Could we get real action or will paper prevail?

These articles come to us from the Roma Virtual Network.

Roma strategy: MEPs call for real action

MEPs urge Member States to tackle discrimination of Roma people ©MaxPPP

MEPs criticized the European Commission for not going far enough to combat discrimination against Roma people and urged member states to prepare their national Roma strategies by the end of 2011 in a debate on 16 November in Strasbourg.

In view of recent anti-Roma incidents in several EU countries, MEPs voiced concerns that the Commission is not doing enough to address the issue.

Talking about the EU's Roma strategy, Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou promised that it will not remain an empty paper and will complement existing EU legislation on anti-discrimination.

Speaking on behalf of the Council, Elzbieta Radziszewska, Poland's Secretary of State for Equality, called it a shame that many of Europe's 10 million Roma people live in extreme poverty and isolation. "The Council will provide political support for member states to prepare their national strategies," she said.

"Adopting a Roma strategy is just the beginning," said Hungarian Christian Democrat Lívia Járóka, who drafted an EP report the subject earlier this year. "Complex programmes will be needed to achieve results."

Romanian Liberal Renate Weber urged the Commission to enforce fundamental rights and considers the expulsion of Roma from several member states as unacceptable, while Italian EFD member Mara Bizzotto was critical of the Roma strategy, calling it hypocritical. She wondered why the EU spends money on inclusion if the Roma population has no intention of integrating into the societies in which they live.

Italian EPP member Roberta Angelilli focused on the situation of Roma minors and cited a survey which said only 40% of Roma children attend primary school and 10% receive secondary education. The EU average for primary school attendance is 97%.

Austrian Socialist Hannes Swoboda complained that there is a lack of exact information on national strategies and on how EU funds are used to improve the lives of the Roma community.

The Commission adopted an EU Roma strategy in April 2011, which focuses on improving access to housing, education, jobs and healthcare.

EU countries have until the end of 2011 to submit strategies setting out how they want to achieve these goals.

Ms Vassiliou said that after the Commission has evaluated the national strategies, it will report to the EP on its findings early 2012.

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Another article from the European Voice

Time to get robust on racism

By Bernard Rorke - 18.11.2011 / 12:00 CET

Strategies to bring the Roma in from the margins of society cannot succeed without resolute action to combat such racism and discrimination.

The December deadline for member states to deliver their national Roma integration strategies is looming. The stakes are high, and time is short for governments to deliver on the Commission's request for targeted national strategies in health, housing, education, and employment to address the exclusion and discrimination faced by the Roma – Europe's youngest, largest and most disadvantaged ethnic minority with a population similar to that of Greece.

When the European Council endorsed the EU Framework for Roma this June, Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, called it “a huge step forward for millions of Roma around Europe” and a strong signal from the EU that “the exclusion of the Roma is not compatible with our societal values and our economic model”.

As the European economic model takes an unprecedented battering, the consensus around ‘societal values' is looking badly bruised in a climate of rising intolerance, increasing intimidation and sometimes deadly violence against Roma in countries such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Anti-Gypsyism has become a vote-catcher for far-right parties, and anti-Roma prejudice remains largely unchecked by the political mainstream across many member states of the EU.

 

Prejudice unchecked will derail progress

Social exclusion is not just ethically repugnant; it is also economic folly. The Commission found that a lack of capacity to absorb EU funds for Roma integration is compounded by weak inclusion strategies and bottlenecks at the national, regional, and local levels. The Commission has pledged to “surmount capacity issues” and work with member states “to address new needs, simplify delivery, and speed up the implementation of priorities”. This would mark a welcome departure for countries with dismal absorption capacity, such as Bulgaria and Romania where the percentage of new entrants to the labour market of Roma origin is estimated at 23% and 21% respectively.

The vast majority of working-age Roma lack sufficient education to participate successfully in the labour market. According to the World Bank, the result is that European countries lose billions of euros in productivity and in fiscal contributions to the governments. In terms of inclusive, growth bridging the education gap is ‘the economically smart choice to make'.

