OSCE

Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights CPRSI Newsletter

February 1996 Vol.1 No. 4

Inside This Issue: CPRSI Workshop On Violence Against In the course of discussion the participants ROMA, Warsaw 19 January reconfirmed that a special emphasis in the 1996...... Error! Bookmark not activities of the CPRSI should be defined. continuously placed on discrimination and Workshop On Violence Against Roma - violence against Roma. In this context a List Of specific need for prompt and reliable Participants...... Error! information about all cases of violence Bookmark not defined. available in the CPRSI was underscored. Fax List Of Roma NGO'S Participated In Such information would facilitate The Conference...... substantially also the preparation of a Euroroma Holds Organisational special report on cases of violence against Conference in Budapest Roma and Sinti for the information of the Reports...... OSCE Permanent Council. . While addressing the situation of Roma and Sinti in different countries several common CPRSI WORKSHOP ON VIOLENCE levels were indicated for violent and racist actions against Roma and Sinti: individual AGAINST ROMAError! Bookmark not citizens committing criminal offense; defined. skinheads or extreme-right groups; Warsaw, 19 - 23 January 1996 collective actions of ethnic nature at the community level; police and other law enforcement institutions. International "Workshop on Violence against Roma" took place on 19 January That violence against Roma and Sinti is an 1996 in Warsaw. The meeting was all-European phenomenon, was pinpointed organised by the Contact Point for Roma in many contributions. It has been and Sinti Issues (CPRSI) within the manifested in many areas of public and ODIHR and was attended by 35 social life in various countries, i.e. inter- representatives of Roma and Sinti ethnic relations in the society, functioning associations and NGOs. Representatives of of governmental institutions and the Council of Europe and the UNHCR administration, practice applied in the were also present. system of justice, education, behavior of 1

OSCE CPRSI Newsletter Vol.1 No. 4 police, attitude of media, language used to 3. Bitu Nicoleta - Rromani CRISS - describe violence main characteristics. A Bucharest, Romania view of close interrelationship between 4. Blaha Bohuslav - Inforoma - violence against Roma and general living Bratislava, standards in the society was commonly 5. Danova Savelina - Human Rights shared. Project - Sofia, Bulgaria 6. Djuric Rajko - International Romani Union - Berlin, Germany Participants also focused their attention on the issue of lack of legal assistance to Roma and Sinti in view of the growing 7. Emerson Martin - Minority Rights numbers of violent attacks and ethnic Group International - , UK tensions around Roma refugees and 8. Farkas Florian - Association Lungo displaced persons. Better coordination of Drom - Budapest, Hungary different existing legal assistance 9. Galjus Orhan - Patrin - Presov, programmes dedicated to Roma as well as Slovakia education and training were strongly 10. Georgiev Peter - Bulgarian Parliament, recommended to be intensified in this field. Roma Confederation - Sofia, Bulgaria The participants furthermore indicated the 11. Gheorge Nicolae - Rromani CRISS - need for effective continuation of the Bucharest, Romania liaison function of the CPRSI and its 12. Gina Ondrej - Fund of Hope and cooperation on Roma and Sinti issues with Understanding - the Council of Europe and the European 13. Graven Mieke - Sinti-Werk - Best, Commission. Several proposals were made Netherlands to strengthen the CPRSI, in terms of its 14. Grigorichenko Petr - Ukrainian staff and resources. An expectation was Association of Roma - Kiev, expressed that it might be examined at the Ukraine OSCE review conference later this year. 15. Jevremovic Dragan - Romano Centro - Vienna, Austria During an exchange of views on the urgent 16. Jimenez Nicolas - Rromani Cexrain need for increasing prevention of violence, and F.A.G.E.X - Zafra, Spain the CPRSI proposal for convening a 17. Kawczynski Rudko - Roma National "Workshop on Roma and Sinti and the Congress - Hamburg, Germany Media" was welcomed. 18. Kjutchkov Christo - Ministry of Education - Sofia, Bulgaria The participants recommended also that 19. Kocze Angela - Autonomia Foundation future workshops on violence against - Budapest, Hungary Roma take place in other countries. 20. Kruck Christina - Soros Rroma Foundation - Zurich, Switzerland 21. Liegeois Jean - Pierre - Centre de LIST OF PARTICIPANTSError! Bookmark Recherché Tsiganes - Clichy, not defined. France WORKSHOP ON VIOLENCE AGAINST 22. Lodzinski Slawomir - Helsinki ROMA Foundation - Warsaw, Poland 23. Mirga Andrzej - PER Romani Advisory Council - Krakow, Poland 1. Adamajtis Bozena - Roma National 24. Raducanu Gheorge - Partida Romilor - Congress - Hamburg, Germany Romania 2. Bajda Piotr - Helsinki Foundation for 25. Russinov Rumyan - Human Rights Human Rights - Warsaw, Poland Project - Sofia, Bulgaria

