(The comments in italics are made by the GHM.)

2/10/97 Exoussia [Stavroula Karali]

150 Muslim Roma children attend lessons at a Center for Children Support in Metaxourgion. Volunteer social worker Myrto Lemou rented a house for the education of the young children who usually work in the street selling paper handkerchiefs or flowers. The children themselves prefer to go to school than to wander in the streets. "In Metaxourgion there are at least 500 children who do not know how to write their own name." Ms. Lemou declared that she needs more teachers for her activities. "I do not need money, because there are already enough financial contributions coming from private persons," she said.

The report gives emphasis to the important educational experiment of Ms. Lemou

2/10/97 Exoussia [G. Sahinis]

The arrest of a 24-year-old Roma woman, Mrs. Paraskevi Tsakiri, resulted in the revelation of the painful living conditions under which her four underage children live in Nea Alikarnassos. When the woman was being brought to court, the children were crying. The 5-year-old Maria said: "We live alone. Who is going to take care of us?" The journalists asked for the intervention of the Social Services for the case of one and a half-year-old Stavros, who suffers from a heavy rupture and needs urgent medical treatment in hospital. Due to the efforts of Amnesty International’s representative, Mr. Drandakis, and the lawyer for the defense, Mr. Veras, an ambulance took the young boy to the hospital of Irakllion. The district attorney promised to ask a social worker to help the children. The living conditions of the Nea Alikarnassos Roma are unacceptable. According to the Roma representative, Mr. Karahalios, 50% of the children suffer from hepatitis, while the various Services refuse to vaccinate them because of the cost. Mr. Drandakis denounced the racist attitude of the state.

2/10/97 Adesmeftos Typos [Sofia Rizou]

Volunteer social worker Myrto Lemou decided to create a Center for Children and Family Support in Metaxourgion. This gives a chance to the Roma children to escape from misery. All the volunteer workers at the Center are very sensitive, and teach the children how to write, read and paint. The pupils themselves stated that they found love and care. "I am not wandering in the streets anymore, because I enjoy spending my time in this place," said 14-year-old Baris. This preschool educational Center aims at helping the children develop their personalities in accordance with all moral principles.

The report is excellent, because it fully informs the readers about the volunteer work which takes place at this Center.

2/10/97 Exoussia [editorial]

Most of the Roma children who came from Thrace or Albania and now live in the streets of Athens are excluded from Greek society. Well-organized gangs force the children to clean cars or to become mendicants. The lack of care on behalf of the state and social indifference lead to exploitation. There is also obvious hypocrisy, since a little while ago the authorities of Thessaloniki refused to grant an amount of Drs 900,000, because this was considered to be excessive!! Under these circumstances, the initiative of Ms. Lemou is very important, since she runs successfully a school for uneducated children.

The report is positive, because it regards the government as responsible for the existing social exclusion.

3/10/97 Exoussia [by G. Sahinis]

The 24-year-old Roma woman Paraskevi Tsakiri is detained preventively, since she hid one kilo of hashish under her clothes. Her son, Stavros, one and a half years old, has a serious health problem. Amnesty International asked from the state to take care of the woman’s children, regardless of what would happen to their mother. Moreover, social workers visited the Roma settlement and tried to improve the miserable conditions of life.

The report reveals the dramatic situation of the four Roma children who live without their mother.

5/10/97 Avgi of Sunday [by Dimitra Kokkotaki]

The Roma of the area of Ano Liosia live in a miserable settlement. A survey has been initiated since 1995 by the Department of Architects of the National Polytechnic School. The group of Roma belongs to the 10,000 people who have not solved their problem of housing. The government policy should be adjusted to the particular way of life which characterizes such ethnocultural groups. The Roma should preserve their cultural identity. Decent temporary settlements should be created at the entrances of various cities.

The report emphasizes the existence of the serious problem of housing of the Roma, especially of those in Ano Liosia.

