News

Czech human rights record poor on minorities

Prague, 5.3.2014 20:34, (ROMEA) As news server Romea.cz reported last week, the annual human rights report by the US State Department says societal discrimination and violence against Romani people were a serious problem in the Czech Republic last year. Below is the section of the report entitled "National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities":  full story

Russia issues international arrest warrant for leader of Ukraine's "Right Sector"

Prague, 5.3.2014 18:43, (ROMEA) Russia has issued an international arrest warrant for the leader of the Ukrainian ultra-nationalist Right Sector movement, Dmytro Yarosh. Russian press agencies quoted a representative of Russia's Investigative Committee, Vladimir Markin, as announcing the news.  full story

Brian Foster: Early care should focus not only on children but also their parents

Praha, 5.3.2014 16:29, (ROMEA) Brian Foster has a long experience of working with vulnerable and underachieving groups, particularly Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families and community organisations, schools and local authorities. He has worked in the UK, Czech Republic, Romania and Lithuania on projects to promote the inclusion, achievement and opportunities of children and young people from these communities. He has contributed to a number of publications, including “Mainstreaming Traveller Education: the Litmus Test” (with Anne Walker - 2010). He was also part of the research team that undertook the major study “Improving Outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils” for the UK Department of Education and has contributed to the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Achievement Programme resources. He is an accomplished trainer, and has developed innovative systems for monitoring and tracking mobile pupils. Most recently he has coordinated the work of seven Traveller Education Services in London. He is a trustee of the Irish Travellers Movement in Britain and chair of the Advisory Committee on the Education of Romanies and other Travellers.  full story

ERTF: Czech Republic failing Roma under the European Social Charter

Strasbourg, France, 5.3.2014 13:38, (ROMEA) The European Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF) announced today that it has filed a collective complaint against the Czech Republic with the European Committee of Social Rights, which is responsible for ensuring that States comply with the provisions of the European Social Charter.  full story

Czech Gov't plans social housing law, redress for victims of illegal sterilizations

Prague, 3.3.2014 21:06, (ROMEA) Social housing should begin to function in the Czech Republic as of 2017. The law regulating it should take effect by the end of 2016, according to the Government's preliminary plans.  full story

Czech Police confiscate three Czech-Roma flags from art exhibit

Prague, 3.3.2014 17:16, (ROMEA) On the afternoon of 27 February, the Police of the Czech Republic confiscated three of the seven exhibits of Czech-Roma flags that are currently on display at the Art Space gallery, which is run by Prague's Anglo-American University. The flags were being exhibited there as part of the "Selection Procedure for Czech-Roma Flag" project, which was presented from June to September 2013 at the outdoor Artwall gallery in Prague.  full story

Hungary's Jobbik party agitates in Slovakia, sparking protests

Dunajská Streda, Slovakia, 2.3.2014 21:00, (ROMEA) A rally held by the Hungarian ultra-right Jobbik party in the Slovak town of Dunajská Streda during which right-wing extremists tried to reach voters for April's parliamentary elections in neighboring Hungary has sparked protests in Slovakia. Ultra-right politician Péter Pallér presented himself in Dunajská Streda as a candidate for "Felvidék" or "Upper Hungary", as Slovakia was called during the time of the Hungarian monarchy.  full story

Czech Republic: Counter-protesters outnumber neo-Nazis in Plzeň

Plzeň, 1.3.2014 20:01, (ROMEA) Approximately 70 neo-Nazis marched through the center of the Czech city of Plzeň today. The event was announced to local officials as a march for "upholding the rights of all decent citizens of this country and protesting the financing of the anti-Czech, racist ROMEA civic association by the Government of the Czech Republic."  full story

Czech Republic: Simultaneous neo-Nazi demos in Ostrava and Plzeň

Ostrava/Plzeň, 1.3.2014 19:14, (ROMEA) Today approximately 70 neo-Nazis passed through Plzeň during an event announced as a march to uphold the rights of all "decent citizens" of the Czech Republic and to protest the ROMEA organization. The neo-Nazis set out at 14:45 from Republika Square and marched down Františkánská, Martinská, Americká and Tylova Streets to Emil Škoda Square.  full story

