News

Commentary: Czech antigypsyism, or, a report on the state of the country

Prague, 26.3.2013 23:57, (ROMEA) I have been systematically reporting on the lives of people living in ghettos, the activity of the ultra-right, and the state of the media with respect to the topic of Romani people, including analysis and criticism. My experiences in doing this work, or rather the topics I have been involved with during it, are alarming.  full story

videoWe Laugh Together, We Educate Together: A Hungarian Campaign on Inclusive Education

Budapest, 26.3.2013 11:10, (ROMEA) The Hungarian civil society organization UCCU Roma Informal Education Foundation recently launched a campaign film designed to raise awareness and encourage discussion on the issue of inclusive education in Hungary. The film offers an accessible way into the subject, and aims to combat the attitudes and prejudices that have resulted in a segregated and “closed” education system in Hungary.  full story

Tamar Ezer: A Signature Is Not Enough

New York, 26.3.2013 10:57, (ROMEA) Violence happens in health care settings. It does not just take place during war or conflict, on the street, or even in our homes among partners. Health care facilities that are supposed to be places of treatment, care, and support are all too often sites for violence. This is particularly true for those who are marginalized in society. The Commission on the Status of Women, the UN’s global policy-making body on equality and advancement of women, significantly recognizes this in its just released “agreed conclusions,” providing guidance on the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.  full story

Amnesty International: Human rights here, Roma rights now!

Brussels, 26.3.2013 10:07, (ROMEA) Launch of campaign to end discrimination against Roma in Europe  full story

Valeriu Nicolae: How I crashed into the glass-ceiling

Bucharest, 26.3.2013 9:59, (ROMEA) A few months ago I wrote about the problems with funding civil society, and Roma civil society in particular; how EU funds (in particular structural funds) but also project-focused funding stimulate false reporting, rationalizing failures, useless by expensive meetings and trainings, and corruption. Incentives for grassroots work, learning from failures, critical thinking, participation and sharing responsibilities of the vulnerable groups are missing.  full story

videoCzech court upholds acquittal, light sentence for assailants of human rights monitor

Most, 26.3.2013 1:04, (ROMEA) An appeals court has once again reviewed the November 2008 assault of activist Ondřej Cakl during a neo-Nazi demonstration at the Janov housing estate in Litvínov. The court did not accept Cakl's reasoning and has upheld the sentence handed down against one of the assailants by the first-instance court. The appeals court also upheld the acquittal of a second alleged assailant  full story

Czech ultra-right holds yet another rally full of untruths

Nejdek, 25.3.2013 22:00, (ROMEA) Promoters of the right-wing extremist Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS) continued their never-ending electoral campaign last Saturday in the Czech town of Nejdek. Police officers were posted to monitor all of the roads and the center of Nejdek was empty. The ultra-right extremists met at the train station, marched from there to the center of town, and held their rally.  full story

German court convicts kidnappers of infant from Czech Republic

Koblenz, Germany, 25.3.2013 16:53, (ROMEA) The state court in the German town of Koblenz has sentenced the two kidnappers of a newborn girl from the town of Trmice in the Ústí Region of the Czech Republic to four and a half years in prison. The verdict has yet to take effect.  full story

videoCzech cops edited footage of brutal intervention against Romani woman for media

Prague, 25.3.2013 1:04, (ROMEA) TV Nova, the Czech Republic's most-watched private television channel, has managed to acquire video footage of a controversial intervention by municipal police in the town of Rokycany during which a pram with an infant in it was overturned on the street. The 16-month-old boy escaped serious injury through sheer luck.  full story

Czech Helsinki Committee publishes shadow report on discrimination and racism

Prague, 23.3.2013 19:44, (ROMEA) On the occasion of the International Day against Racism, the Czech Helsinki Committee (Český helsinský výbor - ČHV) has published a shadow report on racism in the Czech Republic and in Europe. The report is issued annually by the European Network against Racism (ENAR), an umbrella organization of hundreds of human rights groups from 26 countries.This most recent report maps the situation during 2011 and part of 2012. The English-language summary report, "Racism in Europe", is available here: http://www.romea.cz/dokumenty/SR_EU-2012.pdf  full story

