GHM REPORT TO ERRC No 57: 30/4/1999

REPORT ON THE COVERAGE OF THE ROMA IN THE GREEK PRESS

MARCH 1999

(Comments in italics are made by the GHM)

Contents:

1. Roma Federation of Peloponisos
2. International Reactions to the Violation of Roma Rights in Greece
3. Roma and the system of education
4. NGOs propose a bill for the construction of self-managed Roma settlements
5. The Progressive Left Coalition on the Celebration of the Day against Racism
6. Cases of Roma criminality
7. Roma and Culture

1. Roma Federation of Peloponisos

· 1/3/1999: Eleftherotypia, page74

The Modernization of the Roma

«There is a lot of money that our governments could have gotten from the EU to finance the construction of Roma houses, infrastructure works at the Roma settlements, the fight against poverty and Roma education,» says 22-year-old Mr. Karahalios, the newly elected president of the federation of seven Roma groups in the prefectures of Peloponisos. He added that only 35 million GDR were given to the prefecture of Korinthos Roma. This sum comes from a total of 3 trillion GDR, which was supposed to be distributed to Greek Roma in the last three years. Mr. Karahalios showed our reporter documents, which support his claims as well as letters, which are meant to sensitize the public authorities. He strongly opposed the generally held opinion that Roma do not want to live in normal houses with electricity, telephones and the other modern facilities provided to the rest of the population.

A positive report, which adopts the claims of the President of the Federation and stands behind the demands of the Roma. It should be noted, however, that the report has a slightly patronizing tone, which would have most probably been omitted had the reference group not been a minority group.

2. International Reactions to the Violation of Roma Rights in Greece

· 5/3/1999: Avgi, page 9

International Reactions to the Racist Raid against the Roma of Aspropyrgos

The international community strongly criticized Greece for violating the human rights of the Roma during the violent operation against the Roma of Nea Zoi in the municipality of Aspropyrgos in February. During that operation public authorities destroyed and burnt Roma shacks. In three letters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice and the Supreme Court Prosecutor, Human Rights Watch asks for the compensation of the Roma and for the prosecution of whoever is responsible for the operation. The organization points out that these acts violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which Greece is a signatory. It also mentions the persecutions of the Thessaloniki Roma and asks for the permanent solution of the housing problem of Roma throughout Greece. In a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the International Helsinki Federation asks from the Greek government to keep its commitment undertaken at the November 1998 OSCE meeting. Among those were promises to take measures to reassure the equal treatment of Roma and the improvement of their living conditions. It also refers to the Roma of the Galikos River near Thessaloniki and the torture of two underage Roma by policemen in Mesolongi in 1998. The Helsinki Committee of the U.S. Congress condemns the Aspropyrgos operation and asks from the government to keep its promises and omit the degrading stamp «illiterate» from the identity cards of Roma. Finally, the Aspropyrgos raid is condemned by the European Roma Rights Center.

Also:

· Eleftherotypia, page 20: «Respect Roma»

Positive reports, summarizing the reactions of various international human rights organizations and criticizing discrimination against Roma on the part of the Greek State.

3. Roma and the system of education

· 8/3/1999: Eleftherotypia, page 58:

Teachers Don’t Want Roma Students

Roma and education were the subject of the conference on the «Ruling Cultural Models and Minorities in Education» organized by the D. Glinos Teachers’ Group and held in Ano Liosia last weekend. According to a survey which was presented at the conference, 50% of the Greek teachers do not want Roma students in their class, 83% are ignorant of Roma’s history, 40% believe that Roma exert sorcery and 22% would not marry a Roma person. On the other side, only 8% are against the recognition of equal rights for Roma and 49% would participate in a rally supporting Roma education. «Roma conscience means Greek conscience to us,» declared social worker Ms. Dimitriou, adding that «the Greek language is our mother-tongue. Our vocabulary is poor, since there is no space for a library at our shacks. A cultural tradition should never be characterized as marginal. I am married to an uneducated Roma person simply because I fell in love with him. We do not have much of a choice as regards our way of life at the settlements. We have to accept it because of social exclusion.» 90% of Roma children do not attend school. The number of Roma children in prison is three times more than that of the non-Roma. «Roma culture has to enter into school [...] Intercultural education is a necessity for our multicultural society,» was the outcome of the conference.

