Gypsy spirit winners already have their hearts.
PRESS RELEASE
Bratislava 26 May 2011 - Monday, 23rd May the third Gypsy Spirit awards ceremony was held at the the P. O. Hviezdoslav Theatre in Bratislava, winners walked away with six red hearts from the announced categories. The winners from among the nominees were selected by the Panel of judges headed by Michael Kocáb and the Panel for Activity of the Year headed by Lejla Abbasová.
This year the competition featured 104 non-governmental organisations, companies, individuals and journalists. The preparatory - organisation committee assessed the individual applications and selected 19 shortlist candidates - three nominations in each Gypsy Spirit award category and immediately nominated four journalists for the special jury award (Gypsy Spirit media). The panel of judges and the Activity of the Year panel subsequently decided the winners, who walked away with the heart-shaped awards as a symbol of their human approach and effective work with the Roma community.
Viac...104 practical stories of helping the Roma
PRESS RELEASE
Bratislava, 104 NGOs, companies, individuals and journalists have been nominated for this years six Gypsy Spirit Award categories. The preparatory – organisation committee has in the past few days assessed the individual applications and selected 19 shortlist candidates – three nominations in each Gypsy Spirit award category and immediately nominated four journalists for the special jury award (Gypsy Spirit media). The awards ceremony itself is to take place on Monday the 23rd of May at the P.O. Hviezdoslav theatre in Bratislava.
Nominations for individual Gypsy Spirit 2011 categories
- NGO
(for the implementation of a specific project focused on supporting development of the Roma minority and the subsequent results achieved)
- ROMA LEVICE - IPC (information and advisory centre), Levice
The ROMA LEVICE-IPC civic association has been carrying out its activities to the benefit of socially disadvantaged people for almost ten years. The centre provides free social services and focuses on the creation of new forms and methods of social work featuring the greater public – for example ‘suburban social work’. The centre organises an event focused on the presentation of Roma cultural heritage every year.
- Klub SPOLU, DETVA, Marie Olahová
This community centre in Detva hosts free time activities, interesting clubs for children and adults, advisory services and support for people in need of urgent help and aid in specific situations in their difficult lives. Via these activities the Club has managed to implement more effective collaboration between the town and the Roma community,
- LAČHO DROM Civic Association, Kokava nad Rimavicou, Vladimír Sendrei
The Láčho Drom Civic Association was nominated for the ‘Mobilise communities to improve the quality of life and support employment’ project through which it managed to employ more than 30 unemployed Roma from villages in the district of Poltár Other Roma were trained by the association to work on reconstruction and building their own housing which was implemented as part of the activation work.
2. COMPANY
(for long-term support of projects focusing on social aid and Roma community support)
- The SPP Foundation
Implemented since 2002, innovative projects that have Slovakia-wide impact and tangible results and change the quality of life of people who are disadvantaged and need help. Nominees include the alternative Young Roma Artist Education Fund implemented by the Láčho drom civic association and designed to motivate Roma students into going on to further education.
- US Steel, s. r. o. Košice
U.S. Steel Ltd. permanently and sustainably employs dozens of staff from within segregated Roma settlements. It should be noted that a few years after the start of the project, the majority of Roma employees moved into rental apartments in Košice.
- The Orange foundation, Bratislava
The Orange Foundation is nominated for diverse, comprehensive and targeted activities for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.
3. EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY
(Focused on Roma youth and youngsters)
- Rehoľa Congregatio Jesu, sr Silvia Zábavová a jej spolusestry, Jarovnice
Since 2007 sister Silvia Zábavová and her Sisters have worked during the summer holidays in the field in the village Jarovnice, which is the largest Roma settlement in Central Europe - looking after children of preschool and school ages, youngsters up to the age of 25, visiting families and contacting Roma people of all ages.
- Divadlo z chatrče (Slum theatre), ETP Community Centre, Irma Horváthová - Slum theatre head, Moldava nad Bodvou
This theatre for young Roma from Roma settlements in Moldava nad Bodvou now surpasses several disparate limits and prejudices. Although considered an ‘amateur’ theatre, the theatre performers which puts on plays without any experience with "real" theatre, carries a strong emotional charge and a message as equally understandable and prosperous to minorities as the majority.
- KARI - Regional Association of Roma Initiatives, Banská Bystrica
In the category of extra-curricular educational activities, the Association is nominated for the Mentoring and tutoring of first and second grade Roma primary school 2009-2011 pupils project. The said project set out on the role of helping Roma children to get used to new environments, confront negative behaviour and attitudes, raise self-esteem and encourage the achievement of the objectives in the learning process.
4. PERSONALITY
(Long-term work contributing to improving the status of Roma)
- Anna Ferkaninová - Nižný Konárik mayor
One third of the population of the village of Nižný Komárnik is Roma. In more than a decade, the mayor has managed to implement the introduction of electricity and drinking water to the original slums, the subsequent destruction of settlements and the construction of municipal housing to a lower standard with its own sewage treatment plant, the construction of a bridge, access roads to new buildings and the planting of greenery and landscaping in front of the newly constructed houses.
- František Gall, Drienovská Nová Ves, nominated for spontaneous work and help for the Roma community with comprehensive integration in the civil community and the "discovery" and "tutoring" of the Sabrosa girl group.
