Chronicle
31 March 2006
Publications
January 30: Published the first issue of the Russian version of Roma Rights ("Prava Tzigan"), covering 2005 activities and issues.
Campaigning, Conferences, Meetings and Training
January 11: Attended a press conference by the Czech Public Defender of Rights, announcing release of his conclusions following investigation into practices of coercive sterilisation in the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
January 13: Convened a meeting of partners involved in an assessment of social assistance policies in the Czech Republic, Portugal and France, supported by the European Commission, Budapest, Hungary.
January 16-17: Hosted an anti-discrimination policy training for Romani activists, funded by the European Commission, in Brno, Czech Republic.
January 18: Presented Roma rights issues at a meeting convened by the Swedish Helsinki Committee, Budapest, Hungary.
January 19: Took part in a roundtable on the Final Status of Kosovo and the Position of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities organised under patronage of Soros Kosovo Foundation for Open Society.
January 23-24: Provided training in policy matters to a group of Romani activists from the Czech Republic as part of a project supported by the European Commission, Brno, Czech Republic.
January 27: Provided comments to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimina tion Against Women concerning compliance by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania with international gender discrimination law.
January 27: Provided oral testimony to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Roma on Romani women's issues in Macedonia, New York, USA.
February 3: Presented employment discrimination issues at a conference convened by the Federation of Gypsies in Spain, Madrid, Spain.
February 3: Hosted a training workshop for Croatian and Macedonian lawyers on strategic litigation for human rights, with partners Roma National Centrum and Croatian Law Centre and funded by the EC's CARDS programme, in Kumanovo, Macedonia.
February 7-10: Presented a paper on Roma health issues at a conference by the Open Society Institute, Istanbul, Turkey.
February 7: Held a press conference together with partner organisations and Romani applicants in the law suit D.H. and others v. the Czech Republic challenging segregation of Romani children in special schools, filed before the European Court of Human Rights, following the decision of the Court, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
February 17-18: Convened a meeting between the partners implementing the two-year project "Roma Rights in Turkey" to discuss the project activities during the first year, Istanbul, Turkey.
February 21: Presented Roma rights issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Geneva, Switzerland.
February 21: Met the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Bulgaria to discuss the prospects of the implementation of the school desegregation policies.
February 22: Hosted a delegation of government officials, educationalists and non-governmental organisations from countries in the Western Balkans to discuss cooperation in a regional project on integration of Roma in education implemented by the Save the Children branch in Serbia and Montenegro.
February 27-March 1: Provided training in anti-discrimination law issues to a group of Romani activists from the Czech Republic as part of a project supported by the European Commission, Brno, Czech Republic.
February 27: Met the Deputy Ambassador of the United States in Bulgaria and discussed the situation of minority rights in the context of rising aggressive nationalism as well as the prospects of Roma political participation and policies for the integration of Roma.
March 1: Convened a roundtable on education policy issues with Romani activists and local and regional authorities in southern Moravia, Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
March 2: Attended a meeting convened by partners to discuss legal action to challenge housing rights abuses against Roma in Bulgaria and Slovakia, Bratislava, Slovakia.
March 4: Hosted a training workshop for Romani and Sinti activists on "Effective Advocacy at the National Level", with partner Milan Simecka Foundation and Irish Traveller Movement and funded by the EC CAP Programme, Budapest, Hungary.
March 6: Provided materials to Council of Europe racism and minorities review bodies concerning Roma rights issues in Russia and Slovenia.
March 7: Hosted a visit to the ERRC by representatives of the Danish Red Cross, Budapest,Hungary.
March 13: Testified and provided written comments to the UN Human Rights Committee on human rights issues in Kosovo, 1999-present, New York, USA.
March 17: Participated in the conference "The Contribution of local and regional authorities to the protection of minorities and anti-discrimination policies", organised by the Commission for Constitutional Affairs, European Governance and the Area of Liberty, Security and Justice of the Committee of the Regions in cooperation with the EUMC, Vienna, Austria.
March 22: Hosted representatives of the Swedish Foreign Ministry at the ERRC offices in Budapest.
March 30: Convened a roundtable on employment policy issues in Bratislava, Slovakia, under the auspices of the Slovak Minister of Employment and Social Affairs as part of a project supported by the European Commission.
