Around the Bloc: Uzbek Female Mullahs Make Comeback
Uzbekistan is one of the few Muslim countries where female Islamic teachers, known as otins, play an important religious role.
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Uzbekistan is one of the few Muslim countries where female Islamic teachers, known as otins, play an important religious role.
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Another 188 people have arrived in Poland from the war-torn Donetsk region.
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Hungary’s premier says immigration and terrorism link ‘obvious,’ calls for greater EU border controls, vetting of migrants.
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The summer season has done little to slow down one of the country’s most prominent, anti-Muslim activists.
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Azimjan Askarov was among the ethnic Uzbeks sent to prison for allegedly fomenting fierce ethnic clashes in 2010.
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Over the past two decades the Roma issue has become one of the most current topics in European public space and also became especially relevant within academia. Despite of this there are still under-researched topics, such as history of the emer gence and development of Roma emancipatory movement on the eve of modern times. On base of archival research the article presents the first certainly documented testimony of Roma aspiration towards civil emancipation in “A letter to the editor” published in 1868; first attempt for self-organization of Roma from Bulgarian town of Vidin from 1910, the creation and activities of the first organizations in city of Sofia from 1919 and others. The article revails previously unknown facts about the history of Roma movement, reflecting the first of all attempts for empowerment of the Roma communities in the pre-industrial period and their struggle for equality in Eastern Europe. At the end in the article is proposed an explanation about the reasons for the rapid development of Roma movement especially in Southeastern Europe in context of their societal position.
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The article presents the genealogy of the process of self-organization of German Sinti in the context of the aftermath of the Nazi persecution of this group. The author points out the ambivalent construction of Sinti identity that has been developed in the course of the fight for compensation. It consists of the conviction of having been an integral part of the German society as well as the feeling of having been excluded from this society. This ambiguity is interpreted in terms of an anthropological model of double coding, in which identity is understood as a dynamic process of building the relations between the external and internal boundaries of the group. This model has been subsequently used in the description of the relations between Sinti and Roma.
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The author attempts to compare the governmental programs for the Roma community in Czech, Poland and Slovakia. He is particularly interested in how these three countries perceive the role of education. All of the three programs include the educational component, as clearly pointed out by the author. Also, the position of the Roma Assistant has been introduced in all the countries. It is important since the education of Roma community has become a priority and the efforts of governments and European institutions as well as NGOs towards improving the educational and social situations of the Roma have been coordinated.
More...Uwagi na marginesie Pilotazowego programu rządowego na rzecz społeczności romskiej w województwie małopolskim na lata 2001–2003
In the years 2001–2003, in the Nowy Sacz County and Tarnow municipality area, The Preliminary Governmental Program For Roma Community in Malopolska Voivodeship for 2001–2003 had been carried out. The solutions examined in the process has been implemented since 2004 across the whole country within the framework of The Governmental Program for Roma Community in Poland.The authors of both schemes assume that the major factor determining the existing situation of the Roma in Poland is their poor education. Analysis by the government administration of the reports compiled during the years when The Preliminary Governmental Program had been in development leads to conclusion that in the period 2001–2003 the implementation of educational obligation in Malopolska Voivodeship improved among its participants. The achievements of that period preserved. Importantly, The Preliminary Governmental Program, resulted in two new positions – of Roma Assistant and Supporting Teacher – taking firm root the Polish educational system. Their presence in the educational institutions has greatly improved relationships between Roma families and school.The present knowledge of the effects of governmental schemes for Roma community in the education area does not allow for precise conjectures on consequences of the change in educational situation for the Roma community itself. Taking into account that these efforts may accelerate the assimilation process, methods should be considered that would allow to control them constantly.
