World

Roma in Europe: Demanding justice and protection in the face of violence

EU, 8.4.2014 9:37, (ROMEA) European states are failing to curb and in some cases even fuelling discrimination, intimidation and violence against Roma, Amnesty International said on International Roma Day on 8 April.  full story

Romani people worldwide celebrate International Romani Day

Prague/Planet Earth, 8.4.2014 7:12, (ROMEA) International Romani Day is celebrated annually on 8 April. On this day, Romani people commemorate the historic first-ever global congress of the International Romani Union which was held near London in 1979 at the initiative of Donald Kenrick and Grattan Puxon of Great Britain, Jarko Jovanović of the former Yugoslavia, Mateo Maximoff representing the Manouche of France, and other Romani representatives and scholars of Romani studies.  full story

Enough is enough: Time to break the circle of Roma health exclusion across Europe

Brussels, 5.4.2014 1:07, (ROMEA) The need for better policies and funding for Roma inclusion, with an emphasis on local integration in Eastern Europe, is the focus of the Third Roma Summit – a landmark event organised today by the European Commission in Brussels.  full story

videoThird EU Roma Summit takes place in Brussels

Brussels, 4.4.2014 20:08, (ROMEA) Progress on Romani minority integration was the main topic of the European Roma Summit today in Brussels. In addition to discussing the situation of Romani integration in the EU Member States, the 500 delegates also focused on the question of financing for integration measures.  full story

Viviane Reding: Roma Integration - From polemics to small miracles

Brussels, 4.4.2014 14:34, (ROMEA) I remember very well: 8 April 2010, in Córdoba, Spain. A Ministerial meeting on Roma – without Ministers. Exactly four years later, I stand here with the President of the European Commission, the President of Romania (Traian Băsescu), the Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria (Zinaida Zlatanova) and Ministers, mayors and State secretaries from many other EU and non-EU countries.  full story

ERRC: On the Eve of the EU Roma Summit, Respect for the Human Rights of Roma is an Unfulfilled Promise

Budapest, 4.4.2014 14:05, (ROMEA) Member States of the European Union and candidate countries are meeting today in Brussels, just before International Roma Day on 8 April, to assess progress in addressing the problem of Roma exclusion in Europe. Unfortunately, the commitment to combatting discrimination and human rights abuses against Roma remains largely no more than a promise, despite the creation of an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies and the Decade of Roma Inclusion. Throughout the EU and the countries aspiring to join the EU, Roma face significant rights abuses with an inadequate state response. A few examples illustrate the persistence of some of the most egregious abuses in EU Member States and candidate countries, relating to segregation, violence against Roma, and forced evictions leading to homelessness.  full story

Roma integration: EU Framework triggers first results

Brussels, 4.4.2014 13:41, (ROMEA) Concerted action by the European Commission has put Roma integration firmly on the political agenda across Europe. The first signs of improvement in the lives of Roma are slowly starting to show, says a new report unveiled today on Member States' progress achieved under the EU Framework for national Roma strategies.  full story

videoSpeech by President Barroso at the European Roma Summit

BRUSSELS, 4.4.2014 11:00, (ROMEA) Six years ago, at the time of the first Roma Summit, I spoke about Roma inclusion for the first time at European level.  full story

UNICEF: Prioritize children to speed up Roma inclusion in Europe

BRUSSELS/GENEVA, 4.4.2014 10:31, (ROMEA) On the eve of the third Roma summit in Brussels today, UNICEF calls on European governments to firmly place children at the centre of Roma inclusion policies.  full story

Serbia: McDonald’s fined for discriminating against Roma

Belgrade, Serbia, 31.3.2014 17:47, (ROMEA) The Nicefoods restaurants company, which operates the McDonald’s fast food chain in Serbia, must pay a fine for not letting Romani children into one of its restaurants. The Serbian press agency, Tanjug, reports that a court in Novi Sad handed down the decision last week.  full story

Ukrainian Interior Minister demands radicals disarm

Kiev/Rivne na Volyni, Ukraine, 26.3.2014 20:26, (ROMEA) Yesterday the Ukrainian Interior Ministry ordered all paramilitary organizations in the country to immediately lay down their arms. The move is a response to threats made by ultra-right radicals from the Right Sector group who have declared "war" on Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov for the recent death of one of the ultra-right's most brutal leaders, Oleksandr Muzychko.  full story

Commentary: For whom is the bell tolling in Ukraine?

Prague, 25.3.2014 23:05, (ROMEA) This article was written for the print edition of Romani vod'i magazine at the start of March.  full story

Ukraine: Neo-Nazi leader shot dead during arrest

Kiev/Moscow, 25.3.2014 19:03, (ROMEA) Oleksandr Muzychko, also known as Sashka Bily ("Sasha White"), was killed last night in the town of Rivna na Volyni in northwestern Ukraine. The Ukrainian media first reported the case as one of murder and speculated that it might have been an action by "Russian diversionists" related to the international arrest warrant alleging that he murdered and tortured Russian captives in the Caucasus.  full story

Analysis: What the Czech media ignore about Ukraine

Prague, 24.3.2014 19:19, (Romano Voďi) This article was written for the print edition of Romano vod'i magazine at the start of March.  full story

World commemorates International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Prague, 21.3.2014 20:01, (ROMEA) 21 March is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In 1966 it was officially so declared by the UN General Assembly.  full story

Ukraine: Neo-Nazi leader Yarosh tones down rhetoric ahead of elections

Kiev, 12.3.2014 18:07, (ROMEA) The leader of Ukraine's neo-Nazis, Dmytro Yarosh, is planning to run for president during the May elections. Ukrainian National News (UNN) reported the announcement last week.  full story

videoRomani activists discuss the Ukraine crisis

Kiev/Crimea, 12.3.2014 17:12, (ROMEA) On Monday, March 10, Roma Radio Patrin and Terraforming broadcast live Skype interviews with Romani activists discussing their perspectives on the current crisis in Ukraine. The interviews marked the first time that Roma Radio Patrin has also broadcast a video feed of its online radio program.  full story

Romani Women’s Day: We Are Not A Problem, But An Opportunity!

Budapest, 8.3.2014 21:26, (ROMEA) This year, to coincide with the 8th of March International Women’s Day, Romedia Foundation launched a call to action to Roma Women Organizations from all over Europe. The initiative, devised under the auspices of UNESCO’s Global Alliance on Gender and Media, following Romedia’s participation at the The First Global Forum on Media and Gender in Bangkok, 2013, intends to draw attention to the need for a global means, including media partnerships, promoting a fair and equal media representation of Romani women in the media, contributing to an increased visibility of one of the most vulnerable minority groups in Europe.  full story

Appeal by the International Charitable Foundation “Roma Women’s Fund “Chirikli” and Roma Council of Ukraine

Kiev, 8.3.2014 19:28, (ROMEA) We, representatives of the Roma community appeal to the politicians, armed forces, and to all those, who have influence on the future of our country.  full story

Roma in Ukraine call for calm: UN day march pledges support

London/Kiev, 8.3.2014 19:22, (ROMEA) When Roma migrants head a march up Whitehall shortly to mark UN Anti-Racism Day they will carry a banner calling for a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Ukraine.  full story