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OSCE CPRSI Newsletter Vol.1 No. 4 26. Rooker Marcia - Catholic University - 6. Farkas Florian - Association Lungo Nijmingen, Netherlands Drom - Budapest, Hungary - 27. Rossberg Arnold - Zentralrat Deutcher 3611767435 Sinti und Roma - Heidelberg, 7. Galjus Orhan - Patrin - Presov, Germany Slovakia - 4291733902 28. Sarkozi Rudolf - Association of 8. Georgiev Peter - Bulgarian Parliament Austrian Roma - Wien, Austria - Sofia, Bulgaria - 359394608 29. Scuka Emil - ROI - Czech Republic 9. Gheorge Nicolae - Rromani CRISS - 30. Stankiewicz Stanislaw - Soros Roma Bucharest, Romania - 4012117868 Foundation - Bialystok, Poland 10. Gina Ondrej - Council for Minorities - Czech Republic - 421813011 31. Vasecka Michel - Inforoma - Bratislava, Slovakia 11. Graven Myeke - Landelijke Sinti 32. Valama Helge - Ministry of Labour - Organisatie - Best, Netherlands - Helsinki, Finland 31498372915 33. Weiss Lalla - Landelijke Sinti 12. Grigorichenko Petr - Ukrainian Organisatie - Best, Netherlands Association of Roma - Kyiv, 34. Wierzycka Lucja - Helsinki Foundation Ukraine - 70444842358 - Warsaw, Poland 13. Hancock Ian - Per Romani Advisory 35. Zolotorenko Vladimir - Open Society Council - Austin, USA - Fund - Kyiv, Ukraine 015122954772 14. Hereida Juan de Dios Ramirez - Alfredo Miccio, John Murray - Council of Barcelona, Spain - 193434127040 Europe - Strasbourg, France 15. Jevremovic Dragan - Roma Centro - Luigi Cabrini, Hy Shelow, Jakub Boratynski - Vienna, Austria - 4317496336 UNHCR - Warsaw, Poland 16. Jimenez Nicolas - Centro Sociocultural Paulina Merino, Elizabeth Winship, Jacek "Garcia de la Huerta" - Zafra, Paliszewski, Ilya Belkin, Ireneusz Spain - 3424552177 Stepinski, Tanja Koch - Contact Point for 17. Kawczynski Rudko - RNC - Hamburg, Roma and Sinti Issues - OSCE/ODIHR - Germany - 4940310475 Warsaw, Poland 18. Kjutchkov Christo - Ministry of Education - Sofia, Bulgaria - 3592882485 FAX LIST OF ROMA NGO'S 19. Kocze Angela - Budapest, Hungary - PARTICIPATED IN THE CONFERENCE 3611767435 Error! Bookmark not defined. 20. Koptova Anna - Romathan Theatre - Kosice, Slovakia - 4295435796 1. Bitu Nicoleta - Rromani CRISS - 21. Kruck Christina I. - Soros Rroma Bucharest, Romania Foundation - Zurich, Switzerland - 2. Cartner Holly - Human Rights 4113836302 Watch/Helsinki - NY, USA - 22. Liegeois Jean - Pierre - Centre de 012129720905 Recherché Tsiganes - Clichy, 3. Courthiade Marcel - Rromani Baxt - France - 33147312923 Tirana, - 3354235197 23. Mirga Andrzej - PER Romani 4. Djuric Rajko - International Romani Advisory Council - Krakow, Poland Union - Berlin, Germany - - 4812366932 49308548075 24. Nickels John - International Romani 5. Emerson Martin - Minority Rights Union - US Branch - Group - London, UK - 016097297768 441818625708

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OSCE CPRSI Newsletter Vol.1 No. 4 25. Nowicki Marek - Helsinki Foundation - Romania will participate in Euroroma. Poland - 6296996 / 6269875 / Besides setting up educational courses and 6281008 Romani media in Romania and Slovakia, 26. Orgovanova Klara - Open Society Euroroma will establish legal offices for Fund, INFOROMA - Bratislava, Roma, which already function in the other Slovakia - 4275314730 two countries 27. Paun Nicolae - Partida Romilor - Bucharest, Romania - 4013225199 REPORTS 28. Plaks Livia - Project on Ethnic Relations - Princeton, USA - A Report on the Way in Which 016096835888 Citizenship Law of the Czech Republic Is Being Implemented, With Particular

