This letter comes to us from the Roma Virtual Network.
To: José Manuel Barroso
President of the European Commission
To: Viviane Reding
European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship
To: Cecilia Malmström
European Commissioner for Home Affairs
To: Kristalina Georgieva
European Commissioner for International Cooperation,
Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response
28 September, 2011
STATEMENT
Civil Society in Action
Regarding the Crisis Situation in the Republic of Bulgaria
Dear President Barroso,
Dear Members of the European Commission,
On the 23rd of September 2011 a 19-year-old boy of Bulgarian ethnicity was murdered in a car accident by a man of Roma origin in the village of Katunitsa, Bulgaria. The accident provoked massive protests of ethnic Bulgarians, culminating Saturday night into burning houses by football hooligans in the presence of Bulgarian Gendarmerie forces who did not intervene. The Secretary General of the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior, Kalin Georgiev, explained to the media that they have decided do not intervene because protection of human life is more important than the protection of property. However, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov made a public statement on September 25, admitting that Police forces lost control over the situation in the village of Katunitsa.
The criminal accident was used in the ongoing Presidential and Local Election campaign by the candidates of VMRO and ATAKA political parties for provoking racially motivated violence against the Roma minority across Bulgaria. On 24, 25, 26 and 27 September protest rallies were organized by VMRO and ATAKA parties, together with football fan clubs, Neo-Nazi groups and rockers gangs in the cities of Plovdiv, Varna, Bourgas, Sofia, Ruse, Pazardjik, Stara Zagora, Montana which resulted in attempts for violent attacks in the Roma neighbourhoods. The Roma inhabitants responded by arming themselves to organize resistance groups for protection of their families and homes.
Due to the inadequate reaction of the Bulgarian government, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov summoned an emergency meeting of the Consultative National Security Council over escalating ethnic tension, scheduled for the 1st of October.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian Prosecutor General, Boris Velchev, issued a controversial instruction to all his subordinate prosecutors, ordering them to treat cases of ethnic hate with the necessary care. This instruction proves that hate crimes against ethnic minorities have not been properly investigated by Bulgarian prosecutors up to present, despite existence of special provisions targeting this type of crimes in the Bulgarian Penal Code.
Today, our Prime Minister Mr Borissov said: “Whoever wants to ruin, let’s ruin, I build roads of 40 kilometers every day”. His deputy Prime Minister declared that he will not stop his leave (as minister of interior) in which he is now so that he runs the political campaign of ruling party GERB nevertheless of the escalation of tension in the country.
There is no statistics on the exact number of Roma men, women and children who have been attacked during the last days in Bulgaria, amongst the injured there is even a pregnant woman who was attacked in the city of Burgas. Many of the victims are afraid to inform the local police and media. In addition, more than 100 ethnic Bulgarians were arrested by the police in a number of Bulgarian cities during the riots.
Taking into consideration the inability of the Bulgarian government to tackle the growing ethnic tension in the country, the unprecedented cases of open hate speech in the mainstream media, the complicated political situation due to the forthcoming elections on the 23rd of October,
- We demand that European Parliament call an urgent hearing of the Bulgarian Prime Minister about the plan of the government for overcoming the existing interethnic crisis in the Republic of Bulgaria,
- We demand that the EU Court of Auditors start an audit of all PHARE and Structural funds distributed by the Bulgarian governments for Roma integration in Bulgaria in the period from 2001 to 2011. If during the audit the Auditors find fraud cases they could initiate an OLAF audit.
- We demand that European Commission stop allocation of funds to the Government of Bulgaria in relation to the Roma inclusion until the implementation of the following conditions:
Results from the EU Court of Auditors/OLAFs audit with clear recommendation to the Government;
Adoption of a Strategy with specific responsibilities for the Government and clear indicators, terms, goals and spending parameters;
Establishment of a special EU Monitoring and Evaluation Fund for direct funding of watchdog organizations in the Member States (not through the Governments) aiming at setting up an independent monitoring mechanism for the implementation of the Governmental strategies for Roma inclusion.
Fast measures are needed so the crisis will not get deeper and unavoidable.
Civil Society in Action
Asen Radev – political scientist
Emiliya Dancheva – journalist
Orhan Tahir – lawyer
Petrana Puncheva – expert on the Balkans
Toshka Kocheva – psychologist
For contact:
Orhan Tahir
Mobile: +359 897 977471
orhan_tahir@yahoo.com
Civil Society in Action is the first Roma think tank in Bulgaria including experts in various proffesional fields. The association was established on 24 September 2011 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Link: http://www.romabuzzmonitor.net/2011/09/civil-society-in-action-statement-regarding-the-crisis-situation-in-the-republic-of-bulgaria/
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Anti-Roma rhetoric underpins obstacles to Roma inclusion
This article comes to us from Council of Europe, Commissioner for Human Rights. The website is posted below the article.
Strasbourg, 22 September 2011
Anti-Roma rhetoric underpins obstacles to Roma inclusion
Speech by Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, at the Summit of Mayors on Roma: “Building mutual trust at the grassroots Plenary Panel – Roma inclusion: what obstacles?”
Posters displayed in Milan during this year’s municipal election campaign warned against the risk of the city turning into a “Gypsy town”. Though this was an extreme display of anti-Gypsyism and xenophobia, anti-Roma statements by politicians are in fact commonplace in several countries in Europe. Until this stops, efforts to promote the inclusion of Roma in society will rarely bear fruit. Instead, discrimination and violence will continue to be a part of the daily lives of many Roma.
Anti-Roma rhetoric underpins obstacles to Roma inclusion.
Local politicians have a special responsibility for combating discrimination and building bridges across different parts of society. They should avoid using stigmatising speech against the Roma and should not feed the age-old prejudices against this minority. Sweeping generalisations about Roma and Travellers, in particular concerning their involvement in crime, feed the false stereotypes. In a letter posted on the municipal website in November 2010, the Mayor of Nový Bydžov in the Czech Republic held the Roma collectively responsible for the rape of a girl and announced repressive measures targeting the local Roma community.
Another example comes from Hungary, where comments of the Mayor of Tiszasarion about what he called “Gypsy crime” triggered the setting up of a special ‘gendarmerie’. Such vigilante groups have been operating in other parts of Hungary as well.
The consequences of anti-Roma rhetoric by politicians should not be underestimated. Their words can be understood as encouraging violent action against the Roma, such as mob violence and pogroms. Following the Nový Bydžov Mayor’s public statements on Roma, extremist groups attacked Roma in the town during a demonstration organised in March 2011. The police failed to provide adequate protection to the Roma on the occasion.