Smart choices seem thin on the ground this week, a week that marks the fourth anniversary of a European Court of Human Rights ruling against the Czech Republic that declared that segregating Roma children into ‘special schools' is unlawful and discriminatory. Four years on, there has been little change, segregation persists, and tens of thousands of Roma children in EU member states continue to be shunted into segregated schools in defiance of the court's ruling.

Social inclusion strategies cannot succeed without resolute action to combat such racism and discrimination. Put simply, prejudice unchecked will derail progress. The European Parliament has called on the European Commission to link social inclusion priorities to a clear set of objectives that included protection of citizens against discrimination in all fields of life; promotion of social dialogue between Roma and non-Roma to combat racism and xenophobia; and for the Commission, as guardian of the treaties, to ensure full implementation of legislation and appropriate sanctions against racially motivated crimes. The linkage somehow got lost along the way between first and final drafts, but was reaffirmed in the Council conclusions in June, which invited the Commission to pursue rigorous monitoring to combat discrimination based on ethnic origin.

The Commission is entirely correct in its insistence that the primary responsibility for safeguarding the rights, well-being, and security of citizens lies with national governments. However, if the EU Framework for Roma is to live up to its billing as ‘10 years to make a difference', then the Commission must do everything within its remit and competences to take up the Council's invitation to get robust on racism. It should signal to member states that nothing less than zero tolerance will suffice when it comes to anti-Gypsyism and all forms of discrimination against Roma.
Bernard Rorke is the director of research and international advocacy at Open Society Roma Initiatives.

Where are we in the Decade?

The Decade of Roma Inclusion was launched in 2005, founded by a plethora or organizations interested in improving the situation of the Romanies in a dozen countries in Europe. Co-sponsors of the Decade are the World Bank, the Open Society Institute, the United Nations Development Program, the Council of Europe, the Council of Europe Development Bank, the Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the European Roma Information Office, the European Roma and Travellers Forum, the European Roma Rights Centre and the Roma Education Fund. In 2008, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–HABITAT), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) also became partners in the Decade. The countries who pledged themelseves in the Decade are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Spain.

It is now 2011. We are beyond the halfway point on the calendar, but I am not so sure we have reached the half-way point to any sort of Roma inclusion. I've seen many committees, summits, conferences, and meetings, all closing with a statement of re-commitment or a list of new goals, or even a declaration against anti-Romani policies. I've seen an equal number of human rights violations by the very countries who dedicated themselves to oppose poverty and descrimination.

Albania requested admission into the European Union in April, 2009. According to the EU's own webpage,http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/enlargement_process/accession_process/how_does_a_country_join_the_eu/negotiations_croatia_turkey/index_en.htm

"In order to ensure progress in the negotiations, the candidate countries will also need to make progress on the ground in meeting the requirements for membership, most importantly the Copenhagen criteria:

• the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities"

There are other criteria, but we are only concerned with point one. Has Albania guarenteed the human rights of the Romanies living within her borders? We've heard of forced evictions, homelessness, and poverty. The 2010 report from Human Rights Watch wasn't very encouraging. Can Albania get their act together by 2015?  Doubt it. Will they be voted in to the EU? We will have to wait and see.

Bosnia and Herzegovina have Romani populations that are in constant fear and many are homeless. Anti-Romani sentiment is still quite prevalent. Threats, beatings, and discrimination are constantly on the minds of Romanies.

Bulgaria.  Riots, descrimination, persecution, murder. Need I say more?

Croatia still has problems with violence against Romani, though improvements have been made in the educational system. Back in 2010, there were reports of segregation in the classrooms, but it appears the policy has been/is changing. Human Rights Watch did give Croatia a warning in 2010, so this is also a wait and see situation.

The Czech Republic and Hungary. See Bugaria and add neo-Nazis.

Macedonia and Montenegro still have many social and cultural issues with the Romani that must be dealt with and progress is slow. While Macedonia is currently experiencing national problems, the answer is not to ignore nor allow social groups to blame Romanies for conditions withing communities. When countries are having difficulties, it is more important than ever that they ensure the rights of everyone living within its borders, including minorities.

