We would like to mark the day this year with a big world festival of the Roma, but we will do it by next year. But the damned coronavirus did not allow us to do that this year. We will all be locked up in our homes, in accordance with the instructions given by the authorities in the country.

But we wonder, what can we do this year, because all the events that we traditionally celebrate on April 8 are interrupted?

There are many ideas, and some will be collected without leaving the house, but I dare to suggest the following.

Let's dress Spain in blue and green!

Yes, we will ask all Spaniards, Roma and non-Roma, to decorate their balconies on April 8 with the Roman flag which consists of two strips of fabric of the same width. The one above the blue and the one under the green.

To do so is very easy. Take one meter of blue cloth and another meter of green cloth and sew them. And that's it. It's very easy.

We distributed thousands of Romans after the Roman Union organized a textile factory in Catalonia more than thirty years ago to produce thousands of flags.

On April 8, as every year, in many of the city councils across Spain, the blue-greens will shine on its facade. It will also be present in the autonomous parliaments.

But this time, when we receive so many racist attacks from heartless people accusing the Roma of bringing the coronavirus, it's the biggest nonsense! We are looking for a gesture of solidarity and affection. On the 8th, among all, Roma and non-Roma, because we will not be able to give each other a hug, at least we will dress Spain in blue and green.

Link: https://unionromani.org/2020/04/03/vamos-a-vestir-espana-de-azul-y-verde/?fbclid=IwAR170rvXMSisTrg2BuIIe64Xp95ZEoMxjQMsYaXl7CxbAl7Hw4QcLmMePd0

Hundreds of thousands of Roma live in dilapidated homes in central and southeastern Europe - a catastrophic coronation disaster. But instead of helping the endangered, governments often send police or the military.

Rarely does anyone speak of a large and particularly risky group in Europe: millions of poor Roma. For many, especially in Central and Southeast Europe, there may soon be a health and humanitarian catastrophe.

Most of them live in desperate conditions and mostly without the possibility of maintaining hygiene. In addition, many informally engaged as those who collect plastic and metal waste or trade on the street with food, household items or flowers, now have no job.

There are about 12 million Roma in Europe - they are the largest minority on the continent. Almost half of all European Roma live in seven central and southeastern European countries: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Macedonia.

There are also some of the most notorious miserable settlements such as Lunik IX on the outskirts of the East Slavic town of Kosice, Stolpinovo in the Bulgarian town of Plovdiv, Ferentari in the Romanian capital Bucharest or Suto Orizari in Skopje.

Common to these and similar settlements is that the people there live in a large number of narrow spaces. Often families of three to four generations live together in one or two rooms.

The new right-wing nationalist government in Slovakia, meanwhile, acknowledged the problem - but continued with a dubious approach. Prime Minister Igor Matovich said there was a mass testing of Roma for coronavirus this week. It is initially implemented in 33 settlements. Above all, people who have recently returned from abroad have been tested, and the tests are performed by military doctors accompanied by soldiers. Depending on the test results, some people are sent to state quarantines or entire settlements will be quarantined.

Link: https://www.dw.com/mk/%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B8-%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5-%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0-%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%B3%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%B0/a-53028460?maca=maz-rss-maz-pol_svet_timemk-4725-xml-mrss