29. Raducanu Gheorge - Partida Romilor - Regard to the Romany (Gypsy) Romania - 4013225199 Population, Tolerance Foundation, August 1993 30. Rossberg Arnold - Zentralrat Deutcher Sinti und Roma - Heidelberg, Bulgaria: Increasing Violence Against Germany - 496221981190 Roma in Bulgaria, Human Rights Watch 31. Russinov Rumyan - Human Rights Helsinki, November 1994 Project - Sofia, Bulgaria - 3592875577 Countering Anti-Roma Violence in 32. Sarguera Jean - Rroma Association - Eastern Europe, Project on Ethnic Paris, France - Relations, 1994 33. Sarkozi Rudolf - Association of Austrian Roma - Wien, Austria - Estatutos, Union Romani, February 1992 431375194 34. Scuka Emil - , Czech Republic - Events and Issues in the Former Soviet 42224914690 ext. (faxova linka) Union and Europe: Roma, Open Media 34504 Research Institute, August 1994 35. Stankiewicz Stanislaw - Soros Roma Foundation - Bialystok, Poland - Fundamentos del Pensamiento Gitano, 85329607 Union Romani, November 1994 36. Valama Helge - Ministry of Labour - Helsinki, Finland - 358018569202 Generally Binding Decree to Assure 37. Weiss Lala - Landelijke Sinti Public Order and Security in the Town Organisatie - Best, Netherlands - of Jirkov, Municipal Council of Jirkov, 31499372915 December 12, 1992

Gypsies and Travellers, A Pack for EUROROMA HOLDS ORGANISATIONAL Organisations, Robert Dawson CONFERENCE IN BUDAPEST Implementation of the [Citizenship] Law, An International meeting of Roma was Tolerance Foundation, October 1995 organised in Budapest on 12 and 12 January by the Autonomy Foundation, Improvement of Relations Between ORS (Romani National News Service) Police and Inhabitants in the Nationally reported on 15 January. Its goal was to Mixed Territory, Minority Rights Group- establish a program called “Euroroma”, Slovakia supported by 350,000 ECU. Four countries - Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary and

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OSCE CPRSI Newsletter Vol.1 No. 4 Informe Sobre la Question Gitana, Report, Citizens' Solidarity and Tolerance Editorial Presencia Gitana, 1991 Movement - Host, May 1995

Institutional Racism: A Form of Anti- Report, Citizens' Solidarity and Tolerance Rromani Violence From Governments, Movement - Host, 3 June 1995 Paper by Nicolas Jimenez Gonzalez, Rromani Cexrain & Federacion de Report, Citizens' Solidarity and Tolerance Asociaciones Gitanas Extremefias, 13 Movement - Host, 16 June 1995 January 1996 Report, Citizens' Solidarity and Tolerance Iowan: Thousands of Gypsies were Movement - Host, 14 July 1995 Exterminated by Czechs, June 26 1994 Report, Citizens' Solidarity and Tolerance Movement - Host, 29 July 1995

Los Gitanos Ante la Ley y la Administracion, Presencia Gitana, 1991 Report Concerning the Events Occurred From 20th of September, County of Memoria des Actividades, Ano 1992, Chetani, District of Mures, Romania, Union Romani, December 1992 Societatea Tanara Generatie A Promilor, 22 September 1993 Minorities in Decision Making Processes, Judit Boda-Palok Report Concerning the Events Occurred in Carpinis Village, County of Timis, Minorities in Government, Judit Boda- 16th of March, 1993, Romania, Palok Societatea Tanara Generatie A Promilor

Minorities in Local Governments, Judit Report Concerning the Events Occurred Boda-Palok in Rahova Quarter Five District of Bucharest, Societatea Tanara Generatie A Notes on the Czech Citizenship Law's Promilor, Costel Vasile, 01-03 of July, Background, Tolerance Foundation, 1992 February 1995 Report on the Matter of the Cancellation Otto Ulc, The Plight of the Gypsies, (vol. of Permanent Residence of Two 26), Freedom Review, May-June 1995 Romanian Families in Trnava, International Helsinki Federation for Policies of Exclusion Foe Czechs and Human Rights, 10 April 1994 Slovaks, Democracy Seen at Risk in Bratislava, Prague Law Limits Rights Of Resolution prepared by the Working Gypsies, By Stephen Kinzer and Jane Group on Civil and Public Liberties and Perlez, New York Times, 28 December Minority Rights, First European Romani 1995 Congress

