1. Roma of the Czech Republic
the struggle for equality

2. Introduction
Roma (Gypsies) have been drastically oppressed for centuries
Will talk about
History
Present Issues
Possible Solutions

3. History - Distant Roma came from India in 1300’s
Middle Ages – Rumor woman had relations with Satan
All Roma (like Jews) thought to be evil
Not Christian when they arrived
Estimated that half of all Roma were slaves in 1400’s-1800’s in Europe

4. History – Past (cont.) Culture without a homeland (like Jews)
Traveling bands
Nomads

5. History - WWII Genocide of Roma by Nazis
Nazi experiments in alleged Roma “fertility” and twins

6. History – Communist Era
Also sterilized Roma women
Forced Roma to settle; gave new homes
Changed language and even their names
Started many of the problems the Roma of the Czech face today! (housing, schooling, etc.)

7. History – Communist Era
Took away ethnic identity
Outlawed language
Closed newspapers and clubs
Yet economic improvement
Made to work in factories
Paid wages; reduced poverty

8. Roma Stereotypes Liars, cheats, thieves High birthrate Musical
Hemingway writes, “The gypsy…is truly worthless. He has no political development, nor any discipline, and you could not rely on him for anything.”

9. Roma Issues Today Schooling barriers Unemployment Housing shortages
Lack of Healthcare
Racism

10. Where Roma Live
Generally where population is dense

11. Racism Today
When polled, 36% of Czechs said they did not care about racism
6% actively opposed
6% actively supported
Can legally be barred from public places (signs posted)

12. Schooling 75% of Roma children are in special education classes
Roma are only group of children to get psychological exam before admitted to schooling
Fear of violence and cost of supplies deter families from educating children

13. Unemployment Roma unemployment rate is 70% (other Czechs—3%)
Usually don’t work service jobs
Do “grunt” jobs
Roma activists have wired themselves when going in to inquire about jobs
When denied that positions were available when they actually were, collect monetary compensation

14. Housing AND HEALTH CARE
Many Roma live in public housing (due to bad schooling and high unemployment)
Proposals to build wall around Roma section of town in Usti
There are self-governed “Roma” sections of town
More Roma need state health care due to low employment
Doctors have turned away Roma emergency when busy
Some Roma parents are cautious about government-mandated vaccinations for their children

15. Shocking Misc. Facts
¾ Gypsies in Central and Eastern Europe are illiterate
Average Roma life is 1/3 shorter than non-Roma
Roma are only ethnic group scanned mandatory before allowed on airplanes at British airport in Prague
150, ,000 (.3%) Czechs are Roma, but only 11,000 actually claim to be

16. Shocking Misc. Facts
Roma women in Czech Republic are pressured to be sterilized to stop “unhealthy birthrates”
Cases in ’90s where women did not give consent and it was done anyway
Cases where women were asked if they wanted to be sterilized while giving birth
Cases where women were bribed or blackmailed into getting it done
Economic and cultural reasons for large Roma families

17. Racist Skinheads 452 racial crimes in 2004
5,000 active Czech skinheads in the country
Perform acts of violence on Gypsies to get their point across
Stabbings
Random attacks
452 racial crimes in 2004

18. Possible Solutions
European Union admission – need to guarantee minority groups
Activist groups
Education
Government/Law
Police
Roma political parties

19. Solution - Activism Activist Groups Websites like romove.cz
Bury Me Standing by Isabel Fonseca
Presents Gypsies’ stories of hardships
Difficult for Roma in different countries to unite as one force
Also difficult to unite within the country due to differences among Roma

20. Solution - Education Do have a long-term plan to integrate
Have head-start like programs to get Roma children admitted to regular schools when they are 5
Getting more Roma teachers assistants
More scholarships for higher education

21. Solution - Government Integrated housing project starting in Ostrava
Have cases pending on racial discrimination in bars
12 suits filed on school system discrimination
11 turned down, but have 1 suit pending

22. Solution - Police Trainees being trained on Roma language and culture
More racial crimes are being reported each year
Sign that the police are noticing there is a problem and reporting it correctly instead of ignoring it
Trainees being trained on Roma language and culture

23. European Union
Roma can take human rights cases to European Court of Human Rights
EU disapproves of Czech treatment of Roma
Said no to the wall-building expedition
Hard to say what changes will occur, as the Czech Rep. was just admitted in 2004

24. Solution – Political Parties
Many Roma political parties popping up
Romani Civic Initiative
Democratic Alliance of Roma in the Czech Republic
Most parties started around 1998
Some members already represented in Parliment

25. Emigration Most of these “solutions” are not working yet
Roma are leaving in mass numbers for Canada and the UK, filing for refugee status