2013/05/07

Young Roma Are Making Their Way Forward

This is a piece I wrote for Euroblogas.lt that sparked lots of discussion on Facebook... therefore, I decided to share it here as well!



I met Crina Elena Morteanu in Budapest four years ago. At the time we were studying in the same - Central European - university (CEU), and occasionally passed each other in the corridors. Crina Elena had slightly darker skin, but in such multicultural space I would never have guessed her nationality and had no idea she is Roma until the very graduation. International University is indeed a remarkable space where different cultures mingle in everyday life, and the stereotypes are changing and melting away, because everyone here is a guest, and every guest becomes a minority.


But outside of this “greenhouse” life flows in slightly different furrow. "I was born in Romania in a Roma family. During my studies I felt discrimination from both my teachers and colleagues, "- Crina Elena was sharing her experience. “I have always had to double my efforts in order to meet the expectations of the professors. Although I was stigmatized in school, the experiences I passed through motivated me even more to further my education. Due to all my negative experiences and being thirst of justice, I decided to study law. After I completed my studies in law I felt I could be better empowered to fight for my rights and for other Roma people’s rights if I further my education and knowledge on human rights. As a result, in 2009 I completed a Master of Laws in Human Rights at Central European University in Budapest. Presently, I am working on right to education of Roma children in Europe, for a human rights organization, based in Budapest.”

The CEU each year invites Roma students to study under a special scholarship scheme, which was designed to enhance opportunities for gifted Roma youth and to help them integrate into society. Such grant programs are working in a number of European universities - it was available in Lithuania as well. However, young Roma are facing the biggest problems when trying to get employment. “After graduating, I got a master's degree, but for a long time I could not get work in my native town, because then I became ‘over-qualified’,”- says a young Romani woman from Romania. However, she did not let it stop her, improved her knowledge of English and went to continue with her studies abroad. 

The experiences of Crina Elena and her peers are not sweet, but they can be considered success stories. These young people have been able to break through, despite of many obstacles – not everyone is so successful. The young educated Roma often return to work in their own community, international organizations or local structures representing Roma interests. “The number of Roma intellectuals has increased over the years. This is one positive aspect that has changed since 1990 when Roma rights movement started, "- told Crina Elena when asked about the changes. Two years ago the integration of the Roma issue was raised at European level. For the first time it was proposed to create a strategy for Roma integration issue. However, until now, the process has not been significantly advanced. "The EU does not have policies for distinct ethnic groups: there are neither Jewish policies nor Basque or Breton, so I do not think that suddenly Roma policy will appear. The very structure of the European Union is not in favor for this - and perhaps this is a good thing, "- shared Michael Stewart, teaching at London's University College and CEU. 

Meanwhile, most of the Roma in Europe, however, go on in a vicious circle: they distrust, they fail to integrate - they are not trusted. Different countries have different approaches trying to solve this problem, sometimes in especially drastic ways. In 2010 the former French President Sarkozy decided to just send the entire Roma communities from his country back to Romania and so “to get rid of the problem” – just like Italy, Denmark and Sweden did before him. Even in Romania, where Roma comprises 3.2 percent. of the population, prejudices against Roma remain as strong as in other countries. Only last week a radical right-wing organization proposed an “initiative”: to pay Roma women, who voluntarily agree to sterilization. Fortunately, this proposal received his angered reaction from the public, and the district council member who welcomed the policy had to resign from his post. However, Romania had another project, which has been already finalized: the mayor of Transylvania’s Baia-Mare town has decided to move several Roma families to the outskirts of the city ... and then built a high wall separating the Roma from the rest of the town. “It is safer,” - he argued. Only for whom?


On the one hand, the European Union is often defined in terms of values, which we call its foundation. Freedom, equality, free movement of people - all this is promised to the candidate states and their citizens. However, stereotypes and attitudes against Roma remains a stone around the neck of these fundamental values. And while integration of the Roma is extremely complex and multifaceted problem, over the years some countries have moved forward. As Crina Elena says, “I believe what is happening with the Roma nowadays is not anymore a question of human rights but of acceptance. Is the majority ready to accept us, the Roma as part of the society?”
 

2013/04/15

"Maskva" ir Stalinas grįžta į Gruziją

Ilgą laiką nerašiau - stebėjau ir laukiau, kas bus toliau. Namie iš pradžių klausė - kaip ten toj Gruzijoj, ar keičiasi kas po rinkimų? Sakiau, kad keisis - dabar matyti ir šiek tiek daugiau detalių.

