Romani members of Inter-ministerial Commission for Roma Community Affairs meet Czech PM today

The Romani civil society members of the Czech Government Inter-ministerial Commission for Roma Community Affairs are outraged by recent political events in the area of Romani integration and will be meeting at 14:00 CET with Czech PM Petr Nečas. Lenka Balogová, a civil society member of the Commission, sent a declaration to news server Romea.cz regarding the meeting. According to information available to news server Romea.cz, Lenka Balogová, David Beňák and Jozef Baláž will attend the meeting. Romea.cz is publishing the declaration in full below:

In May of this year, approximately 50 experts left a Czech Education Ministry Working Group for the creation of the National Action Plan for Inclusive Education. The main reason for their resignation was their disagreement with Education Ministry staff over the various steps meant to lead to the inclusion into mainstream education of pupils with medical disabilities and pupils with specific educational needs. The ministry is also designing a project of the national Operational Program Education for Competitiveness (OP VK) focused on inclusive measures at schools and school facilities. Unfortunately, the ministry has not publicized either the concrete activities or the precise allocation of this financing – all that is known is that the total sum is CZK 250 million. We are of the opinion that this financing, acquired from EU funds, will not serve its intended purpose, but will end up in the pockets of institutions and organizations friendly to the ministry, as has already become the norm in our country.

We also cannot overlook the rise in the activity of extremist groups, as proven by the recent attack on a Romani family in Kolín district. How is it possible that a victimized Romani family has to take refuge with their relatives in fear for their lives? This incident is not the only such case. The Czech Interior Ministry, which should be creating some sort of system and laying the groundwork for the fight against extremism, is instead creating an environment for the proliferation of attacks against the Romani minority. The fight against extremism should be the government’s main priority, not to say that of the Interior Ministry. We can see how important the ministry considers it from the behavior of the ministry’s Department of Security Policy, which has systematically made every effort to dissolve the Working Group for the fight against extremism, “Task Force C”, and has succeeded in closing it.

We, the Romani section of the Czech Government Inter-ministerial Commission for Roma Community Affairs, are not indifferent to these facts and we have therefore called for a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas to take place on 14. 7. 2011. The meeting will also address strengthening the staff of the Office of the Czech Government Inter-ministerial Commission for Roma Community Affairs and preserving dignified management of the Romani integration agenda in accordance with international standards.