My experience is that anti-Roma political discourse perpetuates anti-Gypsyism. By setting the example for prejudice and discrimination in society, politicians effectively prevent Roma and Travellers from enjoying their rights on an equal footing with others. In such a hostile context, all efforts made by the Roma communities themselves to break out of their marginalisation and relate positively to the rest of society are jeopardised.
Instead of anti-Roma rhetoric, Roma men and women should be welcomed and encouraged to participate in politics. All members of society would benefit from this. But several barriers have to be overcome. There is a lack of information among Roma about their civil rights and the whole electoral process. In many cases they do not even possess ID documents and are not registered as citizens in the country where they live. In France, I have also encountered cases where French Travellers have not been able to vote in local elections because of discriminatory obstacles to their registration as residents and voters in a municipality.
Schemes with reserved seats for Roma in political bodies should be developed. The Slovenian practice of ensuring one seat in the local assemblies of municipalities with significant Roma populations has created a channel between the Roma and the authorities. This has also encouraged political participation and networks among Roma more broadly. Parties should be more attentive to their Roma constituents as voters and candidates. More outreach efforts are needed to secure voter registration, also among Romani women.
Public life is not only about elections. Participation is about a possibility to influence on a daily basis. More organised consultation is needed between the local authorities and the Roma population, for instance, on housing and other concrete problems. Advisory bodies could be set up to give such consultations more continuity and promote the legitimacy of the Roma representatives.
Municipalities should also be open to support Roma cultural centres. During my visits to Spain and Slovenia I noticed that such centres can have positive effects both among Roma and in their relationship with other communities. Factual knowledge about Roma culture and history is a key tool for correcting well-rehearsed stereotypes. The Council of Europe fact sheets on Roma history should be widely disseminated.
The local administrations have to make serious efforts to recruit Roma civil servants. It is particularly important that Roma can work as police officers, teaching staff in schools and medical professionals. This is essential for labour integration and as a means of building trust between communities in the critical fields of education, health and security.
Housing is an area where the local authorities play an important role and one which has often failed Roma utterly. Sub-standard and segregated housing continues to be a reality for a large number of Roma in most parts of Europe. In some cases, municipal housing policies have increased Roma segregation – the building of walls is an unfortunate and symbolic illustration of this. Migrant Roma tend to live in especially harsh conditions.
Reports of forced evictions, sometimes carried out with considerable violence, are all too frequent. In Italy, extraordinary ‘emergency’ measures have been applied for some years already to evict Roma from their settlements in Rome and Milan, for example. The European Committee of Social Rights has strongly condemned these practices.
Evictions and sub-standard housing in inaccessible locations have dramatic consequences for Roma families and children. Without a real home they also face difficulties in exercising other rights. Adequate housing is of central importance to the enjoyment of the rights to health, education, and work and it is an essential component of privacy and family life.
Local authorities can take the lead in fulfilling the rights of Roma to live in dignity in adequate housing, including the provision of public utilities. Roma settlements lacking recognised tenure should be regularised or other suitable housing options offered. During my visit to Spain, I was able to study a housing programme in Madrid which had succeeded in relocating 2000 Roma families from shantytowns to decent apartments over the past decade.
Travellers who continue to move need sufficient short and long-term stopping sites of adequate standard. Other housing possibilities enabling them to live in caravans on land they have acquired should be available as well. It is important that housing offered to Travellers is culturally appropriate which means that the possibility to live in caravans must be preserved.
It seems to me that this fact has not been fully taken into account in the evictions of Travellers announced by the Basildon District Council at Dale Farm in the UK after a long legal process. It would be unwise to go ahead with these evictions. More dialogue is needed between the local authorities and Travellers to build trust and find agreed solutions.
Evictions should only be carried out as a last resort and with appropriate procedural safeguards. Those affected must be consulted, reasonable notice given and access to legal remedies guaranteed. Adequate alternative housing and compensation for all losses must be made available to those affected. Evictions must not result in homelessness.
Education is another area where local and regional authorities are active. While in Romania, I learned that 50 per cent of Roma children did not attend schools. Many of those who did dropped out from school early on. In many countries, Roma children are also disproportionately represented in special schools which cater for pupils with disabilities and learning difficulties.
Every child has the right to education. It is the first step for integration into society. The education of Roma children should be inclusive and desegregated. Decisive steps must be taken to increase the attendance of Roma children in mainstream schools. The Strasbourg Court has made clear that there are obligations that must be met in this field. Particular attention needs be paid to promoting the education of Roma girls.
Pre-school education should be encouraged and barriers to school attendance eliminated. A range of positive measures can be made available to provide additional support and assistance to Roma and teachers and to improve mutual communication. Roma school assistants and mediators have been trained and employed in many member states for the purpose with good results. A Joint programme between the Council of Europe and the European Union is ongoing in this field.
We need responsible leadership and systematic work. Anti-Roma speech, including during electoral campaigns, must be strongly condemned in all cases and punished when it breaks laws against incitement to hatred. Generalisations and the stigmatisation of entire groups must be avoided. Reviving age-old stereotypes about Roma is playing with fire.
Instead, Roma inclusion must feature high on the municipal agenda. We cannot afford broken and segregated communities. Several sources of funding have already been made available for the purpose, not the least under EU schemes. But I find it astonishing that in many cases funding earmarked for the purpose previously had not been used: many municipalities had in fact refused funds to improve the situation of Roma. Under current economic situation this is quite extraordinary and demonstrates the long shadow of anti-Gypsyism.
Another reason for the failure of previous attempts has been the lack of involvement of Roma themselves. Yet Roma should always be key actors in the initiatives in favour of them. Local efforts for Roma inclusion must bring all the stakeholders together from the planning stage until the final evaluation. When Roma are already participants in the political process and represented in local assemblies this is easier, but in specific projects their involvement must be active and comprehensive.
Although good practices in this field are still outnumbered by unacceptable situations, we must reverse the trend. We already know the elements to success. When old prejudices are left behind, the determined work for inclusion can begin.
https://wcd.coe.int/wcd/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1835197
Strasbourg, 22 September 2011
Anti-Roma rhetoric underpins obstacles to Roma inclusion
Speech by Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, at the Summit of Mayors on Roma: “Building mutual trust at the grassroots Plenary Panel – Roma inclusion: what obstacles?”
Posters displayed in Milan during this year’s municipal election campaign warned against the risk of the city turning into a “Gypsy town”. Though this was an extreme display of anti-Gypsyism and xenophobia, anti-Roma statements by politicians are in fact commonplace in several countries in Europe. Until this stops, efforts to promote the inclusion of Roma in society will rarely bear fruit. Instead, discrimination and violence will continue to be a part of the daily lives of many Roma.
Anti-Roma rhetoric underpins obstacles to Roma inclusion.
