and the small number of Roma who have arrived in the UK have much to offer.  full story

Commentary: Czech MP blogs up an antigypsyist storm over minor incident

Prague, 22.3.2014 18:43, (ROMEA) The Czech media know what it is they are all selling us here. Money, sex, violence and xenophobia.  full story

Commentary: Czech racism reaches a new low

Prague, 21.3.2014 17:37, (ROMEA) On 19 March, the Czech media reported that a 14-year-old girl from Ostrava had not been seen since the previous afternoon and is considered missing. The Czech Police are asking the public to aid in the search for her.  full story

Valeriu Nicolae: Avoiding failing again -The EU Roma Summit – problems and solutions

Bucharest, 20.3.2014 11:57, (ROMEA) The biggest problems in the Roma Social Inclusion process are related to the inability, incompetence and lack of political will at the level of the national governments. There are ways to address these problems but due to strong anti-Gypsyism and corruption addressing these problems is a much more complicated process than solving the existing problems within the European Commission (EC).  The EC  needs to pressure states into reform but has no legitimacy to do so if it doesn’t first change itself.  full story

Repairing the Damage of a Roma Eviction

Bucharest, 19.3.2014 10:15, (ROMEA) In early December 2010, over 70 Roma families lived on Coastei Street in downtown Cluj-Napoca, Romania’s second biggest city. Many had been in this long-established community for years.  full story

Cyril Koky: Ukraine, where are you heading?

Prague, 18.3.2014 23:36, (ROMEA) Everyone is closely watching what is happening in Ukraine today with horror and an appropriate dose of fear. Ukraine has been seething since November, when its government halted preparations for signing an association agreement with the EU and called for expanding economic cooperation with Russia.  full story

Commentary: Czech tabloids spark antigypsyism online and off

Česká Lípa, 12.3.2014 19:48, (ROMEA) "A good gypsy = No gypsy. Or ZYKLON B" writes Facebook user Jiří Buldok Hrubý.  full story

videoValeriu Nicoalea: About “normal life” and scapegoating…

Bucharest, 25.2.2014 15:17, (ROMEA) On January 16, 2014 the European Commissioner for Justice and Fundamental Rights said in an interview for Euronews that Roma communities need “to be willing to integrate and to be willing to have a normal life”. See the video here from minute 2.00.  full story