World

Czech practical primary schools to be transformed, not closed

Prague, 4.2.2013 17:33, (ROMEA) Deputy Education Minister Jiří Nantl says "practical primary schools" in the Czech Republic will not be closed as many fear, but that it is necessary to transform them as per a European Court of Human Rights judgment so that pupils are not enrolled into such schools simply because they come from socially disadvantaged environments. Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner Monika Šimůnková told a public hearing in the Czech Senate today that the schools must be transformed.  full story

Situation of Native Americans similar to that of Czech Roma

Portland/New York, USA, 2.2.2013 0:37, (ROMEA) David Beňák, Patrik Banga and David Tišer, three civically active Romani men from the Czech Republic, are participating in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in the United States of America. Their visit will last approximately three weeks and will include several American cities where they will meet with representatives of organizations implementing interesting projects in the area of human rights, community work, and minority rights advocacy.  full story

Canada: Why are the Hungarian Roma fleeing to Canada?

Canada, 31.1.2013 13:25, (ROMEA) The situation of the Roma in Hungary is indisputable very difficult and the reasons to leave the country are obvious. The discrimination of Roma takes place very publicly. This month there was a demonstration against the governing party because of anti-Romani commentaries. And also the living standards do not fulfill human right standards. But why do they choose Canada? A flight to Canada is about 1000 $ so it is very difficult for the Roma to get there, in fact they have to sell everything they own and that is not a lot.  full story

Merkel: Hitler came to power 80 years ago because most Germans were quiet

Berlin, 30.1.2013 17:21, (ROMEA) Speaking today at the opening of an exhibition on the occasion of the anniversary of the rise of Adolf Hitler and his regime to power, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Nazism took power 80 years ago because most Germans stayed silent. She called that experience a warning for today's generation and called for the promotion of democracy, freedom, and human rights.  full story

Romani author and painter Ceija Stojka has passed away

Vienna, Austria, 30.1.2013 2:05, (ROMEA) The author and painter Ceija Stojka passed away on Monday, 28 January 2013 in a hospital in Vienna. She would have turned 80 in May. Her death was confirmed on Tuesday, 29 January 2013 by her editor, Karin Berger.  full story

Czech Senator warns against hatred, racism, nationalism, xenophobia

Prague, 25.1.2013 17:14, (ROMEA) Speaking today at a gathering in the Czech Senate to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Senate Vice-Chair Alena Gajdůšková (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) said, "The greatest denial of the memory of the victims of the Holocaust victims would be if people were to allow a similar tragedy to repeat itself anywhere in the world. It would be an insult to the victims of the Shoah to allow antisemitic opinions and statements to be presented publicly without responding to them appropriately."  full story

Roma Education in 2013: Time for Europe to Remedy its Democratic Deficit

Budapest, 25.1.2013 10:35, (ROMEA) 2013 is the European Year of Citizens, dedicated to the rights that come with EU citizenship. The European Commission wants to know what kind of Europe citizens want to see in 2020. While the focus is on EU citizens “in cross-border situations,” there are basic fundamental human rights issues that need to be addressed within Member States, issues more pressing than the cheaper roaming charges and easier online shopping celebrated by Commissioner Reding.  full story

NGOs call for advertising boycott over anti-Roma statements in Hungarian media

Budapest, 25.1.2013 10:26, (ROMEA) The ERRC is joining with a coalition of Hungarian NGOs in asking domestic companies and Hungarian divisions of multinationals to take a stand against racist commentary in Hungary. The NGOs are asking, among others, Vodafone, T-Com, FedEx, IKEA and Procter and Gamble to reconsider advertising in a Hungarian newspaper which published an article talking about Romani people in unacceptably racist and prejudiced language.  full story

Zeman says he would not meet with the Dalai Lama if elected Czech President

Prague, 23.1.2013 16:29, (ROMEA) Speaking during a debate organized by the European Values (Evropské hodnoty) think-tank devoted primarily to foreign policy, presidential candidate Miloš Zeman (Strana práv občanů ZEMANOVCI - the Citizen's Rights Party for Zeman) said that if elected president of the Czech Republic he would refuse to meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama - unless the Dalai Lama was visiting in the capacity of a big investor. Karel Schwarzenberg (TOP 09), who will be Zeman's opponent during the second round of presidential elections, did not participate in the discussion, reportedly for lack of time.  full story