Local politicians have a special responsibility for combating discrimination and building bridges across different parts of society. They should avoid using stigmatising speech against the Roma and should not feed the age-old prejudices against this minority. Sweeping generalisations about Roma and Travellers, in particular concerning their involvement in crime, feed the false stereotypes. In a letter posted on the municipal website in November 2010, the Mayor of Nový Bydžov in the Czech Republic held the Roma collectively responsible for the rape of a girl and announced repressive measures targeting the local Roma community.
Another example comes from Hungary, where comments of the Mayor of Tiszasarion about what he called “Gypsy crime” triggered the setting up of a special ‘gendarmerie’. Such vigilante groups have been operating in other parts of Hungary as well.
The consequences of anti-Roma rhetoric by politicians should not be underestimated. Their words can be understood as encouraging violent action against the Roma, such as mob violence and pogroms. Following the Nový Bydžov Mayor’s public statements on Roma, extremist groups attacked Roma in the town during a demonstration organised in March 2011. The police failed to provide adequate protection to the Roma on the occasion.
My experience is that anti-Roma political discourse perpetuates anti-Gypsyism. By setting the example for prejudice and discrimination in society, politicians effectively prevent Roma and Travellers from enjoying their rights on an equal footing with others. In such a hostile context, all efforts made by the Roma communities themselves to break out of their marginalisation and relate positively to the rest of society are jeopardised.
Instead of anti-Roma rhetoric, Roma men and women should be welcomed and encouraged to participate in politics. All members of society would benefit from this. But several barriers have to be overcome. There is a lack of information among Roma about their civil rights and the whole electoral process. In many cases they do not even possess ID documents and are not registered as citizens in the country where they live. In France, I have also encountered cases where French Travellers have not been able to vote in local elections because of discriminatory obstacles to their registration as residents and voters in a municipality.
Schemes with reserved seats for Roma in political bodies should be developed. The Slovenian practice of ensuring one seat in the local assemblies of municipalities with significant Roma populations has created a channel between the Roma and the authorities. This has also encouraged political participation and networks among Roma more broadly. Parties should be more attentive to their Roma constituents as voters and candidates. More outreach efforts are needed to secure voter registration, also among Romani women.
Public life is not only about elections. Participation is about a possibility to influence on a daily basis. More organised consultation is needed between the local authorities and the Roma population, for instance, on housing and other concrete problems. Advisory bodies could be set up to give such consultations more continuity and promote the legitimacy of the Roma representatives.
Municipalities should also be open to support Roma cultural centres. During my visits to Spain and Slovenia I noticed that such centres can have positive effects both among Roma and in their relationship with other communities. Factual knowledge about Roma culture and history is a key tool for correcting well-rehearsed stereotypes. The Council of Europe fact sheets on Roma history should be widely disseminated.
The local administrations have to make serious efforts to recruit Roma civil servants. It is particularly important that Roma can work as police officers, teaching staff in schools and medical professionals. This is essential for labour integration and as a means of building trust between communities in the critical fields of education, health and security.
Housing is an area where the local authorities play an important role and one which has often failed Roma utterly. Sub-standard and segregated housing continues to be a reality for a large number of Roma in most parts of Europe. In some cases, municipal housing policies have increased Roma segregation – the building of walls is an unfortunate and symbolic illustration of this. Migrant Roma tend to live in especially harsh conditions.
Reports of forced evictions, sometimes carried out with considerable violence, are all too frequent. In Italy, extraordinary ‘emergency’ measures have been applied for some years already to evict Roma from their settlements in Rome and Milan, for example. The European Committee of Social Rights has strongly condemned these practices.
Evictions and sub-standard housing in inaccessible locations have dramatic consequences for Roma families and children. Without a real home they also face difficulties in exercising other rights. Adequate housing is of central importance to the enjoyment of the rights to health, education, and work and it is an essential component of privacy and family life.
Local authorities can take the lead in fulfilling the rights of Roma to live in dignity in adequate housing, including the provision of public utilities. Roma settlements lacking recognised tenure should be regularised or other suitable housing options offered. During my visit to Spain, I was able to study a housing programme in Madrid which had succeeded in relocating 2000 Roma families from shantytowns to decent apartments over the past decade.
Travellers who continue to move need sufficient short and long-term stopping sites of adequate standard. Other housing possibilities enabling them to live in caravans on land they have acquired should be available as well. It is important that housing offered to Travellers is culturally appropriate which means that the possibility to live in caravans must be preserved.
It seems to me that this fact has not been fully taken into account in the evictions of Travellers announced by the Basildon District Council at Dale Farm in the UK after a long legal process. It would be unwise to go ahead with these evictions. More dialogue is needed between the local authorities and Travellers to build trust and find agreed solutions.
Evictions should only be carried out as a last resort and with appropriate procedural safeguards. Those affected must be consulted, reasonable notice given and access to legal remedies guaranteed. Adequate alternative housing and compensation for all losses must be made available to those affected. Evictions must not result in homelessness.
Education is another area where local and regional authorities are active. While in Romania, I learned that 50 per cent of Roma children did not attend schools. Many of those who did dropped out from school early on. In many countries, Roma children are also disproportionately represented in special schools which cater for pupils with disabilities and learning difficulties.
Every child has the right to education. It is the first step for integration into society. The education of Roma children should be inclusive and desegregated. Decisive steps must be taken to increase the attendance of Roma children in mainstream schools. The Strasbourg Court has made clear that there are obligations that must be met in this field. Particular attention needs be paid to promoting the education of Roma girls.
Pre-school education should be encouraged and barriers to school attendance eliminated. A range of positive measures can be made available to provide additional support and assistance to Roma and teachers and to improve mutual communication. Roma school assistants and mediators have been trained and employed in many member states for the purpose with good results. A Joint programme between the Council of Europe and the European Union is ongoing in this field.
We need responsible leadership and systematic work. Anti-Roma speech, including during electoral campaigns, must be strongly condemned in all cases and punished when it breaks laws against incitement to hatred. Generalisations and the stigmatisation of entire groups must be avoided. Reviving age-old stereotypes about Roma is playing with fire.
Instead, Roma inclusion must feature high on the municipal agenda. We cannot afford broken and segregated communities. Several sources of funding have already been made available for the purpose, not the least under EU schemes. But I find it astonishing that in many cases funding earmarked for the purpose previously had not been used: many municipalities had in fact refused funds to improve the situation of Roma. Under current economic situation this is quite extraordinary and demonstrates the long shadow of anti-Gypsyism.
Another reason for the failure of previous attempts has been the lack of involvement of Roma themselves. Yet Roma should always be key actors in the initiatives in favour of them. Local efforts for Roma inclusion must bring all the stakeholders together from the planning stage until the final evaluation. When Roma are already participants in the political process and represented in local assemblies this is easier, but in specific projects their involvement must be active and comprehensive.