6/10/97 Ethnos

There is a special program for Roma education, which is applied in areas like Komotini, Thessaloniki, Karditsa, Ioannina, Patras, Athens (Agia Varvara) and Iraklion of Kriti.

The report has just an informative character.

8/10/97 Exoussia [by Apostolos Zois]

Although the municipal authorities of Trikala had promised the Roma that a piece of land would be granted to them in the area of Raxa, this decision was not put into effect. As a result, the municipal council decided to tolerate the Roma at the same place for a while. The Roma do not believe in promises anymore, since no financial aid has been sent for the improvement of their living conditions so far.

The report denounces the delay of the Municipality of Trikala to find a solution to the problems of the Roma.

9/10/97 Exoussia [by Nikos Batsis]

A convention under the title "Solidarity and Companionship" takes place in Corfu and concerns the Roma. Roma are Greek citizens who live in a ghetto of misery and are not accepted by society. Unlike the Albanians who are robbers and rapists, the Roma should be taken care of at the social and medical level. They need love and support not only in theory.

Despite the racist attitude of the report as far as the Albanians are concerned, it expresses a positive opinion about the Roma.

10/10/97 Exoussia

Roma families are involved in illegal activities concerning dealings of babies, especially in Thessaloniki. Members of these families have been repeatedly condemned by courts. The first cases appeared in 1984.

The report is a part of a detailed survey about cases of illegal adoption all over Greece. It is just informative.

10/10/97 Apogevmatini [By Natassa Rayou]

"The new television serial which starts tonight aims at the elimination of racism from the souls of the viewers." The film on Mega Channel is directed by the famous director Manoussos Manoussakis. The story is about a non-Roma architect who falls in love with a very special Roma girl, who lives in a settlement. According to the director, the Roma were very suspicious in the beginning, but later they fully cooperated with the actors. Actor Apostolos Gletsos said that people’s impression of the Roma is wrong, whereas actor Yannis Voglis said that it is unfair that the Roma are judged on the basis of the behavior of a few of them.

The report is a very positive comment on the new TV film about Roma life.

11/10/97 Exoussia [by Spiros Massouris]

There is tension between the Roma and the non-Roma residents of the area of Zevgolatio. As a result, a postman was beaten by a Roma and sent to hospital, because he refused to give allowances to the Roma. Moreover, there is no money for sufficient medical care. The Prefect of Korinthos, Mr. Manolakis, said that there should exist cooperation with the Assistant Minister of Health Mr. Kotsonis, so that the problems of the Roma could be solved.

The report is neutral towards the facts about the Roma.

11/10/97 Adesmeftos Typos [by G. Galanopoulos]

Some Roma in Nea Kios wanted to tame a horse in a brutal way. They tied it to a pole in the sea for four whole days!! "The residents of the area expressed their abhorrence at the event." The horse was exhausted from the waves. Nobody expected such outrageous human behavior. Finally, the horse was saved when a principal of a primary school saw it and called the Fire Brigade.

Despite the irrelevance of the ethnocultural identity of the persons involved in this act, the report refers to it.

12/10/97 Epohi

Most of the Roma can be regarded as socially excluded, since they are uneducated and poor. More than 30% of the Roma children never register for school. Many others speak only Romanesh, which makes it difficult for them to adjust to the Greek educational system. As for the attitude of various public services, it ranges from unwillingness to racism. It is characteristic that several children have been expelled from school.

The report highlights aspects of the social exclusion of the Roma.

13/10/97 Eleftherotypia

Infant mortality of Roma children has increased. In particular, 60% of the Roma children younger than one year die. Furthermore, 30% of the Roma die due to various diseases, whereas 8% die from accidents. The percentage of uninsured Roma ranges from 20% to 90%. The number of uneducated Roma varies from 30% to 60%. According to the Roma social worker, Maria Dimitriou, Roma are suspicious of the educational system, because it rejects them. She added that during the Second World War, thousands of Roma lost their lives in concentration camps.