Romania is dealing with migration and expulsion issues with its Romani population. France began deporting Romanies back to Romania, then went so far as to threaten Romania with blocks in the EU if the Romanian government doesn't keep the Romanies in Romania. Also of interest is Romania's 'name bill' they attempted to pass in 2010 stating that the Romani would not be able to call themselves Romanies while in Romania. Shall we consider the history? Romania became Romania in 1862. We have been calling ourselves Romanies for centuries. Perhaps, in the true spirit of inclusion, we should be charging them royalties for the use of OUR name.

Serbia also has its extreme issues. Romanies there face poverty and discrimination. With tensions high, even Romani children have been targets of abuse and injury. The Romanies who left during the war and have been forced to return are having difficulties getting identity cards which in turn means they have little to no access to safe housing , health care, employment, and welfare services. Human Rights Watch is currently involved here, but progress promises to be very slow.

Slovakia and the Czech Republic tend to have similar policies when it comes to the Romani people. Racist attacks against the Romanies occur frequently yet the government, despite being a member state of the EU, does little to protect Romani citizens. The mandate of the EU, as stated above, dictates that its members have already shown their ability to protect minorities before their admittance to the EU and that minorities remain safe while living in the member state.

Spain needs to work on helping the Romanies with housing and education. Racism against Romanies in Spain is still quite prevalent, and therefore should be addressed as an issue as a long standing member state of the EU.

This list is critical and by no means exhaustive. It is not meant to be an in depth summary. The idea behind this is to simply take a quick glance over the issue of the Decade of Inclusion to see how counties who joined are handling their commitments.

This list is also not meant to be critical of The Decade of Roma Inclusion. The Decade is an important step towards achieving equality and education between the Romani community and the rest of the world.

Governments must deal severely with hate crimes. Violent crimes against minorities, not just Romanies, should be investigated quickly and addressed with all due justice. Racists often believe their actions promote their counties and prevent minorities and foreigners from getting jobs and supporting themselves, leaving jobs to true citizens.

The media must also be exhorted to run equal opportunities for positive Romani interest stories. If the media only covers the hate and violence, they will only promote hate and violence. We are not suggesting censorship, but a call to responsible journalism.

Governments must consider adding an educational program to the school systems, educating youth on the history and current issues of the Romani. When children see only hate in the media, hate at home, it is all they will learn. Educational programming will allow a new generation to advance towards equality.

Romanies must be included in decisions made for the Romani people. Nothing for us Without Us is a slogan used by Disabled Persons Organizations and should teach everyone something very important. No legislation about any group should be created without the input and support of the group it affects. Romanies must become more involved in the politics of the countries in which they live, as is their right stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Without input, Romanies will continue to suffer under anti-Romani policies.

Education is the key.

Press release from European Roma and Travellers Forum

ERTF reported to the Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee on growing anti-Gypsyism in Bulgaria

Paris, 16 November 2011: Today the European Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF) presented to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) it’s preliminary findings from the visit in Bulgaria which was organised to a take stock of the wave of anti-Gypsyism resurging at the end of September as well as to assess recent steps taken by the government to improve the situation of Roma in Bulgaria.

ERTF said that the situation of Roma in Bulgaria is worsening from the perspective of human rights protection and social inclusion. The events in Katounitsa and the migration trend of Roma abroad are symptoms of the State’s failure to take responsibility for all its citizens and provide for a climate where Roma can enjoy and fully exercise their rights. 

Despite Bulgaria’ legal obligations and political commitments, Roma have continued to live in isolation and deprivation, while being victims of racist attacks and rhetoric by both state and non-state parties. There is a growing fear among the Roma in Bulgaria that the State cannot protect them and that the solution is to flee the country.

Roma have very little knowledge about the existing mechanisms to fight discrimination and they are widely afraid to complain against discrimination or violence against them to the police or other complaints mechanisms because of possible retribution. The ERTF President, Mr Rudko Kawczynski declared that: “We all agree that what happened around Katounitsa case and the response of the Bulgarian government or lack of it are unacceptable! However, without minimising the events, Roma in Bulgaria have been living in a constant isolation and intolerance by the State and their fellow citizens, subject to every day dehumanisation and assault to their dignity as human beings. And that is unacceptable too! Bulgaria has to start taking responsibility for all its citizens, and Roma are part of Bulgaria!”