Although good practices in this field are still outnumbered by unacceptable situations, we must reverse the trend. We already know the elements to success. When old prejudices are left behind, the determined work for inclusion can begin.
https://wcd.coe.int/wcd/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1835197
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The Roma Youth Conference in Strasbourg
This article comes to us from the Virtual Roma Network. OPES applauds the dedication of these young Romani.
Participants of the Roma Youth Conference in Strasbourg are using the opportunity to share with you the Declaration about the unbearable increase of violence and hatred particularly in Bulgaria, Czech Republic as well as other European countries. Moreover on 28th September 2011 the participants of conference organized a solidarity event in front of the European Parliament and Council of Europe with the Roma in those countries. We strongly believe that you would not remain silent about the current situation and will make Europe an equal place for Roma.
The Declaration
We, the participants of the Roma Youth Conference in Strasbourg, are concerned about the current rise of extremism, racism and anti-gypsyism in many European countries, and particularly about the unbearable increase of violence and hatred in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary and other places across the Europe.
Right now, all over Bulgaria, including major cities, extremist groups led by the far-right political parties VMRO and ATAKA and joined by football hooligans are running pogroms in Roma neighborhoods, creating acclimated fear and insecurity.
Since September more than eight anti-Roma marches were organized in the north of Czech Republic. The increase of violence and clashes between Roma and non-Roma are becoming a daily terror for local people. Slogans such as “gypsies to the gas chambers”remind us of Nazi persecution of Jews and Roma.
In Hungary series of murders happened over the last two years, Roma houses were burned and the mobilization of the paramilitary organizations was tolerated by local authorities.
In other countries, especially in the Western Europe such as in Italy, France and Germany, we are witnessing the violation of Roma migrants’ rights.
We appeal to the Council of Europe, to the member states of the European Union, to the European Parliament, European Commission and the European Council to address urgently the situation particularly in Bulgaria, Hungary and the Czech Republic and we urge all international stakeholders to take a clear stand against the rise of anti-gypsyism and violence across Europe.
We urge your prompt reaction to these events, which are unlawful and threaten the standards we have set ourselves in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of the Council of Europe. Far-right political parties need to be condemned and sidelined; propagation and incitement of hatred, discrimination, violence and ethnic cleansing must be stopped. We urge you to provide protection from violence to all citizens by closely monitoring acts of violence, to promptly investigate and punish any illegal activities, with careful consideration of racial motivation.
We as young Roma and non-Roma stand together for mutual respect for ALL in ONE Society.
Strasbourg, 28th September 2011
ternYpe - International Roma Youth Network
FERYP Forum of European Roma Young People
Pakiv European Network
ERGO Network
Roma Active Albania
Youth Network for Development (Bulgaria)
Amaro Drom (Germany)
Romaversitas (Hungary)
Roma Onlus (Italy)
RROMA (Macedonia)
Harangos (Poland)
Roma Education Centre (Slovakia)
Ternikalo (Spain)
Gipsy Eye (Romania)
Slovo 21 (Czech Republic)
Radomskie Stowarzyszenie Romow Romano Wast (Poland)
Roma Youth Centre (Macedonia)
Rromane Siklovne (Spain)
Jyvaes Roma (Finland)
Romano Suno Roma Student Association (Romania)
Edrom (Turkey)
European Roma Information Office
Radio Patrin (Netherlands)
Roma National Centre (Moldova)
Gypsy Council EU Roma (Great Britan)
Antirropon (Greece)
Serbian Roma Youth Association (Serbia)
Kulturne Enter (Poland)
Seif (Norway)
Amenca – Association culturelle des Roms (France)
And individuals: Violeta Naydenova, Gyorgy Lissauer, Angel Ivanov, Martin Grinvalsky, Bernadett Varga, Beslim Dehran, Renata Berkyova, Sebijan Fejzula, Mimoza Gavrani, Ionut Stan, Elez Bislim, Owen Ward, Chloe Ballif, Emilia Domurat, Konsuela Maciuleviciute
(pictures are available here https://picasaweb.google.com/Hrabanova/2011_09_Strasbourg).
Gabriela Hrabanova,
Policy coordinator, ERGO Network.
Participants of the Roma Youth Conference in Strasbourg are using the opportunity to share with you the Declaration about the unbearable increase of violence and hatred particularly in Bulgaria, Czech Republic as well as other European countries. Moreover on 28th September 2011 the participants of conference organized a solidarity event in front of the European Parliament and Council of Europe with the Roma in those countries. We strongly believe that you would not remain silent about the current situation and will make Europe an equal place for Roma.
The Declaration
We, the participants of the Roma Youth Conference in Strasbourg, are concerned about the current rise of extremism, racism and anti-gypsyism in many European countries, and particularly about the unbearable increase of violence and hatred in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary and other places across the Europe.
Right now, all over Bulgaria, including major cities, extremist groups led by the far-right political parties VMRO and ATAKA and joined by football hooligans are running pogroms in Roma neighborhoods, creating acclimated fear and insecurity.
Since September more than eight anti-Roma marches were organized in the north of Czech Republic. The increase of violence and clashes between Roma and non-Roma are becoming a daily terror for local people. Slogans such as “gypsies to the gas chambers”remind us of Nazi persecution of Jews and Roma.
In Hungary series of murders happened over the last two years, Roma houses were burned and the mobilization of the paramilitary organizations was tolerated by local authorities.
In other countries, especially in the Western Europe such as in Italy, France and Germany, we are witnessing the violation of Roma migrants’ rights.
We appeal to the Council of Europe, to the member states of the European Union, to the European Parliament, European Commission and the European Council to address urgently the situation particularly in Bulgaria, Hungary and the Czech Republic and we urge all international stakeholders to take a clear stand against the rise of anti-gypsyism and violence across Europe.
We urge your prompt reaction to these events, which are unlawful and threaten the standards we have set ourselves in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of the Council of Europe. Far-right political parties need to be condemned and sidelined; propagation and incitement of hatred, discrimination, violence and ethnic cleansing must be stopped. We urge you to provide protection from violence to all citizens by closely monitoring acts of violence, to promptly investigate and punish any illegal activities, with careful consideration of racial motivation.
We as young Roma and non-Roma stand together for mutual respect for ALL in ONE Society.
