text:
숙박 가능인원5
침실 수2
면적80 m²
Floor No.2
- 수건
- 애완동물 허용
- 발코니/테라스
- Baby cot
- 주차
- 세탁기 / 건조기
- 인터넷
Accommodation summary
|20260 Korčula/Korčula, 크로아티아
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
Small apartment house "Antonija". In a quiet, sunny position, 700 m from the sea, 700 m from the beach, in a cul-de-sac. For shared use: barbecue. In the house: internet access. Parking at the house on the premises. Shop 1 km, restaurant 1.2 km, pebble beach 1 km, public bathing area 700 m.
|Check-in before
|환불 규정
|View Details
이 호스트의 또 다른 숙소후기
Alles super! Sehr nette Gastgeber. Sehr schöne Aussicht auf die Bucht und genügend Platz. Sehr zu empfehlen.
Schöne saubere Unterkunft.
Freundliche Hausbesitzer.
Bergige aber ruhige und schöne Wohngegend.
Da fahren wir gerne wieder hin.
Very nice, pieceful and relaxing house.
We really enjoyed the large rooms and terasses outdoor. It is great to have realy furniture inside and outside.
Buen apartamento en una buena localización, tanto por cercanía a la playa como a servicios de restauración, supermercados, etc.... Probablemente repetiremos el año que viene. No me ha gustado que me diferencien el pago del alquiler del apartamento del de las sábanas, toallas y limpieza ya que en definitiva hay que pagarlo. El pago es obligatorio, con lo que debería de estar en el importe total del alquiler y no diferenciado.
Nette, saubere Wohnung mit allem Notwendigen ausgestattet.
Das Preis-Leitungsverhältnis stimmt.
Leider zu frühes check out, nämlich bis 10Uhr.
The house is big and especially with a great view but:
- There're no curtains or shutters on the windows
- The sheets are minimal (and not optional)
- The house was quite dirty despite the payment for the cleaning
- The manager of the property accused me to stole one (1) pillowcase the day after we left. The pillowcase has been obviously found after a while, it was left behind during the collecting.
I've enjoyed my stay in Stintino for the sea, the nature, the landscape, but, for a short stay of 4 days, too many thing that didn't work out with the house.
Nice place and great pool. BUT too expensive! Bad kitchenequipments. Expensive sheets and towels. Not value with the money!
Die Buchung und Abwickung haben prima geklappt. Wir hatten keine Probleme und würden jederzeit wieder buchen.
Un sitio muy bonito tranquilo y cómodo,lo recomiendo, aunque si que es verdad que lo del gasto de limpieza no te lo dicen hasta no hacer la reserva pero también pudimos tener contacto las 24h con la compañía que lo llevaba y bien atendidos,es un sitio muy bonito y lo recomiendo.
Very disappointed at the standard of the apartment and the arrival and departure procedure! This apartment was let through Wimdu by Interhome. I will never book anything let by Interhome again. Having made the booking and paid for it we were totally unaware until one week before departure that bed linen and towels were not included and an extra charge was levied (Euro 28 for sheets and 12 for towels). When I challenged Interhome on non disclosure of information they told me it was in the small print: having trawled though every last word I found it in tiny print under Cancellation Policy! Again I challenged Interhome about deliberately placing this important piece of information where nobody will think to look. It should be clearly displayed on the webpage under Amenities where a note can be posted in the relevant area for all to see.
Arrival procedure - what a nonsense. Having paid for the sheets you have to collect them in person from the office. We made it by the skin of our teeth before the office closed for the weekend. Because our flight was delayed we arrived in Chamonix later than expected and had the office been closed we would have had no sheets at all! They are bulky to carry and I have photos of my husband looking like Santa Clause with a big white sack over his shoulder. It's the height of nonsense to expect arrivals to lug luggage and carry this bulky bad around Chamonix. On departure we had to return the sheets to the office again in said bag!
End cleaning - the previous tenant had presumably paid therefore we expected a clean apartment. The hard surfaces were clean but the living room carpet was disgusting with stains and grime and dirty black marks (photographed). It needs either professionally deep cleaned or dumped. Personally I would replace it. My bed sheet had a dirty brown mark on it (photographed) and the "white" patio furniture was grey with grime. I don't think it had been cleaned in years. Before I would set as much as a mug on it I scrubbed it with the dish scrubber (which I then couldn't use on the dishes!). Again we have photographic evidence. The best feature of the apartment is the wonderful view of Mont Blanc from the balcony. I don't know who is employed to clean this apartment but they could do with a lesson or two. I will never use Interhome again and I recommend that you steer clear of it too. I've used Wimdu many times and always been satisfied but not on this occasion.
- 확인된 숙소의 품질
- 모든 호스트는 전화로 입증되었습니다.


