World

Europe Roma International plans demonstration against neo-Nazism in front of Czech embassies worldwide

London/Prague, 29.8.2013 21:02, (ROMEA) The Europe Roma International political movement has issued a declaration on the overall situation in the Czech Republic and is calling for a series of anti-racist demonstrations worldwide. The text condemns both right-wing extremists and the owners and operators of residential hotels in the country.  full story

Leading Roma representative Ján Cibuľa passes away

Bern, Switzerland, 19.8.2013 17:37, (ROMEA) Leading Roma representative MUDr. Ján Cibuľa passed away on Sunday, 18 August after a difficult illness in the Swiss town of Bern. A niece of the deceased informed the TASR press agency of his death.  full story

Florin Cioabă, "King of the Roma" and president of the International Romani Union, has passed away

Antalya, Turkey, 19.8.2013 4:03, (ROMEA) Florin Cioabă, the self-proclaimed "King of the Roma" worldwide, passed away on 18 August in a hospital in the Turkish city of Antalya. The 58-year-old had been admitted to the hospital there last Tuesday in very serious condition.  full story

British folk singer Sam Lee: "Gypsies are our Indians"

Náměšť nad Oslavou, Czech Republic, 17.8.2013 0:21, (ROMEA) In this interview, British singer and folk song collector Sam Lee describes how he has discovered forgotten singers among British Roma and Travellers, how he learned to sing from them, and why it is important to keep their songs from being forgotten. He also explains why we have two ears and only one mouth.  full story

ODIHR Director saddened by death of Nicolae Gheorghe, architect of OSCE work on Roma issues

Warsaw, 9.8.2013 22:47, (ROMEA) The Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, expressed sadness today at the death of Nicolae Gheorghe, a prominent Roma human rights activist and former ODIHR’s Adviser on Roma and Sinti issues.  full story

Roma activist and intellectual Nicolae Gheorghe has passed away

Prague, 9.8.2013 17:32, (ROMEA) Today, at the age of 67, the Roma activist, humanist and intellectual Nicolae Gheorghe of Romania passed away.  full story

videoYoung people commemorated victims of Roma Holocaust in Auschwitz

Auschwitz, 5.8.2013 22:50, (ROMEA) The world’s largest Roma Genocide Remembrance Event “Dik I na Bistar/look and don’t forget” took place today in Memorial – Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, with more than 400 young people from 20 countries. The big number of participants at the youth commemoration at the Memorial of the formal so called “Gypsy camp”, underlines the growing Roma movement fight´s against prejudices and stereotypes and for the recognition of the 2nd August as a Roma Remembrance day.  full story

Verdict in Roma killing spree expected in Hungary

Budapest, 5.8.2013 0:39, (ROMEA) A verdict in the trial of four Hungarians accused of killing six Roma in a wave of cold-blooded attacks is expected Tuesday, as the country continues to struggle with discrimination.  full story

Council of Europe marks International Remembrance Day of the Pharrajimos (Roma Genocide)

Strasbourg, 2.8.2013 21:47, (ROMEA) The Council of Europe has marked International Remembrance Day of the Pharrajimos, or Roma Genocide, with a ceremony in front of its headquarters building in Strasbourg, France.  full story

videoRoma Inclusion: What We Can Learn from Croatia

Zagreb, 26.7.2013 13:43, (ROMEA) Call me a starry-eyed idealist, but I believe schools are the primary institution in society where we should learn to live together. As a parent, I’ve never seen the point of teaching kids how to divide numbers or how not to split infinitives if we can’t first teach them how to love and treasure each other’s differences. For far too many of Europe’s Roma children, however, schools are still places far more adept at dividing communities than uniting them.  full story

Denitsa Mihaylova: A Bulgarian woman proud of her Roma origin

Sofia, 26.7.2013 13:30, (ROMEA) Denitsa Mihaylova is the first and, so far, the only woman of Roma origin who works at the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She speaks to her 5-year-old daughter Madona like an adult, demanding that she take decisions on her own, including what to order from a menu full of tempting dishes.  full story

ERRC Condemns Hitler Hate Speech Against Roma

Budapest, 26.7.2013 11:49, (ROMEA) The European Roma Rights Centre strongly condemns a French politician’s recent remark about Roma suggesting that “Maybe Hitler did not kill enough.” The comment, made by Gilles Bourdouleix, an MP and Mayor of the western town of Cholet, is completely unacceptable. Unfortunately, this incident does not reflect an isolated position. This is just the latest example of racist and discriminatory remarks by French politicians targeting Roma and Traveller communities and individuals in France.  full story

Montenegro: Right-wing extremists assault country's first Gay Pride Parade

Podgorica, 25.7.2013 17:32, (ROMEA) On Wednesday, 24 July, in the very conservative country of Montenegro, right-wing extremists shouting "Kill the gays!" assaulted activists from the gay community who were meeting up for the country's first-ever Gay Pride Parade in the seaside resort of Budva. Wire services report the attackers threw bottles, rocks, smoke bombs and other objects, including café tables, at several dozen participants in the march and their supporters before clashing with riot police protecting the event.  full story

RomaReact group: Start the morning with human rights

Brussels, 28.6.2013 12:25, (ROMEA/RomaReact.org) For some it is just another day, but for us, the participants in the RomaReact group it is a day that we hope will bring a positive impact to our work and will support the fulfillment of our aims for which we have all worked for on.  full story

George Soros Welcomes EU Action to Promote Roma Inclusion

Brussels, 26.6.2013 22:32, (ROMEA) Today the European Union announced important measures to promote Roma inclusion across Europe. The Open Society Foundations praised the proposals, which focus on ending widespread disparities in education, employment, health, and housing, and call on member states to devote more money to Roma integration.  full story

videoRoma: Commission calls on Member States to step up efforts on integration

Brussels, 26.6.2013 22:25, (ROMEA) The European Commission has called on Member States to deliver on their commitments to ensure equality and to do more to improve the economic and social integration of Europe's 10 to 12 million Roma.  full story

France: Head of ultra-right may face trial for racism

Paris, 2.6.2013 23:52, (ROMEA) Marine Le Pen, the head of the ultra-right National Front party in France, now risks the possibility of being brought to trial in short order. She could be asked to answer to charges of racism for her previous anti-Muslim statements.  full story

Germans, Turks use trial of neo-Nazi Zschäpe to get their messages across

Germany, 20.5.2013 7:04, (ROMEA) Czech Radio reports that the first two days of the trial of neo-Nazi Beate Zschäpe, which started last week, have been accompanied by displays of emotion. Various people have been using the event to get their own messages across to the public.  full story

Budapest: Three neo-Nazis who assaulted WJC delegates sentenced

Budapest, Hungary, 11.5.2013 16:40, (ROMEA) The World Jewish Congress (WJC) as warned that anti-Semitism could grow in Europe as a result of the exacerbated economic crisis. A report released at the end of the three-day general assembly in Budapest warns that politicians have a tendency to dedicate less attention to this issue during times of economic hardship.  full story

New York Times visits previously segregated school in Slovakia

New York City/Šarišské Michaľany, 10.5.2013 19:01, (ROMEA) "A microcosm of one of the biggest problems in Europe" - those are the words used on the front page of The New York Times to describe a primary school in Šarišské Michaľany, Slovakia. A reporter for the prestigious US newspaper traveled to eastern Slovakia to report on the segregation of Romani children there. Last year a court in Prešov ruled against a local segregated school.  full story