Strasbourg, 28th September 2011
ternYpe - International Roma Youth Network
FERYP Forum of European Roma Young People
Pakiv European Network
ERGO Network
Roma Active Albania
Youth Network for Development (Bulgaria)
Amaro Drom (Germany)
Romaversitas (Hungary)
Roma Onlus (Italy)
RROMA (Macedonia)
Harangos (Poland)
Roma Education Centre (Slovakia)
Ternikalo (Spain)
Gipsy Eye (Romania)
Slovo 21 (Czech Republic)
Radomskie Stowarzyszenie Romow Romano Wast (Poland)
Roma Youth Centre (Macedonia)
Rromane Siklovne (Spain)
Jyvaes Roma (Finland)
Romano Suno Roma Student Association (Romania)
Edrom (Turkey)
European Roma Information Office
Radio Patrin (Netherlands)
Roma National Centre (Moldova)
Gypsy Council EU Roma (Great Britan)
Antirropon (Greece)
Serbian Roma Youth Association (Serbia)
Kulturne Enter (Poland)
Seif (Norway)
Amenca – Association culturelle des Roms (France)
And individuals: Violeta Naydenova, Gyorgy Lissauer, Angel Ivanov, Martin Grinvalsky, Bernadett Varga, Beslim Dehran, Renata Berkyova, Sebijan Fejzula, Mimoza Gavrani, Ionut Stan, Elez Bislim, Owen Ward, Chloe Ballif, Emilia Domurat, Konsuela Maciuleviciute
(pictures are available here https://picasaweb.google.com/Hrabanova/2011_09_Strasbourg).
Gabriela Hrabanova,
Policy coordinator, ERGO Network.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
From the Roma Virtual Network
This article comes from the Roma Virtual Network. The opinions expressed below may not be that of OPES. OPES subscribes to the Roma Virtual Network. Author Nikola Petrov does not work for OPES.
Roma vs Bulgarians - Who Opened Pandora's Box?
Author: Nikola Petrov27/09/2011 - It would be quite exaggerated to say that all hell has broken loose in Bulgaria, but the country has witnessed almost unprecendented ethnic tensions over the last couple of days.
The alleged murder of a 19-year –old Bulgarian boy in the southern village of Katunitsa by a member of local tyrant Kiril Rashkov's Roma clan triggered an angry reaction on Friday, as villagers told the media they were sick of Rashkov terrorizing the community.
Expectedly, what began as a protest against Rashkov, a self-proclaimed regional "Tsar", who is widely believed to be a mafia boss, soon escalated into Bulgarian-Roma ethnic tensions.
On Monday, thousands of Bulgarians gathered to rally in many of the country's major cities, protested what they perceived as the Roma people's criminal activities gone too far. A disturbing detail emerged on Tuesday – one third of the protesters, including some of the most violent ones – were children – the easiest target group for politicians with murky ambitions and heads of football hooligan "armies".
Meanwhile, Roma ghettos across the country were reported as armed and ready to fight.
The relations between ethnic Bulgarians and the Roma minority in Bulgaria are complicated, to say the least. But it is clear that some brief questions could be immediately asked:
Since not only media reports but Bulgarian officials described the so-called "Tsar Kiro" as a criminal, why is he terrorizing his community instead of staying behind bars?
Why have the millions poured into supposed Roma integration efforts in Bulgaria failed to produce any visible results?
Why did two ethnic groups who have lived together relatively peacefully for centuries decide to resort to violence and whose political agenda is behind that?
It is now up to the government to answer.
Link: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=132465
Roma vs Bulgarians - Who Opened Pandora's Box?
Author: Nikola Petrov27/09/2011 - It would be quite exaggerated to say that all hell has broken loose in Bulgaria, but the country has witnessed almost unprecendented ethnic tensions over the last couple of days.
The alleged murder of a 19-year –old Bulgarian boy in the southern village of Katunitsa by a member of local tyrant Kiril Rashkov's Roma clan triggered an angry reaction on Friday, as villagers told the media they were sick of Rashkov terrorizing the community.
Expectedly, what began as a protest against Rashkov, a self-proclaimed regional "Tsar", who is widely believed to be a mafia boss, soon escalated into Bulgarian-Roma ethnic tensions.
On Monday, thousands of Bulgarians gathered to rally in many of the country's major cities, protested what they perceived as the Roma people's criminal activities gone too far. A disturbing detail emerged on Tuesday – one third of the protesters, including some of the most violent ones – were children – the easiest target group for politicians with murky ambitions and heads of football hooligan "armies".
Meanwhile, Roma ghettos across the country were reported as armed and ready to fight.
The relations between ethnic Bulgarians and the Roma minority in Bulgaria are complicated, to say the least. But it is clear that some brief questions could be immediately asked:
Since not only media reports but Bulgarian officials described the so-called "Tsar Kiro" as a criminal, why is he terrorizing his community instead of staying behind bars?
Why have the millions poured into supposed Roma integration efforts in Bulgaria failed to produce any visible results?
Why did two ethnic groups who have lived together relatively peacefully for centuries decide to resort to violence and whose political agenda is behind that?
It is now up to the government to answer.
Link: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=132465
Monday, September 26, 2011
Roma situation in the Czech Republic
This article was sent to OPES from the European Roma Information Office.
Right-wing demonstrations against Roma in the Czech Republic
By Markus Salzmann
16 September 2011
Agitation by right-wing forces in the Czech Republic against the country’s Roma minority reached a high point last weekend. Violent clashes between neo-Nazis and police took place at a number of demonstrations organized by the neo-fascist “Workers Party for Social Justice” (DSSS). The protests took place in Rumburk and Varnsdorf in north Bohemia, a region plagued by unemployment and poverty.
After the rally in Varnsdorf, DSSS supporters fought street battles with police, who prevented them from beginning a planned march to a Roma settlement. Six people were injured, and police arrested a total of 41 people. About 600 police officers and three helicopters were deployed in the biggest police operation in the Czech Republic since the International Monetary Fund meeting in Prague in 2000.
Prior to the demonstrations, police had seized a number of weapons while searching cars in several villages, and on the German-Czech border. One right-wing extremist was arrested for carrying a gas pistol.
The recent riots had been sparked by an incident in Rumburk three weeks ago, when Czech youth were beaten by Roma after visiting a disco. In early August Roma were also involved in violent scuffles with visitors to a gambling hall.
The region is marked by unemployment, poverty and poor education. The district of Decin, in which Rumburk is located, has the third highest level of unemployment (13.7 percent) in the Czech Republic. Unemployment and poverty among Roma is particularly pronounced, standing at over 50 percent. Recent cuts in social assistance by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Petr Necas have exacerbated the situation.
The DSSS, which called the demonstrations, is the successor organization to the Workers Party, which was notorious for its rallies against Roma settlements and attacks on minorities. The party was banned in 2010. At a recent demonstration, a DSSS representative advocated violence against Roma, saying: “The politicians at City Hall are idle so we have to take the law into our own hands.”
