The Roma in the 21st Century Europe:

the Case of Czech Republic

Laura Laubeova

http://dl.cuni.cz

Unit structure• Terminology • Language and histrorical context• Identity and culture. Ethnic group?• International Romani movement. • European policies and institutions• Resources and links• Case study: Czech Republic

Historical backgroundEducation

Terminology

The Roma/

The Romani people/

The Romanies • Rom (sg. masc.) (husband; Dom, Domari)

• Romni (sg.fem.)

Roma (pl.) or Romanies (pl.)

The latter accepted by Sinti a Romani (sg.)

(prof.Hancock)

Terminology- cont.

Example: She is a Roma (sic.), Romani, a Romni

Romipen, Rromanipen

Rorrajmos

AdjectiveRomani (international documents),

Romany (literature)

GentilesGadje, gadjo, gorgio (gaujo,

gawjo, gawja Hancock)

Language

The Romani language or Romani or Romanes (in a Romani way)

Linguistic evidence of Sanskrit origins:1760 Valyi Stefan, Univ. of Leiden, NLVienna Gazette 1776,Rudiger 1782, Grellman 1783, Marsden 1785

Northern India– Persia, Caucasus, Byzantine Empire into southern Europe

Porrajmos

Half a million of Roma were executed or killed

in concentration camps

Roma in Europe

7 to 9 million (WB)12 – 25 million (IRU, ERF)

• Romania 1 – 2 mil.

• Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Turkey, and Serbia and Monte Negro 400,000 – 1 mil.

• Spain 630,000, France 310,000, Germany 70,000, Italy 130,000

Identity, culture, politics

Identity - Reflects attitudes of majority -- Withdrawal and separation (protect values and

culture)- Internalisation of stereotypes

Culture & values - cleanlines, eating, treatment of animals, funerals, sexual behaviour, extended family, etc

Romani organisations: Intl. Romani Union; Roma National Congress

European level ERRC, ERIO, ERTF (vide links bellow)….

Roma as an ethnic group• National minority (CEE), ethnic minority group (UK).

Community / communities. • Heterogeniety.• Roma (Rumungro, Vlach, Romanichal, Kalderash, Kale,

Kalo, Lovari), Sinti, Travellers, playground and circus people, bargee people, new age travellers etc

• “Gypsy is not a lifestyle” but race/ ethnic group (Hancock)

• Minorities autochtonous, immigrant• Roma as European minority vs Roma as European

nation

Europe's largest transnational minority; Declaration on "non-territorial" nation (2000)

Roma in societyDiscrimination, racism, anti-Gypsyism, denial of racism,

reversed racism Majority relations twds the Roma

(annihilation/extermination, persecution, segregation; assimilation, integration, accommodation, inclusion)

 Major point of departures for Romani studies:a) history – migration from India, early persecution in

 15- 18 cent., assimilation under Habsburgs and in Portugal; Porrajmos – Romani holocaust (0,5 m)

b) family and values; c) Romani language, identity and self-determination of

Romani nation

Key Romani movements,Politics and Policy Actors

International Romani Union (IRU)

Roma National Congress (RNC)

European Roma and Traveller Forum (CoE)

European Roma Rights Centre (US Law)

World Bank

Decade of Romani Inclusion 2005-2015

World Romani Congresses (IRU)

1971 The first World Romani Congress, London:16-spoked wheel as their international symbol,flag (green and blue),anthem (Roma arise), April 8

1978 IRU in NGO section of UN1990 April 8 proclaimed as international Romani day

2nd 1979 Geneva (Jan Cibula)3rd 1981 Gottingen Ge (Rajko Djuric) 4th 1990 Warsaw (Rajko Djuric) 5th 2000 Prague (Emil Scuka)6th 2004 Lanciano Italy (Stanislav Stankiewicz)

RNC

Rom & Sinti Union in Hamburg (80s) -> RNC, Rudko Kawczynski

Grassroot, militant, Romani refugees from Eastern Europe – basic human rights approach

Pan-European Romani Identity

vs

nationalist “Zentralrat “ of German Sinti and Roma (81)

IMPORTANT STEPS

• 1993 – Recomendation of the Concil of Europe No. 1203, about Gypsies in Europe

• OSCE – Contact point for Roma and Sinti issues– ODHIR „action plan“

• 1995– CoE - Group of Experts on Roma/Gypsies „MG-S-ROM“

• 2004 – European Roma and Travellers Forum

European policies

NOT RECOGNIZING MINORITIES– France, Greece, partly Spain

FORMAL RECOGNITION – Ie.: Czech Republic, Slovak Republic,

Hungary, Slovinia– Also: Austria, partly Germany, Nederlands

The Decade of Roma Inclusion

2005 – 2015Official launch 2 Feb., 2005WB, OSI, CEE governments

8 countries:Czech Republic,Slovakia, Hungary,Romania, Bulgaria,Macedonia, Serbia andMonte Negro, Croatia

• Education• Housing• Employment• Health

Core prioritiesincome povertygender equalitydiscrimination

Roma Women’s Forum (29 June, 2003)

„Romani women presented their own comprehensive policy agenda

to high-level officials from regional governments and international

agencies”

from the final report

Roma Women's ForumEducation

Early marriages, cultural obligations, lack of female teachers as role models, segregation, discrimination etc.

