News

Czech Gov't Council on Romani Affairs calls on public figures to speak out against hate and xenophobia

2.12.2016 7:29 The civil society members of the Czech Government Council on Romani Affairs have called on public figures to take a clear stand against the xenophobic music group Ortel, which is spreading hatred and has received an award as part of a popular music survey. "The prizewinning band has a clear connection to the extreme right and espouses ideas that are incompatible with the basic legal documents of the Czech Republic by supporting hatred against various groups of people. It is not possible to express support of any kind for such performers," reads their declaration, which news server Romea.cz publishes here in full translation:  full story

Deputy Mayor of Prague proposes Romani celebrity receive award from the Czech capital for his brave stance against hate music

2.12.2016 7:00 Deputy Mayor of Prague Petra Kolínská (Green Party) proposed on Tuesday that the Romani singer Radek Banga be given the Award of the Capital City of Prague for his many years of activity aiming to prevent risky behavior in youth and for his open stance against hate music. "The atmosphere in society has become tense recently, the language of hatred is beginning to become more and more the norm, even outside of online social networks," she posted to her Facebook profile.  full story

Slovakia: Study says failure of mainstream parties supports right-wing extremism

2.12.2016 6:34 The success of right-wing extremism in Slovakia consists to a great degree of the fact that standard institutions and political parties are not fulfilling the roles expected of them, the authors of a study analyzing extremism and nationalism in the country warned on Tuesday. The ultra-right in Slovakia unexpectedly succeeded in the March parliamentary elections this year when the LSNS, the party of the Governor of Banská Bystrice Region, Marian Kotleba, won 8 % of the vote and took 14 seats in the 150-seat legislature.  full story

Czech NGO sector creates 0.7 % of GDP - 128 000 nonprofits strong

1.12.2016 14:33 There are 128 000 nonprofit organizations in the Czech Republic. They don't just run hobby circles and recreational activities, but they also provide services to those in need.  full story

EU FRA: 80 % of Roma in Europe at risk of poverty, 85 % of Roma in the Czech Republic are discriminated against

1.12.2016 11:09 The lives of Romani people throughout the European Union (EU) are being destroyed by omnipresent deprivation. A new report by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) of the EU has found that Romani families are living excluded from society in shocking conditions and Romani children with low educational attainment do not have much hope of a better future.  full story

Slovak Roma Spirit awards for 2016 go to antiracist campaigner and Mayor of the Luník IX housing estate

1.12.2016 9:11 On Sunday, 27 November, the 2016 Roma Spirit Awards were given out to express appreciation for those individuals, municipalities and organizations that are helping improve the position, quality of life, and social conditions for the Romani community in Slovakia through their work. In 2016 there were 147 nominations in seven categories for the competition.  full story

Czech Police charge Romani youth with threatening to burn down pizzeria where another Romani man died in October

1.12.2016 7:45 A 19-year-old Romani man has been accused of using his personal Facebook profile to make threats against the employees of the Panamera Pizzeria in the Czech town of Žatec, saying he would burn the business down after another young Romani man died there in mid-October following a scuffle with other customers and a police intervention. The man who made the threats is in custody and faces prison time if convicted.  full story

Outgoing Czech Human Rights Minister claims successes

1.12.2016 7:21 The adoption of Government strategies on equality of women and men or on social inclusion, enforcement of measures against corruption, and the publicizing of planned legislation are all considered successes by outgoing Czech Minister for Human Rights and Legislation Jiří Dienstbier (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD). He told the Czech News Agency that he believes his successor must see through the adoption of the amendment to expand the ombudsman's powers and the negotiations to buy the pig farm located on the site of a former concentration camp for Romani people in Lety before next year's elections.  full story

Romani celebrity faces racist comments, death threats from fans of xenophobic band Ortel

29.11.2016 15:21 Radek Banga, the lead singer for the band Gipsy.cz, is facing racist commentaries and threats from fans of the xenophobic music group Ortel after publishing a statement about the results of the Czech Nightingale (Český Slavík) 2016 audience poll. The disinformation and right-wing extremist news servers in the Czech Republic have also begun to wage a campaign against him.  full story