The ERTF demands the Council of Europe Member States to forcibly condemn anti-Gypsyism, prevent collective criminalisation, introduce guarantee to combat discrimination and segregation and take steps to significantly improve the situation of Roma in their countries.

The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) took note of the ERTF’s preliminary findings and decided to put again on its agenda the situation of Roma in Bulgaria once the ERTF Final Report from this mission is published.

* * *

The European Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF), which has a partnership agreement with the Council of Europe and a special status with this institution, is Europe’s largest and most inclusive Roma and Traveller organisation. It brings together Europe’s main international Roma--‐NGOs and more than 1,500 national Roma and Traveller organisations from most of the Council of Europe member states.

For more information please contact the ERTF Secretariat at:

Telephone: +33 3 90 21 53 50

Email: info@ertf.org

Inuagural Romani Studies Conference, Berkeley

Last week I had the honor of attending the Inaugural Romani Studies Conference at Berkeley University. I will admit I was concerned about such a conference at Berkeley due to the Occupy Berkeley movement along with the staged walkout, but my fears were unfounded.

The panel of experts was impressive and fascinating. Speakers, among others, included Petra Gelbart of New York University, Jack Greenberg, Professor of Law, Columbia University; Jaromir Cekota, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; Carol Silverman, Professor of Folklore and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oregon; Gwendolyn Albert, Independent Consultant, Council of Europe’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, The European Roma Rights Centre and the Open Society Institute Public Health Program; and the key note speaker was Dr. Ian Hancock, Director, The Romani Archives and Documentation Center, University of Texas-Austin.

The atmosphere in the room was electric. Thursday's presentations lasted from 9am to 6pm, so there were many Berkeley students in and out all day long, as well as students who took a day off from classes to attend. Some students were Romanies, while others were non-Romani with an interest in some of the topics presented.

Julia M. White of the University of Rochester gave an enlightening yet disturbing presentation titled "We Have a Lot of Papers, Really Nice Papers", covering the educational policies, laws, their implementation, and equal opportunities for the Romanies in Slovakia. She explained the mindset of the government in regards to the minorities in Slovakia in comparison with the public policies in place for funding for Romani children. The upsetting portion of the presentation was a statement made to Ms. White by a education official and their idea of the funding for Romanies, that funding "[isn't] exactly, it's only a suggestion." She then went on to explain that funds were often used to give teachers raises, rather than help Romani children in the classroom.

In her explanation of placement of Romani children in 'backwards classrooms', 60% of Romani children are sent to specialized schools, placed there either by their social disadvantages, such as only one parent working or the fact that the national language isn't used in the home, or they are placed by diagnostic tests. Such tests are designed to segregate race and ethnicity. There is little chance for re-evaluation and once a child is placed in the segregated school, the parents are often blamed for allowing the child to be placed in the program in the first place.

Jaromir Cekota of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, spoke about the educational attainment and employment of young Roma in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. His office is studying the educational levels and opportunities of Romanies and comparing this data to non-Romanies of the same age range. He states that the Romanies are falling behind in both education and employment. He stated that when communism fell, it was the Romani workers who were laid off first due to national animosities. Few people will hire Romanies, meaning more Romanies are on welfare, meaning the public sees Romanies as lazy and using the welfare system. This circular reasoning only increases animosity towards Romanies and adds to the problem.

Mr. Cekota pointed out that for every Romani who graduates high school, he saves the government 100,000 in welfare payments, yet the government does not want to plan for the long-term, nor does any politician want to be seen as "Gypsy-friendly" since that is political suicide. Slovakia could solve some of her problems if the government re-segregated the schools.

