Dear Madame/Sir,
 
Please find hereinafter enclosed the extended call for applications (until 15th April, 2009) for participation at the regional conference "Integrating difference � Human Rights, Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion in the Balkans on its Road to the EU� organized by Euro-Balkan Institute and supported by Jean Monnet Lifelong Learning Program.

For more details on the conference and application process please refer to the attached document. Please find also attached the necessary application form.

 

I would very much appreciate if you could forward the information further to anyone you consider would be interested for contributing to the conference.
 
You may also acquire information relating the conference and its overall idea on www.seesoc.org.mk .
 
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely Yours,
Jana Lozanoska

--
Jana Lozanoska L.LM

Director
Center for Democracy and Security
Euro-Balkan Institute
Blvd. Partizanski Odredi 63
1000 Skopje
Republic of Macedonia
Tel/Fax: +389 2 3075 570 
Mob:  +389 70 715 353 
E-mail: jana.lozanoska@...,
www.euba.org.mk; www.seesoc.org.mk;

Humanity is a river of light running from the ex-eternity to eternity.(Khalil Gibran)

Bahtalo 8 april dive  Romano OPRE ROMA

http://www.atmgreetings.com/finalcardnext.php?gcardid=20090407212554

 

I NTERNATIONAL ROMA UNION

ROMANO INTERNNATIONALNO JEKETHANIIPE

Member of the United Nations (ECOSOC, No. 3377)

Special Consultative Status (Category II, NGO No. D 9424)

 

 

STATEMENT OF MR. BAJRAM HALITI REGARDING APRIL 8, THE WORLD DAY OF ROMA

 

SPECIAL STATUS FOR ROMA IN COUNTRIES OF SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE

 

General Secretary of the International Roma Union Mr. Bajram Haliti has stated to the News agency TANJUG regarding April 8, the World day of Roma, that he will soon ask from all countries of Southeastern and Central Europe to establish to the Roma national minority the special status, so the Roma nation could effectively participate in making the decisions that are related to area or, better said, to country in which they live in or questions that consider them.

 

Institutions that frame special status should be capable to represent the Roma national minority and to procure for members of our nation:

 

1. to be consulted every time when legal or administration measures that relate to them are being made;
2. to be involved in preparation, evaluation and appliance of national and regional development plans and programs that relate to them;
3. to actively participate in the process of decision making and in elective bodies on national and local level, especially in the area of culture, education, and religious, informative and social questions;
4. These are just minimal demands. Special status can, certainly, continue to widen by adding the areas regarding regional affairs and in that way is being introduced the system similar to partial federalization of the state. 

First of all, the fact that local or autonomous authority and special status which national minorities should have has to be in accordance with inner legislation of the state in question, establishes the limit of this right.

 

The state is the one that prescribes legal frames inside which this right can be realized, and international protection is being given only if this right is being effected legally.

 

 

Belgrade,                                                                                               Bajram Haliti

April 8, 2009                                                                General Secretary of the International Roma Union

                                                                    

The Open Society Fellowship supports individuals seeking innovative and unconventional approaches to fundamental open society challenges. The fellowship funds work that will enrich public understanding of those challenges and stimulate far-reaching and probing conversations within the Open Society Institute and in the world.

A fellow's contribution may take several forms. A fellowship project might identify a problem that has not previously been recognized, develop new policy ideas to address familiar problems, or offer a new advocacy strategy. Fellows should take advantage of the considerable intellectual and logistical resources of the Open Society Institute in carrying out their projects.

More details are available on: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/fellowship

 

 

Ande 8 Aprili 2009 ko foro Radom pashe Warszawa ando Polska  sys kerdy jekh kulturaki ceremonia vash Internationalno Dyves Riomengo - 8 Aprili. Pe kodo kedypen sys Roma, o presidento IRU Stahiro- Stanislaw Stankiewicz, bare raja ando polska , parlamentarny manush, thaj  e raj  repezentatnto politykano  ando Ambasada Amerykaki, o raj  F. Daniel Sainz. Kothe o raj F. Daniel Sainz ginadia lil Hillary Rodham  Cllinton ko savore. Kodo sys but importantno momento so e rani Clinton vazdyja problemo e Romengo. Kodo lil tradas ame akana savorenge ando anglikani thaj polsko ćhib. Shaj vi dykhen  vi  video.

