Gypsy Roma Traveller Leeds
The permanent site of the Gypsy Roma Traveller Communities
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Books
It's by no means a complete list, but on this page in the Culture Section you'll find some books that we feel we can recommend for more in depth study or interest.
Relevant Gypsy Roma and Traveller stories
News
Student research shows: Roma stereotypes not born out by reality. Results to be presented at public event.
Attitudes held by the public about the Roma community are likely to improve if communities have more contact with one other, according to research carried out by several groups of 3 students as part of the Year 3 module on ‘Romani Linguistics’. The research investigated Romani families who have emigrated to Manchester in recent years, and attitudes among local residents of non-Romani origin and public service employees.
The Roma: Why we shouldn't fear Gypsies
As Gypsies flee racists in Northern Ireland, a Briton who has lived among them in Romania and has a Roma son, calls for a solution to the economic plight.
"I know too well its truth, from experience, that whenever any poor Gipsies are encamped anywhere and crimes and robberies, etc, occur, it is invariably laid to their account, which is shocking; and if they are always looked upon as vagabonds, how can they become good people? I trust in Heaven that the day may come when I may do something for these poor people."
Queen Victoria in 1836
Read full article that appeared in the Times Online
Decent work for Roma is not just a matter of education
Brussels, March 12th, 2009 – ERIO, the European Roma Information Office, welcomes the adoption by the European Parliament (EP) of Magda Kósáné Kovács' report on improving the labour market accession for the Roma.
Ivan Ivanov, ERIO's Executive Director, stated: “Access to the labour market is the key to overturn the conditions of deprivation and segregation the Roma minority is undergoing everywhere in Europe.
Read more on the erionet.org website
One Punch Kills
Domestic Violence Project Report from Leeds GATE
Kathleen Morrison, the project leader for this project, presents a Report on a programme to raise awareness of domestic violence among the Gyspy and Traveller communities in Leeds.
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'I feel that one just one punch kills lots of things like respect, trust and self-esteem. It kills the spark of life even if iot doesn't kill your body.
Children who are around violence lose all these things as well, even if they are not getting hit themselves.'
' I knew it was a tricky subject and it was hidden under the carpet but I knew I had to do this; if not for me then for all the women and children in my community.' Kathleen Morrison
This project that originally set out to benefit a least 75 people but ended up directly involving nearer 2oo.
Some of the projects' aims were to provide opportunities for safe discussion of domestic violence issues among a group of Gypsy and Traveller parents and to raise their self esteem.
Europe's Roma - stuck in a "vicious circle" of despair
Europe's estimated 10-12 million Roma are its largest minority and most of them live in abject poverty. They are on the margins of education, healthcare and the labour market. A report presented to MEPs by Hungarian member Magda Kósáné Kovács on Monday says they are locked in a "vicious circle" especially in Central and Eastern Europe. We spoke to the former teacher about her report on getting Roma access to the labour market and ask what steps can be taken to improve the Roma's plight.
Read full interview on European Parliament website
United Nations Refuses to Acknowledge Romani Victims of the Holocaust at Annual Ceremony.
On 27 January 2009 the United Nations' will hold its annual observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the General Assembly Hall in New York. No Romani representation was sought.
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Requests asking why and for inclusion from several Romani agencies, including the Union Romani and the IRU to both Ms. Mona Gillet (gillet@un.org) of the Department of Public Information and to Ms. Kimberly Mann (kmann@un.org), manager of the United Nations Holocaust Outreach Programme, have remained unanswered. The one answer that was received consisted of a reminder that the UN had underwritten an exhibit on Roma at the Hungarian Mission, and had hosted the reception of a Romani delegation earlier in the year.
This year, the theme of the memorial ceremony will be “An Authentic Basis for Hope: Holocaust Remembrance and Education” and the keynote speaker will be Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council. Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka will open the event, which will include a message from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Statements will be made by H.E. Mr. Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, President of the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, and H.E. Ambassador Gabriela Shalev, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations. Ruth Glasberg Gold, a survivor of the Transnistria camps (in the former USSR) and WWII veteran Leonid Rosenberg, liberator of a concentration camp, will share their personal stories. Cantor Ya'akov Motzen will recite "Kel Ma'le Rachamim" and "Ani Ma'amin". The ceremony will also include musical performances by Elisha Abas (piano) and Yoon Kwon (violin).
The Holocaust was the implementation of the Final Solution, Hitler's genocidal programme intended to eradicate the genetic contaminants in his plan to create a master race. Only Jews and Romanies were subject to the Final Solution; both peoples lost the same percentage of their total number. Nothing was done to acknowledge the Romani survivors after 1945. The United Nations' decision to exclude Romanies from Holocaust remembrance only perpetuates the marginalization of our people in the historical record.
First Romany woman to get an MBE
Gloria Buckley from Norfolk has been awarded the MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours. Among the leading lights of show business and industry, Gloria Buckley has been singled out to receive the civilian order of the British Empire for her work in improving community relations between the Romany and gorgia (non-Gypsy) community.
Read more about Gloria Buckley
Travellers' live link to Gypsy summit in Brussels
Travellers plan to beam live video interviews from their site to an international Roma conference in Brussels.
Campaigners at Dale Farm in Crays Hill, near Billericay, hope to turn the St Christopher’s Community Centre at the site, paid for by Essex County Council, into a studio to link up to an EU-sponsored Roma summit via the internet on September 16.
Plan to cut targets for schools
From the BBC News
Councils in England could face fewer targets for different groups of pupils under proposals out for consultation.
Ministers want to cut from 17 to seven the number of groups for which councils have to set achievement targets.