Jack Greenberg, Columbia Law and assistant to Thurgood Marshal in Brown v the Board of Education, gave a lecture on the segregation of schools in the Czech Republic in relation to the EU's ruling in D.H. and Others v the Czech Republic. He gave a list of four practical actions that could be implemented that must be taken:
1. Europe needs information. Without data, the stereotypes rule.
2. Re-segregation must be implemented immediately
3. Private litigation should be encouraged
4. Romanies must make it clear that we will not tolerate discrimination

Gwendolyn Albert, an independent consultant for the Council of Europe's Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, presented the most difficult topic of all, the forced sterilization of Romani women in the Czech Republic. She described the methods used, including the threat of removing children from the home; using doctors and social workers to tell women that pregnancy in their families has been difficult, therefore they should be sterilized to save their lives until they are strong enough to carry a child, only to be told later that the process is not reversible; or offering them money or labor saving devices such as washing machines if they will have the procedure. These women are always promised the procedure is reversible, but of course it is not.

Finally, Dr. Hanock spoke of Romani origins and identity. He explained how important it is that a people know and understand their own history, else others will create it for them. Our history is our own and must be claimed, just as we must claim our own identities, rather than allow the politicians and the media to dictate to the masses who and what we are.

The following day there was a round table discussion that included the topic of advancing Romani Studies at universities everywhere. Other topics included linguistics, education, and identity.

That evening there was a dance and music celebration with the Balkan band Edessa with vocalist Carol Silverman and dancers Stefka Kamburova, Jessiah Rose Zure, and Sani Rifati of Voice of Roma.

In all, Dr. Hancock is right. We must unite and claim our past and our identities. We must take a stand against intolerance and demand, as one, our rights. We must show the world we are ready as a people to take our proper place on the world stage.

This conference was a boon to the field of Romani Studies and I hope it will continue as an annual event.

DH and others v the Czech Republic

This article comes to us from the European Roma Rights Center. While it is true that the Czech Republic has multiple human rights violations against the Roma, it is time for them to take action. If they continue to refuse, then the EU and other member states should take action. We find it interesting that other member states, who are under the same obligations as the Czech Republic, have not forced the issue against the Czechs.

Czech Republic: Four Years After Landmark Judgment, Urgent Action Needed to Stop Illegal Segregation of Romani Children into Special Education

14 November 2011

Budapest, New York, 14 November 2011: The Council of Europe must take action now to stop continuing illegal discrimination against Romani school children in the Czech Republic, two leading rights groups said today.

The European Roma Rights Centre and the Open Society Justice Initiative note that four years have now gone by since a landmark judgment found that Romani children were being disproportionately channeled into “special schools” where they, along with children with disabilities, were segregated from other students and taught to a limited curriculum. The European Court of Human Rights ruled on 13 November 2007 that this practice violated the children’s right to education and to be free from discrimination.

Today, the Czech education system remains broken, even though the European Court had told the Czech government to fix the problem and redress the effects of discrimination.

The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers – the body charged with making sure European Court judgments are respected – must ramp up the pressure on the Czech government to deliver changes on the ground, according to the European Roma Rights Centre and the Open Society Justice Initiative.

“With every year that passes – and this is number four – another group of Romani children are being shunted towards dead end futures,” James Goldston, the Justice Initiative’s Executive Director said. “All children deserve a decent chance in life and in Czech Republic they are not getting it.”

No evidence exists that anything has changed for Romani children since the D.H. and others v Czech Republic judgment, according to an ERRC and Justice Initiative report issued this week. The only official data on the number of Romani children in special education, published in 2010, showed that in some parts of the country, Romani children were still 27 times more likely to be herded into segregated “practical schools” - the same levels as when the case was first taken to the European Court in 1999. Czech government proposals for reform remain unfunded. Implementation of inclusive education plans has effectively stalled. Last week, the Czech Minister of Education proclaimed his support for the discriminatory system of special education.

“It is unacceptable that segregation is still the norm in Czech education,” said Dezideriu Gergely, Executive Director of the ERRC. “The Czech government should adopt effective measures to explicitly mandate desegregation for all children languishing in segregated classes.”

The two groups urged the Committee of Ministers to visit the Czech Republic to see for itself how little has changed on the ground for Romani children. It also asked that the Committee demand fresh statistics from the Czech government to confirm the extent to which Romani children, along with other marginalized groups, are still being channeled into separate schools with substandard curriculum. The Committee should also ask for detailed information on how inclusive education measures are being funded and implemented.

