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].

Today is 40 days when one 14 years Roma girl was suicide. According to Russian Orthodox Church tradition, 40 days its symbolic. It was in Tolochin, small town in Vitebsk region. According to Tolochin branch office of Party of Communists of Belarus, today, local library membership card is the only one document which certificated her existence in that life. There was no birthday certificate, no medical card, no school attendance certificate; nothing left…Nothing left, except just simple short piece of paper, librarian membership card. According to local leader of Tolochin branch office of Party of Communists of Belarus, officially there is no evidence about Natalia Tumarevich’s existence in Tolochin!!!

   Natalia Tumarevich was typical Roma girl. Nice, bold, funny girl with whole life in front of her. How did she live? What dreams she had? What she liked? We don’t know…

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Declaration on violence against Roma by Vladimir Spidla Member of the European Commission 20. 4. 2009
Following a brutal arson attack on a Roma family - including their small child - in Vitkov, Czech Republic, I wish to express my deep sympathy to the victims and assure them of my solidarity.
Similarly to a recent case in Hungary, I do not intend to comment on the details of this case, as it is clear that the normal judicial process must now take its course. I trust that the Czech authorities will investigate the crime properly and bring the perpetrators to justice.

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Citizens' privacy must become priority in digital age, says EU Commissioner Reding 14. 4. 2009
In a video posted on her website this morning, Viviane Reding, the European Union's Commissioner for Information Society and Media, said that Europeans must have the right to control how their personal information is used, and said that the Commission would take action wherever EU Member States failed to ensure that new technologies such as behavioural advertising, RFID 'smart chips' or online social networking respected this right. "Europeans must have the right to control how their personal information is used," said Viviane Reding, the EU's Commissioner for Information Society and Media, announcing several areas in which the Commission is ready to act to maintain this right as technology trends make it easier to use, and misuse, personal information. She warned that the EU would take action where Member States fail to implement EU rules ensuring privacy and the need for a person's consent before processing his or her personal data.
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Europe's Roma community still facing massive discrimination 9. 4. 2009

8 April 2009

The Roma community suffers massive discrimination throughout Europe. Denied their rights to housing, employment, healthcare and education, Roma are often victims of forced evictions, racist attacks and police ill-treatment.

Living predominantly on the margins of society, Roma are among the most deprived communities in Europe. In some countries, they are prevented from obtaining citizenship and personal documents required for social insurance, health care and other benefits.

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Education minister says ten years needed to improve situation for Roma children in Czech schools 9. 4. 2009

In 2007, the Czech Republic was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg for the way its education system treated the country’s Romany minority. The court found that Roma children were frequently discriminated against and sent to schools for the disabled, when they did not show signs of learning difficulties. On International Roma Day this Wednesday, the Czech Education Ministry released the results of two studies it commissioned to determine how Roma children are faring in the country’s schools now. I spoke to Education Minister Ondřej Liška and asked him whether it wasn’t controversial to split Czech children into Roma and non-Roma for the purposes of these studies:

  “The problem we face nowadays in the Czech Republic is that a large part of our society, very often Romanies, are socially excluded. For us, at the Ministry of Education, it doesn’t matter really whether their exclusion is based purely upon their ethnic origin, or whether it is a combination of social reasons and ethnicity. For us, the most important question is what kind of educational needs these people, these children, have. And thus, the methods we have used to research this have been based upon the individual educational needs of these kids.”

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Panel discussion between Roma organizations, regional coordinators, Roma advisors and members of The Governmental Office for Roma Community Affairs 27. 3. 2009

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Conference on ''Facing the future: key factors in the development of the Roma population'' 26. 3. 2009
24-25 March, Seville - The conference, organised in the context of the Spanish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, will focus on four levels of action concerning Roma issues: European, national, regional and local.
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Council of Europe Conference on Roma Issues  23. 3. 2009
A conference on Roma Issues hosted by the Spanish presidency of the Council of Europe

No additional information is availabe at this time.
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Partnership with Lukashenka! 14. 2. 2009
Very frequently, unfortunately, Belarusian citizens have become spectators of different report on Belarusian TV about Roma. All of them are negatives. In 2006 I referred with official compliance on journalist Victor Chamkovski in regards to his film “Roma camp goes to jail”.
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IPI/SEEMO Condemn Turkish Leader's Latest Outburst Against Media 13. 2. 2009
VIENNA, 5 February 2009 -- The International Press Institute (IPI) and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) 2 February reiterated earlier calls for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to refrain from verbal attacks on the media.


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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS - Roma Rights 1/09: EU Roma Policy 11. 2. 2009

The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) is seeking articles and other submissions (book reviews, interview with key figures and conference reports) from a broad range of disciplines addressing the adoption and implementation of a framework policy on Roma at the EU level. Articles offering critical insight to lessons learned in similar processes in other fields, as well as submissions reflecting the perspective of the grassroots Roma movement, are particularly welcome.

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UN, EU & CZ both accept and express a blasé attitude towards the Roma situation 9. 2. 2009

Here at the Dženo organization we have the feeling that sufficient progress has not been made in improving the situation of the Roma in the aftermath of the Roma summit on 16 November 2008. At a time when international attention is focused on the Czech Republic, we are surprised that this urgent topic has been abandoned. With the advent of the Czech EU Presidency we have the opportunity to show the world that we are not a nation that merely stands on the sidelines and watches while the members of the largest minority in Europe, the Roma, are continually subjected to unbearable racism and denial of their fundamental human rights.

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Letter from JANARDHAN PATHANIA, INDIA  29. 1. 2009

Phrala! Ivan Vesely,

Va !!! Tu san sa an sa chacho !

Te si amen baro dukh kai i "UN"

ni kerdi jstifikasija e Romensa,

te adasar kerdi jek bilachi-buti.

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Letter of the Association of World Citizens 29. 1. 2009

Dear Colleague,

 

    As the Representative to the UN, Geneva, of the Association of World Citizens, I read your text on the non-mention of the Roma on the 27th January memorial where only Jews are mentioned as Nazi victims

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INVITATION TO SCREENING  28. 1. 2009
                   

In the framework of the 40th Hungarian Film Week – Out of Competition

Thursday 29 January at 7 p.m.

BEM ART CINEMA

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