ENAR Weekly Mail 8

19 August 2005

 

NEWS FROM THE ENAR SECRETARIAT

·      New Policy Officer

ENAR’s new Policy Officer, Ms Anna Visser, started working with us on 16 August. Anna previously worked for the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) in Dublin as Policy and Research Officer, where she was active on European affairs. She has also worked on human rights issues in the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. Anna has published in the area of community relations and has produced many policy papers on issues relating to anti-racism and interculturalism. You can reach Anna at anna@enar-eu.org or +32-2-229.3573.

 

·      ENAR Shadow Reports 2004

Fourteen Shadow reports have been finalised and published on ENAR website. They include a report on European Policy and Roma, a Europe-wide report and 12 country reports. The Belgium, France and Luxembourg reports have been published in French, the others in English. The Europe report exists in both English and French, the Germany one in German and English. Download the reports

 

 

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE EU

·      AI reaction to the proposed comprehensive framework for action in dealing with the terrorist threat in Britain

On 5 August, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair announced certain measures that the UK authorities would be proposing in the aftermath of the July 2005 bombings in London. There are currently no detailed legislative proposals. The Prime Minister indicated that such proposals as “necessary” were being “urgently examined” and would be forthcoming. He also stated that administrative measures which do not necessitate primary legislation would be put in place “with immediate effect.” Read Amnesty International’s reaction in English // in French

 

·      Controversy over UK Mental Health Bill

Health campaigners in the UK call for the Mental Health Bill to be rescheduled so that statutory race-impact checks can be carried out. This development comes in the wake of heightened racial tension in the UK over the last two months and alarm over the Department of Health’s shoddy approach to the Race Impact Assessment. New powers within the Mental Health Bill will allow officers to forcibly enter the home and detain anyone suspected of mental illness without a warrant. With police under fire over the shooting of the innocent commuter Jean Charles de Menezes and the disproportionate use of stop and search against Black communities, health professionals believe that increased powers will be used in a racist way. Read more (English only)

 

·      Italy: New “counter-terrorist” legislation jeopardizes exercise of human rights

On 1 August, the lower house of the Italian parliament approved a decree which outlines a set of new “counter-terrorist” measures. Amnesty International is concerned that some of the decree’s provisions violate internationally recognized human rights laws and standards. Read more in English // in French

 

·      "Euro-Med Youth Awards" for best projects

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration and significant achievements of the Euro-Med Youth Programme, a special event will be held in Cairo, Egypt, from 12 to 16 October 2005. This event is co-organised by the Egyptian National Coordination Office, Salto Youth Euro-Med RC and the Euro-Med Youth Platform, under the patronage of the European Commission, and in cooperation with the European Youth Forum. Have you implemented projects through the Euro-Med Youth Programme? Do you have good practices to share? If so, read the criteria and apply online: in English // in French.

 

·      Greece: Anti-Nazi Initiative Action Alert against “pan-European” Nazi meeting

The Greek Nazi organisation “Golden Dawn” has invited its European counterparts to the first “pan-European camp” in September in Greece. The invitation is made jointly with the fascist “NPD” (Germany), “Forza Nuove” (Italy), and “La Fallange” (Spain) organizations. The Greek NGO “Antinazi Initiative” calls to protest against this meeting and to demand from the Greek Prime Minister to forbid it. Read more (English only)

 

 

ROMA ISSUES

·      A Help or a Hindrance? An analysis of policy making on the Roma

The write of this article looks at two studies on policy-making on the Roma in the EU, which seem to suggest that those policies are in need of a major re-think. The European Union may have succeeded in pressuring accession countries into adopting policies on Roma, but it has failed to ensure that the situation of the Roma has improved in either its new or its old member-states. Read the article (English only)

 

·      Roma political participation in Slovakia and the Czech Republic

The re-emerged Roma Initiative Party (ROI) in Slovakia has completed the required registration process and will be participating in this year's regional elections. The ROI will reportedly hold its second all-Slovakian congress on 27 August. Read more

In the Czech Republic, the newly established and now officially registered Roma Social Democratic Party (RDSS) is preparing to participate in the 2006 parliamentary elections. Read more

 

·      The Anti-Racist Football Championship of Poland

Karol Gierliński, deputy of International Roma Parliament, headquartered in Vienna, has opened the promotional game of a Second Anti-Racist Football Championship of Poland, during the Station Woodstock music festival in Kostrzyn. Read more

 

·      Roma victims of ethnic violence compensated after 12 years

Following the July 2005 sentence of the European Court of Human Rights, the High Court of Bucharest condemned 10 Romanians for the murder of three Roma and for the burning of several Roma houses in Hadareni in 1993. The court decided that the Romanians will have to compensate 15 affected Roma with 1.880 million Romanian Lei (approximately 56.000 €). Read more

 

 

CONFERENCES & MEETINGS

·      Annual Roma Studies Congress

Date and venue: 9-10 September, Granada (Spain)

The Faculty of Philosophy and Literature at the University of Granada will host the annual congress of Roma studies of the Gypsy Lore Society, an association whose goals include the promotion of the study of Roma, Traveler, and analogous peripatetic cultures worldwide; dissemination of accurate information aimed at increasing understanding of these cultures in their diverse forms; and establishment of closer contacts among scholars studying any aspects of these cultures. More information about the Congress: http://www.gypsyloresociety.org/confintro.html

 

·      Antiziganism: Theories, Models and Practices

Date and venue: 8-9 October 2005, University of Hamburg (Germany)

Non-Roma and Roma scientists will discuss the term “Antiziganism” at the conference with the background of their respective experience. They will then develop new research strategies together. The term "Antiziganism" may have a certain political punch, but is not clearly defined in a scientific way. Thus, it is too open to be used for operative research in this field. Nevertheless, scientific research is of essential importance for the fight of the Roma and Sinti to gain social respect. Scientifically well-defined terms develop their very own political punch. Scientists from various European countries who are both involved in theoretical research as well as practical-political activities will present their research focus at the conference in talks and workshops. Through open discussion, the different focal points can hopefully be brought to a common denominator, so that concrete research concepts can be developed with them.

For more information on content and registration, go to the website of the European Centre for Antiziganism Research (EZAF): in English, German or Rom

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

·      Report on the Free Movement of Workers in EU-25. Who’s afraid of EU enlargement?

ECAS (European Citizen Action Service) in July 2005 carried out research on the development of the labour market of each EU member state during the past 12 months, as regards the employment of accession country nationals. According to the report, the statistical data on migration within the EU since enlargement last year show that fears about an influx of workers to old member states proved to be a myth. However, some new member states are battling with a 'youth drain' as well-qualified young people leave for jobs in Western Europe. Read the report (English only)