BalkanThemes A Publication

Volume 1 : Issue 2 Roma

About Balkan Diskurs

Introduction to BalkanThemes

Organizational Spotlight: TernYpe - Linking Roma Youth Across Europe

Albania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croatia

Kosovo

Macedonia

Montenegro

Romania

Serbia's Invisible Roma, by Juliette Ganne

Contributors

Portraits from "Stories of Our Time"

Citations

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Contents About Balkan Diskurs

Balkan Diskurs  is a non-profit, multimedia platform created and run by a regional network o f j o ur n a l i s t s , b l o g g e r s , multimedia artists, and activists who came together in response to the lack of objective, r e l e v a n t , i n v i g o r a t i n g , independent regional media. In a media culture dominated by political interests, we are different. The work on our site connects themes across borders a n d p r o v i d e s f r e s h a n d independent views on issues that matter to all people in the c o untr i e s o f th e f o rm er Yugoslavia.

Our platform has no restriction on theme, but ultimately we are dedicated to the ceaseless effort of challenging stereotypes and pro vi d ing vi e w p o ints on society, culture, and politics that cannot be found in other media. As such, some of our r e g u l a r t o p i c s i n c l u d e transitional justice, inequality, a n d h u m a n r i g h t s . We encourage the public to interact o n o u r p l a t f o r m b y c o mm e n t i n g , s u b m i t t i n g original pieces, or by sending us a postcard. While our platform does not propose ready-made solutions to the many problems facing our countries, we do aim to make our region more understandable and more transparent—both for local and international audiences.

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Organizational Spotlight: TernYpe—Linking Roma Youth Across Europe

TernYpe: International Roma Youth Network, an NGO founded in January 2010, unites different Roma youth organizations from Albania, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Slovakia, Spain and Poland. Together these organizations work towards youth empowerment, mobilization, self-organization, and civic participation. Their activities have included hosting networking meetings, sponsoring the European Roma Youth Summit in 2010 and the Roma Youth Conference in 2011. This organization also arranges youth exchange programs with partnering institutions. They offer roundtable discussions as well as training courses on matters such as creative campaigning and social inclusion.

Most recently, TernYpe joined with Phiren Amenca (Walk With Us!) International Network to organize a four-day series of events commemorating the “forgotten Holocaust”, which paid tribute to the Roma who perished at Auschwitz-Birkenau, where, between 2-3 August 1944, nearly 3,000 Roma were executed by Nazi soldiers[1].

Over 1,000 young Roma and non-Roma originating from 20 different European countries, and representing approximately 50 NGOs, came to Poland to take part in the commemoration[2]. The proceedings included three days of workshops, conferences, and survivor testimonies. The closing ceremony on August 3rd stretched late into the evening, as participants danced in celebration of the preservation of Roma culture and to honor memories of the past. A major aim of TernYpe and Phiren Amenca is to initiate the declaration of August 2nd as a public holiday across the European Union to commemorate the Roma Holocaust, as was done in Poland in 2011.

Introduction to BalkanThemes

BalkanThemes is a new initiative by the Post-Conflict Research Center to present members of the academic, cultural and international communities with up-to-date information on various topics that affect all states in the former Yugoslavia and the Greater Balkan region. Twice-monthly publications will provide insights into themes like human trafficking, sexual violence, peace building and minority rights, among others, and how these topics develop in varying local contexts across Southeastern Europe. Some times, we may choose to substitute one or more Balkan countries with other nations affected by the topic at hand. For example, this edition we have elected to report on Roma and other minorit y rig hts and how nationa l governments attempt or have not attempted to include Roma in .

Each publication will be composed of approximately seven brief summaries on recent happenings in the successor states of the former Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, B o s n i a a n d He r z e g o v i n a , S e r b i a , Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia) as well as one or two featured articles, which will explore the topic in greater detail in either a Balkan or external context. In this issue, PCRC intern Juliette Ganne provides an in-depth view of Serbia's "invisible Roma" and how their situation generally excludes them from engaging in everyday life in Serbia.

We hope you find BalkanThemes a useful tool as a base for your research or general-interest study in modern topics in the Balkan region. We invite any constructive feedback at info@balkandiskurs.com.

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Albania The size of the Roma population in Albania is estimated to range from 80,000 - 150,000 persons. Roma represent a marginalized minority with high levels of illiteracy and poor health standards and are subjected to exclusion and discrimination throughout Europe. In 2000, it was estimated that only 25 percent of the entire Roma population could afford basic medical attention[3].

