human rights
Hey diddle diddle, Viktor Orban and the fiddle
The people jump over the moon. 'Hungary is bewitched by Orban - as if he were the pied piper of Hamelin,' commented the Berlin-based Hungarian nobel laureate Imre Kertez in an interview with French newspaper Le Monde in February. The populist flute tones are mainly directed against threats from the outside: the USA, Europe, IMF but as well Roma and Jewish people. 'Orbanistan' is the new nickname given by the international press to the Hungarian republic. Europe’s bad boy is Viktor Orban. His ruling fidesz party has a juicy two-thirds majority, bringing a new constitution and media law criticised by international human rights organisations. As the gang at cafebabel Budapest describe it, 'Our prime minister wakes up in the morning, has an idea, and by mid-week it's passed'. He restructures 'on the qt': alternative locations close down, right-wing extremists become theatre directors, state television is censored. Meanwhile international media sound the alarm and rarely sparks fly against ‘Mr. Viktator’ in the European parliament. But other than financial pressure, the EU didn’t play many of their human rights cards against the country. An ever politicised youth are fighting for a place to protest on 15 March, a national holiday, in Budapest (Image: ©Kristof)
Finland's Sami minority: new cultural centre but no land rights
Finland's Sami people are slowly gaining legal recognition, with a new cultural centre in Inari being launched in 2012. However, the minority continues to suffer injustice with respect to land-law. Tanja Joona from the northern institute for environmental and minority law explains a problem which doesn't look set to disappear
human rights, finland, helsinki, ethnic minorities, sami people, society
Obituary: Vaclav Havel, master of peace
The dissident, thespian and president, who was a symbol of change in the 1989 velvet revolution in Czechoslovakia, died on 18 December at the age of 75 after a serious illness. Homage to a European master of peace, as a three-day mourning period officially begins on 21 December
human rights, literature, politics, europe, euweek, prague spring, theatre
My beautiful camp: Italy's Roma success stories
Between a Roma camp claiming to be an example of social integration and a laundrette which is a supposed symbol of multiculturalism, profound problems linger at the heart of Rome’s gypsy communities
human rights, politics, racism, bosnia and herzegovina, multikulti on the ground, italy, discrimination
'Our School' documentary: segregated Roma schools despite EU funds
When directors and producers Mona Nicoară and Miruna Coca-Cozma followed three Roma children in a small Romanian village for four years, their film initially about a success story of integration became one about the realities of ethnic segregation. Interview
human rights, minority, documentary, gypsy, children, emir kusturica, integration
Ascanio Celestini: 'I denounce verbal violence of our time’
He is the mouthpiece of contemporary Italian theatre, a critic of power, an anthropologist who depicts the evils of our time better than anyone else. The 39-year-old actor, director and author talks about coming from outside Rome and where his one-man-show gets its inspirations from
human rights, paris, italy, rome, best of cafebabel.com, culture, theatre
Baking a state for Palestine at the United Nations kitchen
64 years ago, the UN granted the Palestinians a state on 43% of the former mandate Palestinian territory. This state never came into being. The bid for this and UN membership will likely take place on 24 September. A divided EU once again shows its reluctance to form a common foreign policy with the member states’ 'for', 'against' and 'wait-and-see' positions
human rights, vote, politics, discrimination, palestine occupied territory, european union, united nations
‘Webouting’ site publishes list of ten ‘gay’ politicians in Italy
On 23 September, an Italian LGBT movement ‘outed’ ten homophobic politicians who they have esteemed have ‘ulterior motives’ for their overt phobia online. Is it a criminal action or justifiable revenge? 75% of the country’s gay community have agreed with the US-based blog's initiative
human rights, lgbt, politics, italy, homosexuality, internet, social networks
Roma and Hungary’s extreme right: the hunt in Gyöngyöspata
In Hungary, a village of 2, 500 inhabitants outside Budapest embodies tensions between the Roma (gypsy) community and the extreme right. Since March, paramilitary militia have been arriving in Gyöngyöspata to march the town's streets. On top of that, Oszkár Juhász, a member of the extreme right-wing party Jobbik, has been elected as mayor
human rights, politics, discrimination, hungary, right wing extremism, roma, violence
The hills are alive with the sound of Viviane Reding
The EU commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship ‘comes from the heart of Europe,’ insists former EC president Jacques Delors, as he introduces her to French students at Paris’ political institute Sciences Po. Meanwhile, Reding goes all out to be less bureaucratic than she is
human rights, jacques delors, politics, paris, viviane reding, roma, european commission
Romania's stray dogs, souvenirs of a communist past
On 26 July, the European court of human rights criticised Romania’s inability to deal with the stray dogs roaming its streets. Legislation introduced by parliament to allow the euthanasia of the stray dogs has however provoked controversy. How have the strays, known as ‘maïdanezi’, become mired in political debate?
