Comment by Mr. Valery Novoselsky on March 18, 2011 at 15:30

Dear Els,

 

here is the pack of International Media addresses.

 

Best,

ValeryInternational%20Media%20Addresses.doc

Comment by Casimire Williamsii on March 18, 2011 at 16:27

There has been a brutal genocide being applied to the Romani People since the Inquisition. It still continues to this day...Be it a genocide directed towards language and culture, or the lead mine "death camps" of Kosovo. The first Inquisition was started in 1184 and it has been nearly 65 years since the end of WWII. The whole thing has been ongoing, it just takes different forms. Today there are Romani People being led into led mine death camps. So this Inquisition and it's brutal genocide is being applied to us all over the world. Right at this very moment in real time! It can take many guises, such as the episode of Criminal Minds TV show that had Ciuin so (rightly) exasperated. There are Neo Nazi Skinhead groups all over Europe, firebombing and murdering. France and much of the EU is declining into Fascism. It is very evident here in the States. That is the way "Euroman" has wanted it for a long time. The interesting thing is that they tend to destroy what they need the most. We pretty much wiped out the Native American Culture. They were excellent stewards of the land and now things are so polluted, the planet is nearly beyond the point of no return. Romani & Traveler people have an excellent ethic order, that has served us well for hundreds of years. The world badly needs what we have to offer. I think about all this as I have been following all these Romani web-sites, blogs, F/B pages, on line publications (including Valerie's) And I find it all quite heart breaking and I feel has led to some depression thinking about it too much. Valerie and all of you have done an exemplary job of pointing out what the problems are and all the brutality that Roma are being subjected to. I sincerely admire the dedication it must take to keep a commentary such as that running for such a long time. I am very proud of all of you! Takes a lot of heart.

Now I'm just a metal smith here in Portland Oregon living with a couple of cats. I'm not all that sharp and got bad marks in school. But even from my perspective Romani need to organize, we're a very easy target and that is what Fascists thrive on. They need someone to blame all of socieities problems on. Same thing happens here in the States, we have a huge drug war going on and Arizona blame Mexican Immigrants for "our own chickens that are coming home to roost"! I do not have any answers at all and I have few new ideas. Jewish people and Romani were blamed for the Black Plague in Europe and it has been a pattern ever since.  But it is painfully obvious even to me that we have waited WAY to long to get orginized. I am not blaming the victim nor do I expect anyone to adhere to my time table. But good people there is a very brutal genocide being applied to our people at this very moment! What the hell else do we need to point out the urgency of the situation. That is the reality of the situation. All I can think of to do is look to the history of the Civil Rights Movement. Mahatma Gandhi influenced Martin Luther King Jr. Cesar Chavez made things better for for migrant farm workers that had no rights in this country. The American Indian Movement helped disenfranchised Native American's gain a lot towards soverignty. The situations disenfranchised people face in this country closely parallel what the Romani People are going through today in Europe. I only have one message for all! We're very very overdue to get organized. It is never too late and there is always hope. But all I can suggest to all (and this goes for you too Valerie) is that you redirect some of that energy that you are using to point out what the problems are, and start doing something pro-active. Organization & Solidarity are the only way any Civil Rights are going to be realized. You have a very excellent infrastructure in place in the forms of Blogs, E-Mail publications, Web-pages, and social networks. Use them to get organized, I challenge you to start putting up some posts that announce that the International Romani Anti Defamation League is now forming. I hear some of you have as many as 20K followers. That way we can begin to have a voice and can do something to make wrong doers accountable. Press packs can be sent out to those outside our community in order to gain support. The possibilities are endless! That is all I can suggest, I am just one person. I've had quite a lot of surgeries the past few years and I'm finding I'm getting weak physically. Perhaps I am deluded or a dreamer. But that is the way I see things from this vantage point. Civil Rights have seldom if ever been arbitrarily been handed to anyone!       

Love , hope, peace and chairity to All Romani & Traveler People

Organize, Solidarity, & Unity

Casimire

 

 

Comment by Casimire Williamsii on March 18, 2011 at 17:11

Els, I live in a particle board tower...that's a joke! C

Comment by Els de Groen (Archive) on March 18, 2011 at 18:14

Board is better than ivory, unless we talk about teeth. And you live on the ground floor, very down to earth. Your ideas may seem to go high up in the sky, they come from a deep down awareness. You are absolutely right that we cannot accept what is going on today. I must confess that I am dumpfounded by the events in Hungary: citizens who invite neo-Nazis to protect them, police staying passive and politicians pretending all is okay.