The Decade of Roma Inclusion (2005 – 2015) is a positive – and important – advancement in the improvement of the Roma situation across the Balkans and in Albania, specifically. The Decade is an initiative supported by nine countries in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, and Albania expressed its wish to participate in 2007, becoming a full rights member in June 2008[4].

The Albanian government, with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), created the Albanian National Action Plan for the Decade of the Roma Inclusion (NAP-DRI)[5]. This action plan aims to reduce the socioeconomic gap between the Roma population and the rest of the Albanian population by tackling issues related to education, employment, housing and health[6].

Despite the positive initiatives to pursue Roma inclusion as well as the high level of international and local governmental and non-governmental involvement, the fate of the Roma minority in Albania has not seen significant improvement in recent years. The government has repeatedly destroyed illegally constructed Roma housing across the country[7]. In early July 2014, an additional 20 Roma were evicted from their houses in Elbasan in central Albania. The United Nations Human Rights Council has condemned this action, particularly because the victims neither benefit from procedural protection nor financial or material compensation as the houses were built without a permit. Since 2011, there have been two additional cases of forced Roma eviction in the capital city of Tirana[8].

It is crucial for the Albanian government to start working more fervently in favor of the human rights of Roma, which represents one of the 12 key conditions for the country to obtain – and at this point to maintain – the status of an EU candidate country, moving it one step closer to EU integration[9].

Bosnia and Herzegovina Roma make up the largest national minority group in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)[10]. According to official estimates, the Roma population of BiH is approximately 20,000, however, non-governmental organizations and Roma associations estimate the number to be closer to 30,000 - 50,000[11]. Many Roma remain internally displaced or refugees abroad and continue to live in informal settlements and extremely impoverished conditions[12].

As a non-constituent people within the legal framework of BiH, Roma are excluded from many forms of political participation, including the inability to run for specific public offices[13]. This status quo was challenged in Sejdić-Finci case in 2009, when Dervo Sejdić and Jakob Finci, who were of Bosnian Roma and Jewish decent, were deemed ineligible to stand for election to the House of the Peoples[14]. The European Court of Human Rights found this to be discriminatory because certain electoral posts, such as the tripartite presidency, could only be held by Serbs, Croats or Bosniak Muslims[15]. Five years have passed since the trial and the European Union expressed “deep disappointment” that no progress has been made on this issue. Roma representation in office at a municipal level remains low, as does Roma involvement at the state level[16].

Due to the informal nature of many Roma’s living arrangements, a large portion of the population is unable to access services due to the inability to obtain necessary papers and, therefore, register with associated municipalities[17]. This impedes access to public services, including access to housing, education, employment and health care. The Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina has pledged its support to the Decade of Roma Inclusion[18], however, poor implementation of the action plans designed in line with the Decade’s obligations have failed to remedy the problems that occur in the Roma community[19].

Croatia According to the 2011 Croatian population census, the Roma population in Croatia is estimated at 16,975[20], though several unofficial sources and NGOs provide higher estimates of 30,000-40,000[21]. In contrast to neighboring countries, Roma are a constitutionally recognized national minority in Croatia, according to the Constitutional Law on the Rights of National Minorities, which includes political representation in parliament[22]. The government also adopted a National Programme for Roma in October 2003[23] and joined the European Decade of Roma Inclusion (2005-2015) in an effort to improve living conditions, increase access to education and employment, and end discrimination[24]. Many efforts were concentrated on Međimurje County and Zagreb, where most Roma reside[25].

Despite these improvements, Roma continue to be one of the most economically disadvantaged and discriminated groups in Croatia[26]. In the 2010 case of Oršuš and Others v. Croatia, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against the segregation of Roma students in the elementary school system[27]. The plaintiffs alleged that students had been placed in inferior classes due to language deficiencies. It is estimated that only 10 percent of Roma children finish primary school[28].

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Kosovo

Historically, the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian populations are Kosovo’s most economically, politically, and socially marginalized minorities. In recent years, many have been displaced because of the 1999 war, ethnic conflict, extreme poverty, and political instability. Their numbers have declined from more than 200,000 before the war in 1999 to a mere 38,000 today. The Roma as well as Serbs often have been the target of violent attacks, initiated by Kosovar Albanians - the largest ethnic group in Kosovo[29].

Many Roma have obtained refugee status abroad, while others remain under temporary protection mechanisms. While living in Western Europe, Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian refugees experience living conditions that are significantly better than those in Kosovo[30]. Their children, often born abroad, learn the language and adopt the culture and lifestyle of their Western European host countries. They often grow up not speaking their parents' mother tongues.

