NRC

held in Warsaw, 2-13 October

After my continual participation on the meetings related with activities and special attention on Roma issues organized by OSCE, I feel as my responsibility and necessity to convey my opinions and views from the “Human Dimension Implementation Meeting 2006″ and side events held in Warsaw, from 2-13 October, organized by OSCE. My participation on these meetings helped me to foresee how Roma issues are addressed by the states in the OSCE region. With acceptance of the Roma issue as a serious matter of concern, and the position provided for this matter, Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, CPRSI, within OSCE ODIHR, a way Roma voice to be heard has been opened and manner in order Roma issues to be implemented in general policy agenda of the institutions. (more…)

No Responses »

Author Аsmet Elezovski

The book is prepared in english, macedonian and roma language. All interested who wants to get the example of the book, may contact the National Roma Centrum.

REVIEW

The author, Asmet Elezovski, has left a trace in the time of our modernness. In the plane of history recorded as a civilization threshold of the cradle countries of European democracy and culture, the author wrote down the dark side, the background and all hypocrisy of the modern human kind. Through the sufferings of the innocent children, mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, fathers - victims of political interests and intrigues, victims of the clash of the small Balkan people and the selfishness of the great European and World forces. Perhaps by accident, but perhaps intentionally, the victims are members of the Roma ethnic community. If this is all or at least the only fashizoid reason for the written human sufferings in the chronology of Asmet Elezovski, then on us, the modern people, the author of the “Roma refugee chronicle 1999-2006” puts on us the shame due to our inertion regarding the noticeable non correct sufferings. Fortunate enough, Asmet Elezovski and few others are the face of this generation. The chronicle of Asmet Elezovski is not to be told. But, to be read always and again, to check through it our own conciseness, as a human need.

Zoran Ivanov Journalist

No Responses »

To EU Parliament Mr. president Josep Fontelles Borrell Brussels, Belgium Fax: ++32 2 284 93 41 Respected Mr. president Josep Fontelles Borrell Hereby, we are sending strong protest to any act of Anti-Gypsysim in the EU institutions as recently happened in the European Parliament when the observer Mr. Dimitar Stoyanov from Bulgaria via public e-mail conversation had publicly offended the Roma MEP Livia Jaroka from Hungary stating serious Anti Romani observations. This event could be a far more serious threat then it seems at the beginning and represents a strong indicator about the condition and the atmosphere which rules in certain circles and even institutions in Europe. Therefore, we hope that similar acts of racism against Roma will not be allowed and continued in your house as well as you will use your maximum power to inform the Bulgarian Authorities to prevent Mr. Stoyanov from future observation status in the European Parliament.

Asmet Elezovski

Comments Off

Children working for 100 denars

Miners on the age 7-8 years, are working for 100 denars per hour, and are working for 11 hours in the vineyards in Tikves. The thirteen year old K. V. from Strumica instead of pencil and notebook, for almost a month is holding a knife in his hands cutting of grapes in the vineyards in Kavadarci.

This knife is sharp and it is cutting the grapes pretty well. I can not get hurt because I got used to holding it. It is much better for me in school but I had to work, because I want new clothes. This not the first time for me to cut grapes. I was working last year also. When the work here is done I will go back to school. I know I messed some classes, but I hope that the teachers will understand. I do not have the time to talk now, I must cut these grapes – said the young worker and entered in the lines of the vineyard. (more…)

Comments Off

Thousand children will remain un enrolled in school

Over a thousand Roma children at pre school age will remain un enrolled in school because they do not have personal documents. The parents do not have the money to get them birth certificates; they can not afford to buy them books, school material and clothes. The social conditions of many Roma families, their educational structure, not knowing of the language are part of the reasons for the marginalization of the education with the Roma population. In order to improve this condition the National Roma Centrum from Kumanovo began with a campaign for education of the Roma “The key is your hands”.

We are working with the parents in their homes and we have motivated them to enroll their children in school. We gave out school bags to the children from the preparation year and first graders. We achieved certain progress, so in relation to last year, when there were only 304 first graders, this year we have enrolled 400 children, said Slavica Curcinska, from the National Roma Centrum.

They say from the Center that the education is a very important thing for solving of the general situation with the Roma from the state and are calling from the government to devote greater attention to the education of the Roma children.

In order to solve this Roma issue this Roma decade is too small. 2-3 Decades more will be required in order to overcome all of the difficulties in the development of the Roma as equal citizens in the country, says Asmet Elezovski, the project coordinator in the National Roma Centrum.

Within the frames of the campaign a documentary was also made as a contribution for intensive inclusion and acceptance of the Roma children in the educational process.

Published in daily newspaper vecer on 12 September 2006

Comments Off