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Current AffairsPolice intervene in attack of far-right extremists and locals against Romany housing unit in Varnsdorf
An anti-Romany march organized by a far-right party escalated when radicals
were joined by locals in an attempted attack on a Romany housing unit in a
small town in North Bohemia on Saturday. The event was only the latest in a
series of racially-motivated incidents that have occurred in the region in
recent weeks, where racial tensions between the Czech and Romany
communities have been acerbated by high unemployment and a rise in crime. More
Current AffairsPoverty, insecurity and discrimination hindering Roma school kids in the education process
A sociological study, released by Gabal Analysis and Consulting, shows that
a staggering 40 percent of Romany children drop out of elementary school
and never go back, a figure that is eight times higher than the national
average. The study, based on data collected from 14 elementary schools over
the past five years, highlights one of the basic problems underlying an
endless vicious circle of discrimination of the country’s Romany
minority. Kumar Vishwanatan, a community worker who works with the Roma in
one of the country’s poorest districts, says there are many factors
contributing to this trend. More
Current AffairsPolice investigate latest attack against Romanies
At the weekend, two Molotov cocktails (containing a liquid that is yet to
be identified by the police) were thrown into the doorway of a block of
flats inhabited by Romany families in the north Moravian town of Opava. The
incident, which is being investigated as a threat to public safety, comes
just a few weeks after a similar attack on a Romany family in Ostrava.
Sarah Borufka reports.
More
PanoramaArt show draws attention to high percentage of Czech children placed in institutional care
In the Czech Republic an incredibly high number of children – over 20,000
– are living in institutional care. Very often they are from poor
families, with an extremely high percentage coming from the country’s
Roma minority. This serious and disturbing social issue is the focus of a
new art exhibition in Prague. More
Current AffairsRomanies warn of mass emigration if government does not deal with far-right violence
Just a week ago Czech neo-Nazis fought a pitched battle with police who
prevented them from marching through a Romany neighbourhood of a north
Bohemian town. With the extremists threatening more of the same, one Romany
group has issued a stark warning to the government – if far-right
extremism is not addressed, there could be mass emigration among the
country’s Romany population.
More
Current AffairsDeputy PM's Roma plan raises eyebrows
Jíří Čunek, the country’s Deputy PM and Minister for Regional
Development has been in trouble several times for his actions and
statements regarding Czech Roma. This week, the Christian Democrat leader
announced a plan to solve the so-called Roma problem within 10 years. The
solution, to segregate Roma into various categories according to their
willingness to be “civilized” has raised some eyebrows.
More
Current AffairsSenator accused of defamation retains political immunity
The Czech Senate’s immunity committee decided on Tuesday not to hand
independent Senator Liana Janáčková over for prosecution. Mrs
Janáčková stands accused of defamation, after saying that the
country’s Roma population should, among other things, be ‘blown up’.
The decision has provoked outcry amongst Romany rights groups, who say that
the move gives a green light to public displays of racism.
More
Talking PointThe Czech Republic and the rise of social exclusion
“I’m standing in an area of Prague which is quite close to Prague’s
main train station – Hlavní Nádraží. This is an area which has been
described as one of the worst areas of Prague in terms of poverty and
destitution, but looking round, it looks quite normal to me – there’s a
hotel here; there’s shops; there’s all sorts of normal things that
you’d expect. So the impression one gets is that poverty isn’t really
an issue in Prague if this is as bad as it gets. But that doesn’t really
paint the full picture. To the north and to the east of the country, you
have ghettoisation and it is becoming an increasing problem. So the
question I’m asking is just how bad is poverty, ghettoisation and social
exclusion? The government has recently set up a taskforce to deal with the
issue – and that’s what I’ll be exploring.”
More
Current AffairsLandmark ruling finds Czech state guilty of violating rights of Roma school children
In a landmark verdict, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that
the Czech Republic violated the rights of Roma children by placing them in
so-called special schools for children with learning difficulties. The
state has been ordered to pay the 18 families who took the case 4,000
euros
each in compensation. Meanwhile, Roma rights campaigners are calling on
the
Czech Republic to adopt positive measures to address the segregation that
still exists, despite changes to the law. More
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