A new web blog covering the situation of Kosovar Roma was launched this week. The authors aim to post on the Roma in Kosovo and Kosovo Roma in Diaspora. The web site contains useful links for those who interested to know more about the situation in the region.
The first Roma settlements in Kosovo can be traced to 1394 (Prizren). The Roma Mahala in Kosovska Mitrovica believed to be one of the largest and oldest in the region. Roma community had their own newspapers and theater. Before the conflicted started, Kosovo was home for appr. 130,000 Roma.
During the war a lot of Roma left the area (Serbia, Montenegro, as well as Western Europe) or became internally displaced (IDPs). Those who remain in Kosovo live in poor condition and do not participate in social and political life of the society. Kosovar Roma are not represented at negotiations on Kosovo status.
If you interested in the situation of Roma in Kosovo, be it active participation or news update, keep your eye on Kosovo Roma Website.
We all know that there are many Slavs in Europe: Russians, Ukranians, Belarussians, Czechs, Rusins, Slovaks, Slovenes, Serbians, Montenegrins, Bosnians. They all are Slavs and they all are Europeans, that’s true. But also we know, that’s not all of Europeans are Slavs.
The same situation is when we say about Gypsies and Roma.
Continue reading ‘Are all of Europeans Slavs?’
What a lucky day! Strolling through the Saski Park in Warsaw this morning, by pure accident, I came across wonderful 
open air photo exhibition on Polish Roma. “Gypsies - Roma. Forgotten Images“. The collection presents documented everyday life of Polish Roma in 50-60s of XX century. These black-and-white images probably the last saved piece of world and nomadic life style of Roma. It seems that random visitors of this amazing public art presentation were lucky enough - these photos have not been published for a long time. The photos were taken by Janusz Helfer, Polish photographer from Cracow, who was enthrall by Roma culture.
Although, the settlements have dramatically changed life of Travellers, it have not cut them off their roots and traditions. The photographer has captured various aspects and interesting moments of everyday life of Polish Roma. You can see images of smiling children and people of older generation, tentcamps and family gatherings.
I was really happy to see that this exhibition has attracted attention of quite a lot of people who happened to be in the park. Good news! I had my camera with me and I am more then happy to share with you my photos on the photo exhibition on Polish Roma of 1950-60s. I hope this will give you an impression of this great collection.
Continue reading ‘"Gypsies-Roma. Forgotten Images".’
NOTE: The following post is written by R.N.
No one has ever heard about the village called Tomor except for the 
people who live in the neighborhood. Still, this small village in Northern-Hungary got into the news. A foundation decided to help the villagers, mostly unemployed and poorly educated, to break out of the segregation: it gives them free wi-fi and used, cheap computers. They say that it helps them for instance to finish their studies, obtain a profession, and then, to find a job.
Not only in this area is segregation widespread. Roma pupils (and in Tomor most of villagers are Roma) got often into segregated schools where everything is worse, and only a few manage to finish their studies. This was one reason why the foundation called Rom Som decided to help them. Now it operates community centers in six villages where the villagers can study or simply browse on the web.
Nevertheless, they started another project in Tomor. With the help of some companies, computers are available for the villagers at a cheap price – around 80 euros, which reminds on the 100-dollar-laptop project of Nicholas Negroponte that inspired the Hungarian initiative as well. Monthly payments are also possible. And beside the computers, free wi-fi covers the whole village.
The foundation says, if the program works, they will continue it in other villages, and then, they may also extend the program abroad. One thing is sure so far: the people in Tomor are enthusiastic.