Groups such as the DSSS can conduct their activities brazenly because of the support they receive from the media and established political circles. After the incident two weeks ago, the Czech media mounted an hostile campaign against the Roma, accusing them of racist violence. In such reports little or no mention is made of the systematic social exclusion of Roma, who confront violence and hostility on a regular basis. (Italics mine)
Several mayors of Bohemian towns had actually joined calls for the latest demonstrations.
In May the mayors of Rumburk and Jiřetín pod Jedlovou, sent an open letter to the right-wing prime minister Petr Necas. In their letter they complained about the increasing influx of Roma from other parts of the country and Slovakia. Municipal agencies like social services and schools were overburdened and crime was increasing, they complained.
Following a rally in Rumburk two weeks ago attended by local politicians, about a thousand residents surrounded houses occupied by Roma in order to provoke them.
Together with the country’s conservative parties, the Czech Social Democratic Party has long pursued a policy aimed at the social exclusion of the Roma.
Many Czech communities benefit from EU funding officially aimed at improving the situation for Roma. The weekly Tyden reported recently, however, that these funds are being used for other purposes. According to the magazine, it is being used to improve urban centers and neighborhoods inhabited by high earners.
Most of the 250,000 Roma in the Czech Republic live in slums or are driven into selected, highly impoverished areas.
Real estate companies offer the Roma severance payments or relief on debts if they leave lucrative downtown locations and move to small communities. In these communities the Roma are expected to move into empty houses, where landlords demand exorbitant rents. Czech municipalities encourage this operation in order to receive official EU funding.
Šimáek Martin, director of the State Agency for Social Integration, called this behavior “exploitation.” The behavior of the real estate managers was leading to social unrest and caused frictions, Šimáek said in Czech radio.
The relationship between growing right-wing violence and the politics of the Necas government is obvious. Necas’ Civic Democratic Party (ODS) is trying to suppress any opposition to the austerity program which the government is currently enacting in response to the economic crisis. In this process it is relying on far-right forces.
The ODS has appointed Ladislav Batrora, an avowed anti-Semite and nationalist, to the post of personnel director of the Ministry of Education. Batora is in close contact with President Vaclav Klaus, who broadly shares his reactionary views.
World Socialist Web Site
wsws.org
Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)
Right-wing demonstrations against Roma in the Czech Republic
By Markus Salzmann
16 September 2011
Agitation by right-wing forces in the Czech Republic against the country’s Roma minority reached a high point last weekend. Violent clashes between neo-Nazis and police took place at a number of demonstrations organized by the neo-fascist “Workers Party for Social Justice” (DSSS). The protests took place in Rumburk and Varnsdorf in north Bohemia, a region plagued by unemployment and poverty.
After the rally in Varnsdorf, DSSS supporters fought street battles with police, who prevented them from beginning a planned march to a Roma settlement. Six people were injured, and police arrested a total of 41 people. About 600 police officers and three helicopters were deployed in the biggest police operation in the Czech Republic since the International Monetary Fund meeting in Prague in 2000.
Prior to the demonstrations, police had seized a number of weapons while searching cars in several villages, and on the German-Czech border. One right-wing extremist was arrested for carrying a gas pistol.
The recent riots had been sparked by an incident in Rumburk three weeks ago, when Czech youth were beaten by Roma after visiting a disco. In early August Roma were also involved in violent scuffles with visitors to a gambling hall.
The region is marked by unemployment, poverty and poor education. The district of Decin, in which Rumburk is located, has the third highest level of unemployment (13.7 percent) in the Czech Republic. Unemployment and poverty among Roma is particularly pronounced, standing at over 50 percent. Recent cuts in social assistance by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Petr Necas have exacerbated the situation.
The DSSS, which called the demonstrations, is the successor organization to the Workers Party, which was notorious for its rallies against Roma settlements and attacks on minorities. The party was banned in 2010. At a recent demonstration, a DSSS representative advocated violence against Roma, saying: “The politicians at City Hall are idle so we have to take the law into our own hands.”
Groups such as the DSSS can conduct their activities brazenly because of the support they receive from the media and established political circles. After the incident two weeks ago, the Czech media mounted an hostile campaign against the Roma, accusing them of racist violence. In such reports little or no mention is made of the systematic social exclusion of Roma, who confront violence and hostility on a regular basis. (Italics mine)
Several mayors of Bohemian towns had actually joined calls for the latest demonstrations.
In May the mayors of Rumburk and Jiřetín pod Jedlovou, sent an open letter to the right-wing prime minister Petr Necas. In their letter they complained about the increasing influx of Roma from other parts of the country and Slovakia. Municipal agencies like social services and schools were overburdened and crime was increasing, they complained.
Following a rally in Rumburk two weeks ago attended by local politicians, about a thousand residents surrounded houses occupied by Roma in order to provoke them.
Together with the country’s conservative parties, the Czech Social Democratic Party has long pursued a policy aimed at the social exclusion of the Roma.
Many Czech communities benefit from EU funding officially aimed at improving the situation for Roma. The weekly Tyden reported recently, however, that these funds are being used for other purposes. According to the magazine, it is being used to improve urban centers and neighborhoods inhabited by high earners.
Most of the 250,000 Roma in the Czech Republic live in slums or are driven into selected, highly impoverished areas.
Real estate companies offer the Roma severance payments or relief on debts if they leave lucrative downtown locations and move to small communities. In these communities the Roma are expected to move into empty houses, where landlords demand exorbitant rents. Czech municipalities encourage this operation in order to receive official EU funding.
Šimáek Martin, director of the State Agency for Social Integration, called this behavior “exploitation.” The behavior of the real estate managers was leading to social unrest and caused frictions, Šimáek said in Czech radio.
The relationship between growing right-wing violence and the politics of the Necas government is obvious. Necas’ Civic Democratic Party (ODS) is trying to suppress any opposition to the austerity program which the government is currently enacting in response to the economic crisis. In this process it is relying on far-right forces.
The ODS has appointed Ladislav Batrora, an avowed anti-Semite and nationalist, to the post of personnel director of the Ministry of Education. Batora is in close contact with President Vaclav Klaus, who broadly shares his reactionary views.
World Socialist Web Site
wsws.org
Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Wagon Display in Cedar Rapids
Today the Display Wagon was at the Multicultural Festival at Ushers Ferry here in Cedar Rapids and was well received by the small crowd. I did hear one negative comment from a man from Hungary, but he was quick to apologize, though he followed the apology with a racial joke. His wife beat me to the punch when she smacked his shoulder. Par for the course, he claimed to have no idea what he had done to deserve such treatment.
We gained another five signatures in the guest book and several new emails to the list, meaning we have educated more people who are interested in continuing our work, helping promote the organization and the Wagon.
Our next display date is October 8th at the International Russian Guitar Festival at Cedar Valley Bible Church in Cedar Rapids. Educational Director Ciuin Ferrin will be giving a brief lecture on the history of the Romani and an overview of the current conditions in Europe. After, there will be a concert with Dr. Oleg Timofeyev, Vadim Kolpakov, and others.
