"Communication is not universal." How the Slovo 21 project supported intercultural competencies in practice
The Slovo 21 project, titled Strengthening Intercultural Competencies, helped civil servants better understand people from different cultural backgrounds and manage the situations they encounter in their work. The project concludes this August. In this interview, Kateřina Kopečná, the project's lead methodologist, discusses the project's progress, her experience as a trainer, and why there is no universal guide to communicating with others.
From Romani courses to team building: how Slovo 21 is developing from within.
At Slovo 21, we are constantly learning, adapting to new challenges, and looking for ways to do our work as well as possible. Organizational development is a long-term journey that begins with individual employees and their skills. It also concerns the way we communicate with each other and with the outside world.
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"We can rely on each other." A conversation with Marlon Ferenc about the "We Are Walking a Long Path" Summer School and his desire to motivate others.
The "We Are Walking a Long Path" summer school is an opportunity for young Roma to meet, spend time together, and learn more about Romani history, culture, and ways to stand up against anti-Gypsyism. Marlon attended as a participant last year, and this year he returned as an assistant.
"Let’s try to break these patterns." A conversation with Alex Dzurko about more than just covering up Nazi tattoos.
Artist and tattooist Alex Dzurko explores Romani identity, history, and memory in his work. His exhibition When Numbers Cry commemorates the fates of Romani victims of Nazism and opens a dialogue on why it is important not to forget.
Together for better education: electronics from People in Need have reached children
Slovo 21 has long supported young people and children on their education journey. Our collaboration with the organization People in Need has given us the opportunity to offer them a helping hand through direct and practical assistance. Today, institutional education is almost impossible without a computer. We have now been able to deliver electronics where they are needed most.
"Today I learned..." What the school discussions about the Romani Holocaust achieved.
The Survivors' Stories program by Slovo 21 revisited one of the darkest chapters of Romani history: the Holocaust. Through theatrical performances, exhibitions, and educational programs, it sought to confront historical events that we must not forget. This time, the program is not being reviewed by the organizers or lecturers, but by those for whom it was created—the students.
168 stories of a new beginning. After two years, project Your New Home in the Czech Republic is coming to an end.
A new beginning brings with it many questions and uncertainties. That is why, through the project Your New Home in the Czech Republic, we helped people with international protection find their way around the Czech Republic. Open communication, handled with sensitivity and empathy, often played a key role on the path to integration. As did the opportunity to ask about anything.
"For the first time, Roma children spoke openly about their origins." – A conversation with Robert Tonelli about the Khamoro Kher program
Who am I and where do I belong? For many Romani children growing up in children's homes, these questions are far from straightforward. They lack contact with their families, their own history, and their culture. This is why the organization Slovo 21 created the Khamoro Kher project, which allows them to experience Khamoro — the largest Romani festival in the world.
"My parents met in a concentration camp." In the production Words 21, Jozef Miker also opens up a painful chapter of Romani history
He spent over thirty years working in a coal mine. But Jozef Miker decided to dedicate an even greater part of his life to fighting neo-Nazism and racism. In the Slovo 21 production, he speaks about his family history and his own experiences with racism.
We Are Neighbors After All is returning to Pankrác!
The eighth annual We Are Neighbors After All festival is set to bring Central Park Pankrác to life once again. On Thursday, June 25, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, the event will feature a program full of music, dance, and food that will delight both children and adults.
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A week that brings people together. The largest Romani festival, Khamoro, kicks off this Sunday
The best Romani artists from around the world and an unforgettable atmosphere. Starting Sunday, May 24, Prague will host the 28th annual edition of the world's largest Romani festival – Khamoro. Visitors can look forward to a total of seven concerts featuring traditional and contemporary Romani music, gypsy jazz, and classical music. The festival will also offer two dozen accompanying events, a large part of which are dedicated to commemorating the Romani Holocaust.
“We will not be silent.” How Jekhipe has advanced the fight against anti-Gypsyism in the Czech Republic
How do we deal with the injustices of the past? Where can we find justice and achieve true redress? Slovo 21 has joined the international Jekhipe project, which openly addressed the injustices that Roma people still have to face today. The Romani Holocaust, school segregation, discrimination, violence, and the long-term disregard for the rights of the Romani community.
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The story of a partisan's grandson in a Slovo 21 production. Zdeněk Serinek on family taboos and his experiences on stage
Zdeněk Serinek knew nothing about his family's story for a long time. Today, however, he proudly carries the legacy of his grandfather, the Romani partisan and resistance leader Josef Serinek. What is it like when heroism becomes a taboo? And what emotions arise when people start talking about it openly? Zdeněk’s personal narrative has also become part of the theatrical production Stories of the Survivors, prepared by Slovo 21.