Mr František Gall is known to the public primarily as the discoverer, protector and confidant of the now popular Sabrosa girl group. Moreover, he is the man who gave and gives the chance to work to Roma people from local villages in the construction industry.
- Helena and Ivan Akimov - Kežmarský hlas civic association, Kežmarok
The Akimovs, in terms of family and personal funds have for several years worked exclusively with Roma children and youth in the presentation of traditional Roma culture, song and dance, thereby positively affecting the life and predisposition of children towards the acquisition of skills, experience and experience applicable in their future personal and social lives.
5. ACTIVITY OF THE YEAR
(for actions which have saved lives or improved individuals' quality of life)
- Ladislav Žilecký, director of the Jakubovany infant and primary school
Mr Ladislav Žilecký, director of the "mixed" non-Roma and Roma-School has long and whole –heartedly been involved and committed to improving the educational process, real mutual respect for Roma and non-Roma pupils and the effective integration of Roma children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Jarmila Vaňová, Roma Media Centre (MECEM), Košice
In addition to continuous media work in favour of the Roma community Mrs. Jarmila Vaňová is also nominated for work that would withstand the adjective "mediatory. When shooting reports in the Roma settlement in the village Bidovce, she managed to literally get the mayor and the local Roma to agree in front of the camera in terms of the provision of materials and securing the work that was needed for the introduction of water for approximately 150 people in the settlement.
- PaedDr. Andrea Vaľková, Nižný Tvarožec
The mother of one year old twins and teacher Dr. Andrea Vaľková is nominated for her selfless and all-round assistance to children in the local Roma settlement. Specifically for the care of seven children with severe skin disease who she attended to on a daily basis, treated and covered medication and travel costs (due to the disastrous financial and social situation of the parents) from own resources.
GYPSY SPIRIT MEDIA – special jury award
(for a journalist / reporter for pointing out positive characteristics of the population of Roma communities)
- Peter Kubínyi, Bratislava
Peter Kubínyi is an exceptional journalist who selectively and truly investigativly (in several books and dozens of newspaper and magazine articles) maps the real, everyday life, problems and wild beauty of Roma from segregated, socially excluded environments.
- Andrej Bán, Bratislava
Andrej Bán is a great investigative reporter and a brilliant photographer. With his coverage of excluded Roma communities he has established himself in the Slovak and Czech media environment even in times when the Roma issue and "card" were not used by media or popular.
- Janette Maziniová, Bratislava
Janette Maziniová the original publicist, who in her blog openly, directly and honestly discloses personal "messages" relating to complex problems and dealing with Roma issues.
- Ján and Tatiana Čonky Roma Internet Radio, Bratislava
The Čonkys (without any funding or profit) run an extremely worthwhile venture – their own Roma Internet radio station, presenting, promoting and systemising Roma music (currently 102 bands from Slovakia and Czech Republic).
The Gypsy Spirit project
The long-term goals of the Gypsy Spirit project are to contribute towards a more positive picture of the Roma community in Slovakia as well as improvements in living conditions for the Roma population. The awarding and presentation of positive examples can serve as motivation for others to engage in projects that will bring comprehensive, effective and lasting solution to the problems of the Roma community. The Gypsy Spirit Awards are intended to support and inform about projects and activities that deliver real, measurable results, and so are the Roma people and real help, thus representing real help for the Roma community.
The enunciators of the 3rd annual Gypsy Spirit Awards are: The Association for Culture, Education and Communication (ACEC), Slovak government plenipotentiary for the Roma community, Slovenské Elektrárne - a member of the Enel group, Slovak Radio and Television (RTVS), the National Centre for Equal Opportunities and the Slovak Roma Women’s Association.
More information can be found on: www.gypsyspirit.eu
The Association for Culture, education and Communication (ACEC) is a non governmental organisation, the aims of which are to create understanding, support international cultural exchanges, deepen education and create space for the further continuation of mutual communication.As a part of its educational activities, ACEC focuses on the preparation and implementation of educational programs and communication strategies for socially challenged groups (education training and tutorial programs and projects focused on the Roma minority in Slovakia). ACEC actively operates in the field and has been carrying out it’s activities in Roma settlements themselves since 2002 and is currently implementing two projects for the Roma community in some 75 settlements in eastern and central Slovakia
Slovenské elektrárne is the largest electricity producer in Slovakia and Enel is the largest energy conglomerate in Europe, active in 22 countries around the world. Slovenské elektrárne and Enel are both partners of renowned philanthropy institutions. Enel's industrial civic responsibility program is entitled Energy for the Country - energy for sport, energy for culture, energy for education, energy for the environment and energy for Life. These are all energy activity areas which SA is also supporting in 2009 via the corporate social responsibility program in Slovakia The Gypsy spirit program falls under the Energy for Life.
More information:
Michal Kubo, Táto e-mailová adresa je chránená pred spambotmi. Ak ju chcete vidieť, je potrebné aby ste mali zapnutý JavaScript. , 0902 749 221
Asociácia pre kultúru, vzdelávanie a komunikáciu, www.gypsyspirit.eu.
Iveta Duchoňová, Táto e-mailová adresa je chránená pred spambotmi. Ak ju chcete vidieť, je potrebné aby ste mali zapnutý JavaScript. , 02/5729 5673
Úrad splnomocnenca vlády SR pre rómske komunity