human rights, bucarest, protest, euthanasia, animals, romania, european court of human rights
Czech, Belgian, French and Austrian press on Libyan rebels taking Tripoli
According to their own reports, the Libyan rebels now have practically all of the capital Tripoli under their control. Three of Muammar al-Gaddafi's sons have been taken prisoner by the rebels, while the leader himself has apparently fled. Commentators cast doubt on the rebels' democratic intentions and discuss Europe's tasks after power changes hands
human rights, politics, eurotopics, euweek, libya, muammar al-gaddafi, revolution
Easter in Istanbul with Turks and Turkish Armenians
When Turkish Armenian soldier Sevak Shahin Balikci was accidentally shot dead by an army colleague on 24 April, both Turks and Armenians came together to pay their respects. 24 April also marks the fact that easter coincides with the commemorations for the Ottoman-era genocides of Turkey's Armenian minority for the first time. There are positive signs that relations may be improving in Istanbul, especially since assassinated Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink's killer was sentenced on 25 July
human rights, politics, armenian genocide, mustafa kemal atatürk, turkey, hrant dink, armenia
Is gay OK in catholic Croatia?
The Balkan cliché of a traditional patriarchal society of machos is stable. We have all heard what happens every time the Serbs decide to have a Gay pride parade. But we are in Croatia now – a country that does not even count itself Balkan anymore, and which adopted a same sex partnerships bill in 2003
human rights, gay rights, wedding, orient express, balkans, zagreb, lgbt
Poland, Lithuania, Romania: inside Europe's Guantanamo Bays
A white horse struggles to drag itself along after abandoning the exhausted body of Vincent Gallo through the snow. The animal is soiled with human blood. Such is the breathtaking epilogue of Essential Killing, the latest feature length film from Jerzy Skolimowski, where the American actor portrays a Taliban deported to a secret CIA base hidden in a forest in Mazovie, Poland. In the screenplay by the Polish writer, the prisoner still has the possibility to escape. Terrorist suspects who land in total secrecy in the airport of Szymany in Poland do not have such luck. An investigation ensues.
human rights, cia flights, abuses, politics, smolensk, poland, romania
Life as a journalist in Montenegro: punchbags and missionaries itching to do their job
Physical threats or threats of court action, unstable salaries and a lack of recognition. In a country which only ranked 104th on the 2010 world press freedom index compiled by reporters without borders (RWB), the journalist’s profession entails quite a number of downsides. This is one of the many paradoxes in Montenegro, for given the lack of political opposition the journalist is also the sole representative of the public interest. So they tell us
human rights, corruption, balkans, reporters without borders, media, podgorica, journalism
Irish elections: expats can't vote on 25 February 2011
The Dail is dissolved! Irish citizens will be electing a new government to oversee recovery from the worst economic crisis in the state's history. However, many of them forced to leave by the four-year-old fianna fáil-green government's malfeasance will be denied a ballot
human rights, vote, politics, expatriates, the charter of fundamental rights of the european union, united kingdom, e-voting
Liu Xiaobo: Chinese prisoner and Nobel peace prize winner
The detained Chinese civil rights activist Liu Xiaobo was awarded the nobel peace prize in absentia in Oslo on 10 November; the Serb, Russian and Ukrainian governments were three of 19 world countries absent too. The Chinese government fears social change and is only harming its own interests with Liu's detention, write the Danish, Austrian, Belgian and Lativa press
by
by
by
by
by
