News

Czech Human Rights Minister meets with management of Hate Free project to discuss its future

16.2.2017 8:21 Czech Human Rights Minister Jan Chvojka (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) met on 7 February with the leadership of the Czech Government's campaign against hate violence, Hate Free Culture. The three-year project, scheduled to end in April, combats hate speech and xenophobia as well as refuting fake news and hoaxes, mainly in the online environment.
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Senegalese model featured on Lidl ad in Czech Republic hired by company importing mobile phones

16.2.2017 7:22 The Lion Mobile company's latest advertising campaign in the Czech Republic features Senegalese model Alpha Dia, whose image in a flier for the Lidl retail chain sparked many racist commentaries on Faceboook. Lion Mobile imports Xiaomi telephones to the Czech Republic.  full story

Slovak Parliament changes regional election rules, extremists could benefit

16.2.2017 6:50 The Slovak Parliament has changed the rules for the direct election of the chairs (Governors) of the country's eight self-administered regions less than a year before the next elections are to be held. According to the opposition, the amendment could aid extremist candidates including some incumbents, six of whom were supported during the 2013 elections by the Social Democrats headed by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Směr-SD).
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Slovakia: Romani businessman stopped from distributing food to the homeless by authorities

15.2.2017 9:38 Marián Markovič is a 37-year-old businessman from Komárno, Slovakia. News server Romea.cz reported on his decision, roughly a month ago, to regularly aid local homeless people and the socially vulnerable.  full story

Together We Can: Jan Balog

14.2.2017 10:27 Last month, Romea.cz began publishing interviews on a weekly basis with people who are doing interesting things to aid all of us in getting along here. When we were looking for a name for this column, the motto of this year's International Romani Day, "Together We Can", inspired me, so the organizers and I have decided to call this column "Together We Can" as well.
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European Roma and Travellers Forum condemns offer made by self-appointed "king" to US President

13.2.2017 19:44 The European Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF) has indicated its dismay and outrage over the letter sent recently by Dorin Cioabă of Romania to US President Donald Trump suggesting that Romani people in particular should build a proposed wall between Mexico and the USA. The ERTF condemns ideas that foster segregation and discrimination in any form.  full story

Czech Regional Development Minister reluctantly supports social housing law

13.2.2017 8:21 Czech Regional Development Minister Karla Šlechtová (for ANO) has signed off on the Government's proposed social housing legislation, with reservations. The minister used online social networks to make her disagreement known at the start of February.  full story

Czech Education Minister wants to give schools money to visit historical sites

13.2.2017 7:36 Czech Education Minister Kateřina Valachová (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) wants to make it possible for schools to visit certain locations connected with Czech history free of charge. In May the ministry will make public a pilot program through which schools will be able to seek money for such field trips.  full story

Czech court upholds limits on media using nicknames for politicians

13.2.2017 7:06 The Prague High Court confirmed on 31 January that it would only have been legal for the weekly magazine Reflex to use the nickname "Pitomio" (a pun on a word meaning "fool") to refer to Tomio Okamura, the chair of the "Freedom and Direct Democracy" movement, if it had done so in a context of legitimate criticism. Corrupting the politician's name for no reason is not allowed.  full story

Czech Police propose prosecution of ultra-right extremist, he faces three years if convicted

12.2.2017 9:39 Prague Police have proposed prosecuting the chair of the ultra-right National Democracy party, Adam B.Bartoš, for the crimes of approving of and/or denying, justifying or questioning genocide, inciting hatred, defaming a nation and approving of a felony. Tomáš Hulan, spokesperson for the Prague Police, informed the Czech News Agency of the indictment on 7 February.  full story

Slovakia: Black model in ad sparks racist commentary

11.2.2017 18:26 A hate campaign on social media has been sparked by an advertisement by a Slovak firm selling sports clothing in which a dark-skinned man is featured. The business has stood up for the black model.  full story

Czech Republic's Fulbright Commission opens course preparing Romani students for study in the USA

11.2.2017 16:09 The Fulbright Commission, in collaboration with the Department of Social Pedagogy at the Pedagogical Faculty of Masaryk University in Brno, will open a preparatory course this spring for Romani students interested in possibly studying in the USA. The aim of the course is to familiarize students with what it is like to study in the USA and prepare them to overcome the barriers and fear that deter disadvantaged and minority students from studying abroad.  full story

Czech Government supports amendment to insolvency law to make debt relief more accessible

10.2.2017 6:59 Borrowers in the Czech Republic may become able to enter debt relief processes irrespective of the amount of debt they owe. The process could take either three, five or seven years, depending on the circumstances of the debt.  full story

Czech Human Rights Minister and Romani advisers visit socially excluded locality without meeting Romani residents

9.2.2017 7:16 Czech Human Rights Minister Jan Chvojka (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) and representatives of the Monitoring Committee of the Czech Government Council on Romani Minority Affairs, which reviews the work of the Agency for Social Inclusion, visited the town of Most last month, including the Stovky housing estate and a residential hotel called "Key to the Heart" ("K srdci klíč"). The minister did not, however, hold any official discussions with local Romani residents about the situation at the housing estate.  full story

International Romani Union says offer to help Trump came from Rom facing traditional community justice procedure in Romania

8.2.2017 8:35 Dorin Cioabă, the self-declared "King of all Roma", has sent a letter to US President Donald Trump promising to aid him with building the controversial wall on the border between Mexico and the USA. This news, which in the Czech Republic would usually only be fit for the tabloid media, was instead reported here by public broadcaster Czech Radio.  full story

Michal Mižigár: Dža Devleha, Schapiro!

8.2.2017 7:09 Dža Devleha, or "be with God", is what is said in the Romanes language to somebody who is departing. On Friday, 20 January, the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Czech Republic, Andrew H. Schapiro, ended his term.  full story

Together We Can: Patrik Grundza

7.2.2017 7:37 Last month, Romea.cz began publishing interviews on a weekly basis with people who are doing interesting things to aid all of us in getting along here. When we were looking for a name for this column, the motto of this year's International Romani Day, "Together We Can", inspired me, so the organizers and I have decided to call this column "Together We Can" as well.  full story

Czech court rejects lawsuit filed by mother of quintuplets over fundraising drive

6.2.2017 19:47 Alexandra Kiňová, the mother of the first quintuplets ever born in the Czech Republic, filed a lawsuit in the District Court for Prague 5 against the Club of Twins and Higher Multiples (Klub dvojčat a vícerčat) in which she sought the recovery of more than CZK 616 000 (EUR 22 800) from a fundraising drive held by the club on behalf of her children. The court has rejected her lawsuit becuase the money has been transferred to an account owned by the City of Prague.
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Croatia: Jewish community boycotts official Holocaust commemoration

6.2.2017 6:33 The Associated Press has reported that the Jewish community in Croatia has boycotted the official state ceremony held on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January. The decision was meant to protest the Croatian Government not doing enough, in the Jewish community's view, to suppress pro-Nazi sentiment in the country.  full story

Czech Republic: Seven Romani applicants complete ROMEA's media training, say they want to tell Roma stories

5.2.2017 7:30 A months-long media training for future journalists from the Romani community in the Czech Republic, offered by the ROMEA organization, has now ended. Seven successful trainees were invited to receive their certificates of completion in the presence of Yechiel Bar-Chaim and Robert Tobon, who represents the US foundation Bader Philanthropies, which supported the project financially.  full story