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.
.jpg)
Speaking up makes sense. Romani women at the Slovo 21 meeting shared their successes and the obstacles they face in the fight against domestic violence.
Domestic violence in Romani communities, anti-Gypsyism in the Czech Republic, and finding one's own strength. These were the exact topics addressed at the end of January during a meeting for our project, Speak Up to Be Heard. Twenty Romani women from various parts of the country—including Náchod, Písek, Broumov, Chodov, and Chomutov—traveled to Prague to attend.
.jpg)
Four years of war. How Slovo 21 and UNHCR helped Ukrainians get back on their feet
Constant fear for one's life and the lives of loved ones. Uncertainty about what the next day will bring. Damaged relationships. It has been four years since the Russian invasion turned the lives of millions upside down. Slovo 21 also offered help to the thousands of Ukrainians who began arriving in the Czech Republic in search of safety immediately after the war began. It joined forces with UNHCR to address the most pressing needs.
"I cannot imagine my life being in someone else's hands." How Slovo 21 introduces the Romani Holocaust to students
It is one of the darkest chapters of modern history, yet children in schools are rarely taught about the Romani Holocaust. Slovo 21 is trying to change that, at least in part. Through a special educational program, they are bringing a long-overlooked topic into the classroom—sensitively, humanely, and without oversimplification.
.jpg)
Antigypsyism in the Czech Republic is not a thing of the past. It persists in institutions and politics, new research shows
Anti-Gypsyism is deeply rooted in the Czech Republic and has persisted throughout historical periods—from the First Republic through the communist regime to the present day. This is shown by a new research report from the Centre for European Policy Studies and the Slovo 21 association. The document proposes several legislative and social changes as solutions.
Even though they grow up without a family, they have dreams. Slovo 21 helps Romani children from children's homes
They don't grow up in "typical" families. But that doesn't mean they lack ambition, talent, or the drive to work on themselves. Our Avela project supports Roma children in their education and development across the Czech Republic – and some of its activities are focused on those living in children's homes.
.jpg)
Podphandle mašľičkenca – Tied with Ribbons. Slovo 21 is publishing literary testimonies from Romani women regarding forced sterilizations.
Forced sterilizations, supported by the state for decades, have altered the lives of thousands of Romani women and their families. Yet, Czech literature has remained almost silent on this trauma until now. Slovo 21 and our Romani writers' club, Paramisara, have decided to at least partially fill this gap. We are therefore publishing a collection of short stories titled Podphandle mašľičkenca – Tied with Ribbons.
"Roma people need role models. I want to be one of them," says summer school participant Marlon Ferenc
When seventeen-year-old Marlon Ferenc from Prague arrived at our "We Are Walking a Long Path" summer school, he expected a few lectures and meeting new people. A few days later, however, he left feeling that he finally understood his identity. And that he knew much more about how to stand up against injustices faced by Roma people.
"I didn't want to work as a cleaner just because I'm a foreigner." An interview with Viktoriia Lytvynenko about her new home in the Czech Republic and more.
Viktoria arrived in Prague with her son six years ago in response to the rising tensions in the Donetsk region. Recalling her first weeks in the Czech Republic, she says she felt lost. Among other things, the Slova 21 New Home project, which offers a helping hand to holders of international protection, helped her find her way.
Když empatie pomáhá: stovky úředníků, policistů nebo hasičů se díky Slovu 21 učí efektivněji komunikovat s cizinci
Méně napětí, více porozumění. Každý migrant se v nové zemi dříve či později setkává s úředníky – na cizinecké policii, úřadu práce nebo městských úřadech. Bariéru mezi úředníkem a cizincem ale netvoří jen přepážka. Často ji vytváří i jazyková neznalost a kulturní rozdíly.
"My granddaughter knows my mother was in a concentration camp." With Marcela Surmajová about a play written by life itself
Forbidding children from speaking Romani at school. Being accused of not paying rent simply because of the color of your skin. And the story of a mother who survived a concentration camp, only to be kicked off a tram by a group of skinheads decades later. Marcela Surmajová carries memories that can never be forgotten.
„Cílem je budovat novou generaci, ne jednotlivce.“ – S Janou Hejkrlíkovou o Jdeme dlouhou cestou
Letní škola Jdeme dlouhou cestou, kterou Slovo 21 po téměř dvou dekádách obnovilo, nabízí mladým Romům a Romkám příležitost strávit několik letních dnů společně a prostřednictvím neformální výuky objevovat vlastní kulturu a historii a hledat cesty, jak se aktivně zapojit do boje proti anticikanismu.
"Nobody tells us Roma who we are." Sebastian describes his experience at the We Are On the Long Way summer school
Jdeme dlouhou cestou is no ordinary summer school. It combines several goals: strengthening Romani pride, learning about one's own history and culture, and motivating young Roma to get involved in the fight against anti-Gypsyism. Sebastian is one of this year's participants.