The Jekhetani Luma civic association is drawing attention to the fact that while the town of Mladá Boleslav has just announced it will be increasing the capacity of its nursery schools, many families have no hope of accessing them. The children of families who have long lived in the town but have their permanent residencies registered elsewhere will have no chance of attending the preschools. These families moved to the town for work not only from other parts of the Czech Republic, but also from abroad.
Instead of raising their standards of living, however, many of these families found themselves facing the bottom of the barrel. Even though both parents would like to work, the father is the one who ends up making a living for the whole family. The mother must stay home with the child or children, and if she can’t register her child in nursery school, she ends up having to stay home even after her maternity leave is over. Because of high housing costs in the region, families often have a hard time surviving. Children remain at home who should be attending nursery school for at least the last year before their mandatory school attendance begins so as to acquire or strengthen the awareness and skills needed to handle the transition to school and get used to a regular regime and working in a collective.
This very often happens to the children of parents who are unable to systematically prepare their children at home for the transition to nursery school itself. Some of these children may even have been recommended for preschool by a Pedagogical-Psychological Counseling Center or their pediatrician. The Schools Act says all pre-schoolers, i.e., children in their last year prior to enrolling into elementary school, have the right to free education at a nursery school. However, this right depends on the parents having registered their permanent residency in that particular municipality. Continue reading Roma NGO calls for change to rules on preschool access in Czech Republic
Category Archives: Tschechien
Czech Police brutally disrupt religious gathering of hundreds of Roma people
Today on the streets of the Czech town of Krupka (population 15 000) promoters of the extreme-right Workers‘ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS) and the neo-Nazi groups Autonomous Nationalists (Autonomní nacionalisté – AN) and National Resistance (Národní odpor – NO) held a demonstration. At one point along the route of the neo-Nazi march, a religious service was held and attended by several hundred people, most of them Roma. Police brutally intervened against the service with truncheons, beating even the clergyman leading it, according to eyewitnesses. A total of seven people were arrested.
The DSSS demonstrators, whose flags and other symbols made it clear they were predominantly extreme-right sympathizers, gathered at the train station to march into the town. Police estimated their numbers to be roughly 150 total. Continue reading Czech Police brutally disrupt religious gathering of hundreds of Roma people
Imperfect Justice: Anti-Roma Violence and Impunity
Budapest, 6 April 2011: Many Romani victims of violent attacks do not secure justice, according to the findings of research undertaken by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.
In a significant number of countries, violence against Roma is a serious and ongoing problem. Not only because it harms the Roma directly affected by the attack, but Roma as an ethnic group are impacted by the lack of effective response by State authorities. While Roma are often described as a vulnerable group in Governments’ policies, little of this understanding is visible in the practice of police and other responsible State authorities in addressing anti-Roma violence. Continue reading Imperfect Justice: Anti-Roma Violence and Impunity
Czech court increases sentences for Bedřiška arson on appeal
The High Court in Olomouc has handed down stricter sentences than the first instance court did in the case of an arson attack on a Roma home in the Bedřiška settlement of Ostrava. Instead of suspended sentences, the youth whom the court found responsible for the attack will serve four years in prison and his mother 7.5 years. The High Court judged the youngster’s crime to be attempted reckless endangerment, while his mother was convicted of abetting reckless endangerment.
The son was originally sentenced by the Regional Court in Ostrava to a three-year suspended sentence for attempted reckless endangerment, while his mother was originally given an 18-month suspended sentence for not preventing her son from throwing the Molotov cocktail. No one was injured during the attack, as the fire was put out before the bottle could explode. Continue reading Czech court increases sentences for Bedřiška arson on appeal
Two gatherings against racism and neo-Nazism planned for Nový Bydžov
In response to a march announced for Saturday 12 March by the Workers‘ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS) in the town of Nový Bydžov, which neo-Nazis are planning to support, two other gatherings against neo-Nazism and racism have been scheduled there. The Nový Bydžov is not alone! Initiative (Iniciativa Nový Bydžov není sám!) is planning a peaceful, non-violent gathering in the town. This will complement a previously announced student gathering which the Mayor of Nový Bydžov speculates will be a gathering of left-wing extremists. According to the Nový Bydžov is not alone! declaration, those signed up to the Initiative will actively come out against racism, neo-Nazism, and crime. „We condemn all criminal acts, but we reject the principle of collective guilt being exploited as part of anti-Roma rhetoric,“ Initiative representatives told news server Romea.cz. Continue reading Two gatherings against racism and neo-Nazism planned for Nový Bydžov
Antiziganism and neo-nazi activity
Novy Bydzov is a small town of around 7.000 people located on the east
from Prague, about one hour driving away. Recently it hit news because
of the so-called racial tension between Roma population and white
inhabitants, followed by the official statement of the Major of the town saying „Roma people rape, steal and loot in the middle of the day“.Neo-nazis smelt their chance and call for a march through the town.
