Roma people have historically suffered discrimination in a wide and rather cruel variety of ways. The gypsies, who are nowadays distributed all around Europe as well as in many other continents, have always been observed with suspicion by the other inhabitants of the territories where they settled. This intolerance, mostly caused by the lack of knowledge of the very rich Roma culture, is shown in many historical moments which shame the entire population. The so-called Porajmos during World War II is one of the best known examples, although not as much as it should be. But the persecution is not so recent: several examples can be also found even many centuries ago.

End of July is a term when examinations time is going to over. In the beginning of exams period I’ve been sent a letter of Mr. Rubinov who is the chair in the State educational commission. In my application I’ve asked Mr. Rubinov to pay more attention on Roma student’s examinations process. Unfortunately, I did not receive the answer yet but I have already some signals from Roma community in Gomel about some obstacles.

In Gomel district a lot of Roma, by my recon, more than 80 percent living without official registration. You can’t find official number of not register Roma people from official sources. It doesn’t mean that Belarusian government doesn’t know how many unemployed Roma, how many illiterate Roma or how many Roma living without any kind of official documents. It means that Belarusian government knows what kind of information they are going to provide with international institutions. Belarusian government knows everything, doing everything to hide it.

Recent Lukashenka’s activity on international level in a field of Inter cultural and inter religious relations was very splendid even for Lukashenka. Nobody can’t even imagine when and why Lukashenka started his peacemaker job. But one beautiful day Lukashenka decided that he found out meaning of his life and that meaning lays some where very, very close, something very simple but essential in the same time.  At first Lukashenka had a feelings that he was born to make a peace within Girls and Women or between Mans and Women but later on, after long work, after sleepless nights, he decided to make peace among Russian Orthodox and Catholics. In order to embody this idea Lukashenka went to Moscow where he’s got a letter to Pope and delivered that letter directly to Pope. Probably Russian Orthodox Church was out of Delivery Company and they used Lukashenka’s services with huge gratitude. Nowadays, it’s so difficult to find stable post company. For instance I didn’t succeed, for me to receive a letter from abroad is very complicated or even impossible. But Russian Orthodox Church was lucky that me and the letter appeared in Rome save and sound.

Now in Belarus exams are going. Young people passing exams to receive higher education. All exams process is controlling by the State commission with a Mr. Anatolii Rubinov as a chairperson. Commission which is control exams process, created a long time before in order to maintain exams process in law frames, to provide student with a chance to fulfill their right for education as current constitution says etc…

 
We have been watching with great concern the recent events in the Czech Republic which impact on the Roma's everyday lives.

Increasing activities of neo-Nazi and fascist parties and movements, which comprise intimidation, terrorisation of and assaults on minorities, are unacceptable in countries the legal basis of which is established on democratic principles and the political representation should intervene promptly and adequately against these violations. Unfortunately, we have witnessed that even members of the Czech government themselves openly advocate racist doctrines and do not refrain from publicly describing ways in which they would get rid of Roma (i.e. Liana Janáčková) [1], or for their own populist purposes, make use of problems arising from the coexistence of the majority population and the Roma which stem from the long-term marginalisation of members of the Roma community by local governments in order to build their own political careers across the political spectrum (for instance  Bohumín Mayor and Senator Jiří Vícha (ČSSD), former Vsetín Mayor Jiří Čunek (KDU-ČSL) or Chomutov Mayor Ivana Řápková (ODS) who is now reportedly running for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies) [2].

Hungarian Socialist MEP Magda Kósáné Kovács pictured in the Low tower in Strasbourg, 9 March

A persecution taking place among the indifference and silence of the media.

by EveryOne Group

Milan, October 18th, 2009.  In Milan and many other Italian cities the ethnic cleansing and persecutory policies against the Roma and Sintis continues. In Lombardy’s chief town, a department of the police force devotes its time to the identification and clearance of “squatter” settlements inhabited by Roma citizens and refugees. These measures are carried out without the offer of assistance and alternative lodgings.

Roxy Freeman never went to school. But at the age of 22, she decided to get a formal education, forcing her to face up to the prejudices that blight her Gypsy community – and to shackle her wandering spirit

Two weeks ago Ottawa imposed visa restrictions on Czechs after more than 1,700 Czech Roma, or gypsies, sought refugee status in Canada in the first six months of this year. That was a huge increase on the 650 or so in the whole of 2008, which was already a high figure. So, what led so many Czech Romanies to apply for asylum in Canada?

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28 May 2009