Czech Republic: "Change for Plzeň" to counter-protest neo-Nazis tomorrow

Plzeň, 28.2.2014 21:20, (ROMEA) "Change for Plzeň" (Změna pro Plzeň) will participate in Saturday's civil "Happening for a Society without Prejudice", as it considers it a moral norm characteristic of a mature democracy for a political party to express a clear position against destabilizing tendencies in society. News server Romea.cz publishes the party's statement on tomorrow's march by right-wing extremists in full translation below:  full story

Jarmila Balážová to become spokesperson for Czech Human Rights Minister

Prague, 28.2.2014 20:47, (ROMEA) Jarmila Balážová, the chair of the administrative board of ROMEA, o.p.s. and the editor-in-chief of the monthly Romano voďi, is leaving those positions after 12 years. She will become the spokesperson for Jiří Dienstbier, Minister of Human Rights, Equal Opportunities and Legislation who chairs the Czech Government's Legislative Council, and will also manage a government department.  full story

Czech Gov't Agency for Social Inclusion may get more money and power

Prague, 28.2.2014 19:02, (ROMEA) The Czech Government Agency for Social Inclusion could have a stronger position in the future and perhaps even more money from the state. Czech Human Rights Minister Jiří Dienstbier (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) is making such plans.  full story

Czech mayor on tomorrow's neo-Nazi march in Plzeň

Plzeň, 28.2.2014 18:16, (ROMEA) On Saturday 1 March at 14:00 a march by right-wing radicals through the center of Plzeň has been scheduled. Mayor Martin Baxa has issued a statement about this event which news server Romea.cz publishes below in full translation:  full story

US State Department: Discrimination, violence against Roma in Czech Republic

Washington, D.C., 27.2.2014 23:35, (ROMEA) Societal discrimination and violence against Romani people was a serious problem in the Czech Republic last year, according to the US State Department's annual report evaluating adherence to human rights worldwide. The State Department said the most problematic of the 200 states it evaluated are North Korea, South Sudan, Syria, and other countries in Africa and Southeast Asia.  full story

Czech Labor Ministry responds to misleading article about welfare

Prague, 27.2.2014 19:37, (ROMEA) The Czech Labor and Social Affairs Ministry and the Labor Office have issued a correction today to the inaccurate information reported by the daily Právo in an article about welfare written by staff writer Jiří Ginter. In addition to other claims, Ginter stated that the state has practically given up monitoring whether welfare is disbursed to suitable candidates.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani college women learn how to compete in politics

Prague, 27.2.2014 18:42, (ROMEA) Nine Romani women from all over the country who are attending college traveled to the Czech capital recently for political training. This was the third time that the Slovo 21 NGO has organized the event with financial support from the Heinrich Böll Foundation.  full story

World-famous Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucía has passed away

Mexico, 26.2.2014 20:06, (ROMEA) Paco de Lucía, the phenomenal Spanish guitarist, passed away in Mexico yesterday at the age of 66. The news was announced by the artist's family and local officials in his native town of Algeciras in Andalusia.  full story

Czech neo-Nazis to hold another demonstration against Roma and the ROMEA organization

Plzeň, 26.2.2014 19:39, (ROMEA) This coming Saturday a march by right-wing radicals is scheduled to begin at 14:00 in the Czech town of Plzeň. A counter-protest by the local initiative Plzeň against Racism (Plzeň proti rasismu) is also scheduled.  full story

Ukrainian Parliament abolishes language law, neighboring states protest

Kiev, 26.2.2014 18:46, (ROMEA) Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania expressed their dissatisfaction today with a decision taken by the Ukrainian Parliament on Sunday to abolish a law on languages that was adopted in 2012. All three countries have large national minority populations living in several places throughout Ukraine and are therefore calling on the new leadership of the country to respect their rights.  full story

Commentary: Czech segregation failing another generation of Roma

Hradec Králové, 26.2.2014 18:08, (ROMEA) Rather a lot has been written about segregation in the Czech schools and about the Romani children who have been (and what is worse, still are) unjustifiably enrolled into the "practical primary schools" (formerly the "special schools"), which are designed to serve children with light mental disability - but apparently not enough has been done about it. At least, not enough to keep many non-Romani parents of first-graders from being horrified by the idea that their child might sit next to a Romani pupil in school.  full story