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(A polemics with Michael Stewart’s article Remembering without commemoration:the mnemonics and politics of Holocaust memories among European Roma, “Journal of Royal Anthropological Institute” nr 10, 2004) In the recent years the traditional approach to Roma as „people without history and memory” has been challenged, among others, by a new perspective that assumes that even if Roma do not consciously reflect upon their past, the past is „remembered”for them due to the fact that it is in a way „stored” or „embedded” in the nature of the relations between Roma and non-Roma. Such an „implicit memory” approach, represented by Michael Stewart, means a step forward since it has assumed a more sophisticated concept of social memory. Nevertheless, it shares with the older approach the essentialized concept of Roma identity. With a help of Lech Mroz’s conception of Romani „non-memory that does not mean forgetting”, I am developing mycriticism of Stewart’s argument as (1) treating the Roma as a passive and static group formed by external determinants; (2) homogenizing the diversity of Romani life; (3) presenting a monolithic picture of the non-Roma world; (4) seeing a firm borderline between Roma and non-Roma while we should rather speak here of a liminal frontier zone; (5) neglecting the actual cases of active remembrance among Roma, supported by Romani commemorative ceremonies. In the end, I am suggesting that in contemporary „postmodern condition” the Romani practices of memory and identity do not radically differ from the non-Romani ones, especially those influenced by traumatic historical experience.
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The Gypsies (Roma and other Gypsy communities) are actually an example how a people can exist in two dimensions – as a separate community/communities and as a more or less separated part of the society. Numerous researches of Romani studies scholar till now paid attention mostly on them as detached, specific community, but when speaking about ethnomusicology a paradox is observed. Main subject of majority researches are the Gypsy musicians, who serve the surrounding society, i.e. Roma are studied not so much as community, but rather as part of the society. The present article analyses the different spheres of functioning of the Gypsy music in the society and within the society and their mutual overlapping. Special attention is paid on role of the music within the Gypsy communities – in the different family (mainly during weddings) and calendar holidays, during the different rituals, in the everyday life, in different midst (family, age and/or sex restricted). On this ba¬sis the different appearances of the community identity of the Gypsies are analyzed, as well as the role, which the “Gypsy Music” (determined as such by the community itself) has on its creation and expression.
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The article is an overview of the Olah Romas‘ song folklore and lyrics in the former Czechoslovakia – in Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia, where until today it has retained its active existence in an unchanged form – in particular among the group Lovari. While the music and folk songs of the Roma are relatively known, the Olah folklore in its authentic form remains rather unknown. It has been transmitted through generations in an uninfluenced form even after these societies were forced to stop being migratory by the power of the communist state in 1959. Their song folklore is differentiated in structure, forms, types and way of performance, and divided into two main groups of songs: Mulatousha, louke djila which are long, slow songs, and Khelimaske djila which are rhythmical songs to be danced to. This article examines the lyrics and content of these songs and also focuses on their specific function in the Olah society. The majority of these songs are traditionally without a musical accompaniment which increases the importance of their lyrics. The singer tells through them a story to the community to whom he dedicates the song by the way of a ritual formula – which adds to the atmosphere of the song as far as both content and rhythm are concerned. The author of the article chose ex¬amples of the lyrics from her large collection of original recordings made between the years 1956 and 1990. The texts are transcribed from the recordings in the Olah Roma language and then loosely translated.
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The article outlines Polish literature dedicated to the phenomenon of flamenco. An author not only presents the state of research on flamenco in Poland, but also refers readers both to the earliest and to the most popular works on flamenco functioning abroad. While analyzing Polish literature Piotrowska asks a question about general attitude of Polish authors towards the issue of ‘Gypsyness’ of flamenco and presents how Polish writers treat Gypsy roots of flamenco. The author concludes that in Polish literature – comprising a few articles and books – Gypsy connotations of fla¬menco are usually duly underlined. At the same time, Piotrowska states that Polish literature on flamenco is dominated by practical approach focusing on performantive practices (dance, instrumental play), rather than on historic or aesthetic perspective. The author stresses the absence of Polish translations of important books on flamen¬co, however she also acknowledges the role Polish Internet sites play in promoting the Gypsy aspect of flamenco phenomenon.
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Worse health status of Roma in comparison to the rest of the population is a fact. The basis for the change in this situation is to identify the causes of this problem. One of its manifestations is limited access to medical services. It arises primarily from cultural factors and gaps in education. Also the discrimination that they face when using health services due to lack of education. However, it relates to the insufficient knowledge of the medical staff. Because they do not know or do not understand their culture. This leads to misunderstanding and discrimination. Roma often do not accept the prophylaxis and immunization, because they do not understand their impact. Often for the best recognize conventional treatments, which are not effective. Consistent education as Roma and emergency medical services staff can change this situation. However, to compensate for the health of the Roma to the average mainstream need first of all to bring them out of poverty, provide adequate housing , integrated into the labor market. Significant reduction in the level of social exclusion will bring lasting results in the health of the population of Roma.