How to vote in the second round of the Czech presidential election

23.1.2013 14:43, (ROMEA) Voting in the second round of the presidential elections in the Czech Republic will take place on Friday 25 January 2013 from 14:00 - 22:00 CET and on Saturday 26 January 2013 from 08:00 - 14:00 CET. Voters can choose between candidates Karel Schwarzenberg and Miloš Zeman.  full story

Canada advises Romani people to stay home in Hungary

Budapest, Hungary, 22.1.2013 22:05, (ROMEA) Czech Radio reports that the Canadian Embassy to Hungary is urging Romani people not to attempt an overseas move. Since this past weekend, the embassy has been conducting a campaign in the poorest of Hungary's regions, specifically in the town of Miskolc, which has the country's highest population of Romani residents. Canada has tightened its immigration laws and has reduced the opportunity for people to receive asylum there.  full story

China: Yet another Tibetan self-immolates to protest human rights violations

Prague, 18.1.2013 22:46, (ROMEA) Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports that the first Tibetan to self-immolate in 2013 set himself on fire in China a few days ago to protest Chinese policy in Tibet. Since 2009, a total of 96 Tibetans have self-immolated so far.  full story

Romania: Police investigate group offering Romani women money for sterilization

Bucharest, Romania, 15.1.2013 17:15, (ROMEA) Agence France-Presse reported today that the prosecutor in Timisoara, Romania has begun investigating a nationalist group called NAT88 for soliciting Romani women to undergo sterilizations. The group will be investigated on suspicion of "public promotion of a fascist and racist ideology".  full story

videoHungary: Hundreds protest governing party over anti-Romani commentary

Budapest, Hungary, 14.1.2013 16:42, (ROMEA - UPDATED) Several hundred supporters of the opposition in Hungary demonstrated yesterday against racist statements made about the Romani minority by a co-founder of the conservative governing party Fidesz in front of the party's headquarters in Budapest. The protest was organized by the Democratic Coalition group of former socialist PM Ferenc Gyurcsányi.  full story

videoGermany: Thousands prevent neo-Nazi march through center of Magdeburg

Magdeburg, Germany, 12.1.2013 23:59, (ROMEA) Thousands of citizens in the German town of Magdeburg prevented a neo-Nazi march through the center of town today. Approximately 800 neo-Nazis carrying black flags had to settle for marching through the Salbke quarter on the town's southern border.  full story

Hungarian Government increases pensions for Holocaust victims

Hungary, 3.1.2013 16:57, (ROMEA) Agence France-Presse reports that as of 1 January the Hungarian Government has raised by 50 % the pensions it pays to the Jewish victims of crimes committed by the Nazis during the Holocaust. The wire service report points out that the opposition has frequently criticized the conservative cabinet of Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán in the past for his alleged indifference to antisemitism  full story

videoSlovakia: Romani man decapitated while still alive

Žihárec, Slovakia, 1.1.2013 0:05, (ROMEA) Slovakia has been shaken by the brutal murder of 37-year-old Daniel Horváth, a Romani man who was decapitated while still alive, according to a court autopsy. Last Friday police charged three men aged 17, 18 and 39 with Horvath's murder. "The suspects face between 20 and 25 years in prison, with the possibility of life in prison," said Nitra police spokesperson Renáta Čuháková.  full story

Canada may lift Czech visas once asylum process speeds up

Ottawa, 21.12.2012 18:27, (ROMEA) The Canadian media is reporting that Canada will accelerate the administration of asylum-seekers' requests for citizens of the Czech Republic. That country and 26 others are now on a list of so-called "safe states" where the Canadians believe people are not usually at risk of persecution, unlike people in other parts of the world.  full story

ROMEA acceptance speeches at Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award ceremony

Prague, 13.12.2012 6:24, (ROMEA) Today US Ambassador Norman Eisen gave the 2012 Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award to representatives of the ROMEA civic association at the American Center in Prague on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.  full story

Czech Republic: Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award goes to ROMEA this year

Prague, 10.12.2012 16:25, (ROMEA) On the occasion of the anniversary of International Human Rights Day, US Ambassador Norman Eisen will present the Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award to representatives of the ROMEA civic association on Wednesday, 12 December 2012 at 18:00 CET in the American Center in Prague. The US Embassy in Prague is giving the Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award for 2012 to the ROMEA association for its longtime promotion of human rights matters of concern to Romani people in the Czech Republic.  full story