Czech Republic

Czech principal says new law is clarifying educational support for socially disadvantaged pupils

2.11.2016 14:22 As part of its WEEK FOR INCLUSION 2016, the Czech Society for Inclusive Education has published the following interview online with school principal Zdenka Juklová (age 59), who has led the Velké Hamry Primary School since 2015. Previously she was an educator at the Masaryk Primary School and Business Academy in the town of Tanvald and at the Secondary School of Glassmaking in Železný Brod.  full story

Three-volume biography of Czechoslovak Romani partisan, decades in the making, has been published

2.11.2016 12:30 On 21 October the Moravian Museum and the Triáda publishing house launched a new book, "Česká cikánská rapsodie" (Bohemian Gypsy Rhapsody) by Josef Serinek and Jan Tesař at the Dietrichstein Palace in Brno. Those scheduled to discuss this three-volume biograpy of Serinek included Jiří Mitáček, the General Director of the museum, former dissident and former chair of the Czech Senate Petr Pithart, historians Daniel Říčan, Petr Koura and Vítězslav Sommer, conservationist Marta Procházková, publisher Robert Krumphanzl and the author, Jan Tesař, who has worked on the book for decades.  full story

Czech NGO offers paid internships for Roma - deadline is 9 November

2.11.2016 10:46 If you would like to achieve or change something in your life, the nonprofit organization Slovo 21 has a unique opportunity for you that may never repeat itself. Romani college students or fresh graduates interested in intensifying their professional skills and applying them in their own lives, personal and professional, now have the opportunity to apply for internships.  full story

Czech Gov't Roma Council calls on Interior Minister, Police President to thoroughly investigate death of Romani man in Žatec

2.11.2016 7:20 The Czech Government Council for Romani Minority Affairs has demanded that Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) and Police President Tomáš Tuhý thoroughly investigate the October incident at a pizzeria in Žatec during which a young Romani man died. "After extensive discussion, the Council adopted a resolution asking the Interior Minister and Police President to thoroughly investigate the case of the death of the man in Žatec," reads a press release issued by the Council after yesterday's meeting.
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Council of Europe's Commission against Racism and Intolerance holds round table in Prague on Thursday

1.11.2016 17:46 On Thursday, 3 November, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), in collaboration with Czech Minister for Human Rights, Equal Opportunities and Legislation Jiří Dienstbier and Public Defender of Rights Anna Šabatová, will convene a round table to discuss the measures that have been undertaken in response to the recommendations made by ECRI during its most recent monitoring report about the Czech Republic in 2015. The round table will take place in the building of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic from 9:00 to 17:00.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani activist calls on Mayor of Žatec to resign

1.11.2016 12:46 Romani activist Robert Tonelli has sent an open letter to the Mayor of Žatec, Zdeňka Hamousová. The activist is calling on her to resign from her post because of what she said during the appearance she made at last week's event commemorating the young Romani man who died there in on 18 October.  full story

Commentary: Romani children in the Czech schools

1.11.2016 7:35 News server Romea.cz published a news item several days ago about the Czech Education Ministry tracking the number of Romani and socially disadvantaged children currently being educated using the "Framework Education Program for Pupils with Mild Mental Disability". That particular curriculum has been used up until now in the "practical" primary schools.  full story

videoCzech Republic: Eyewitness video footage shows Romani man was subjected to violence before he died

31.10.2016 17:40 An eyewitness to the incident in the pizzeria in the Czech town of Žatec on 18 October during which a Romani man died used a mobile phone to film what transpired. When the images are enlarged and also slowed down, they clearly show other customers committing violence against him prior to his death, including in front of the local police officers who intervened.  full story

Edited CCTV footage from Czech pizzeria where Romani man died is broadcast, questions remain unanswered

30.10.2016 21:47 The pizzeria in the Czech town of Žatec where a young Romani man died on 18 October has provided CCTV footage of the incident to the commercial Prima television station, which broadcast some of it on Saturday evening. The management of the restaurant claims it is doing its best to calm the situation by releasing the images.  full story

Objects fly over Czech Police line as Roma insist on their right to honor dead man

