05th November 2013!

National minorities in European strategy���Miroslava Demková!European Democratic Party of Slovak republic, civic association Young Europeans!

Slovakia���

"Multicultural country in which the members of a majority of the Slovak nation live together with the members of minorities with which they are equal in dignity and rights."!

Report on the status and rights of members of national minorities for 2012!

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According to the Report on the status and rights of national minorities in 2012 ( according to Art . 4 paragraph . 1 point 1 of the Statute of the Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Republic for National Minorities ) in the introduction part, it seems that I live in a fairy land. A country where we are all equal in dignity and rights, regardless of our social status.!!There are various legislative amendments and laws in Slovakia that guarantee equality of minorities rights, the protection of their language , the right to maintain cultural institutions, etc...!!There are more than 30 laws governing the status of national minorities, whose performance cannot lead to discrimination against other citizens... Everything is in line with the recommendations, binding regulations of the European institutions and international conventions, and therefore I would rather that you approach the situation from another perspective. !

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On this occasion, I have now the honor to share my point of view with you in this magnificent Palace of the Parliament, in the Hall of Human Rights, and I can not ignore its symbolism. !!I would like to ask you what you think in your own mind, about this figure above .!!Oftentimes we talk about equality, and we are fighting for the same rights, we all want to be equal, in order to call for justice... but... Have you ever wondered whether "EQUALITY = JUSTICE"?!

Minorities living in Slovakia���

✤  In my small multicultural country, many nationalities are living together, as we can see from the last census in 2011. The table also compares the results of a former census, conducted in 2001. As you can see on the following page nationalities in Slovakia are truly diverse.!

✤  On the other side you can see the ethnic structure analyzed in various districts of the Slovak Republic, with the example of the three most numerous national minorities in Slovakia: Hungarian, Ruthenian and Roma. !

An essential source of information on the minorities is this census held in 2011. The results of the census, compared with previous censuses, were as follows:!

The share of Rusyn/Ruthenians nationality on the total number of citizens in the Slovak districts for

2011!

! Rusyn nationality is one of the few nationalities which recorded a relatively large dynamic growth (most

nationalities recorded a large loss), . !Rusyn nationality is concentrated mainly in the north-eastern part of the country.!

The share of Hungarian nationality on the total number of citizens in the Slovak districts for

2011���

!The Hungarian minority is the most numerous minority in the Slovak Republic.!

Hungarian nationality follows the line of the southern borders of Slovakia, which correspond to the area populated by Hungarians in the Hungarian state before the Treaty of Trianon.!

The share of Roma minority on the total number of citizens in the Slovak districts for

2011!

!Officially, the second largest ethnic minority in Slovakia is the Roma minority. As you can see, according to

census, this minority is concentrated mainly in Kosice and Presov regions of Slovakia.!

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I come from Kosice region, the town where the total population is about 40 thousand and with approximately 2,300 Roma residents living in a settlement, at the edge of the city. The percentage is around 6%. And this is precisely segregated Roma, I want to talk about, in the context of the EU strategy.!

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Roma people as national minority group members���It is known that in case of the census of the population of some minority, especially the Roma, census results do not provide a true picture of the actual number of the minority community and they are significantly undersized.!Estimates of Demographic Research Centre, however, say the most likely of 440,000 Roma living in Slovakia in 2011, which is about 8% of the total population.!

! In fact, we can not tell you how many Roma live in Slovakia, whereas the Roma minority citizens (eg according to external genetic characteristics) may feel as members of other minorities (eg Hungary). Taking in consideration that the fact belonging to the Roma minority is still largely considered a kind of reduced status in the society.!!

I decided to address the issue of the Roma minority in relation to the European strategy, because in opposite to the other ones, from my perspective, there are a number of differences. !!The mere question of the status of the Roma minority and their original country is often controversial. We all know that when talking about the Roma, we speak about the ethnic minority, which has its national presence in almost all countries. Each of the other national minority may refer to its origins to the State from which it comes. We know that even a scientific view of the origin of the Roma is not uniform.!!!

Defining the Roma as a national minority���

!Professional and scientific discussions contain ambiguous definitions of these concepts, categories, and this is therefore difficult to achieve even some "conceptual purity" in daily practice. !!Based on above, proposal concepts using this "mark" is based on the Constitution of Slovak Republic defined status of recognition of the Roma national minority with a preference for civic principle and the principle of building a multicultural and pluralistic society.!!!!

Admittedly, however, dare to say that today Roma are the Europeans. The "Roma issue" is a hot topic in almost all countries of the European Union, and therefore I think that the European strategy should, and because of prospective reason, MUST include and think about the question of the Roma minority as particular.!

In order to address the problems of Roma community, the Slovak government function Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities, which advises the government systemic measures to improve the situation of the Roma minority and their integration into society.!

The first report on the position and rights of persons belonging to national minorities, adopted by the Government in October this year, examines also socio-economic status of ethnic minorities. Report Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Government for Roma Communities, together with the Slovak Statistical Office data are an important source of this written presentation.!

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Zero chance for the future?!���Age pyramid of Slovak citizens of Roma ethnicity is different from other nationalities, as well as from the age pyramids in economically developed countries. This is a so-called progressive type of the age pyramid, which is typical for developing countries. This form of the pyramid represents a future rapid population growth through natural increase. The largest age group is 0-4 years, which makes up 14.2% of the total number. Number of children under 15 is 39.4%. A very low proportion is of the elderly; persons over 60 years is only 3.9%.! !

Another important difference of the Roma minority, which I want to draw your attention to is the age pyramid. For logical reasons, it

appears that it is currently in this population even more true: "Children are our future". The first thing, I thought when looking it, is education. Simply investment in education, resolves many controversial issues in

the education of Roma children and in several decades "Roma problem" might be solved for good. (?!)!