We hope you can join us.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Some good news for once.
From Amnesty International:
Urgent action: In Romania eviction of Roma Halted
No further action is required from the UA network. Thank you very much to all who took part in this action.
Following protests by human rights organizations and foreign embassies the planned forced eviction of Roma from Baia Mare, Romania on 5 September appears to have been put on hold.On 23 August the Mayor of Baia Mare, in north-western Romania announced a plan to evict “hundreds” of Roma and other socially disadvantaged people from four areas of the city who did not have identity documents registered in Baia Mare and expel them back to their places of origin. Local media had reported that the eviction would start on 5 September. The statement sparked a reaction by Amnesty International and Bucharest-based NGO Romani CRISS and Zalau-based Şanse Egale, and has led to the mobilization of thousands of Amnesty International activists from across the world calling on the local authorities and the Romanian government to stop the forced eviction. There was also a strong reaction by the USA Embassy in Bucharest who released a statement on 31 August which said: "We echo the sentiments expressed by Amnesty International and others who declared that these evictions and demolitions should not be carried out. Ambassador Gitenstein hopes Mayor Chereches will work to find ways of improving the housing conditions for all in Baia Mare while respecting the rights of everyone." The Ambassador of the USA to Bucharest is reportedly visiting Baia Mare on 19 September to meet with the local authorities and visit the Roma communities in question.
On 13 September, the daily newspaper Adevărul de seară reported that a working committee from the Ministry of Public Administration and Interior and the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection visited Baia Mare in order to discuss solutions towards resolving the situation of Romani communities and to offer their assistance to the city and Maramureş County authorities. According to the news report, the delegation visited the Romani communities in question in order to collect information to address concerns voiced by EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner, Viviane Reding, and Amnesty International. According to the report the Mayor presented a pilot project for the integration of Roma in Baia Mare and was reported as stating: “Three options for construction were identified (modular, brick or concrete). Approximately 400 homes will be built on three hectares of land. These will be equipped with all necessary utilities (power, water, gas) and the City Hall will provide transport for the Roma children to the kindergartens and schools in Baia Mare.”
In a response letter to Amnesty International activists, on 6 September, the mayor of Baia Mare said that while addressing the issue of informal settlements local authorities will respect national law and international human rights standards. However, the city’s authorities have yet to make a clear and explicit public commitment that no evictions will take place unless and until all the necessary safeguards are in place. However, to Amnesty International’s knowledge, two weeks after the scheduled date for the eviction no individuals or families have been evicted or homes demolished.
While welcoming the delay of the scheduled forced eviction, Amnesty International understands that local authorities still intend to remove the existing settlements from various areas of Baia Mare. Amnesty International will continue to monitor the situation in order to ensure that any eviction is carried out as a last resort and with due respect to international human rights standards.
Urgent action: In Romania eviction of Roma Halted
No further action is required from the UA network. Thank you very much to all who took part in this action.
Following protests by human rights organizations and foreign embassies the planned forced eviction of Roma from Baia Mare, Romania on 5 September appears to have been put on hold.On 23 August the Mayor of Baia Mare, in north-western Romania announced a plan to evict “hundreds” of Roma and other socially disadvantaged people from four areas of the city who did not have identity documents registered in Baia Mare and expel them back to their places of origin. Local media had reported that the eviction would start on 5 September. The statement sparked a reaction by Amnesty International and Bucharest-based NGO Romani CRISS and Zalau-based Şanse Egale, and has led to the mobilization of thousands of Amnesty International activists from across the world calling on the local authorities and the Romanian government to stop the forced eviction. There was also a strong reaction by the USA Embassy in Bucharest who released a statement on 31 August which said: "We echo the sentiments expressed by Amnesty International and others who declared that these evictions and demolitions should not be carried out. Ambassador Gitenstein hopes Mayor Chereches will work to find ways of improving the housing conditions for all in Baia Mare while respecting the rights of everyone." The Ambassador of the USA to Bucharest is reportedly visiting Baia Mare on 19 September to meet with the local authorities and visit the Roma communities in question.
On 13 September, the daily newspaper Adevărul de seară reported that a working committee from the Ministry of Public Administration and Interior and the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection visited Baia Mare in order to discuss solutions towards resolving the situation of Romani communities and to offer their assistance to the city and Maramureş County authorities. According to the news report, the delegation visited the Romani communities in question in order to collect information to address concerns voiced by EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner, Viviane Reding, and Amnesty International. According to the report the Mayor presented a pilot project for the integration of Roma in Baia Mare and was reported as stating: “Three options for construction were identified (modular, brick or concrete). Approximately 400 homes will be built on three hectares of land. These will be equipped with all necessary utilities (power, water, gas) and the City Hall will provide transport for the Roma children to the kindergartens and schools in Baia Mare.”
In a response letter to Amnesty International activists, on 6 September, the mayor of Baia Mare said that while addressing the issue of informal settlements local authorities will respect national law and international human rights standards. However, the city’s authorities have yet to make a clear and explicit public commitment that no evictions will take place unless and until all the necessary safeguards are in place. However, to Amnesty International’s knowledge, two weeks after the scheduled date for the eviction no individuals or families have been evicted or homes demolished.
While welcoming the delay of the scheduled forced eviction, Amnesty International understands that local authorities still intend to remove the existing settlements from various areas of Baia Mare. Amnesty International will continue to monitor the situation in order to ensure that any eviction is carried out as a last resort and with due respect to international human rights standards.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Human Rights for the Romani
I spent some time with a Native American friend of mine this summer and learned a great deal about her heritage and theories on life and time. She taught me something that resounded with me, that many Native Americans feel that events in time will always repeat, that life is much like the spiral of a sea shell. As she explained this idea, I began to think about events in history within the past 100 years I'm beginning to think that they have it right.
Take recent news. Over the summer, two ministers who were conducting services were beaten by neo-Nazis who were marching through streets where they knew outdoor worship services occurred. No arrests were made. Families have been burned out of their homes, only to be gunned down in the street when they tried to escape. No charges were filed. Children are being threatened when they've tried to go to school. No police investigation.
Italy stopped its program of fingerprinting and photographing, mostly because the EU decided it should just maybe DO something. France is still deporting, but no one notices now because President Sarkozy has stopped bragging about his policy. Germany is also working on deportations. England is evicting Dale Farm, with one local politician claiming that the Human Rights Act should be repealed so that terrorists and Gypsies couldn't use it to protect themselves.
Does it sound like the 1930s to you? It does to me and, frankly, it frightens me. It should frighten everyone. It should outrage everyone. But, more troubling, it doesn't. Why not?