For more information contact:
Sinan Gökçen
RRC Media and Communications Officer
sinan.gokcen@errc.org
+36.30.500.1324

Jonathan Birchall
Senior Communications Officer, Open Society Justice Initiative
jbirchall@justiceinitiative.org
+1-212-548-0958

This article comes to us from the New York Times. While it is uncertain what a new government will be like for the Romani, this event is a wonderful thing.


Berlusconi Steps Down, and Italy Pulses With Change
Gabriel Bouys/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images


A man holds a fake copy of Time magazine called "Fail" featuring Silvio Berlusconi, who resigned as Italy's prime minister on Saturday.

   ROME — With his country swept up in Europe’s debt crisis and his once-mighty political capital spent, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi resigned on Saturday, punctuating a tumultuous week and ending an era in Italian politics. His exit, a sudden fall after months of political stalemate, paves the way for a new government of technocrats led by Mario Monti, a former member of the European Commission. Mr. Monti is likely to be installed in the next few days, following the apparent consent of key blocs of Mr. Berlusconi’s center-right coalition. 

His resignation came just days after the fall of Prime Minister George A. Papandreou in Greece. Both men were swept away amid a larger crisis that has threatened the entire European Union, in which roiling financial markets have upended traditional democratic processes. Though it was met by cheering crowds in Rome, the end of Mr. Berlusconi’s 17-year chapter in Italian politics, characterized by his defiance and fortitude, sets off a jarring political transition.

“This is the most dramatic moment of our recent history,” Ferruccio de Bortoli, the editor of the Milan daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, said Saturday. After borrowing rates on Italian bonds soared last week to levels that have required other euro zone countries to seek bailouts, Mr. Berlusconi pledged to step down after the Italian Parliament approved austerity measures sought by the European Union. The lower house gave their final approval to some of the measures on Saturday afternoon, and two hours later, he officially submitted his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano.

An impromptu orchestra and choir gathered outside the presidential palace, where Mr. Berlusconi resigned, playing the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s “Messiah.” Hundreds of spectators gathered outside, shouting “buffoon” and “go home” to a polarizing leader once loved by many, making Mr. Berlusconi the very embodiment of the Italian saying that the tenor is applauded until he is booed off stage. Some in the crowd were popping bottles of champagne. And cars and mopeds in downtown Rome waved Italian flags and honked their horns in celebration, as they do when the national soccer team wins. Fulvia Roscini, 47, a nurse, had brought her 8-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter outside the prime minister’s office on Saturday evening. “We came here because I wanted my kids to see this,” she said, “to see that another country is possible and is already here.”

As he left his residence on Saturday before resigning, Mr. Berlusconi waved to crowds of supporters, but he left the presidential palace through a secondary exit, to avoid the crowds. Mr. Berlusconi did not speak publicly after resigning. But the ANSA news agency quoted him telling aides that the jeering “is something that deeply saddens me.”

In a statement, Mr. Napolitano, who as head of state will oversee the transition, said he would hold consultations with party leaders to nominate a new prime minister on Sunday. In this case, the discussions will likely be a formality. For days, Mr. Monti, 68, a well-respected economist with close ties to European Union officials, has been identified as the front-runner. Mr. Monti met on Saturday with Mr. Berlusconi and earlier in the day with Mario Draghi, the recently installed president of the European Central Bank, reinforcing the notion that financial and European institutions supported Mr. Monti’s appointment.

The mandate of the next government will be to push through measures to help reduce Italy’s $2.6 trillion public debt and increase growth to keep the country competitive. The austerity measures approved by lawmakers include selling state assets and increasing the retirement age to 67 from 65 by 2026. They would also decrease the power of professional guilds, privatize municipal services and offer tax breaks to companies that hire young workers. Key political parties, with the exception of the Northern League, an important member of Mr. Berlusconi’s center-right coalition, have said they will support Mr. Monti.