Economic Empowerment Lower life expectancy rates, educational levels, higher rates of fertility, mortality, unemployment, poverty, extensive social exclusion and gender-based discrimination, prostitution;

Sexual and Reproductive Rights Combat coerced sterilization, sexual taboos, arranged marriages and domestic violence

Grassroots Leadership and Political ParticipationMinority women, Romani women’s human rights, political participation, challenges, Romani women’s leadership and solidarity

Romani women movement

• Started in 1999• Roma Women’s Initiative (RWI) - partnership

between Romani women activists and OSI Network Women’s Program (NWP).

• RWI promotes human rights by empowering Roma women activists in CEE

• special emphasis on the participation and leadership development of young Romani women.

MANUSHE (Cz NGO)NGO Slovo 21 founded the Roma women’s

group Manushe in the year 2000.

European Roma and Travellers Forum

• Since 1993 - dialogue with CoE• 2004 - registration• Dec.2006 - 1st meeting, Strasburg

42 of the Council of Europe’s 46 member states

ERTF

• body of community leaders and policy experts elected by Roma and Traveller institutions in all Europe

• the largest and most inclusive Roma and Traveller’s organisation

• brings together legitimate voices of Roma, Sinti and Traveller communities

Roma Diplomacy Program

European Roma Information Office (ERIO) and DiploFoundation

25 Roma from EuropePersonal meetings and online program

BucharestBrusselsGeneva

www.diplomacy.edu/roma/

World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz dined with seven young Roma leaders on February 27 in Prague to get

their views on efforts to empower the Romawww.worldbank.org/roma

Useful links and resources

European Roma Information Office http://www.erionet.org/Home.html

European Roma and Traveller Forum http://www.ertf.org/ WB www.worldbank.org/roma UNDP http://roma.undp.skDecade www.romadecade.org European Roma Rights Centre http://www.errc.org

ROMA MEDIAwww.romnews.com

www.romea.cz www.dzeno.cz

Roma in the Czech Republic

• Background• Present situation, • Issue of Education

Useful links and resources • Romea http://www.romea.cz/• Czech Radio http://www.romove.cz

Maria Theresa and Joseph II. (1760-1784)

assimilation, sedentarisation (Otoman Empire more relaxed)

1927 Act on Nomadic Gypsies (identity cards)

PORRAIMOS virtually all Cz + Moravian RomaCtibor Nečas, Paul Polanski

Concentration Camp Lety

History

Communism

• Enforced + voluntary relocation to Sudetenlands from Slovak shanty-town settlements (after removal of Germans 1945)

• 1958 Act on settlement of nomadic persons (repealed in CZ in 97)

• 1965 policy on transfer (from Sk) + dispersal, displacement

• 68 federalisation; Association of Gypsies-Roma (73)• 1978 Charter 77 Document 23: Information on situation

of Gypsies-Roma (warning if economy modernises)

Petr Axman 2005

1989-97

• Roma gained status as a national minority, Romani MPs• Bogardus scale of social distance – high hostility• Beauty Queen racist utterance, Racist attacks • Unemployment; stereotype of self-chosen unemployment• Criminality (20% vs. national 3%) – criminalisation• Citizenship law 93 (de facto discrimination), put most

Roma in position of aliens, 96, 2000; led to 97 exodus• Housing ghettoisation (barren flats), educational

segregation

Petr Axman 2005

1997 - present• 97 Emigration to Canada, UK → Bratinka

report on situation of R. community in CZ• 98 UN CERD Concluding observations on

CR, "de facto” segregation in edu (article 5 ICERD)

• April 99 Draft Concept of Romani integration

• „Conflict-free co-existence of the R. community with the remainder of society“

• Safety, non-discrimination, improving social sit (employment, housing, health)

Petr Axman 2005

After 1997 - cont.

2001 UK Immigration officers in Prg Airport

(CHC Statement 29 Aug. 01), House of Lords Dec 2004

2002 "Conception on Romani Integration",

(2004 reformulation/revision)

2003 Denial by pres. Klaus, BBC Hardtalk

2005 NGOism, HR ism

Education and Roma in CZ

Push factors for systemic change• 97 Canada visa imposition• EU accession, criticism by US Gov., UN, CoE• Role of NGOs, e.g. ERRC: Ostrava region, 27 times more in Special Schools, 5% population,

50% in special schoolsCf. Brown vs Topeca Board of Education in USA, 50 yrs ago

• New Education Act 2005

Petr Axman 2005

Petr Axman 2005

Achievements

  Romani teacher assistants (introduced in 1998) communication barrier, partnership teaching, small group work, contact with families, etc not systemic, inferior status, no educated R. teachers, if not successful‑ blaming the victim

Preparatory classes (since 1994) cf Headstart USA

   multicultural/ intercultural edu. programmes -NG0s, community schools

Threats:

     re-standardisation of psychological testing in the age of 6 - doubts about the concepts itself

     subtractive versus additive bilingualism, irreversible cognitive damage (abstract thinking concepts - Piaget)

     institutional, unwitting, indirect racism+ denial of racism

Petr Axman 2005

Petr Axman 2005

THANK YOU

QUESTIONS ?