News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

ROMEA representatives debate the image of Roma people in the Czech media

22 October 2012
2 minute read

Last Thursday as many as 50 experts, students and other interested parties met in the large hall of the archbishopric curia in Olomouc to listen to invited speakers, ask questions and exchange practical experiences on the issue of addressing specific manifestations of racism. Zdeněk Ryšavý and František Kostlán participated in the meeting on behalf of the ROMEA association and spoke about the image of Roma people in the Czech media.

Other experts from various parts of the country spoke about various forms of racial discrimination and the fight against it, as well as the question of managing extremist marches and other forms of racist intolerance. The conference was especially relevant as a forum for analyzing and discussing the recent actions of the Workers’ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS) in Nový Bydžov and marches by radicals through the town of Přerov.

“The aim of the conference was to highlight the issue of discrimination and racism in the Czech Republic. The staff of various organizations dedicated to the issue of equal treatment and upholding human rights were able to learn more about each others’ experiences and work,” said Andrea Koukalová, who coordinated the event.

“We presented the ROMEA association’s media activity at the conference. We also focused on how the majority-society media depicts the Roma minority and how ROMEA is doing its best to collaborate with mainstream media,” said Zdeněk Ryšavý, Executive Director of ROMEA, o. s.

Participants in this unique one-day event were very satisfied with it, according to the head of the Khamoro Center, Jana Březinová. “Experts from organizations in Brno, Olomouc, Ostrava and Prague as well as the invited representatives of the Police of the Czech Republic appreciated that we took the initiative and were the first to organize such a conference. I hope that we will continue this as a tradition and that this meeting positively motivated those who attended to further action,” Březinová said.

The event was held under the auspices of the Vice-Mayor of Olomouc, Eva Machová, and Bishop Josef Hrdlička. It was financed by the European Social Fund’s Operational Programme – Resources and Employment and contributions from the state budget of the Czech Republic.

Help us share the news about Romas
Trending now icon