Their march is organized by the same people as the serious attempt to
mass attack on Roma population in Litvinov two years ago. Translated
call for action follows: Continue reading Antiziganism and neo-nazi activity
Verdict tomorrow on attempted pogrom in Czech town after two and a half years of delay
Tomorrow (Thursday 24 February 2011) the Regional Court in Ostrava should announce a first-instance verdict in the case of those accused of committing a targeted racist attack on randomly selected Roma people in two neighborhoods of the North Moravian town of Havířov. In 2009, the High Court in Olomouc decided the case could be qualified as attempted murder. The case was therefore removed from the docket of the District Court in Karviná and transferred to the Regional Court.
Almost two and a half years have passed since the crime was committed, and the defendants have been at liberty during that time. The state prosecutor has charged eight young men with committing a racially motivated, targeted gang attack on Roma people in the neighborhoods of Šumbark and Prostřední Suchá in Havířov. One of the victims has suffered permanent damage to his health as a result of the attack. By law the trial will be closed, as one of the defendants was not yet 18 years old at the time of the crime. The announcement of the verdict, however, will be public. Continue reading Verdict tomorrow on attempted pogrom in Czech town after two and a half years of delay
Museum of Roma Culture removed from Holocaust memorial project at Hodonín by Kunštát
Representatives of the Society of Roma in Moravia are criticizing the fact that the Museum of Roma Culture in Brno will not be a co-designer of a new memorial to the Roma Holocaust to be erected at Hodonín by Kunštát. Karel Holomek told the Czech Press Agency today that the museum has devoted itself to the creation of such a memorial for the past 20 years and has a full understanding of the history of the camp. He has sent a letter to the Czech Prime Minister, the Culture Minister and the Education Minister protesting the fact that the museum is about to lose its ability to influence the project.
Last year the Czech Education Ministry planned to build the world’s first information center about the Roma Holocaust at the site of the former concentration camp for Roma in Hodonín by Kunštát. The ministry has recently released the following statement about those plans: „Construction of the large International Educational and Conference Center on a far-off site in the forest is not an economical option. Above all, it would be unsustainable without permanent increases in state investment.“ Continue reading Museum of Roma Culture removed from Holocaust memorial project at Hodonín by Kunštát
Romani agency ends activity over alleged segregation
Prague, Feb 3 (CTK) – The Czech government agency for Romany inclusion will immediately stop its activities in Holesov, south Moravia, over the town hall’s allegedly segregationist policies, Vaclav Zeman, from the agency, has told CTK, citing the monitoring committee’s decision.
The 20-member committee comprises experts from Romany associations, ministries, regional authorities and town halls.
Holesov mayor Zdenek Janalik, however, dismisses the claim, saying it is a misunderstanding.
„The Holesov town hall applies practices of segregation instead of integration. We want to send a clear sign to Holesov and other towns that such approach is incompatible with the agency’s,“ said Czeslaw Walek, director of the Government Office’s human rights section and a member of the monitoring committee.
The agency, which provides advice to towns on issues related to Romany integration, will discontinue its cooperation with Holesov after the town hall had more than 70 local Romanies moved from the town to container-like houses on its outskirts, Walek said.
According to an analysis experts completed a couple of years ago, there are over 300 excluded localities, houses or neighbourhoods, in the Czech Republic. Romanies prevail among their inhabitants. Many Romany children end up in „practical schools“ for pupils with learning difficulties, which critics say is inappropriate.
The agency’s workers try to coordinate cooperation of local town halls, labour offices, schools and NGOs on a local Romany integration plan outlining the necessary steps in areas such as education, housing, safety and employment.
The agency also helps towns apply for EU subsidies.
The agency started operation in 12 towns in 2008, and later it extended it to include another 11 towns.
In accordance with schedule, it plans to end its activities in six towns in mid-2011. In another six it will continue to operate until end-2012.
Quelle: Prague Daily Monitor
Stand: 16.02.2011
Czech court may soon rule in case of attack on Roma in Havířov
On Tuesday, 30 November the trial of eight young men charged with jointly committing a racially motivated attack on Roma in the Šumbark and Prostřední Suchá quarters of Havířov will continue at the Regional Court in Ostrava. One of the victims has been permanently injured as a result. The trial is closed to the public because at the time of the crime, one of the defendants was still a minor. Continue reading Czech court may soon rule in case of attack on Roma in Havířov