Presentation, Romani CRISS, 1995 Roma/Gypsies: A European Minority, Minority Rights Group, By Jean Pierre Press Info - Discrimination Measures Liegeois and Nicolae Gheorghe, 1995 against Roma in Germany, Roma National Congress, January 1993 Roma After the Break-up of , Jana Plichtowa, Slovak Academy of Science, April 1993

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OSCE CPRSI Newsletter Vol.1 No. 4 The State of Crisis-Management in the Roma Commence Tehir Relatives Social Stratum of Unemployed Gypsies, Murdered By Nazi Violence, Romnews, Ministry of Labour of Hungary, 1994 No. 48, 18 December 1995 The Use of Mother Tongue in Roma Organisations in the Czech Communicating with the Authorities, Republic Consider Resistance, Romnews, Rozalia Csipka No. 48, 18 December 1995 The Usti Initiative, Cristina Kruck, Roma Roma und Juden Musizieren, 12 January Soros Foundation, 15 May 1995 1995 Turning a Blind Eye to Racism, Amnesty International, September 1994

STATEMENTS Romania - Alleged Torture and Ill- Treatment of Roma in Piata Rahova, in Declaration Given to Costel Vasile By Bucharest, Amnesty International, All Banias Minica, 43 Years Old, Living in Concerns in Europe, December 1992, Periam Village, Romani Street, No. 380, Banias Minica Romania - Continuing Violations on Human Rights, Amnesty International, Declaration Given to Costel Vasile By May Vincu Marta, Living in Periam Village, 1993 Coloniei Street No. 373, Vincu Marta

Romania - Update to May 1995 Report, Declaration Given to Costel Vasile By Amnesty International, September 1995 Vincu Nicolae, Living in Periam Village, Coloniei Street No 379, Vincu Nicolae Short View on the Ethnic Situation in Budapest, Maria Z. Demeter, February 16 Declaration Given to Costel Vasile By 1994 Marian Francisc , 28 Years Old, Living in Periam Village, Coloniei Street, No 3- Survey on Articles Concerning the 75, Marian Francisc Rroma Ethnic Minority, Starting with 24 of September, Romanian Media, Letter to IHF, John A. Young, Orhan Societatea Tanara Generatie A Promilor, Galjus and Douglas Wood, August 25 Costel Vasile, 1992 1994

The Changing Situation of the Gypsy Letter to the Council of Europe by Minority After the Change in Regime, Helsinke obcanske shromazdeni v Ceske Bela Bogdan republice/ Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly in the Czech Republic, Section of Human The Print and Broadcast Media of Rights, Prague, Helsinki Citizens Hungary's National and Ethnic Assembly, 13 July 1994 Minorities, Istvan Fretyan Letters, Landeseinwohneramt Berlin, The Situation of Refugees in the Slovak January 1995 Republic, Radoslav Prochadzka Proposals for the Government Concerning the Improvement of the

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OSCE CPRSI Newsletter Vol.1 No. 4 Living and Working Conditions of the Description of Programs for Romani Gypsy Minority, Ministry of Labour of Community, Minority Rights Group - Hungary, May-June 1994 Slovakia, October 1994

Protest Declaration, Gypsy Perition Description of a Program, Kalyi Jag Committee for Defence of National Roma Vocational Comprehensive School, Minorities' Rights, February 1993 August 1995

Romano Lil - Letters Sent by the Roma Foundations for the Minorities in Federation and Romani CRISS to Hungary, Rozalia Csipka international organisations, Romani CRISS, February-June 1995 Gypsy University Extension Course of Public Life, Roma Parliament in Hungary Statement, Helsinki Citizens Assembly, Initiatives in the Czech Republic, Czech Ministry of the Interior

Statement, Vaclav Trojan, Helsinki Citizens Assembly, September 1994 Phralife - Gypsy Organisation’s Art Foundation, PHRALIPE, August 1989 ARTICLES

A Blot on the Conscience - Czech Attitudes on Citizenship for Gypsies Come Under Fire, Tom Gross, , 19 December 1994

Article in "Obiektiv": The Roma as a Sitting Duck Again", Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, November 1995

Czechs Use Laws To Exclude Gypsies From Gaining Citizenship and Voting, New York Times, 27 December 1995, Sent To Jacek Paliszeswki by Erika B. Schlager, 3 January 1996

Increasing Opportunities for Romani Publishing (article in "Transition, Vol.1. No. 18), Open Media Research Institute, October 1995

PROGRAMMES

Confidence-Building Measures To Promote Understanding Between the Various Communities, Bela Bogdan

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OSCE CPRSI Newsletter Vol.1 No. 4