"If bad things are happening to the Gypsies, then they must have done something to deserve it," is what I've heard most often. They usually have no idea what "they" could have done that "they" should be deprived of their basic human rights, but it must have been something.
Shows like My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding don't help. Perhaps if the producer, who claims to have done her homework (yet doesn't think that Professor Ian Hancock is a "real Gypsy") would title the show appropriately to "My Big Fat Traveller Wedding as Staged by an Outsider", maybe people would understand that what they are viewing is, for the most part, fiction and the rest is staged.
MBFGW is not the first. Criminal Minds, Roadkill, and now, NCIS:LA have really confused the public as to the real identity of a Romani. At least NCIS:LA is using the word Romani as opposed to Gypsy, but that, in my opinion, only adds to the problem. I am Romani. I do not have a red wagon wheel tattoo on my wrist to identify me. I think the SS did that, though.
I ask you to consider what you are watching and then consider what you are not being shown. Challenge what you see and do more research. Ask and challenge. Consider the idea that people feel that it is right and justified to deny a group of people their basic human rights. If you don't like what you discover. Act.
"All that is required for evil to prevail is that good men do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
Take recent news. Over the summer, two ministers who were conducting services were beaten by neo-Nazis who were marching through streets where they knew outdoor worship services occurred. No arrests were made. Families have been burned out of their homes, only to be gunned down in the street when they tried to escape. No charges were filed. Children are being threatened when they've tried to go to school. No police investigation.
Italy stopped its program of fingerprinting and photographing, mostly because the EU decided it should just maybe DO something. France is still deporting, but no one notices now because President Sarkozy has stopped bragging about his policy. Germany is also working on deportations. England is evicting Dale Farm, with one local politician claiming that the Human Rights Act should be repealed so that terrorists and Gypsies couldn't use it to protect themselves.
Does it sound like the 1930s to you? It does to me and, frankly, it frightens me. It should frighten everyone. It should outrage everyone. But, more troubling, it doesn't. Why not?
"If bad things are happening to the Gypsies, then they must have done something to deserve it," is what I've heard most often. They usually have no idea what "they" could have done that "they" should be deprived of their basic human rights, but it must have been something.
Shows like My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding don't help. Perhaps if the producer, who claims to have done her homework (yet doesn't think that Professor Ian Hancock is a "real Gypsy") would title the show appropriately to "My Big Fat Traveller Wedding as Staged by an Outsider", maybe people would understand that what they are viewing is, for the most part, fiction and the rest is staged.
MBFGW is not the first. Criminal Minds, Roadkill, and now, NCIS:LA have really confused the public as to the real identity of a Romani. At least NCIS:LA is using the word Romani as opposed to Gypsy, but that, in my opinion, only adds to the problem. I am Romani. I do not have a red wagon wheel tattoo on my wrist to identify me. I think the SS did that, though.
I ask you to consider what you are watching and then consider what you are not being shown. Challenge what you see and do more research. Ask and challenge. Consider the idea that people feel that it is right and justified to deny a group of people their basic human rights. If you don't like what you discover. Act.
"All that is required for evil to prevail is that good men do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
Monday, September 12, 2011
September 11, 2011
Over the past week I've been asked my thoughts about September 11.
Like everyone else in the nation, I can remember where I was when I learned of the attack, I can remember how I felt when I watched the second plane strike the tower, and the gauntlet of emotions I ran through upon learning of the attack on the Pentagon and of Flight 93's heroic rebellion against the hijackers.
To me, this date stands as a fresh reminder that we can never know what is going to happen. We can never take our freedoms, our way of life, and our rights for granted. We need to remember not only the dead, but the living as well.
We lived history. That event could be likened to the attack on Pearl Harbor or the death of President Kennedy. It is a moment in history that was over before most of us realized it what had happened. Like other generations before us in the event of a tragedy, we demanded to know who could have done such a heinous act, why was this happening to us, but more importantly, what would be done about it.
We were ready for war. Many of us demanded it. We, as a nation, cheered our boys on when they signed up and we, as a nation, still mourn them when they come home in boxes.
Do we have closure with Bin Laden's death? It's hard to say. Some do, some don't. Some feel justice has been served. Others say it is all a hoax so Obama can try for re-election. But I think closure on an event that had such a lasting effect on everyone is still a ways in coming.
One way to deal with disaster is to look for hope. Shortly after the attacks, I read an article calling for everyone to forget about returning to 'normalcy', but to take it one step further. Do that thing you've been putting off. Adopt a pet, join Big Brothers, Big Sisters, sign up to be a foster parent, get in shape, but do something positive.
I'm still in agreement with this. I've pushed myself much harder than I ever have. I've increased my speaking engagements and I've added to my program. I've returned to school. And I pay more attention to the little things in life, the things I took for granted. I spend at least an hour a day outside, rain or shine. I enjoy the sky and the breeze. I take time for my family.
Take the time to make a change. Make a difference in the world.
Use 9/11 to make a life changing statement.
Like everyone else in the nation, I can remember where I was when I learned of the attack, I can remember how I felt when I watched the second plane strike the tower, and the gauntlet of emotions I ran through upon learning of the attack on the Pentagon and of Flight 93's heroic rebellion against the hijackers.
To me, this date stands as a fresh reminder that we can never know what is going to happen. We can never take our freedoms, our way of life, and our rights for granted. We need to remember not only the dead, but the living as well.
We lived history. That event could be likened to the attack on Pearl Harbor or the death of President Kennedy. It is a moment in history that was over before most of us realized it what had happened. Like other generations before us in the event of a tragedy, we demanded to know who could have done such a heinous act, why was this happening to us, but more importantly, what would be done about it.
We were ready for war. Many of us demanded it. We, as a nation, cheered our boys on when they signed up and we, as a nation, still mourn them when they come home in boxes.
Do we have closure with Bin Laden's death? It's hard to say. Some do, some don't. Some feel justice has been served. Others say it is all a hoax so Obama can try for re-election. But I think closure on an event that had such a lasting effect on everyone is still a ways in coming.
One way to deal with disaster is to look for hope. Shortly after the attacks, I read an article calling for everyone to forget about returning to 'normalcy', but to take it one step further. Do that thing you've been putting off. Adopt a pet, join Big Brothers, Big Sisters, sign up to be a foster parent, get in shape, but do something positive.
I'm still in agreement with this. I've pushed myself much harder than I ever have. I've increased my speaking engagements and I've added to my program. I've returned to school. And I pay more attention to the little things in life, the things I took for granted. I spend at least an hour a day outside, rain or shine. I enjoy the sky and the breeze. I take time for my family.
Take the time to make a change. Make a difference in the world.
Use 9/11 to make a life changing statement.
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