Roma's struggle for fair education
From the BBC News
For generations, millions of Roma and Sinti people - often referred to as gypsies - have been excluded from mainstream schools in Europe. But the European Court of Human Rights ruled last year that this was discrimination, against the continent's largest ethnic minority.
Dale Farm Battleground
By Iain Guest, Roma Virtual Network
Inside, 86 families are steeling themselves for eviction. Several years ago, they built houses here without permission from the local government, or council, which ordered them to vacate the premises in June 2005. Last month, their appeal reached the High Court in London, which is expected to rule sometime after Easter. If it goes against them, their homes could be reduced to rubble.
Billy Joe Saunders after Beijing Olympic gold
By Simon Hart (from Telegraph.co.uk)
A teenager whose great grandfather was a bare-knuckle champion of the gypsy fairground booths is being tipped for boxing stardom of a more conventional kind - by winning an Olympic welterweight medal with a pair of gloves on his fists.
Billy Joe Saunders, 18, who lives with his family on a gypsy caravan site on the outskirts of Hatfield in Hertfordshire and boxes out of the Hoddesdon club, is already being compared with Amir Khan after his impressive progress since moving from the junior to the senior ranks six months ago.
Judge Wants Ending of Forced Evictions
By Jon Austin
Forced evictions could be a thing of the past, a top judge warned during day one of Basildon Council's High Court showdown with Travellers and Gypsies.
Calls for Moratorium on Constant Evictions
The fate of Dale Farm, the largest Travellers' community in the UK, could be decided by judges at the High Court next week...
Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day takes place every year on January 27th (that was the day the Auschwitz Concentration camp was liberated).
It has now become an internationally celebrated event and ceremonies are held all over Europe and Great Britain.
Every year, one particular City is chosen to host the national
commemorative event - last year it was Newcastle - and this year, the City of Liverpool had the honour.
Johnny Delaney was remembered at the national event and tribute was paid to him. His mother and Aunty were also invited to attend as special guests and attended the event alongside some leading British figures from government, the establishment and the Arts. There were also many important speakers , including Prime Minister Gordon Brown,
who appeared on video.
This press report has more details
Along with Johnny, other victims of Holocaust, Genocide and racism were also remembered, including those in Ruanda, Darfur, Bosnia, Sarajevo, European Gypsies, Trade Unionists, Gay men, the disabled and of course the Jewish community.
Because this national event was remembering so many different groups and communities it was decided to also hold a special day on 15th January 2008 that would focus entirely on the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities experience of the Holocaust and racism. This event took place at Liverpool Town Hall.
Many of Johnny's family attended this event, and his sister Nellie read one of her poems. It was a special day, and there were lots of tributes to Johnny.
HMD events have only been happening for the past 5 years but no doubt that they are here to stay and will become an increasingly important fixture on the calendar each year, just like poppy day and Remembrance Sunday. They therefore give us a high profile opportunity, in each of our cities, to make sure that the experiences of the Gypsy and Traveller communities are featured and remembered.
John Cole
Eviction Moratorium call goes to Brussels
By Grattan Puxon
Dale Farm spokesman Richard Sheridan has gone to Brussels this week (Nov 5) to garner support for his campaign to stop Basildon bulldozing the UK’s biggest Gypsy community.
Read the whole article here
Freelance journalist lifts diversity award for Travellers article
From Holdthefrontpage.co.uk
Freelance journalist Billy Briggs, who covers human rights issues, has been awarded first prize in a journalism competition to promote diversity.
Read the whole article here
Romania is sorry for deporting Gypsies
From United Press International
Romanian President Traian Basescu apologized for the country deporting thousands of Gypsies to Nazi death camps during World War II.
Read the whole article here
Gypsy children murdered in Livorno
Petition Roberto Malini - EveryOne Group
In Italy the racism against the Gypsies grows. Groups of racists attack the Roma and Sinti people with bombs "molotov". The police and the judges tolerate those events. Four gypsy children have been burn to death in Livorno. There are the definitive proof of the homicide, and a letter by the murderers. But the judges have imprisoned the children' parents! Help us to fight racism in Italy against Roma and Sinti.
Read the full story, sign the petition and more on everyonegroup.com.
Life expectancy of Irish travellers still at 1940s levels despite economic boom
By David McKittrick, Ireland Correspondent
28 June 2007: The Independent Newspaper
Ireland's fortunes may have been transformed by an economic boom that has made its people among the richest in the developed world. But its travelling people have the life expectancy of the Ireland of the 1940s, a damning report published in Dublin this week shows.
Read the full article.
Jan Kochanowski Passes Away
The great Roma scholar Jan Kochanowski dies 18th May 2007
He was born on August 6th 1920 in the forest surrounding the city of Cracow (Poland). His motherly clan came from Latvia and had a nomadic lifestyle wandering from Poland to Bielorussia. So he used to live in tents among horses until the age of nine. His father belonged to a traditional military clan and was an officer in the Red Army...
Read more on The International Debate Education Association (IDEA) website
Read more.
UN urges EU to help Roma children
Many Roma children in Serbia live in poverty
About one million Roma children "remain invisible" in South-East Europe, without documents or adequate healthcare, a Unicef report says.
Read more.
Local news
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller People in Leeds making Their Own News
See local news stories here.
If you have any stories or links to stories that you feel are worth sharing please feel welcome to contact us and let us know.
Information and Links
This part of the website contains details of other useful and important organisations and other websites that be useful, informative or even entertaining. Use the links on this page to begin further exploration
There's also a link to a page of Roma links, of which there's a lot.
Also read about
Archived News
Older news stories can be found here.
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