But the wrangling over crucial details is not over. Italy’s political parties are fighting to maintain their positions in future political constellations and to ensure their re-electability after passing unpopular measures demanded by tough economic times. Some members of Mr. Berlusconi’s coalition want early elections to form a new government with a new mandate. But the main opposition party and other lawmakers, fearing that elections would lead to an unsustainable period of market turmoil, support a transitional government. The prospect of early elections diminished on Saturday, however, when Mr. Berlusconi’s party said in a statement that it would support a Monti government. But they added that they awaited the “names of the cabinet members, the program of the new government and the timing of the mandate.”

The events in Greece and Italy this month raised concerns across the Italian political spectrum about the growing power of financial markets to shake governments. In Italy and elsewhere, a dysfunctional political class has been “impotent” in the face of market dynamics and their impact on people’s lives, the commentator Luigi La Spina wrote Saturday in the Turin daily newspaper La Stampa. The atmosphere in downtown Rome on Saturday evening was one of celebration mixed with uncertainty. “I know that the crisis won’t be over just because he leaves, and I’m a bit concerned about what will happen with the markets, but I know that this country will be better without him,” said Isabella La Monica, a retiree, who was waiting in front of the prime minister’s residence. “Things can’t get any worse.”

Gaia Pianigiani contributed reporting.

Latest on Dale Farm

This article is from the Guardian, printed 3 November, 2011. Please go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/03/dale-farm-struggle for further coverage.

Dale Farm residents struggle on after neighbours' eviction. The conditions are horrendous but the mood is good humoured after a court order protected three pitches at unauthorised site

Written by Patrick Barkham guardian.co.uk, Thursday 3 November 2011 11.42 EDT

On an island of gravel surrounded by a sea of mud, Michelle Sheridan closes her caravan door against the stench of raw sewage and makes a cup of tea.

The kettle takes a long time to boil using power from a noisy diesel generator, which runs all day and night. The caravan shudders as the bulldozers smash through a plot next door.

Two weeks after riot police stormed the Traveller site in Essex, sisters Michelle and Nora Sheridan, their seven children and their mother, Mary Flynn, are still going about their daily lives encircled by chaos and bailiffs.

Despite the eviction of more than 80 families, the Sheridans and two other families remain and have a legal right to live on Dale Farm after a court order protected three pitches on the unauthorised site.

Basildon council is obliged under this court order to maintain services but the families say their water is contaminated and the council-supplied generators that provide electricity have blown up their washing machines and dryers. With all the mud, the Sheridans' clothes, sheets and rugs need regular washing: Michelle's last laundry bill was £107.

Clothes are drying on a broken fence. Sewage from a septic tank accidentally broken by bailiffs leaks across the rubbish-strewn soil.

"The people who are still here are the ones that desperately need to be here," said Michelle. "We've just watched our chalet being squashed. We lived there for 10 years and had so many memories. But the children are back at school and we're trying to keep it as normal as possible for them."

The council pledged to return Dale Farm to green fields at the end of the £18m eviction. But the former scrapyard has not been a green field in living memory, and it looks a distant prospect.

Almost all the chalets have been cleared away but dilapidated fences still wobble between empty plots. Contractors are instructed to dig down on each plot until they reach the soil but they only seem to have exposed a contaminated mess of subsoil, rubble and rubbish. Fragments of plastic toys that once belonged to children on the site are ground into the dirt.

Despite the horrendous conditions, the mood is good humoured. The protesters and the police have departed and the remaining Travellers say they have never met such nice bailiffs. The contractors are polite.

The tension rises, however, when council officials visit to discuss when the Sheridans will leave their pitch.

The family has agreed to move temporarily on to a neighbouring plot to allow the council to dig out the hardcore on their pitch. Then they can return – to mud, because the council says the gravel they want to put down is, in planning terms, hardcore.

"Once they get us out they are going to make the pitch uninhabitable," said Michelle.

The road through Dale Farm is to be removed, so the Sheridans will not be able to tow their caravans on and off their pitch. Instead, the council will provide a walkway to enable the ambulance service to gain wheelchair access for 72-year-old Flynn, who has osteoporosis and suffers chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that has left her with a lung capacity "barely compatible with life", according to court medical evidence.