Nevertheless, some who venture to other countries either fail to obtain asylum, or their temporary protection expires, which exposes puts them at risk of deportation. Some of the forced returnees are unable to obtain Kosovar identity documents, and, because they have no Yugoslav or Serbian identity documents establishing prior residence in Kosovo, it deems them de facto stateless, often for prolonged periods of time. The lack of assistance from international donors and the Kosovar government given to those who have been deported means that the burden of assisting them upon their arrival falls onto the Kosovar communities of Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians—the majority of whom live in abject poverty.

It is important to remember that the EU governments' responsibilities do not end at their borders. They, along with other donors and stakeholders, must focus on improving conditions for vulnerable communities rather than subjecting them to face further hardship.

Macedonia

According to the official 2002 census results, the Roma population of Macedonia consists of 53,879 individuals[31]. External sources estimate this population to equal nearly 260,000. While still a marginalized people in the larger sociopolitical scheme, Roma in Macedonia enjoy significantly greater freedoms and political representation than in other ex-Yugoslav states. For example, the municipality of Šuto Orizari (known colloquially as Šutko) is the only municipality in the world where Roma comprise a majority of the population and Romani is recognized as an official language, next to Macedonian[32]. Šutko lies to the north of the capital Skopje—a city that boasts two Romani-language television stations and one newspaper.

Macedonia's Roma are a constitutionally recognized minority, along with Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Serbs, and Bosniaks. Nonetheless, the protections given to the Roma are often granted to offset the powers of the larger Albanian minority. The 2004 Strategy for Roma in the Republic of Macedonia recognized the need for greater economic and political inclusion, yet this plan has yet to be implemented[33]. However, between 2000 and 2010, the proportion of public administration posts filled by Roma increased from 0.1 to 0.6 percent, yet Roma politicians are "mistrusted and dismissed as corrupt opportunists"[34]. According to the Open Society Foundations (OSF), “Policy decisions beneficial to the Roma have had more to do with a calculated effort by leaders of Macedonia’s majority to offset the will of leaders of the country’s ethnic-Albanian minority who have threatened the secession of areas of Macedonia with significant ethnic-Albanian populations”[35]. As of the 2006 parliamentary elections, members of the Roma minority won only 2 of the 120 seats in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia[36]. Many Roma remain disinterested in the political atmosphere generally divided between ethnic Macedonians and Albanians, many of whom have been accused of assisting both sides of the 2001 insurgency, during which several Roma shops and homes were looted and burned[37].

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Left: A clip from the Vice TV documentary

The Vice Guide to the Balkans shows high levels of lead contamination in Roma

communities near Leposavić, Serbia

Film via Vice TV

Montenegro

Roma in Montenegro are a recognized national minority (alongside Albanians, Bosniaks and Serbs) with an estimated population of 20,000. However, 2011 census records show a combined population of "Egyptians" and "Roma" totaling around 8,300, with nearly half living within the Podgorica municipality[38]. This population grew in the late 1990s as a result of the war in Kosovo, and many were persecuted by the Kosovar Albanian majority for their alleged collaboration with the Serbs[39]. More than forty percent of Montenegro's Roma are unemployed, more than half live in extreme poverty, and almost 70 percent of children lack birth certificates[40].

While the national government has drafted a plan to address the lack of education, suitable living conditions and democratic representation in the Roma community, no steps have been actively taken toward implementation. In a 2007 inclusion ranking of the Decade of Roma Inclusion signatory states, Montenegro scored the lowest of the nine nations[41], and, in 2013, only €228,700.74 was allocated to Roma inclusion projects[42]. Recent reports of substandard living conditions—such as unsafe electrical wiring and poor rations from the Red Cross—in UNHCR camps indicate a lack of progress in mainstreaming Roma livelihoods[43]. Children and young adults are left to rely on harvesting scrap metal as a source of meager income, complicating the poor health standards that already exist in Roma areas.

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Left/Right: A Roma family in central Bosnia and

Herzegovina, featured in the PCRC project

Stories of Our Time

Film via PINCHmedia

Romania

According to the country’s last census, there are 620,000 Roma living in Romania[44], however, the Council of Europe estimates that there are, in fact, 1.85 million Roma living in Romania[45]. This discrepancy can be attributed to the fact that, in order to avoid widespread discrimination, many citizens of Roma origin do not declare their ethnicity. This discrimination even occurs at the highest levels: in February 2014, Romania’s President Traian Băsescu was fined $185 by Romania’s official discriminatory board for comments he made in Slovenia in 2010, which include statements that “traditionally, many of them live off stealing,” and “very few of them want to work”[46]. Roma are at a clear disadvantage in Romanian society. For example, Roma children are three times more likely to be born into poverty and have a life expectancy six years less than their non-Roma counterparts[47].

