Stories & Responses

Survivors had to settle on river banks

SURVIVORS HAD TO SETTLE ON RIVER BANKSEmilie HorackovaJarovnice, SlovakiaAugust 2000Anna Husarova is an old lady whose path through life has been full of stones and suffering. Her story takes us as far back as World War II.In 1940 Anna was eighteen, married and living in Jarovnice. At the time the settlement had only six houses, […]

Even a skinhead can have a good heart

Katerina SidonovaPragueWhen I was studying at the Pedagogical Faculty, I used to spend one afternoon a week and three weeks in the summer with Romany children from Zizkov. I wanted to become a teacher in specialized classes for Romany kids. Unfortunately this was impossible because there were enough teachers when I finished my studies. So […]

I survived, and I’ll survive other things too

Author: Lucie ConkovaLocation: Usti nad LabemThis happened about three years ago when I was a student at a Veterinary Senior High School in Hradec Kralove. It’s something that I will never forget. I would have never expected HIM to say that, the country boy who sat just behind me. Though I had always been aware […]

I only worry about our clients lack of motivation

Author: Lucie ConkovaLocation: Usti mad LabemA year or so ago I had no idea what a civic association was. But starting a civic group became a kind of fashion among Roms: it brings in easy money.I work in Predlice where the population is ninety-nine per cent Romany. That’s why some sort of a civic group […]

So you’re armed, you dirty Gypsy?

Jan Horváth Sr. StudénkaAugust 2000 I am going to tell you what happened to our Indian friend Kumar Vishwanathan, who is well known for helping Roma in the Ostrava region. His organization called Vzájemné souzití (Co-Existence) arranged a summer camp for two groups of Romany children from Ostrava in the beautiful country of the Beskydy […]

Hearing the music really opened the kids up

Monika HorakovaMember of the Czech Parliamentin conversation withJohn W. ErwinDirector, The Stories Exchange ProjectCzech Ministry of Foreign AffairsPrague1 December 2000Jack ErwinAs you know, we’re beginning to work in Brno. We just had a very exciting session with Romany musicians in a school. As you know, the Stories Exchange Project is working on a Romany music […]

The teacher can make the biggest difference

Author: Zuzana Gaborova/Vera IvicovaLocation: BrnoToday Vera came to my office on her own to tell me about something that happened when she was little. She had forgotten about it, but she remembered today because her son had got into a similar situation – but we don’t know what will happen with him, so she’ll tell me that […]

You really need to advertise

Author: Martina HudeckovaLocation: BrnoDenisa Lazovkova is a twenty-four year old Rom. She was not able to find a job after she finished school, so she started her own business as a hairdresser. These days it’s hard to attract new clients unless your shop is located in a visible place, possibly in the center of town. […]

Europe should open to Roms who do not want to live in this country

"New Roles for Roma in an Integrated Europe?”Session III, ARTS OF TOLERANCEDiscussions, Workshops and Performances organized by the Stories Exchange Project in Terezin, formerly a Nazi concentration camp from which Jews were sent to AuschwitzMita Castle-KanerovaInternational Migration OrganizationPragueWe are running a program focused on voluntary returns to the Czech Republic by Roms who have emigrated […]

Does it open up your world?

Mark Ludwig Violist, Boston Symphony OrchestraDirector, Terezin Chamber Music Foundation[during "Arts of Tolerance” a series of workshops, performances and discussions organized by the Stories Exchange Project, 18-19 September 2000]Terezin, Czech RepublicA little over twelve years ago I began to research the music and the history of composers who were incarcerated in Theresienstadt [Terezin]. It really […]