Newcomers to Slovakia don’t have to be here long before they hear stories about the uneasy relationship between the Slovak people and the Roma minority living within the country’s borders. But is it possible to move beyond anecdotes and focus on the facts? What does each fear about the other? What has contributed to the mistrust and misunderstanding between them? And is there reason to hope that the relationship can improve in the future?
Elena Gallová Kriglerová from the Center for the Research of Ethnicity and Culture will address these and other questions at the next current affairs forum (in English) on Sunday, October 18, 2009, at Roland Café, Hlavne Namestie 5. Arrive at 6:30 pm to order coffee and cake, a beer or a glass of wine from the restaurant, and then join the presentation and discussion on the lower level from 6:45 to 8:00 pm.
Ms. Kriglerova’s work focuses on issues of racism and xenophobia, poverty, marginalization and social exclusion of ethnic groups and especially on the education of Roma children in Slovakia. She is also a participant in a project sponsored by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, which provides the EU with information about racism and xenophobia in European Union member states.
Reservations for the forum can be made by sending an email to currentaffairsbratislava@gmail.com. Please include your name and the names of any guests. If you have questions about this program, contact Janna Haug at jannahaug@yahoo.com