Candy Sheridan, a former councillor who is representing the families, said their presence on Dale Farm was an embarrassment for the council and accused it of "low-level intimidation" to get rid of them.

"Basildon council wanted total site clearance. They are telling me they will abide by the court order. They are also saying the plots will be uninhabitable. The two things don't marry up. I want the families to live in peace on their lawful sites," she said.

Tony Ball, leader of the council, denied that its attitude was to remove the last Dale Farm Travellers from the borough at any cost. He said the families had been offered bricks and mortar accommodation.

"My personal view is why would they want to stay in the middle of what is still a building site?" he said. "I'm satisfied that what we've done is the right thing to do and I'm heartened by the progress we've made, which has been substantial."

The Sheridans say they will leave if the council approves a meticulously planned new application for a 12-pitch site nearby, which will be considered at an appeal hearing later this month.

"The best thing would be to give us permission for a new site nearby so we can care for the sick and our children can go to [the local] school," said Michelle.

But Ball cast doubt on the likelihood of the new site being approved, saying it had already been turned down on environmental and conservation grounds. "There was also an objection from Natural England, so as far as the council is concerned that land isn't suitable for any development either," he said.

"I keep saying to Basildon council, you are going to end up with the best Gypsy site in the world," said Candy Sheridan of the Travellers' revised application, which includes a nature reserve for newts. "Every time I say it their faces drop."

UN expert applauds Roma women confronting discrimination

This article comes to us from the Roma Virtual Network.

 

 

 

UN expert applauds Roma women confronting discrimination

25 October 2011

The United Nations Independent Expert on minority issues, Rita Izsák, today welcomed the 3rd International Conference on Roma Women held during 23-25 October 2011 in Granada, Spain.

"Roma women must recognize and confront the challenges and barriers that exist even within their communities, and many of you are doing so and courageously confronting discrimination wherever it exists. As fellow Roma women leaders and rights advocates I applaud your efforts.” said the Independent Expert.

In her statement to the conference, Ms Izsák, emphasized that women belonging to minorities in every region of the world frequently experience unique challenges and multiple or intersectional discrimination emanating from their status as members of minorities and as women or girls. “Roma women often struggle within their communities to advocate for their rights, which can easily be suppressed or forgotten as a result of prioritizing the general concerns of the Roma”, she stated.

The Independent Expert called the attention of participants to the forthcoming UN Forum on Minority Issues which will be organized in Geneva on 29 to 30 November 2011 and will focus on “Guaranteeing the rights of minority women”.

The Forum will have an emphasis placed on the rights and opportunities for minority women to access quality education, to take part effectively in economic life and access labour markets, and to participate fully in social, cultural and political life. The Independent Expert invited a representative of the Roma women’s conference to the Forum to report on the outcomes of their meeting and asked participants to take part in shaping the recommendations of the UN Minority Forum.

Rita Izsák recalled the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, adopted under the Hungarian EU Presidency, which clearly states, that special attention should be paid to the interests and difficulties of Roma women and girls, who face the risk of multiple discrimination, and thus a gender perspective needs to be applied in all policies and actions for advancing Roma inclusion. The number of Roma in Europe is estimated to be over 10 million and constitutes the largest ethnic minority in the continent.

"There are many challenges ahead and I hope that Roma women will take an active role in shaping their countries’ Roma strategies and will successfully incorporate into them Roma women’s perspectives.” said the Independent Expert.

The organizers of the 3rd International Conference on Roma Women are the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Instituto de Cultura Gitana of the Ministry of Culture, the Spanish Government and the International Roma Women’s Network.

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Rita Izsák was appointed as Independent Expert on minority issues by the Human Rights Council in June 2011. As Independent Expert, she is independent from any government or organization and serves in her individual capacity. Ms. Izsák has a decade of minority rights activism and has worked before in various capacities with NGOs, at the UN, OSCE and the Hungarian government, where she coordinated the creation of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Minorities/IExpert/Pages/IEminorityissuesIndex.aspx

For inquiries and media requests, please contact Graham Fox (Tel: +41 22 917 9640 email: gfox@ohchr.org or write to minorityissues@ohchr.org

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