AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND THE OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE
INVITE YOU TO A PRESS CONFERENCE
SEVERE DISCRIMINATION OF ROMANI CHILDREN IN SLOVAKIA – WHAT IS THE EU DOING ABOUT IT
Research conducted by the two leading NGOs concludes that Romani children are prime targets of segregation in Slovakia, especially in the field of education.
In new separate reports, Amnesty International and the Open Society Institute denounce the de facto open segregation that very young children are faced with in Slovakia, only because of their ethnic origin and low socio-economic background. This discrimination involves placing children in segregated schools for Roma-only, or even in institutions for children with mental disabilities. The Amnesty report is available at the bottom of this page.
The findings of the two NGOs conclude that these are frequent practices tolerated by the Slovakian authorities who have so far been unable to put an end to the discrimination that undermines the potential of an entire generation and violates Slovakia’s obligations as an EU Member State.
At a time when the issue of integration of Roma communities is making headlines for all the wrong reasons, the EU must act.
We hereby invite you to attend the press conference which will launch:
- Amnesty International’s report Still separate, still unequal: Violations of the right to education for Romani children in Slovakia, presented simultaneously at press conferences in Bratislava and in Brussels,
- The Open Society Institute’s report Equal Access to Quality Education for Roma in Slovakia, which is part of a series of monitoring reports covering the nine countries participating in the Decade of Roma Inclusion
When:
Thursday 15 November at 9.30am
Where:
Residence Palace, Rue de la Loi 155,
Room: SALON
Who:
Jezerca Tigani, AI Regional Campaign Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia
Andrew Wilkens, Director OSI-Brussels
Stano Daniel, OSI research coordinator (based in Eastern Slovakia)
Note to Broadcasters: A Video News Access tape with footage of the segregated schools will be available.
Please confirm your participation by sending an e-mail to Download PDF attachement