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Over the last few years, the institutions of the European Union and numerous international organizations pay special attention to the situation of Roma and Sinti in Europe. Discrimination and human rights violations that face the Roma are known and widespread, but so far none of the European countries and governments worked out examples and best practices of effective protection of the members of this community. In this article, the author looks at the overall situation of Roma women, who are more likely than other women exposed to multiple, cross-sectoral, multi-layered discrimination on grounds of gender and ethnic origin, and also have limited access to employment, education, health, social services participation in civic life. This discrimination occurs in the majority society in the context of growing racist sentiment, romophobia, antiziganism, but also in Roma communities themselves. Romani women are also more likely than other women are exposed to various forms of violence, especially domestic violence, sexual abuse and trafficking.
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The phenomenon of Lorca’s poetry is connected, among others, with his fascination with Gypsy culture being on one hand a part and parcel of Andalusian identity, and on the other hand universal in its overall character. While referring to Gypsy folklore, and especially its musical component, Lorca managed to create his own, unique poetic idiom, becoming soon recognized as one of the world–known admirers of that ‘cursed race’. This, however, triggered certain problems already during his lifetime. In the article not only Lorca’s allusions to Gypsy mythology are presented as evident in his poetry, but also discussed is his own attitude to the Gypsy motif as well as its various interpretations by both his contemporaries and the posterity.
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Violence as a man’s accompanying phenomenon. Violence and politics. Violence and media. Types of domestic violence. Violence toward members of “minority” groups. Violence in sport. Violence and religion. Privatisation of violence through terrorism. How to develop the culture of non-violence? Is there any end to violence?
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Parents’ objections to photo of a mentally handicapped first-grader allegedly results in photo album recall.
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From a cross-cultural perspective, my text attempts to establish the degree to which a number of ethno-linguistic and religious groups from Romania and Bulgaria (Kalderashi, Rudars, Tatars, and Turks) could be equated within similar or identical ethnicities from the two countries. In discussing historical and ethnographic evidences relevant for the aforementioned ethnic communities, I consider and investigate (1) their demographic situation and geographic distribution, (2) their cultural trait variability, and (3) the current understanding of ethnicity in the anthropological literature of Southeastern Europe. My approach also takes into account the legislative framework of the ethno-demographic evolution in Romania and Bulgaria (1992-2011). Another objective of my research is to represent the distribution of the Kalderash, Rudar, Tatar, and Turkish groups across Romanian and Bulgarian regions. Based on such contextualization, the ethnic characteristics are interpreted in terms of homologous or analogous relationships among and between Gypsy/Roma, Tatar, and Turkish communities living in Romanian and Bulgarian rural and urban areas. A result of my comparative study is that of viewing the cultural belongingness in the 1990s and 2000s Romania and Bulgaria as an experience of coexistence – beyond the great and continuous ethno-linguistic and confessional diversity and variability in Southeastern Europe.
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According to the data of census in 2002, national and ethnic minorities form 0,26% of the society of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. They are among others: Belarusians, the Romani, Greeks, Karaims, Lithuanians, Lemkos, Macedonians, Germans, Armenians, Russians, Turks, Ukrainians, Jews and (since lately) Vietnamese. Their position underwent a positive change after 1989. In the past decades they experienced all sorts of restrictions. The activity of the particular minorities centers around matters such as: using and teaching the languages of the minority, keeping names and surnames written in the minority language, practising their religion and organizational activity. The basis for the national and ethnic minorities living on the Gdańsk Coast form largely the newcomers from the widely understood frontier lands. The Greeks and Macedonians who came to Poland in the years 1949‒1952 form an interesting exception. People coming to the so-called recovered lands, as a rule, hid their real origin. It was the result of the two facts: 1. the policy of the Polish government, the aim of which was to create a uniform state as regards nation and ethnics. 2. fear of being recognized as the citizens of the USSR due to the risk of deportation. The first decade of the post war period was especially unfavourable for the minorities. Since 1956 the situation has loosened – organizational and religious life start to develop. Up to the present time national and ethnic minorities have been the subject of scientific research.
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