Many organizations, including the EU[48], the Council of Europe[49], and the World Bank[50] are working in Romania, and Europe as a whole, to improve the situation for Roma. Many of these programs focus on increasing the inclusion of Roma in society, with a focus on education, work and health programs.

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Serbia's Invisible Roma, by Juliette Ganne

Serbia has had a Roma population since the middle of the 11th century; they are called Cigani in Serbian[51]. They speak Serbian or Romani and are typically religiously affiliated with the Serbian Orthodox Church, although there is also a minority of Muslim Roma found primarily in Kosovo.

According to a 2011 official estimate, the Roma community constitutes 1.4 percent of the total Serbian population, however, external observers estimate Serbia's Roma population between 300,000 - 460,000[52]. This means that Roma are the largest minority, constituting 6.2 percent of Serbia’s total population[53]. There are a little less than 600 Roma settlements in Serbia, mostly located around Belgrade, in Vojvodina, and in Southeast Serbia[54]. The lack of electricity, sewage systems and proper streets is a central concern for many of those settlements, as half are located in rural areas, while the remaining are situated in urban environments or in the immediate outskirts of cities[55].

One of the most prominent issues that Roma in Serbia face is their social and legal invisibility. This invisibility is manifested through a lack of official documents such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses and passports, thus rendering these Roma stateless. A certain number of these ‘undocumented’ individuals are those who were displaced in the 1990s. There were approximately 45,000 people displaced due to the conflict in Kosovo in 1999[56]. According to the European Union, around 6.8 percent of Roma in Serbia are in danger of statelessness because they do not have official documentation proving their citizenship[57]. The access to state services and citizenship privileges (the right to vote, health care, employment, housing, social assistance, and even the right to receive humanitarian aid from NGOs) are denied to people lacking appropriate documentation. In turn, this exacerbates the widespread problem of poverty. According to the World Bank, 60 percent of Roma in Serbia are ‘very poor,’ a rate ten times greater than that of the general population[58].

This problem is linked to the second invisibility that the Roma endure: social invisibility. Roma are generally ostracized from the main spheres of social life in Serbia. According to the Council of Europe, Roma in Serbia predominantly work within the grey economy (the secret, but not illegal, trade of goods) and are self-employed[59]. Roma’s traditional occupations have been absorbed by modern economy, and, accordingly, many have turned to other ways of generating income, such as street selling and collecting recyclable materials. However, it is hard to obtain reliable data, because there is no systematic collection of information by the government.

The same kind of disparities can be found in education. Roma in Serbia have one of the lowest scholastic enrollment rates in South Eastern Europe[60]. There are many barriers preventing Roma children from entering school, ranging from parents’ lack of financial means to a lack of training for teachers and supervisors. Moreover, the laws in education prevent children between 8.5 and 18 years old from enrolling; and many Roma children fall into that near 10-year gap and can never enroll. Only 0.3 percent of the Roma in Serbia have a university degree[61].

In recent years, despite this discouraging assessment, there have been efforts, both from the government and from the Roma community itself, to increase the integration of Roma, especially in the healthcare system and in the political domain. Since 2002, the Serbian government has developed a more concerted approach toward solving the problems within the Roma community through a law by the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, which includes measures to reduce poverty, raise the level of tolerance, increase inclusion of Roma in society and improve overall lifestyle[62]. As a part of this action plan, a law was passed creating Serbia’s “most important Roma political organization, the National Council of the Roma National Minority. This body represents the Roma community and participates in decisions concerning use of language and alphabet, education, information, and culture”[63]. Moreover, Serbia is a member of the Decade of Roma Inclusion (2005-2015) along with 11 other countries in Central and Eastern Europe[64]. There are currently discussions to continue the work completed after 2015 with the same global objectives, but possibly including other modalities among the countries[6].

