City prepares to move Romas from shantytown

"I expect the whole job to be over by the end of this, or early next month, because we must do everything so that children from the settlement enroll into schools and kindergartens, which will be the first step on the road of their socialization, and will mark a true solution to the problem," Krkobabić was quoted as saying.

I commend the Serbian people and the Serbian Government.

Serbia is one of the most diverse nations in Europe and unlike the other former Yugoslav republic has not been as an created ethnically pure state (like Croatia and Bosnia which both seceeded so that they can be "pure").

You only have to look at the terrible things that have happened to the Roma (and Serbs, Jews, Egyptian etc) in Kosovo by the regime in Pristina to see that the only hope for Kosovo is in Serbia.

Thank God. Many travel forums - I know certain in Russia and certain in the States - are full of comments like

"poor Serbia, we enter Belgrade by train and the very first thing we see is a horrible refugee camp, obviously full of poor Kosovars."

It is very difficult to explain the reality and remain "politically correct".
And these comments are most frequent on US and Russian forums - precisely where Serbia wants them the least.

BTW: we were victims (not really big suffering, but still not a good memory) last weekend in Serbia. As it is well-known, the lines on the border are huge.

Certain minority abuses it and their people go from car to an other car - not begging, but DEMANDING money. We did observe a girl about 12-13 year old. She had a baby (probably not her, but we never know) hanging on her breast(!!!). This is a big disgrace for the country as in the long line there are every kind of nationalities and what impression do they get from Serbia?

Integration in any society is better than this kind of life.

In May we had a guest from Serbia and went to Slovakia. Well... certain parts of it weren't much better either. Of course he knew immediately what is it all about.

Thank God I am not a politician whose task is to solve such problem in Central Europe. My uneducated guess: a huge UN funding is needed, with a special task force and it should last decades. The goal would be to preserve the positive things of Roma culture (language, musical tradition, arts) but get them into 21st Century and change the mentality.

Ataman

There is a lot more Serbia can do to integrate Romas into society but people seem to forget that Serbia is still a poor country. We were bombed some 10 years ago and, pretty much, had to start over. I live in Sweden and here we have people begging on the streets as well. Not in high numbers but still. What is really sad is that in Sweden this problem shouldn't exist. A wellfare state with people poor enought to sleep in parks and go through garbage in search for food. I lived in the US for almost 6 years and there the problem of poverty is huge. 25 percent of American children live under the poverty level. How come in the richest nation on the planet? Before anyone points a finger at Serbia they should clean up infront of their own doorstep first.

should last decades. The goal would be to preserve the positive things of Roma culture (language, musical tradition, arts) but get them into 21st Century and change the mentality.

You are right Ataman, difficult task, but do you frankly think that they really want to change?

You are right Ataman, difficult task, but do you frankly think that they really want to change?
(The Swiss, 7 August 2009 22:36)

The very first and maybe the most difficult part of the job is to make them WANT the change. It is possible but a huge funding and many dedicated specialists are needed.

This is a dream of course, it won't happen. UN wasn't able to solve a much simple problem somewhere else - with people belonging to two mainstream, but feuding societies at odds. How you spell "UNMIK"?

This is even more difficult.

"I expect the whole job to be over by the end of this, or early next month, because we must do everything so that children from the settlement enroll into schools and kindergartens, which will be the first step on the road of their socialization, and will mark a true solution to the problem," Krkobabić was quoted as saying.

I commend the Serbian people and the Serbian Government.

Serbia is one of the most diverse nations in Europe and unlike the other former Yugoslav republic has not been as an created ethnically pure state (like Croatia and Bosnia which both seceeded so that they can be "pure").

You only have to look at the terrible things that have happened to the Roma (and Serbs, Jews, Egyptian etc) in Kosovo by the regime in Pristina to see that the only hope for Kosovo is in Serbia.

Thank God. Many travel forums - I know certain in Russia and certain in the States - are full of comments like

"poor Serbia, we enter Belgrade by train and the very first thing we see is a horrible refugee camp, obviously full of poor Kosovars."

It is very difficult to explain the reality and remain "politically correct".
And these comments are most frequent on US and Russian forums - precisely where Serbia wants them the least.

BTW: we were victims (not really big suffering, but still not a good memory) last weekend in Serbia. As it is well-known, the lines on the border are huge.

Certain minority abuses it and their people go from car to an other car - not begging, but DEMANDING money. We did observe a girl about 12-13 year old. She had a baby (probably not her, but we never know) hanging on her breast(!!!). This is a big disgrace for the country as in the long line there are every kind of nationalities and what impression do they get from Serbia?

Integration in any society is better than this kind of life.

In May we had a guest from Serbia and went to Slovakia. Well... certain parts of it weren't much better either. Of course he knew immediately what is it all about.

Thank God I am not a politician whose task is to solve such problem in Central Europe. My uneducated guess: a huge UN funding is needed, with a special task force and it should last decades. The goal would be to preserve the positive things of Roma culture (language, musical tradition, arts) but get them into 21st Century and change the mentality.

Ataman

There is a lot more Serbia can do to integrate Romas into society but people seem to forget that Serbia is still a poor country. We were bombed some 10 years ago and, pretty much, had to start over. I live in Sweden and here we have people begging on the streets as well. Not in high numbers but still. What is really sad is that in Sweden this problem shouldn't exist. A wellfare state with people poor enought to sleep in parks and go through garbage in search for food. I lived in the US for almost 6 years and there the problem of poverty is huge. 25 percent of American children live under the poverty level. How come in the richest nation on the planet? Before anyone points a finger at Serbia they should clean up infront of their own doorstep first.

should last decades. The goal would be to preserve the positive things of Roma culture (language, musical tradition, arts) but get them into 21st Century and change the mentality.

You are right Ataman, difficult task, but do you frankly think that they really want to change?

You are right Ataman, difficult task, but do you frankly think that they really want to change?
(The Swiss, 7 August 2009 22:36)

The very first and maybe the most difficult part of the job is to make them WANT the change. It is possible but a huge funding and many dedicated specialists are needed.

This is a dream of course, it won't happen. UN wasn't able to solve a much simple problem somewhere else - with people belonging to two mainstream, but feuding societies at odds. How you spell "UNMIK"?

This is even more difficult.