I will come back later to this. I was absent for a couple of hours and my inbox is full. Dutch time 20.30 (8.30 PM) I'll be back!

Els

Comment by Els de Groen (Archive) on March 18, 2011 at 22:07

Friday is always a silent evening and perhaps I should take a break now myself. I believe however that we should do our utmost to activate colleagues and strenghten the network.

To organise ourselves better we should start on this very page by agreeing about the work. Who will contact whom?

As we are also in the process of fundraising it should be very clear who is in charge of what. We have a Group Coordination, but all Groups (also this one) should have a person who informs the Coordination Group.

Let's be more efficient. We need addresses, drafts and senders. Internet will do the rest. This goes for the fundraising, for the recruiting of new Members and for the spreading of the IRADL ideas and principles.

In short:

Who will collect addresses here, who will make the drafts and who will send? In the Finance Group we follow the same strategies.

Enjoy the weekend but also be supportive ;))

Els

Comment by Mr. Valery Novoselsky on March 19, 2011 at 12:52

Take action for the housing rights of Roma in Rome!

http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/roma-children-and-thei...

Comment by Casimire Williamsii on March 19, 2011 at 15:14

@Valery, If the IRADL was truly a reality then we would not have to solely depend on outside organizations such as Amnesty International. I'm sure they are excellent, but do you always want to depend on those from outside the community? IRADL would have more clout when bringing matters to their attention. If organized and have solidarity then nothing is impossible? 

Comment by Ciuin Ferrin on March 19, 2011 at 15:55

We are in our infancy here. We have no power, nothing. We have dreams and ideals, but no athority to do anything. Realistically, it will be some time before we can do what they have done. Brava for their efforts. I eagery await the day the IRADL will take such steps.

Comment by Mr. Valery Novoselsky on March 19, 2011 at 17:09

By looking on what AI, ERRC and other respected organizations are doing we can set IRADL mission`s framework. Usually they jointly participate in something. So, sometimes it would be good for IRADL to be with them in one team. And then to do something innovative.

Comment by Casimire Williamsii on March 19, 2011 at 17:46

@ Ciuin, Consensus of Reality is a very real thing from my perspective. Reality is as it is due to a huge consensus. Perhaps a major reason things are in such a state of disorder is that there is a warped consensus of reality prevailing. What is the major factor that would lead to such a thing? Humans not understanding our own belief systems. Perhaps? Now, I'm not going to say that our belief systems are good or bad. I don't have the time or energy to debate such things. It's that we don't understand them. Why? Because they can be much more subjective then even art. That can and has lead to no end of conflicts. So for me persoanlly I look at these belief systems as something that took us to this point in our evolution. No more no less, not good or bad, they just are. I think one goal of IRADL is to go beyond the myths that these belief systems have imposed on us. That we are IN REALITY beautiful products of evolution. That is what attracted me to this site, because art can express this better then anything else.

I mentioned in an earlier post that we're in the middle of a very brutal genocide, that is the REALITY of the situation. It has been 65 years since WWII and people are being led into the death camps once again. What else can you call the lead mines of Kosovo? That should make very clear the urgency of the situation..A very brutal genocide is being applied to our people. So when you say it will take some time...well...have already had 65 years now to do something.  I see the wisdom that those who have started the ADL. Now, all the social networks are in place, Valery has an E-Mail publication in place and I hear that there are 20K followers to that. Yeah Valery, I'm challenging you! There are blogs, F/B pages, and all manner of web-sites. They have been doing an very excellent job of pointing out what the problems are. But that is only half of the solution. Organization and solidarity is the only way (that I can see) out of the shadows. 

I am not a mysic or some kind of new age person. I am talking about being a realist. If you indulge in the notion that making such a thing as the IRADL reality. And then in reality it will take a long time to do so, if at all. This marvelous network of technology can used to change the consensus of reality within our community...then nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. Electeicity travels at something like 187,000 miles an hour, it has been said that thoughts travel faster then the speed of light. So a concept can really get around quick these days!

I am relying on history of the Civil Rights movement here in the States. And constantly pointing out effective leaders such as Cesar Chavez and MLK jr as excellent examples. The ADL and the American Indian Movement.

Casimire X   

 

 

 

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