Sekretariato IRU

 

Embassy events 2009

Secretary Clinton’s Message for International Roma Day – April 8th

8 April 2009

Proposed official flag for the Romani people

U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, for whom promoting and protecting the rights of Roma has long been of personal interest, has recorded a special videotaped message on the occasion of International Roma Day in an effort to support the fight against Roma discrimination.  The International Roma Day, celebrated on April 8, became an international event in the 1990s.  The Roma or Romani – commonly referred to as “Gypsies” – are an ethnic group dispersed throughout Central and Eastern Europe, with smaller populations in the Americas.  The Roma originally lived in northwestern India, from where they migrated to Persia and then to Europe.  They have their own language divided into several dialects, and live in close-knit communities, often in extended families, placing great importance on family values. Unfortunately, prejudice against the Roma is widespread in Europe.  In her statement, Secretary Clinton referred to the International Roma Day as an opportunity for people around the world to call attention to the history, experiences, and human rights of the Roma, Europe’s largest ethnic minority.  Please click here to watch the video.  

Secretary Clinton saw firsthand the plight of the Roma, particularly Romani women and children, when she visited Roma communities in Central and Eastern Europe as the First Lady of the United States.  As a member of the Helsinki Commission, she urged governments to do more to protect and promote the 10 million Roma who live in Europe.

“Despite important progress that has been made in the past decade, many Roma still live on the margins of society,” said Secretary Clinton.  “They continue to experience racial profiling, violence, discrimination, and other human rights abuses.” Secretary Clinton urged governments throughout Europe to continue their efforts to address the plight of Roma, to end discrimination and ensure equality of opportunity in education and employment.

The United States is committed to protecting and promoting the human rights of Roma throughout bilateral relations and involvement in organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. “We believe governments do have a special responsibility to ensure that minority communities have the tools of opportunity that they need to succeed as productive and responsible members of society,” said Secretary Clinton.

O christo ushilas!

Te avel tumenge baxtalij e patragij.

E pacija le devleski te avel tumenca.

Tumaro Rudko

 

Prepared by a team from the National Roma Centrum:

 

Аshmet Elezovski; Slavica Kjurcinska; Sebihana Skenderovska; Dalibor Shojic;

Ljubica Grozdanovska Dimishkovska; Aleksandar Dimishkovski; Ines Mustafovska

 

Published by: Citizen’s Association National Roma Centrum (NRC)

“Done Bozinov” street Nr.11/5, 1.300 Kumanovo, Republic of Macedonia

E-mail: info@...; info@...

Tel./fах: +389-31-427-558

 

The Magazine “Edno” is a part of the projet of the NationalRoma Centrum financed by the Roma Education Fund (REF).

In an effort to contribute to the reform process in Southeast Europe, the TRANSFUSE Association and the College of Europe jointly launched a programme in 2006 for young people from the region, as well as broader Europe, who aspire to play an active role in the future of their countries. The Programme runs over a ten-month period and aims to transmit knowledge about the EU and its relation to the region, to stimulate the leadership and professional skills of participants and to encourage an exchange of views.
 
The European Fund for the Balkans has been generously financing the programme since 2008 and is now, since 2009, organizing it jointly with the College of Europe and the TRANSFUSE Association.
 
The 2009/2010 Programme will consist of the following activities:
 
Two-week Summer Academy in Germany (Berlin/Surroundings),  29 August-12 September 2009: The curriculum will include topics related to the European Union and the development of its relations with Southeast Europe, as well as wider issues of international and economic relations. Practical training components focusing on negotiations, project management and presentation skills will provide participants with essential leadership qualities
 
Joint activities, between November 2009 and March 2010: The participants will work together in small groups to develop and implement a joint activity or an event in Southeast Europe.
 
Final five-day seminar in Belgium (Brussels/Bruges), in April 2010: with visits to the EU institutions and NATO in Brussels and to the campus of the College of Europe in Bruges.
 
The Programme will be led by an Academic Dean, who will guide the participants through the different aspects of the Programme. The working language of the Programme is English.
 
Certificates will be awarded upon the successful completion of the Programme.
 
Up to 30 participants will be carefully selected. Interested individuals coming from the following countries are invited to apply: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYROM, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
 
A limited number of participants will be selected from other European countries.
The Programme is specifically designed for students who are currently pursuing or are about to begin their postgraduate studies as well as recent graduates at the start of their professional career. The three parts of the Programme require full-time presence from all participants (see Programme 2009/2010).
 
Other requirements:
Applicants are expected to be under the age of 28 with a successful academic record, have an excellent level of English, have a high interest in the EU and international affairs; possess a high degree of personal commitment and professional orientation; have a first work experience through internships or voluntary work.
 
For any additional information, please contact: ldp@...
 
http://www.seeyoungleaders.org/index.html 
 
OVIDIU PALCU
 
PhD Candidate
University of Athens
Faculty of Political Science

Two in three Polish Roma complain of discrimination

 

 

 

 

 

 

The invisible minority

27th April 2009

The Roma people are a little-known quantity in Poland. Stereotypes abound,
but the Roma community - 40,000 strong by some estimates - is only loosely
integrated with Polish society. So where do the stereotypes end and the
truth begin?

