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Current AffairsGovernment adopts strategy on fighting Romany exclusion
Amidst social and ethnic unrest in parts of the country caused by growing
tension between the majority population and Romanies, the Czech government
on Wednesday adopted a strategy to combat the social exclusion of the
Romany minority. Over the next four years, the government plans to spend up
to 15 billion crowns on a series of measures ranging from fighting crime to
improving the education of Romany children. More
Current AffairsYoung Vietnamese equally at home in Hanoi and Prague
Prague’s sizeable Vietnamese community recently held its first ever day
of Vietnamese culture, an open event in the centre of town which drew a
mixed crowd of Vietnamese and Czechs. What has been a rather closed society
appears to be slowly opening up to outsiders, as Czech-born Vietnamese
become increasingly confident about their identity and Czechs learn there
is more to Vietnamese people than an army of convenience store proprietors. More
Current AffairsEthnic tension builds up in northern Bohemia
The Czech Republic is facing heightened ethnic tension between Romanies and
the majority population. In parts of northern Bohemia, animosity between
the two groups culminated on Friday after two public gatherings, staged
allegedly to protest against rising crime levels in the region, turned into
openly racist rallies calling on the Romanies to leave. The government
hopes to calm things down by increasing the police presence in the region.
But experts warn that more comprehensive action is needed to prevent
divisions between the communities from widening even further. More
Current AffairsCentral European Muslim leaders lament restrictive legislation, media bias
Muslim leaders from the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia came
to Prague on Tuesday to share their experiences and to discuss the
challenges faced by their communities. The numbers of the Muslim
populations in their countries vary significantly, as do their historic
backgrounds. But the debate showed that some challenges are shared by
Muslims across the region: islamophobia, media bias, and severe legislative
restrictions. More
Current AffairsNew survey finds most Czechs sceptical about Romanies’ integration
A new survey commissioned by the Czech Interior Ministry has revealed that
more than 80 percent of Czechs see Romanies as “inadaptable”. The poll
also suggests that around 10 percent of the country’s majority population
identify with an extreme right agenda. More
One on OneRoman Joch and the redefining of human rights
“Neo-conservative” is not a term heard too often on the Czech political
scene, but when it is then more often than not it’s used in reference to
Roman Joch, the outspoken head of the right-wing Christian think tank the
Civic Institute (Mr Joch himself prefers the title “paleoconservative”,
bestowed upon him by the Prime Minister). That history, along with a
certain notoriety for inflammatory rhetoric, lent to waves of criticism
when Mr Joch was appointed advisor to the Prime Minister on human rights,
the definition and conception of which was the starting point for our
conversation.
More
SpotlightPrague exhibition showcases Vietnamese culture and community
In this week’s Spotlight we focus on a small exhibition at the City of
Prague museum which aims to cast some light on the centuries old links
between Czechs and Vietnamese and the culture of the large Vietnamese
community in the capital. The exhibition "Vietnam in Prague" is
running at the City of Prague museum until mid-September. Organisers say
the number of visits has already exceeded their expectations.
More
Current AffairsPrague district mayor warns of worsening relations in “Little Hanoi”
Prague’s Libuš district is home to a sprawling Vietnamese market called
Sapa and is one of the main centres of the Vietnamese community in the
Czech Republic. The local town hall has recently complained of growing
tension between the Czech and Vietnamese communities in the area, where
they say the latter is forming a ghetto. Although the police have noted no
significant increase in crime, the district mayor has warned of problems on
the horizon.
More
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