Štai šiandien perskaičiau, jog vienas iš populiaresnių klubų Tbilisyje "Two Side" buvo pervadintas į  "Maskva". Prieš metus būtų sunku tai ir įsivaizduoti. Ir dabar dar negaliu apsiprasti. Anksčiau kai kuriuose restoranuose, ypač Goryje, net rusiškų dainų neleisdavo groti. Vestuvėms besiruošę draugai kartą norėjo pamaloninti svečius iš Rusijos ir sulaukė policijos(!) - kurie jiems "tik tarp kitko" paaiškino, kad jei nenori nemalonumų, tegu pakeičia kultūrinę programą ir savo svečius linksmina gruziniškai ar kaip nors kitaip "europietiškai".

Būtų įdomu pasižiūrėti, kaip dabar viskas Goryje. Tačiau kitose Gruzijos vietose jaučiasi permainos. Televizija vėl rodo "Rusijos pirmąjį kanalą" - jį įjungė iškart po rinkimų, vos uždarę gruzinišką, profesionaliai dirbusį kanalą "PIK" rusų kalba. Vėl grįždame prie "Laimės rato", prie pageidavimų koncertų, rusiškų komedijų, rusiškų žinių...

Kakhetijos regione, Akhmetoje, dar lapkritį buvo atstatyta draugo Josifo Stalino statula, nuversta 2011. Žurnalistams pakalbinus vietinius žmones, jie gūžčiojo pečiais - nieko nežinoję, vieną rytą atsikėlę rado Staliną  vėl aikštėj. Bet gerai, kad jį atstatė, čia juk istorijos dalis, sakė žmonės Akhmetoje. Kitur, Akuros kaime viskas vyko viešai - Stalino statula buvo atstatyta per jo gimtadienį, gruodžio 21d.

Kur problema? Gal per greitai visos reformos buvo vykdomos? O gal žmonės buvo nepasiruošę permainoms? Nuoširdžiai manau, kad buvusi vyriausybė padarė vieną didelę klaidą - plačiai užsimoję pamiršo įtraukti "paprastus žmones" į visas tas reformas. Taip, tai vyko greičiau, žmonės prisitaikė ir taip, bet vos gavę progą jie ir vėl grįžta prie "senųjų įpročių". Kad ir tas pats Stalinas - apie jo nuėmimą nebuvo pranešta iš anksto, nei Akhmetoje, ne tam pačiam Gory. Naktį suvažiavo mašinos, policijos apsauga apsupo aikštę, ir tyliai išmonavo statulas, žmonėms miegant. Tarsi kažką neleistino darydami.

Tačiau tai nevienintelė problema. Panašu, kad vadovaujančius postus gavę naujieji/senieji Bidzinos Ivanišvilio surinkti politikai nevertina buvusios valdžios principų ir vertybių. Vos gavę progą Akhmetos savivaldybė grąžino statulą atgal.
“Aš palaikiau statulos atstatymą ne todėl, kad ji susijusi su Sovietine sistema, bet todėl, kad ji susijusi su [II pasauliniu] karu,” - aiškino Zakaria Kinkladze, Akhmetos savivaldybės tarybos pirmininkas.
Ir kiti jam antrino. Net naujasis kultūros ministras Guramas Odišaria pradėjo pasvarstymus, kad dėl Stalino pagerbimo turėtų nuspręsti pačios savivaldybės, jei tik jos to nori. Tarsi kaip vertinti sovietinį palikimą būtų vietinės reikšmės reikalas. Tiesa, kitame interviu jis kalbėjo visai priešingai - tad galbūt tai tik prastas žurnalistų darbas. Žiūrime toliau.

2013/03/20

Experiencing Armenia once more

This is a re-post of my recent Armenian trip - a youth training on entrepreneurship and creativity, "Dreamdoland".
Despite the unpredictable March weather, a group of young people gathered to explore Yerevan and learn some more about entrepreneurship and creativity. We have come from Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Russia, Spain and Georgia, and settled in the famous Chess Academy for a week of adventure. Let the fun begin!
 
Here we are - three days in Yerevan, and already learned quite a bit about each other, about the local people and the way they see entrepreneurship (and almost learned how to spell this word, too!). Goal of the week almost reached, some would say - but lets see what is coming next, cause who knows, maybe it is just like with the Caucasian table, which gets better and better with each course?