Contributors Jemma Hoare Juliette Ganne Jennifer MacNeill Matthew McEveety Stephanie Sugars Taylor McConnell Thomas Van Vynckt Yeree Woo

Design Taylor McConnell

Cover Photo/Right Midhat Poturović

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Citations 1. http://www.krakowpost.com/article/8307 2. http://www.politics.hu/20140803/civil-organisations-commemorate-roma-holocaust-with-5-day-series-of-events/ 3. http://www.minorityrights.org/1398/albania/roma.html 4. http://www.al.undp.org/content/dam/albania/docs/The%20Decade%20of%20Roma%20Inclusion%20-%20National%20Action%20Plan.pdf 5. Ibid. 6. http://www.minorityrights.org/1398/albania/roma.html 7. Ibid. 8. http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/un-body-calls-on-albania-to-halt-roma-eviction 9. Ibid. 10. http://www.oscebih.org/default.aspx?id=53&lang=EN 11. http://www.romadecade.org/cms/upload/file/9762_file3_bih-2013.pdf 12. http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e48d766.html 13. http://www.errc.org/reports-and-advocacy-submissions/the-non-constituents-rights-deprivation-of-roma-in-post-genocide-bosnia-and-herzegovina/

112 14. http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/sites/eng/pages/search.aspx?i=001-96491#{"itemid":["001-96491"]} 15. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-117_en.htm 16. https://www.osce.org/bih/110495?download=true 17. http://www.romadecade.org/cms/upload/file/9296_file2_action-plan-on-employment-housing-and-health-care--introduction.pdf 18. http://www.romadecade.org/cms/upload/file/9762_file3_bih-2013.pdf 19. http://www.romadecade.org/cms/upload/file/9296_file2_action-plan-on-employment-housing-and-health-care--introduction.pdf 20. http://www.dzs.hr/Hrv/censuses/census2011/results/htm/usp_03_HR.htm 21. http://www.refworld.org/docid/49749d3544.html 22. http://www.vsrh.hr/CustomPages/Static/HRV/Files/Legislation__Constitutional-Law-on-the-Rights-NM.pdf 23. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/document/activities/cont/201011/20101124ATT00191/20101124ATT00191EN.pdf 24. http://www.romadecade.org/ 25. http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/roma-inclusion-what-we-can-learn-croatia 26. http://www.minorityrights.org/2652/croatia/roma.html 27. http://r2e.gn.apc.org/node/953 28. http://www.romachildren.com/?page_id=650 29. http://www.minorityrights.org/2463/kosovo/roma.html 30. http://www.hrw.org/news/2010/10/27/kosovo-europe-returning-roma-face-hardship 31. http://europeandcis.undp.org/uploads/public/File/rbec_web/vgr/chapter1.1.pdf 32. http://www.pri.org/stories/2011-09-29/where-roma-run-show 33. http://www.mtsp.gov.mk/WBStorage/Files/roma_strategy.pdf 34. http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/roma-political-life-macedonia-pride-and-prejudice 35. Ibid. 36. http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=4026&tmpl=printpage 37. http://www.errc.org/article/errc-press-statement-roma-in-the-macedonia-conflict/1744 38. http://www.romadecade.org/cms/upload/file/9762_file9_mo-2013.pdf 39. http://www.minorityrights.org/2645/montenegro/roma.html 40. http://www.un.org.me/index.php?page=international-roma-day 41. http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2007/06/13/feature-01 42. http://www.romadecade.org/cms/upload/file/9762_file9_mo-2013.pdf 43. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2009/06/2009617174646135402.html 44. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/04/07/breaking-the-cycle-of-exclusion-for-roma-in-romania 45. http://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/home?uuid=3f6c4a82-0ca7-4b80-93c1-fef14f56fdf8&groupId=10227 46. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26125135 47. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/04/07/breaking-the-cycle-of-exclusion-for-roma-in-romania 48. http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/roma/index_en.htm 49. http://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/home 50. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/04/07/breaking-the-cycle-of-exclusion-for-roma-in-romania 51. http://www.romaeducationfund.hu/sites/default/files/publications/serbia_report.pdf 52. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ri.html 53. http://www.minorityrights.org/4032/serbia/roma.html 54. http://www.romaeducationfund.hu/sites/default/files/publications/serbia_report.pdf 55. Ibid. 56. Ibid. 57. http://www.europa.rs/en/mediji/najnovije-vesti/1212/Roma+Social+Inclusion.html 58. http://www.romaeducationfund.hu/sites/default/files/publications/serbia_report.pdf 59. http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/romatravellers/archive/stabilitypact/ 60. http://www.romaeducationfund.hu/sites/default/files/publications/serbia_report.pdf 61. Ibid. 62. http://www.migrationeducation.org/26.1.html?&rid=28&cHash=ae3116419c9a7e7591f9fa8133c2cc32 63. http://www.romaeducationfund.hu/sites/default/files/publications/serbia_report.pdf 64. http://www.romadecade.org/ 65. http://www.romadecade.org/about-the-decade-decade-future

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