28.10.2016 11:12 After yesterday's assembly in the Czech town of Žatec to honor the death of a Romani man there last week was officially dispersed, organizer Jan Čonka called on all of the Romani people present to peacefully return to their homes. Roughly half of the 500 participants, however, walked to the Panamera Pizzeria to lay flowers and light candles at the improvised memorial to the deceased that has been there since the incident.  full story

Hundreds around Czech Republic honor memory of dead Romani man, right-wing extremists assemble at site of his death, riot police deployed

28.10.2016 9:37 Yesterday in the Czech town of Žatec approximately 500 people gathered to honor the memory of the Romani man who died there last week after a conflict in a local pizzeria. Most of the predominantly Romani crowd then proceeded to the site of the unfortunate incident.  full story

Czech Republic: Non-Romani demonstrators prevent Romani mourners from lighting candles at site of death, riot police prevent clashes

27.10.2016 19:07 In the Czech town of Žatec today at 15:00 approximately 500 Romani people assembled for a memorial gathering to honor the young Romani man who died last week under circumstances that have yet to be fully officially explained in a local pizzeria. After several speeches were given on the main square, the official assembly was dispersed.  full story

Czech talk show host uses YouTube to explain TV Prima's contract with him to TV Prima and the public

27.10.2016 15:57 Czech talk show host Jan Kraus has published a brief video on YouTube explaining that the contract he has with TV Prima clearly does not allow him to broadcast an episode of his show online before it has been broadcast by the TV Prima station. He has taken the unusual step after the TV Prima management issued contradictory statements regarding why it did not broadcast the most recent episode of the program yesterday.  full story

TV Prima to broadcast talk show episode today - will it be in its entirety?

27.10.2016 13:48 According to information reported by the news server Mediahub.cz, the episode that was to have been broadcast yesterday of the Jan Kraus talk show on TV Prima will be broadcast today. It is, however, possible that it will not be broadcast in its entirety and that its opening segment will be edited out.  full story

Emil Ščuka asks not to be considered for Roma Spirit Award in the Czech Republic

27.10.2016 13:16 The Director of the International Conservatory and the Divadlo v Korunní theater in Prague, Emil Ščuka, has asked not to be considered for this year's Roma Spirit Award in the individual category. He has not said why.  full story

Scandal as TV Prima fails to broadcast talk show episode with Czech Culture Minister and Holocaust survivor

27.10.2016 12:03 Yesterday evening the privately-owned Prima television station did not broadcast its most recent episode of a popular talk show with host Jan Kraus during which his guests included Holocaust survivor Jiří Brady and Mr Brady's nephew, Czech Culture Minister Daniel Herman. According to the Seznam online news server, the station told viewers it was not broadcasting the episode because producers did not deliver it to the station in time.
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Miroslav Klempár: The value of a Romani life versus social norms

27.10.2016 9:52 What is the value of a human life? What is the life of a drug addict, a homosexual, a prostitute, a thief - or of a corrupt politician - worth?  full story

Czech Republic: ROMEA journalist interviewed by Radio Wave about death of young Romani man

27.10.2016 9:15 The death of a young man last week was the culmination of a conflict between customers at a pizzeria in the Czech town of Žatec which local police officers intervened in. Romea.cz reporter Jitka Votavová has recapitulated what is known about the case in an interview for Radio Wave.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani high school students receive scholarships at ceremony, sponsors are convinced education is an investment

27.10.2016 6:16 "The fact that we are here today, and that the hall is full to the last seat, is a testament to the fact that the allegations that Romani people are not interested in education are a myth. By coming here today, you are aiding in dispelling that myth. We thank you for doing that," said Jitka Votavová, who coordinates ROMEA's Scholarship Program for Romani Students of High Schools and Higher Vocational Schools on Monday, 24 October at the opening of the celebratory gathering of scholarship recipients at the Kaiserstein Palace in Prague.
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Czech actors and theater producers say political elites are failing the country

26.10.2016 16:18 The Association of Professional Theaters and the Actors' Association in the Czech Republic have issued a joint declaration called "We Cannot Stay Silent" in which they sharply criticize the behavior of the country's political elites. Czech President Miloš Zeman is the main target of their criticism.  full story