Czech Republic: More musicians criticize popularity of xenophobic band

28.11.2016 16:01 Criticism of the Czech Nightingale (Český slavík) popular music survey has begun to increase after the xenophobic band Ortel came in second place. Romani musician Radek Banga, whose stage name is Gipsy, is being joined by other performers who are criticizing the results of the survey.  full story

Radoslav Banga: I walked out of the Czech music awards because Nazism does not belong in public life

28.11.2016 7:58 On Saturday night I left the hall of the theater in Karlín very, very indignantly. Yes, it's true, my wife and I got up during the "Czech Nightingale" awards ceremony, began to whistle, and then left to protest against the award won by the band Ortel.  full story

Romani women gather in Czech capital to discuss how their position has changed during the last 50 years

28.11.2016 6:59 More than 60 Romani women from all over the Czech Republic will gather today in the Hotel Amarilis in Prague for a conference of the JILEHA 2016 project, which is run by the Manushe Romani women's group. "These women are aiding other women to come out from the shadows, to overcome the obstacles in their lives and to improve the way they view themselves. Women's solidarity is the motor of the entire project, which supports the initiative of these extraordinary ordinary women and makes it possible for them to contribute to changing the lives of those around them," said project coordinator Martina Horváthová.  full story

Romani celebrity walks out in protest after neo-Nazi singer and his band win second place in Czech music awards

28.11.2016 6:16 The results of the "Czech Nightingale" (Český slavík) audience appreciation poll were announced Saturday night in a live broadcast from the Karlín Musical Theater in Prague. Tomáš Ortel of the xenophobic band Ortel won two "silver nightingales", the second-place award in two categories..  full story

Tabloid interview with son of former Czech President about inclusive education features untruths

26.11.2016 10:10 The Czech tabloid Blesk has published an interview with Václav Klaus, Jr., the son of the former Czech President who was once the principal of a private high school in Prague, featuring the headline "Inclusion is a crime against disabled children". Tomáš Hečko, who is the parent of a child with Down Sydrome and a media professional, has reviewed the piece.  full story

Czech xenophobic band Ortel nominated by public again for music award

26.11.2016 9:12 The award associated with the Czech Republic's popular music poll, the "Czech Nightingale" (Český slavík), sponsored by Czech mineral water company Mattoni, will announce its results on live television today, Saturday, 26 November, in Prague. The surprise entry in this year's poll was the nomination of singer Joakim Brodén of the Swedish power metal band Sabaton.  full story

Leading Romani activist Ágnes Daróczi to appear in Prague Monday

26.11.2016 7:54 As part of a festival called "RomAcademy: Days of Living Romanes", which is dedicated to making the Romanes language visible in the public space, the eminent Hungarian Romani activist Ágnes Daróczi will appear in Prague. This important promoter of the European Romani movement will participate in a panel debate on "Romanes as a creative language", which will take place on 28 November at 15:30 in the small hall of the Minor Theater in Prague.  full story

Former Czech Human Rights Minister: PM is abandoning the fight against poverty

25.11.2016 19:05 Czech Television has focused very carefully and in detail on the past eight years of efforts to achieve social inclusion in the Czech Republic in a recent installment of its 90' program. Together with the current director of the Czech Government Agency for Social Inclusion, Radek Jiránek, I was briefly involved in the program's very cultivated, expert debate of this issue, but as I was traveling back home, I was overcome by the concern that the time for this kind of effective, substantive policy for the fight against poverty, which actually will save our money and that of future generations, has already passed.  full story

Czech NGO offers course on including Romani children in education

25.11.2016 17:36 From 6-7 December the final opportunity will happen this year to attend a course for educators and other educational staff members who want to better understand Romani children. The accredited course, offered by the R-Mosty NGO, is free of charge thanks to support from the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.  full story

Czech politician alleges he has resolved the issue of "inadaptable Gypsies", Faktus says the facts show otherwise

24.11.2016 9:22 He's a mayor, a Senator, and now he has been elected Regional Governor. Jiří Čunek really knows politics.  full story

Incoming Czech Human Rights Minister meets with Czech President, says human rights belong to everybody

23.11.2016 19:25 Incoming Czech Minister for Human Rights and Legislation Jan Chvojka (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) met with Czech President Miloš Zeman at Prague Castle yesterday. The two officials debated human rights and an amendment to the law on conflict of interest that includes sections being referred to as the "Lex Babiš" after the current Czech Finance Minister.  full story