The report reveals important figures about the life and the problems of the Roma

13/10/97 Eleftheros Typos [Dimitris Athanassopoulos]

During a convention in Thessaloniki, professor George Exarhos said that six out of ten Roma children die before the completion of their first year. The average number of children for each Roma family amounts to six. According to the Roma social worker Maria Dimitriou, there are 500,000 Roma in Greece, who are not registered. Special reference was made to the relation between Roma and the school system. It was stressed that Roma are afraid of a possible "assimilation." On the other hand, in Alexandria of Imathia, the Roma protested against the policy of segregation which was implemented by the 2^nd Primary School of the area. The Aghios Georgios Cultural Association denounced the fact that 60 or 70 Roma children were put in one classroom, whereas all the non-Roma were in another. The Principal of the School replied that this happened because of the special linguistic problems of the Roma children.

The report is positive, because it informs the readers about an existing policy of discrimination against the Roma.

13/10/97 Ta Nea

The Roma are suspicions of the school system, because they think that it puts the preservation of their culture at a risk. At a convention in Thessaloniki, professor Exarhos highlighted the high rate of infant mortality among Roma children.

The report is just informative.

14/10/97 Eleftheros Typos

An armed conflict between the police and Roma and Albanian drug dealers took place in Evosmos of Thessaloniki, near the Roma settlement. Forty kilos of hashish have been confiscated.

The report emphasizes the identity of the drug dealers.

15/10/97 Eleftherotypia [article by Kostas Zouraris]

A public meeting took place at the Club of the Guard Officers of Thessaloniki. A Roma social worker, Maria Dimitriou, gave a presentation in front of university professors and military officers. This coexistence of Roma and non-Roma reminded me of the years I spent doing my military service. Back then, a Roma soldier was the victim of racism, and I was also a victim of intolerance, because I happened to be an "active communist." I realized that, apart from equality, there is diversity, which should be respected. Therefore, I was glad to participate in an antiracist meeting organized by the Ministry of Defense, since this event shows how things have changed nowadays.

15/10/97 Kathimerini

An operation of cleansing took place in the Roma settlement in Evosmos. This is due to suspicion that there is cooperation between Roma and Albanian criminals who sell drugs.

The report is neutral as regards the facts, although it refers to the identity of the criminals.

15/10/97 Apogevmatini

Cruel Albanian drug dealers were hiding in a Roma settlement in Evosmos. They are determined to kill any policeman who tries to arrest them. "I believe that Roma are the ones who help the Albanian criminals," said Mr. Ikonomou who is the Director of the Security Department of the Police in Thessaloniki. The Special Forces made a raid over the settlement in order to find guns or drugs.

The report makes a generalization when it regards all the Roma of the settlement criminals.

18/10/97 Eleftheros Typos

Organized Roma groups attack drivers in order to steal their money. The Roma children wait at a special place which links Nea Kios with Tirynthos and start kicking the cars, while holding stones or wooden sticks. The local police are totally indifferent, and tolerate the acts of the Roma.

The report refers to the ethnocultural identity of the robbers, although it is irrelevant.

19/10/97 Ethnos

The chiefs of the Greek Police are concerned about the rise in criminality, which is due to the cooperation between Albanian and Roma criminals.

The report makes a generalization by accusing all the Roma and all the Albanians of being criminals.

19/10/97 Ethnos

Albanian and Roma criminals are involved in organized crime in the area of Northern Greece. "In particular, the Albanian drug dealers use the settlements of the Roma as havens." The police authorities are worried about this cooperation, because the Roma have access to dangerous weapons. According to them, the Roma used to get involved in minor illegal acts and not in drug dealing.

The report promotes discrimination, because it refers to Roma and Albanians in an unacceptable generalizing way.

20/10/97 Kathimerini

There is a new TV serial about the Roma minority and about the difficulties of its "cohabitation" with the rest of society. It is still very early to say whether this serial has respected the traditions of the Roma (language, customs, etc). The serial recalls for us the special forces’ raid in the Roma settlements last year. It is possible that through this serial the viewers will learn to tolerate "diversity."