The report stigmatizes the racist attitudes against the Roma and emphasizes the necessity for an educational system, which respects different cultures. However, the point that «Roma conscience means Greek conscience» is highly objectionable, since the recognition of social rights should be independent of the national or other identity of the group in question. This should be stated clearly, because recently Roma themselves have developed racist attitudes against other suffering groups, e.g. immigrants from Albania and others. Roma should not claim their rights on the basis that they share the Greek national identity, but on the basis that they are part of a group with specific cultural and social characteristics, which nevertheless has the same rights as the rest of the population, regardless of religion, nationality or beliefs.

· 10/3/1999: Eleftherotypia, page 58:

Educational Program for Roma children

The Ministry of Education’s program on the education of Roma children is being implemented by the University of Ioannina. The program aims at the integration of Roma into the Greek educational system and Greek society until the year 2000. It is based on the following axes: research of the psychological and linguistic prerequisites, as well as of the social and economic traits in the Roma community; training of the educators and authorities who work with Roma in the principles of intercultural education; creation of an appropriate educational material and school curricula. The program is under way in 19 Roma communities throughout Greece. Music workrooms for the learning of traditional music have already been created.

A positive report describing the program for Roma intercultural education

4. NGOs propose a bill for the construction of self-managed Roma settlements

· 23/3/1999: Eleftherotypia, page 49:

Self-management, the only solution for the Roma

The organization Drom Network for Roma Social Rights, which has been very active in working with the Roma of the settlements around Thessaloniki, has drafted a plan for the construction of self-managed Roma settlements. It issued an appeal together with the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, the 6th Preliminary School of Evosmos, the Doctors of the World organization, Greek Helsinki Monitor, Minority Rights Group-Greece and the Progressive Left Coalition. These partners ask the government to pass a bill, which would require from the prefectures throughout the country -wherever there are Roma settlements- to construct proper settlements with a number of basic conditions (enough space, easy connection to the rest of the city, water supply, electricity, drainage, garbage collection, medical treatment, public transportation, church, public common place for cultural and sport activities, integration into the educational system, job training, etc.). The settlements are to be ruled by councils consisting of elected representatives of the Roma, of the Prefecture, and of non-governmental organizations.

Also:

· 26/3/1999: Eleftherotypia, page 9: It’s Their Time

The advisers to the Prime Minister asked from Progressive Left Coalition MP, Ms. Stella Alfieri, to compose a Committee to discuss the proposition of the Drom Network for the construction of self-managed settlements. In August, the former military barracks of Gonou should be ready to accept the Roma who now live at the Gallikos river. It seems that the time of the Roma has come...

Very positive reports, supporting the propositions of the NGOs for a permanent solution to the housing problems of nomad Roma in Greece.

5. The Progressive Left Coalition on the Celebration of the Day against Racism

· 22/3/1999: Eleftherotypia, page 5

Progressive Left Coalition: Legalize Immigrants, Give Shelter to Refugees

On the occasion of the Day against Racism, the Progressive Left Coalition spoke for the improvement of the living conditions in the Roma settlements. This is seen as a step towards the effacement of racism in Greece.

Also:

· 23/3/1999: Avgi, page7: Nine Steps to Destroy Racism

6. Cases of Roma criminality

20/3/1999: Eleftherotypia, page 47

They Robbed Elderly People

A young couple of Roma were arrested for having robbed aging couples in Athens. They confessed that they had committed about 15 robberies.

· 29/3/1999: Eleftherotypia, page 63

The quarrel ended with murder

An armed quarrel between young Roma and a gang in Ano Liosia ended in the death of a 19-year-old and the injuring of two adolescents.

Short neutral articles presented in the column of police news.

7. Roma and Culture

· 3/3/1999, Avgi, page 9

Travel to Deep Soul-searching

The travel of Orlando, the title role of Virginia Wolfe’s play, to different situations and cultures, among which «Roma’s bohemian life.»

· 16/3/1999: Eleftherotypia, page 26:

A Night with Russian Roma Romance

Roma dance and music from the Caucasus will be performed at the ballroom of the Grand Britannia Hotel.

Whenever there is a reference to Roma culture, it is associated with their bohemian, merry and passionate life styles.