On the first day of the program we had a chance to see the city and interact with people. Divided into groups, we got a list of tasks for the day: to interview a business owner, to talk to people on the street, to exchange a pen to something more valuable (this one sounded crazy in the beginning!). Wet snow decided to fall exactly that afternoon - but it appears it can be possible to have a good time out even in this weather! No news for the northerners, but quite unusual in the South.
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Lady working in the metro was not pleased to see a camera


The first surprise came in metro - after being helped to orient on a platform by a kind lady, we later saw her running towards the wagon waving her hands - "No photo! No photo!" It appears, taking photos is not allowed in metro, near police or politicians. Also, some supermarkets will ask you to delete any photos you've taken there, and it seems that many business people we interviewed also didn't want their photos to be put online.
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Getting inspiration at a children store




Once we got to the center, each group got one street to explore and to make interviews. We visited many small shops, but it wasn't always easy to find the owner himself there. However, most of the groups were kindly surprised, when business owners and managers willingly shared their time with us. One of them even left a meeting to give us interview! It seems, people like to talk about their experience and communicate with foreigners. But we noticed some 'taboo' topics as well - some of them didn't want to talk about how much taxes they have to pay, or to mention anything connected to their boss. Just like one of the groups said during their presentation - it seems that people wanted to tell even more than they did. Even so, from these conversations we could learn quite much about daily life of a business person in Armenia.
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Making friends with a bull in front of the cinema




One of the most interesting questions of these interviews was to learn what somebody needs to start a business in Armenia. And even though we had five groups, who interviewed completely different people, the result was so similar! It seems, to put your ideas into action and get profit from it in Armenia, you need to have some $$$$ (that won't disturb starting business anywhere!..). But also you need support from the government - or at least to have somebody (uncle, cousin, friend...) who has good relationship with the authorities. It is interesting that many people rely on it a lot - on personal relations, good contacts, networks... Just like a lonely wolf dies without a pack, you cannot make a business in Armenia alone.
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Over-excited at a fancy Arabic restaurant!

And finally, we all managed to exchange the pens! I honestly don't know, how much of it was our negotiation skills, and how much - simply kind heart and hospitality of Armenians. We easily convinced to trade those small plastic sticks to things like strawberry tea, memory sticks, souvenir cup and plate, traditional necklace and other warm reminders from this day. Just like Kyle MacDonald, a Canadian blogger who traded his way from a single red paperclip to a house in one year, we managed to achieve something that seemed absolutely crazy and impossible in the beginning, and try one step of actually making business. 


2013/02/18

A real man

The other day I saw a man working to open his zipped bag - with a hammer (!). Creative way to get out of the trouble, you say? Being a man in all situations, you say? The view was quite something, in any case!


2013/02/15

A perfect job

Perfect jobs don't exist. And not only because working couldn't be great - no no, my dear lazy friends. When you find an activity, which makes you jump happily out of your bed every morning, don't let it go, cause that sounds like you've found your place! But sometimes it happens in life that you are faced with a choice: to look for an office job, which would give certain frames and boundaries, or to try freelancing and create everything for yourself. 

I had a chance to experience both of it and I can tell that it can be difficult to decide which one is better. Both options have their own pluses and minuses, both open new opportunities - and put certain constraints.

Working at the office:
- it has a beginning and it has an ending, which is well defined and can be at times great and awful. Yet in the end of the day you just close the door - and all the worries are left behind. The rest of the evening is all yours, and if it' Friday - there is something to celebrate!
- this kind of work is stable. You can sleep calmly knowing that in the end of each month you'll be getting your salary, and you can already start planning what you'll be able to afford for that. You can plan your holidays and wait for it with a booklet on the wall above your work station - for inspiration.

- oh, right, and you always have a work station! Which means, you won't have to spend hours (and $$$) in the coffee shops or stay in bed the whole day. Such job gives you a reason to get up every morning, look good and be efficient. Which is great!
- unfortunately, working according to schedule you will always have to plan your time carefully, and to do some personal stuff at work - hide it from your boss or ask permission. The same is when you're planning holidays. Or think of anything new/awesome.
- you have a boss.



Freedom and independence:
- freelancing is often attractive because it looks so relaxed - imagine, when you have so much free time, how many things you would do!... But in reality it all comes to one question - would you really? Would you manage to forget all the distractions around and concentrate on working, the whole time?
- people around you might forget that you are also working - "look at that dude, in facebook the whole time, not locked to one place, I wish I had such holidays too!" Unless you are a journalist. Or earn so much that it makes sense for everyone to call it "real job".
- free and independent also means - unprotected. All the natural hazards like political changes, electricity cuts or lack of contracts this month - it all weights on your little shoulders. Though at the same time it gives so much flexibility that with a bit of persistence and a bit of luck you can get much better results than expected. The sky is the limit!
- every day is a new challenge and a new beginning. And it is all up to you how much satisfaction you will have in the end of the day.


So, what to choose now?