The Roma in the 21st Century Europe:
the Case of Czech Republic
IFDS
21 June 2006
Laura Laubeova
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
Porrajmos
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
D.H. and Others v. Czech Republic
• first challenge to systematic racial segregation in education in Europe
• brought by 18 Roma children from Ostrava; placed in “special” remedial special schools (ss)
• complaint filed in 2000 by ERRC - intensive qualitative and quantitative research that revealed racial disparities.
• 7 February 2006 European Court on HR ruled in favour of the Czech State (improvement)
• US Helsinki Commission report 21 Feb 2006