News

Amnesty International: Court must consider hate motive behind attack on Romani woman

Messolonghy/Greece, 3.11.2014 12:23, (ROMEA) The court in Messolonghy, Western Greece, recognizes racial motivations in the brutal attack that two Romani people, Paraskevi Kokoni and her nephew Kostas, who has a learning disability, have been subjected to in October 2012.  full story

Czech Gov't report finds Roma cannot access ordinary housing

Prague, 2.11.2014 22:53, (ROMEA) The number of impoverished ghettos and Romani families living in overpriced, substandard residential hotels significantly increased last year. Romani tenants' access to rental housing deteriorated during the same time period.  full story

Czech Military Intelligence: Ultra-right lacks leaders, individuals still dangerous

Prague, 2.11.2014 19:39, (ROMEA) Ultra-right extremists in the Czech Republic do not have a leading figure capable of coordinating their activities. That is the assessment of the Military Intelligence service's annual report for 2013.  full story

Czech journalist Michal Komárek and ROMEA win Vodafone Foundation grant

Prague, 31.10.2014 21:24, (ROMEA) This year's round of the Czech Vodafone Foundation's grant program saw 64 applicants. There were 12 projects in the final round whose authors presented their intentions to the expert jury.  full story

Ireland: Mob attacks Romani-occupied building

Waterford, Ireland, 31.10.2014 17:07, (ROMEA) News server Independent.ie has reported that in the Irish town of Waterford in the southeastern part of the island an anti-Romani demonstration took place last Saturday involving roughly 200 participants. Demonstrators attacked a building in which three Romani families live.  full story

Commentary: What Roma Pride is about, and why it's not working

Prague, 29.10.2014 19:03, (ROMEA) At the start of this month, the third annual Roma Pride took place in the Czech Republic and many other European countries. This event is coordinated by the European Grassroots Anti-Racist Movement (EGAM) as an attempt to create a Europe-wide platform for civil rights on the model of the North American civil rights movement once led by figures such as Martin Luther King.  full story

Commentary: Zeman, consciously dividing Czech society, is no President

Prague, 29.10.2014 18:13, (ROMEA) We Czechs always manage to find something that will reliably divide us and invoke our emotions - and with them, our intransigence full of resentment towards others. Let's recall the presidential elections, when one camp attacked and the other counter-attacked.  full story

European research shows most homeless people can maintain housing when rehoused

Prague, 28.10.2014 17:12, (ROMEA) The vast majority of homeless people who are rehoused quickly manage to maintain their housing and rebound. The success rates in various parts of Europe are more than 80 %, with 97 % success rates in some places.  full story

Breaking News No More: Life for Roma in Greece a Year after “Maria”

Greece, 27.10.2014 23:50, (ROMEA) For Lefteris Konstantinidis, a 34-year-old lawyer, a normal day in his new office is busy. The phone rings often; he runs around printing new case files and continues to take on new clients. His schedule is exhausting, but he still enjoys his work.  full story

Czech EdMin removes Klaus from committee after nonprofits protest

Prague, 27.10.2014 17:59, (ROMEA) Former Czech President Václav Klaus will not sit on the preparatory committee for the new National Education Council (NEC). Czech Education Minister Marcel Chládek announced the change to Czech Radio yesterday.  full story

Czech intelligence: Protesting the ultra-right makes you "extremist", pro-Romani activists are "biased"

Prague, 27.10.2014 16:48, (ROMEA) Increased interethnic tensions in several regions last year represented the most significant risk factor to the democratic order of the Czech Republic, according to the Security Information Services (Bezpečnostní informační služby - BIS). Anti-Romani sentiment among certain segments of the public could become an even more significant problem for state security than the more extreme but less numerous right-wing radical groups.  full story

German Police intervene against neo-Nazi demonstration

Cologne, 27.10.2014 14:58, (ROMEA) A demonstration by German right-wing radicals yesterday resulted in clashes with police in the center of Cologne. Law enforcement suppressed the rioting using pepper spray, truncheons and water cannon.  full story

Italy: One bus for Roma, one for everyone else - is apartheid on the way?

Borgaro, Italy, 25.10.2014 20:45, (ROMEA) The British newspaper The Telegraph and the online news service The Local report that the mayor of the town of Borgaro is accused of wanting to introduce apartheid in Italy after proposing the introduction of one bus line only for Romani people and another for everyone else. "Two lines. One for us, one for them," Mayor Claudio Gambino (Democratic Party) suggested at a meeting on Thursday with residents of the town, garnering enormous applause.  full story

Czech Republic: Child prodigy performs at unique exhibit of Romani artist Rudolf Dzurko

Brno, 25.10.2014 20:02, (ROMEA) The Museum of Romani Culture in the Czech city of Brno has prepared a retrospective exhibition of the art of the late Rudolf Dzurko, "Rudolf Dzurko's Century of Catastrophes – Century of Miracles". The public will have a unique opportunity to view the works of one of the most appreciated Romani artists from 23 October to 20 March 2015.  full story

Commentary: Fascist pixies, come out of the Czech moss!

Czech Republic, 24.10.2014 23:50, (ROMEA) Fascist rhetoric was used by candidates from various groups during this year's municipal and Senate elections in the Czech Republic. To what degree was it ultimately successful?  full story

Czech Constitutional Court upholds verdict in 2009 arson case

Brno, 24.10.2014 22:18, (ROMEA) The Czech Constitutional Court (ÚS) has rejected a complaint filed by two of the perpetrators of an arson attack on a Romani home in the town of Vítkov (Opava district) in 2009. The court ruled that no violations of the Constitution had occurred during their trial and that the justice system had both proceeded correctly and made the correct decision.  full story

Former Czech President Klaus to chair committee on National Education Council

Prague, 24.10.2014 20:56, (ROMEA) Former Czech President Václav Klaus is chairing the preparatory committee that will meet to discuss the form of a future National Education Council (NEC). Czech Education Minister Marcel Chládek (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) confirmed his appointment in an interview with the Czech News Agency.  full story

Czech Gov't Roma Commission discusses amendments that could adversely affect Roma

Prague, 24.10.2014 19:28, (ROMEA) On Thursday 23 October the Czech Government Inter-ministerial Commission on Roma Community Affairs met in the main building of the Government of the Czech Republic; its agenda included approving the Commission's statutes, inclusive education, Romani integration strategy in relation to EU funds, and the issue of financing the Regional Coordinators for Romani affairs. The meeting closed with civil society member Martina Horváthová presenting research undertaken by the Slovo 21 organization into the position of Romani women in the Czech Republic.  full story

Commentary: Guide to the discussion of the Czech children's groups law

Prague, 23.10.2014 22:52, (ROMEA) Discussion of the law on children's groups that has been vetoed by Czech President Miloš Zeman is continuing. According to some professionals and those who work with such groups, the various conditions of that law posed a threat to some clubs, nature preschools and organizations.  full story

Jourová feels committed and glad, will work on Romani issues in Brussels

Brussels, 23.10.2014 16:55, (ROMEA) Věra Jourová, the incoming European Commissioner for Justice, Consumer Protection and Gender Equality, is feeling anticipation, commitment and gladness now that the new European Commission has been approved by the European Parliament. In Brussels she will be addressing the Romani issue in the Czech Republic from her new position.  full story