International focus: Roma people denied social housing in Italy

Rome, 23.3.2013 17:06, (ROMEA) Roma people in the Italian capital are being denied access to social housing – despite living in segregated and basic camps, far from facilities such as schools and hospitals. Rome's authorities have put in place regulations which prevent thousands of Roma, many of whom were born in Italy, from applying for public housing in a move which has angered human rights groups.  full story

videoCzech cop knocks 16-month-old from pram during altercation with mother

Rokycany, 23.3.2013 0:45, (ROMEA) The Mediafax press agency and TV Nova report that municipal police in the Czech town of Rokycany have brutally, unreasonably intervened against a woman who was walking down the street with her child and her dog. While intervening because the woman's dog was not on a leash, a patrolman overturned the pram and the 16-month-old boy inside it fell to the ground. While the child ended up with "just" a bump to the head, he came close to smashing his skull on the curb.  full story

Slovakia: Romani children segregated from others during lunch

Medzilaborce, Slovakia, 22.3.2013 16:47, (ROMEA) Romani children attending a primary school in the East Slovakian town of Medzilaborce are not permitted to eat lunch in the school cafeteria together with everyone else. Several angry local parents have drawn attention to the situation. The school director says the reason is that some Romani pupils do not know how to eat with cutlery and eat with their hands instead.  full story

France: Roma may file charges against Interior Minister for inciting hatred

Paris, 22.3.2013 15:52, (ROMEA) The Romani community of France is considering filing charges against Interior Minister Manuel Valls for incitement of racial hatred after he was quoted in the right-wing paper Le Figaro as saying that Romani people who come to live in France "obviously do not want to integrate into society". The community accuses the minister of targeting Romani people on the basis of their ethnicity and race.  full story

Czech EdMin: "Practical primary schools" will not be closed

Prague, 22.3.2013 15:19, (ROMEA) Speaking today in the Senate, Czech Education Minister Petr Fiala said the "practical primary schools" will not be closed. Nevertheless, he said that because of a judgment from the European Court of Human Rights, it is essential to change the fact that some pupils end up in these schools only because they come from socially disadvantaged environments or even because of their ethnic background.  full story

Czech town bans social housing

Libáň, 22.3.2013 1:49, (ROMEA) If you were to decide to help a family in distress find dignified housing, you would encounter stiff opposition in the East Bohemian town of Libaň. On Wednesday, 20 March 2013, the Libáň town council met to review a request filed by one of its citizens, Stanislav Penc, but only after various individuals, non-state organizations, and state bodies had called on the town to do so. Penc has now received the opportunity to publicly present his request. Last fall he asked the town leadership to agree to his plan to build an apartment building that will feature social apartments.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani residents won't budge without a fight

Prague, 21.3.2013 23:37, (ROMEA) On Sunday, 18 March at the Café v lese in Prague, a public discussion took place about recent events concernign the housing situation on Přednádraží street in Ostrava and in the Předlice quarter of Ústí nad Labem. The discussion was followed by a benefit concert by the bands Fakné, Potmě, Čokovoko and Vobezdud, called "Number 8 Lives" (Osmička žije!) Building number 8 is the last residential building on Přednádraží street that is still occupied, and its occupants need financial and other support. The benefit was organized by the SOS Přednádraží initiative and the discussion was co-organized by the Housing for All (Bydlení pro všechny) initiative.  full story

ENAR and UNITED for Intercultural Action: The charter for political parties for a non-racist society: a message for elections

Amsterdam/Brussels, 21.3.2013 13:40, (ROMEA) On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, ENAR and UNITED for Intercultural Action call upon political parties across Europe to re-affirm the principles of the Charter for political parties for a non-racist society and to speak clearly against racism and other forms of discrimination against minorities.  full story

ERIO: It is our collective obligation to combat anti-Gypsyism

Brussels, 21.3.2013 13:12, (ROMEA) On the International Day for the Elimination of Racism, ERIO would like to remind people and governments of the negative and destructive consequences of racial discrimination. History shows that racism is often a key ingredient in the development of violent conflict, and has been responsible for some of the worst atrocities committed by mankind.  full story

Joint Statement on International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Vienna, 21.3.2013 11:39, (ROMEA) he social fallout from the ongoing global economic crisis must not become an excuse to allow racism and prejudice to go unchecked, said Morten Kjaerum, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Eva Smith Asmussen, Chair of the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), in a joint statement to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.  full story