Comment by Glenda Bailey-Mershon on March 23, 2011 at 17:01

I am mostly gathering here, from all your excellent words and suggestions, and from the literature I have at my disposal. Then I will have a draft you can critique. It will be a true group effort. As long as we don't argue so long it never gets done! That's another definition of writing: trying to nail an idea down, as it slips through one mind into another.

Comment by Ciuin Ferrin on March 23, 2011 at 18:46

That is the frightening part of this sort of task...it's like trying to nail jello to a tree. I do believe everyone here understands the necessity of speed, so I don't think we will get into long arguements. Everyone will have to understand that you can't fit everyone's ideas into one document.

Last year I had the honor to go to a presentation at Independence Hall in Philadelphia and I listened to the presenter explain the work that Thomas Jefferson put into the Declaration of Independence. He had assistance, of course, but he was the primary author. He labored for 17 days over the document, then presented it to the Continental Congress. The speaker then read the each section and asked every member to vote. Without a majority, certain items were crossed off. And with such a diverse group, naturally there were many conflicting interests at hand. And in all of this, I can picture poor Mr. Jefferson, cringing in the back of the room as the Speaker crossed item after item off the list, or worse, some lame brain decided he didn't like the fancy wording Tom had worked so hard to get just right.

I've gotten those edited manuscripts back and they hurt. That red pen mark up may as well be my blood on the page. I've even had the lame brain send me back a page that totally blew my mind. He was non-Roma and he was so excited to point out a "flaw" in my manuscript. I had stated that the small group of Romani I was writing about fled south-east to the Tatras in Poland after the start of WWII would never have happened. He claimed that they would not have gone anywhere NEAR the east because Stalin and Hitler signed an agreement to divide up Poland and that the Russians invaded at the same time the Nazi's did. I tried to explain to him that 1. no one in Poalnd knew about the non-agrression pact until much later, 2. the Russians didn't invade until approximately six weeks (give or take) after the Nazis did, and 3. that most Poles thought the Russians were there to fight the Germans. Many Poles actually joined the Red Army, thinking they were fighting for the freedom of Poland. There was no convincing him otherwise.

I'm not worried about the editing process here. We have many talented people, wonderful scholars, and fantastic writers. I think we can make this an excellent document to be very proud of.

 

Baxt,

C

Comment by Casimire Williamsii on March 24, 2011 at 0:31

@ Els, You mentioned that you're friends in the UK were having trouble with keeping their land. I don't know the law of the land in England but here in the States the Separation of Church and State eluded to in the 1st Amendment of the Constitution and then later reinforced through Supreme Court decisions.  

First of all,  the concept of owning a home here in the States is a bit of a farce. Because if I don't pay my property taxes for three years then the County can forclose on a $200K house on a $9000 tax debt. I don't really own my property I just rent it from the State. If they wanted water rights or mineral rights (for example) they have ways of taking people property. So I'm sure these Romani in England are faced with similar loopholes from their Government in regards to legal ownership of property and rightful use of it. Especially when there are Romani or Travelers involved.

OK, back to the Seperation of Church and State. If the property that I "own" was a Church then that changes everything! I would not be subject to Income or Property Taxes. And if someone didn't want me here for whatever reason, getting me off my property would be a much more diffacult process! It would become a First Amendment Rights Issue, that is Freedom of Religion.  

 

 

 

Comment by Casimire Williamsii on March 24, 2011 at 0:39

@ Els Continued from below...I posted accident before finished. So anyway, I suggest to you're friend in the UK that they consider making their property a Church. Like I said I don't know the law of the land in the UK and am not a Lawyer, or a Barrister as they call them? But it is an idea I have been thinking about for quite some time. If they did everything correctly and above board it could work? They could have Cleargy and officers of the church and congregration would sign in every week. Think about it?

Casimire X 

 

 

Comment by Casimire Williamsii on March 24, 2011 at 1:29

@ Ciuin Don't worry I will not make you nail jello to a tree. But the best way to do that is to add less water ratio so the jello will be firmer!

Comment by Casimire Williamsii on March 24, 2011 at 11:46

It's not about money per se, it is about making things more complicated legal wise. If they wanted my house through eminent domain then it is easy for them, but if they wanted my Church through eminent domain then it becomes a first Amendment to the Constitution issue. Then I can get the ACLU involved. I have been following that situation for years, it remins me of a midieval siege. Like I said, it is not taxes, about keeping things tied up in court for years and a church and the right to worship, that is hard to argue with.

Casimire X 

 

 

Comment by Glenda Bailey-Mershon on March 24, 2011 at 16:23

Dear Els,

I appreciate your comments. I have privately messaged Casimire to tell him how much I value his ideas and to let him know that nothing I have said was directed against him or anyone else. 

 

Trying to work in a group by email can be very trying, as we do not have the aspects of tone of voice or facial expression to flavor our comments. Also, we do not always take the time to explain ourselves fully. And, yes, it it true that sometimes people attack indirectly with insinuations or innuendo. I wish to declare to all that if I am disagreeing with you, I will let you know directly and try hard to find a meeting of the minds. I will not snipe at you.

 

We are working for our people and must keep our efforts aimed in that direction. Yes, we cannot afford misunderstandings and we must not put ourselves before the work.

 

So I hope everyone will know that I regard you all as my sisters and brothers and have high regard for everything you are doing. I ask for your patience with my efforts to be if some use here. 