 

http://www.wbj.pl/article-45301-the-invisible-minority.html

A report published last week by the European Union Agency for Fundamental
Rights (FRA) assesses the way members of the Roma community are treated in
the CEE region. The report sheds light upon the state of discrimination
against the minority in the region - an issue which few are willing to
actively address.

Research for the report was carried out in May-July 2008. As many as 60
percent of Roma in Poland answered "yes" to the question, "Have you been
discriminated against over the previous 12 months?" The areas of everyday
life in which they felt discriminated against include the workplace, "at a
cafe, restaurant or bar," and "by healthcare personnel."

One of the main problems is that members of the Roma community are
stereotyped as thieves or beggars. "Stereotyping is very common in all
societies. The truth is that there has been no proper government campaign to
combat this kind of thinking in Poland," Aleksandra Amal El-Maaytah from
Amnesty International Polska told WBJ.pl

Vicious cycle

The fact that Roma and non-Roma live in separate neighborhoods and attend
different educational institutions makes things all the trickier. "The
segregation happens 'naturally,' so to speak, but leads to further problems
with [lack of] integration with the non-Roma community. Many non-Roma know
the Roma only from music and dance festivals or from the street," Amal
El-Maaytah commented.

This, the expert said, leads to discrimination, especially towards the
younger generation. "Having been discriminated against in school, many Roma
do not receive the education they deserve. Later on they have [fewer]
chances of getting employment. Not being employed means not having access to
healthcare and housing etc. This is a vicious circle."

Despite all of this, Roman Chojnacki, chairman of the Polish Roma
Association in Szczecinek, believes that the Romani community in Poland,
which is estimated at 40,000 members, fares better than the communities of
other countries, but that "does not mean that everything is OK."

In a report written last year to the European Roma and Travellers Forum, an
international Roma organization, Chojnacki wrote that a heated debate rages
over the closing down of so-called "Romani classes" within the Polish
education system.

"The experts and a large part of the Romani society are convinced that
[there] is no use in [the existence of] such separate classes," Chojnacki
said. If such classes were to be fazed out, children of all backgrounds,
both Roma and non-Roma alike would be able to integrate better, and this
would hopefully reduce discrimination.

Just criminals?

Members of the Roma community often struggle with the stereotype that they
are involved in criminal activities. "Despite our efforts, [the] mass media,
when [reporting the] committed crimes, still reveal the perpetrator's
nationality, which is forbidden by law," Chojnacki said. He added that this
approach builds additional prejudice towards Romani people.

Moreover, when they themselves are the victims of a crime, Roma are unlikely
to seek help from the police. According to the FRA report, around 33 percent
of respondents claimed to have been victims of crime over the previous 12
months. Most Roma - around three-fourths - who were the victims of crimes
like threats, assault or "serious harassment" did not report the crime to
the authorities.

"Many Roma believe that there is no point in reporting acts of violence to
the police," Amal El-Maaytah said, "because they will not handle the case
properly. However, without letting the authorities know about cases of
discrimination, [the authorities] ... cannot do much."

From Warsaw Business Journal by Roberto Galea

 

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46722

BRATISLAVA, May 5 (IPS) - Human rights activists have warned of a "proliferation" of far-right groups in central and eastern Europe amid an economic crisis fuelling support for extremist movements and political parties.

They say more and more far-right groups are becoming "paramilitary", carrying out violent attacks on Roma and other ethnic or religious minorities, while extreme right-wing political parties see a surge in voter support.

"There has been a rise in right-wing extremism in eastern Europe, especially in Hungary and the Czech Republic where paramilitary-style groups have been formed," Georgina Siklossy, spokeswoman for the European Network Against Racism told IPS.

"There is a distinct danger that, in times of economic crisis as at present, right-wing extremism and right-wing groups will proliferate."

Analysts say that ever since the fall of communism across the former Eastern bloc, there has been a steady growth in right-wing extremism.

Historical antipathy towards minority groups, such as Jews and Roma, were nominally suppressed under communism, but the nature of the hard-line regimes in communist countries also fostered an atmosphere of suspicion towards foreigners which, when communism fell, continued and became focused on immigrants, they say.

And with the subsequent freedom of speech and travel that came with the new democracies, right-wing extremist ideology spread from western countries into eastern Europe in the 1990s, giving a boost to fledgling right- wing movements.

Eva Dobrovolna, spokesperson for Amnesty International in the Czech Republic, told IPS: "Many such groups have been in contact with and learnt from more established right-wing movements in places such as Germany. They have been inspired by them and become professional and organised."

The depth of the problem has been evidenced in a string of brutal, and in some cases lethal attacks, on minorities across the region.

In Hungary seven Roma have been killed over the last year, with community leaders reporting scores of firebomb and gunfire attacks on their homes.