text: Travelers Collection Zig-Zag Mila Cardigan Style: 570068754 Out of Stock Love it? Everyone else did too. This item sold out! Use our search tool, chat online or call 1.888.855.4986 to find something equally desirable. Another closet favorite in a fashion-forward length with a slimming effect. The graphic zigzags make it our latest chic sensation. Travelers™ Collection items are custom-colored to match our wrinkle-free Travelers™ classics. Refined ribbed trim. Length 28". 100% rayon. Hand wash. Imported. Read More… Share on Facebook Tweet Pin

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Confusion on Public vs. Private Unions
posted at 9:06 am on February 23, 2011 by Jazz Shaw
Allah already touched on the results of a new poll on American attitudes towards unions and, in particular, collective bargaining. It should serve as a cautionary tale to those who may be looking to go a bridge too far a bit too quickly in their anti-union zeal. But the current debate also seems to indicate a bit of confusion in some quarters when it comes to the players involved on the field.
Most of the debates we have here are readily broken down into two camps: left vs. right, red vs. blue, pro vs. con. But in this discussion there are three unique sets of players.
- Government – This covers federal, state and local, and it grows even more complicated because it is polluted by the process of politics.
- Industry – The private sector and the engine of American economics. Creators of jobs, gatherers of wealth, innovators of technology.
- Labor – In this case composed of the myriad union entities who represent the workers.
And further, it is important, as will be shown below, to recognize that Labor needs to be broken down into two sub-groups. One deals with Industry and the other with Government, and the differences between those two forms of relationships are critical.
I should start by stipulating that I am not flatly in favor of "union busting" as a way of life. There is still a very valid role for unions to play in this dance, though the conditions on the ground have changed drastically since the birth of the union era and the unions themselves have failed to adapt appropriately to the times. But too much of anything is still bad. Though it chafes on my fiscal conservative friends to hear it, too much Industry – in the form of unbridled, unregulated capitalism – causes long term societal problems. Too much government is, well… too much government. Similarly, too much power in the hands of unions has led to a tumor in the body of American capitalism. As such, it is not in any way "unamerican" or "crushing the working man" to be engaging in a conversation about if, where and how to limit – not eliminate – collective bargaining agreements today.
To understand this, it's first important to recognize one key difference between Government and Industry. Both serve as "employers" for this question, but their base motivations are quite different. Industry is in the business of making and keeping money. Government is in the business of spending – or flat out giving away – money.
But perhaps more important is the difference in the relationship between the two aspects of Labor and those two types of employers. Labor and industry are in a completely adversarial – and at least somewhat balanced – relationship as opponents. Industry wants to keep its money. Labor wants to get as much of that money, in the form of pay, benefits and such, as it can get. Labor has no back door crowbar to apply in an effort to influence Industry's decisions. They don't dump extra cash into Industry's profits. They can't influence others to suddenly boot out the management of Industry. All they can do is fight as a bargaining unit to get the best deal possible. It's an uneasy marriage which has worked in fits and starts for a long time.
But the relationship between Labor and Government is far more complicated, if not poisoned to the point of being toxic. Labor has a large collection of guns pointed directly at the head of its Government employer. It collects vast amounts of money which is applied to the political process, threatening the livelihood of individual Government "managers." It can round up vast numbers of votes each fall, presenting another threat to the elected officials responsible for doing the bargaining. It can, with those tools, make and receive demands which would be laughed out of the room in any reasonable discussion with an Industry employer.
And since the toxic combination of money and politics permeates the process, Labor has run amok in these discussions, demanding increasingly plush deals stretching out over the full lifetimes of generations of workers, bringing us to the situation we face today where states are going bankrupt in an effort to honor these pacts and keep paying the ransom. This is a situation which simply has to change or the goose is going to stop laying eggs – golden or otherwise – and the workers will find themselves out on the streets even as the financial structure of the Government entities collapses.
But by the same token, government employees still deserve some level of protection to ensure parity with their private sector counterparts and to prevent the pendulum from swinging too far in the other direction. So absent the complete elimination of collective bargaining,what's to be done? I have a few suggestions for the class to consider and discuss.
First, any negotiations between Government and public union Labor should have the official, mediating assistance of some sort of private sector board which would be charged with monitoring current labor conditions and statistics from the non-government workforce. After all, aside from the actual elected positions of those making legislation or serving as governors, etc. most government jobs are the same as you find in the private market. There are jobs ranging from engineers and scientists to data entry clerks and maintenance staff. And every voter should feel a vested interest in doing this because they are, after all, the ones paying for all of this compensation.
In the matter of pay, such a board should be able to look at what is being paid in the private sector and establish some sort of ceiling or range for government work. If Lockheed Martin can find somebody to empty the trash cans and vacuum the carpet for nine dollars per hour, why should the taxpayers have to lay out twenty dollars per hour for someone to do the same job at the DMV?