 

Glenda

Comment by Glenda Bailey-Mershon on March 24, 2011 at 17:50

I am copying here a draft of a section intended to be an introduction to the "what" of AIRA and IRADL. I am happy to take comments and constructive criticism. I am not very thin-skinned (I think!) and I am sure it is not nearly done, but I think at this point it needs vetting. This would, of course, be in addition to the timeline, history, etc, of the other sections proposed by Ciuin and Casimire. The bold letters are intended to establish action points, and may or may not be called out if any of it is used in the press packet. 

 

A new international organization has declared itself prepared to defend the Romani people and to hold elected officials accountable for both their actions and inaction in the face of increasing violence and discrimination against Romani citizens.

The Artists' Initiative Against Romaphobia and Antiziganism (AIRA) was founded in late 2010 by a group of artists and scholars, in order to educate the public about Romani arts, history and culture; to counter stereotyping and prejudice against the Romani; and to foster appreciation of Romani contributions in many fields.

As part of AIRA's efforts to confront discriminatory depictions of Romani people, The International Roma Anti-Defamation League was formed to catalogue and disseminate examples of stereotyping and scapegoating that appear in media and entertainment, followed by direct action campaigns to counter such examples.

 

Since their diaspora from India began in the eleventh century, the Romani people have been scapegoats for many ills in the communities to which they have migrated. Official and unofficial policies have resulted in many deaths, including an estimated one to two million Romani murdered in the Porrajmos (the Romanes word for the Holocaust). Some seventy years after World War II, growing violence against Romani citizens in Europe and escalating violations of their basic human rights have led to fears of genocide.

AIRA's founding is an urgent response to escalating apartheid and sanctioned violence. Discrimination in housing and employment against Europe's largest minority of some fifteen million Roma is often combined with dehumanizing policies, including forced sterilization and segregated schooling. Thousands of Roma have been deported from France, Italy, and Germany to Eastern European countries, which they had previously fled due to persecution, violence, and joblessness. Many, who had committed no crime, were fingerprinted as a means of ensuring they did not return to Western Europe, in direct violation of the European Union's legal code allowing free movement among member states. On their return, they found more alarming circumstances: Neo-Nazi Garda have surrounded the Romani community in Gyöngyöspata, Hungary, taunting and beating some of its members, including schoolchildren. Threats against Roma by similar groups have occurred in Novy Bydzov, Czechoslovakia. All this occurs while authorities stand by, refusing to act.

There have been few safe havens. Plans by the European Union to aid the Roma have resulted in little action, and Europe's Parliament has failed to rebuke populist politicians who use the Roma as scapegoats for their failed policies. Gross corruption has occurred with funding intended for Romani communities. In Western countries, Roma who have fled are frequently denied timely processing of appeals for asylum. In many communities, Romani citizens do not identify themselves, out of fear.

In the face of these dire circumstances, Romani artists and scholars and their supporters in AIRA have acted to raise awareness. AIRA's founding declaration declares that "Until now the results of conferences, summits and
meetings have been only a noisy silence without action, and silence means consent." AIRA intends to unite in action the voices of those who do not consent.

 

Comment by Niko Rergo on March 25, 2011 at 5:33

Just for orientation:
On Friday, April 8th, on International Roma Day, the 1st international edition of the Festival of Roma Culture Romano Čhon / The Month of Roma Culture will be taking place in Berovo, Macedonia. The festival has been held in Slovenia since 2008. The agreement to raise the festival to an international level was made at one of the partnership meetings of the project “Export Knowledge – Import Art”, which is aimed at establishing a connection between the Roma artists and active Roma associations from different European countries.

The idea of the partners of the project is to establish a creative network of European Roma associations, and to enable and enhance mutual collaboration between European Roma as marginal ethnic groups through the exchange of knowledge, skills and art so as to promote the Festival of Roma Culture Romano Čhon in the wider European space. In addition to the main organizer, the ZULK association, there are three other participating organizations in the project: the Roma cultural association Romano Anglunipe – Bodočnost [The Future] from Maribor, Slovenia, Dom na kulturata Dimitar Berovski – Berovo, KUD Romi from Berovo, Macedonia, and The Roma Social-Cultural Foundation “Ion Cioaba” from Sibiu, Romania.

The program of the first international edition of the Festival of Roma Culture Romano Čhon / The Month of the Roma Culture in Berovo includes, among other events, the performance of a the theatre play “Narla”, a Romany Poetry Recital, performed by the pupils from the Roma community, and a performance by the folklore group KUD Romi Berovo and as well as a concert by a local Roma band composed of members of KUD Romi Berovo.
Link: http://www.bifc-hub.eu/news/international-edition-of-the-festival-o...
More about the project “Export Knowledge – Import Art” which is supported by the Balkan Incentive Fund for Culture http://exportknowledgeimportart.blogspot.com

Comment by Niko Rergo on March 26, 2011 at 9:57

Baxt sastipE sarEnge! Sako chhib si phares te hatjares laki strukturi = Every language is hard to understand its [her, chhib is fem. in Romani] structure. Aba kon rodel kam arakhel = But who seeks will find.
By the way, this letter by Ciuin (sent March 15): 10 days and what is the reaction? Anyway, it must be translated into lng of every Group Member (Svensk, Greek, Cesky, Portugues, Italiano, German, Romana, Hebrew), I will translate into Ukrainian, Russian and Spanish, may be Antun, Nada - Serbian/Croatian(sorry - don't know exactly), Els - Flemmish/Dutch. We all have friends in Hungary, France, Poland, Turkey, etc. so it wouldn't be difficult to ask to make translations into resp. lngs. Valery then posts them via the RVN, and it's up to us to try to publish it (with comments about IRADL and AIRA) in the local media. Would say 'global' coverage d/p increases the pressing force and, perhaps, effect(ivness). Hope we need no to vote.
AchhEn DevlEsa, Niko

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