„Sem zadajte citáciu.“!

Education level of Roma people���

✤  According to the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic in the field of education of national minorities generally show lower qualifications than members of the majority, which is reflected on their position in the labor market, where national minorities (or inhabitants of the regions inhabited by ethnic minorities) takes particular positions requiring lower qualifications .!

✤  In terms of education (qualification) structures differ from national minorities, there are substantial differences. Main common feature is an above-average proportion of the population with basic education, which, however, in individual national departs significantly.!

Roma national minority within the qualification structure has significantly

negative values. Only two types of education significantly exceed the

national average. This is a Roma with primary education (42.7%) and no

schooling (40.7%).!!

For example, secondary education graduation in Slovakia reached 20.2% of the population and the Roma minority

only 1.9%. With a Master's degree, engineering and higher education that Slovakia's track reaches 10.8% of the

population, this type of qualifications recorded only in 0.7% of Slovak citizens of

Roma ethnicity.!!

  This is a significantly negative phenomenon, it is necessary to

increasingly pay attention.!

Economic indicators of selected districts!���1. Unemployment���!!Analysis of unemployment in regions compactly inhabited by ethnic minorities shows that the surveyed counties is that these regions are among the most affected by unemployment. Unemployment in these regions is growing rapidly and thus increase interregional differences (i.e., the divergence occurs). These processes are extremely worrying not only for the total social terms, but also in terms of preservation and development of national minorities.!!The unemployment rate in 2012:!!Region of Prešov: 20,66% (vary up to 30,06% Kežmarok district) !!Region of Košice: 19,58% (vary up to 29,04% Rožňava district)!

2. Transportation infrastructure���An important element for economic development. Quality transport infrastructure and good accessibility to facilitate the movement of goods and people.���✤  Highways tot.: 419, 21 km!

✤  Bratislava: 111,10 km!

✤  Trnava: 67,24 km!

✤  Prešov: 82,90 km!

✤  Košice: 5,33 km!

✤  Expressways tot.: 228,80 km (Prešov: 4,53 km; Košice: 11,43 km)!

✤  Basic opportunities for regional development in today's post-industrial society are human resources, followed by infrastructure and services, and thanks to these opportunities, the company transforming the knowledge-based economy. Meaning all other factors depends on the quality of human resources in the region, which represent the active factor of development as opposed to passive factors.!

✤  Selected districts show considerable number of opportunities for future regional development. One of the most significant opportunities are to work in human resources and completion of infrastructure. In particular, the application of the economically active population in the labor market and work with marginalized Roma communities. Importance of the participation in European structures, cross-border cooperation and effective use of EU funds.!

Report on the status and rights of members of national minorities for 2012!

✤  Roma communities, especially those segregated, are at the core of concentrated poverty despite the fact that it could represent a significant proportion of the labor force in the region, particularly for those jobs that require lower qualifications.!

✤  Active approach to the Roma of working age with a willingness to work, can achieve their participation in the construction of engineering networks in villages as well as in parts of the municipality with the majority population. Participation in joint projects in cooperation marginalized and the majority of the population can strengthen cohesion of the local population and may well serve to eliminate prejudice and social exclusion.!

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Roma syndrom?���

✤  What is the Roma culture in Slovakia like? – its roots, traditions, language, myths?!

✤  This year I decided to know more about Roma! Not from the news, brochures, associations, but from someone who understands Roma, who knows them. Why? Because it is true, that everything unknown brings us fear….this is how barriers are made accepted by society, manipulated to help small group of people, without thinking about its real dimension. !

✤  My opinion is in order to think about how to solve the "Roma issue" we have to know Roma. I realized that we still live with lot of prejudices and we consider a lot of nowadays myths for reality. We focus a lot of on the past, traditions but hundreds and hundreds years ago without thinking the fact also the Roma moved on as well as we did in the last years. You might be surprised with how many things we consider as rules of their society but which are truly myths in 2013, even in Slovakia settlements.!

✤  I might say people are hungry to know more about Roma and we can confirm this by simply interest about our small voluntary project. We used a model of a Roma girl, my friend, which never lived in a settlement, but by simply articles we try to give to our people different prospective how to see the Roma people. I have to say last we reached over 14 thousand views of publishing simply article just after few days!!

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Priority of European strategy���

When speaking about European strategy and Roma minority I would like to express a very simple wish. I welcome the support for different projects to increase Roma knowledge, Roma education, employment,... !

BUT...!

I think EU forgets a thing...!

to FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY within the European countries. Segregated Roma present the concentrated resorts of poverty. !

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Maslow's hierarchy of needs!

You might know the Maslow hierarchy of needs. !!Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid with the largest, most fundamental levels of needs at the bottom and the need for self-actualization at the top. !!Physiological needs are the physical requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body cannot function properly, and will ultimately fail. Physiological needs are thought to be the most important; they should be met first.!!Air, water, and food are metabolic requirements for survival in all animals, including humans. Clothing and shelter provide necessary protection from the elements. !

✤  http://vimeo.com/70417799!

We pretend Roma people will be educated, we pretend them to finish at least secondary level education, we pretend their inclusion in society by getting a job....!!

....while they're fighting the elementary problems how to survive. While kids came home from the school and there's no water, no light... They don't

have a shelter, a warmth...!!I think we need a more systematic and efficient way how to fight the "Roma issue" and we cannot do that without have in a mind basic things. As first we have to understand we cannot solve the problems without fight them where arise. !!

We cannot solve Roma problem without Roma. ! !At the very end I invite you to watch this video, which I really love, as one of examples how we can fight with discrimination and segregation: !

THANK YOU!!