In the Czech Republic just weeks ago a two-year-old Roma girl was left fighting for her life after a racist gang firebombed her parents' home. Roma community leaders say they are living in fear of their lives amid rising racial tensions and attacks from neo-Nazi gangs. Other Roma leaders are calling for Roma to leave the country en masse.

The attack came on the same day as 300 neo-Nazis marched in the town of Usti nad Labem, north Bohemia, to mark the anniversary of Adolf Hitler's birth, and it emerged that former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke had been invited on a speaking tour of the country.

In neighbouring Slovakia rights groups last month called for the resignation of the head of the police and the country's interior minister after a video emerged of police officers forcing Roma boys to undress, kiss and hit each other. They said it was evidence of systematic and institutionalised persecution of minorities.

The situation is similar in other countries.

In eastern Germany, where many regions are severely economically depressed, race-hate crimes are on the rise, according to local authorities. Figures from the interior ministry in the state of Saxony show that the number of reported crimes against foreigners rose 55 percent last year, while anti-Semitic incidents almost doubled.

And in February in Dresden, where tens of thousands of people have, or are expected to be, laid off by companies struggling in the recession, 6,000 members of neo-Nazi groups held one of the biggest anti-immigrant protests in Germany in the last 20 years.

Meanwhile in Russia human rights groups say that in the last year incidents of right-wing violence have reached a historic high. In one incident in December a right-wing group called the 'Combat Organisation of Russian Nationalists' brutally beat and then beheaded a Tajikistan man in Moscow. This was followed by planned demonstrations in the capital by right-wing groups against foreigners.

The EU has also warned of the extent of the extremist problem.

A report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights released Apr. 22, which the agency claims is the first ever EU-wide survey on immigrant and ethnic minority groups' experiences of discrimination and racist crime, showed that 55 percent of migrants and minorities surveyed by the FRA think that discrimination based on ethnic origin is widespread in their country.

Thirty-seven percent say that they have personally experienced discrimination in the past 12 months. Twelve percent personally experienced a racist crime in the last year. But 80 percent of these did not report the incident to the police, many believing no action would be taken by authorities.

The growth of right-wing extremist attacks has been mirrored by a rise in popularity of far-right political parties in the region, some of whom are enjoying record levels of support.

The Slovak National Party, whose leader Jan Slota has publicly and repeatedly launched verbal and denigrating attacks on minorities, is the third most popular party in the country, according to recent polls, and is part of the ruling government coalition.

In neighbouring Austria two far-right parties, the Austrian Freedom Party (FP�) and the Alliance for Austria's Future (BZ�) won 29 percent of the vote in parliamentary elections last September.

And in Hungary the far-right Jobbik party which has openly campaigned on the issue of what it refers to as "gypsy crime" has seen its popularity soar to near the five percent threshold it would need to get elected to parliament for the first time in elections due next year.

The European Parliament elections Jun. 7 are expected to reveal the full extent of the rapidly growing support for right-wing political parties across the region.

Some members of the European Parliament like British Labour MEP Glyn Ford and Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenen who have led anti-extremist watchdog groups and headed studies on extremism, have already told media they expect strong support for extremist, anti-immigrant and neo-fascist parties at the elections, largely on the back of the increasing disaffection of voters with mainstream political parties during the economic crisis.

Rights activists agree the results of the elections could be a telling barometer of the situation.

"The European Parliament elections, and the performance of far-right parties, will give a very good indication of the extent of the rise of extremism in central and eastern Europe," the European Network Against Racism's Georgina Siklossy, told IPS.

BAXTA�A KISMETE�A � SAVORRENQE BAXTALO DIVES E KAKAVĚNQO/KAVALĚNQO !!!!

 

Marcel Courthiade

 

 

Bahtalo o Herdelezi o Romano bidzuko sa e Romenge ki Luma but sastipe baht thaj jekipe.

Dehran Bislim

Dear colleagues,

BGRF WHRTI team

Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation
5, Evlogi i Hristo Georgievi blv
Sofia 1142, Bulgaria
Telf / fax : +359 2 963 53 57 
www.bgrf.org

Pakjivale,

Bichalaja tumenge  i Agenda baso Starto Romano ekonomikano biznis Forumo so kamla

pe te ikerel pe ko 25-to majo 2009, ano hoteli Kontinetal  - Skopje, taro 09:30 h. 

Devlesa,
Zoran Dimov - Prezidenti ko RBICM

 

_________________________________

Respected,

Please find attached the invitation and the agenda for the Fourth Roma Economic and Business Forum.

Best regards,
Zoran Dimov - President of RBICM

Te aven bahtale!

 

Lachipe tumen katar Uniunea Romilor Craiova Romania!

Youtube  nazdravanvelcu

E-mail uniune@...

Prof Velcu Vasile - Nazdravan