Next, there should be no – read ZERO – "bullet proof" jobs for life once an employee attains a certain level of seniority. Private sector workers are in constant competition to keep their jobs and hopefully advance. Public employees should not feel entitled to any less of a competitive environment if we are to get the most for our money.
Benefits – and in particular, how much the employee contributes out of their check for them – are incentives which private sector employees offer to attract and keep the best workers. They are not some sort of God Given Right enshrined in the constitution. If the average civil engineer at a contracting firm needs to kick in 18% of his pay for his health care and other benefits, is it so unreasonable for the taxpayer to expect the government employee to at least kick in 10%?
None of these ideas are revolutionary or draconian. The private market world works on a system based on competitive pricing. It remains functional and serves the needs of both sides, albeit with some bumps in the road over time. We don't have to entirely eliminate collective bargaining for these unions – nor does it appear that Governor Walker of Wisconsin is looking to do so – but the special, and dysfunctional environment of Government vs. Labor negotiations cry out for some heavy handed restraint if they are to at least attempt to mimic the efficiencies of the private sector. Governor Walker's solution may not be perfect, but it has at least spurred a long overdue discussion how to monitor the relationship between our government and the labor unions.


text:
An indelible portrait of David Foster Wallace, by turns funny and inspiring, based on a five-day trip with award-winning writer David Lipsky during Wallace's Infinite Jest tour.
In David Lipsky's view, David Foster Wallace was the best young writer in America. Wallace's pieces for Harper's magazine in the '90s were, according to Lipsky, like hearing for the first time the brain voice of everybody I knew: Here was how we all talked, experienced, thought. It was like smelling the damp in the air, seeing the first flash from a storm a mile away. You knew something gigantic was coming.
Then Rolling Stone sent Lipsky to join Wallace on the last leg of his book tour for Infinite Jest, the novel that made him internationally famous. They lose to each other at chess. They get iced-in at an airport. They dash to Chicago to catch a make-up flight. They endure a terrible reader's escort in Minneapolis. Wallace does a reading, a signing, an NPR appearance. Wallace gives in and imbibes titanic amounts of hotel television (what he calls an orgy of spectation). They fly back to Illinois, drive home, walk Wallace's dogs.
Amid these everyday events, Wallace tells Lipsky remarkable things: everything he can about his life, how he feels, what he thinks, what terrifies and fascinates and confounds him, in the writing voice Lipsky had come to love. Lipsky took notes, stopped envying him, and came to feel about him that grateful, awake feeling the same way he felt about Infinite Jest. Then Lipsky heads to the airport, and Wallace goes to a dance at a Baptist church.
A biography in five days, Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself is David Foster Wallace as few experienced this great American writer.
©2010 David Lipsky (P)2010 Random House
"Lipsky vividly and incisively sets the before-and-after scenes for this revelatory oral history....Wallace is radiantly present in this intimate portrait, a generous and refined work that will sustain Wallace's masterful and innovative books long into the future." (Booklist)
There are no listener reviews for this title yet.
"Leapin' Over That Wall of Self"
At first, I thought Lipsky was kind of operating in that opportunist zone (and I'm sure there is a little of that, b/c journalism never can claim to be opportunisticly free). Lipsky had, packed away, tapes and tapes of unused RS interviews with DFW. DFW has just killed himself, wow, a perfect time to rush it to press. The more I read and listened, however, the more I realized in many ways I preferred the rough, transcription-like, quality of the book AND that it wasn't as simple as it first appeared.
The dialogue between Lipsky and Wallace provided an interesting, unfiltered look into Wallace's method and a peek into his head (even though ultimately, I think Wallace was guarding that sanctum sanctorum pretty well). Wallace, during the road-trip interview, once remarked that writing was an intimate connection of the writer's brain voice with the reader's brain voice. Later, he expanded this theme when talking about how there are things that really good fiction can do that other forms of art can't do as well --
"And the big thing, the big thing seems to be, sort of leapin' over that wall of self, and portraying inner experience. And setting up, I think, a kind of intimate coversation between two consciences. And the trick is gonna be finding a way to do it at a time, and for a generation, whose relation to long sustained linear verbal communication is fundamentally different."
So, in that way, Lipsky's piece, while appearing at first to provide just a simple throw-up of all those unused RS interview notes and tapes, actually provides an avenue to see DFW's intimate 'brain voice' conversation. While at one level Lipsky has given us an interesting conversation between the author and DFW, it ultimately seemed to be a conversation DFW is having with himself (Lipsky here seems like a pretty good looking-glass for David Foster Wallace).
"Mutual strokefest"
The structure and methods of this book were really novel and interesting--like one reviewer said, a four-part piece for typewriter or a Tom Stoppard play in two voices. I enjoyed Lipsky's account of a 5-day road trip with DFW, but the flirtation and flattery and mutual masturbation got a bit tiresome. Maybe I tired of the one-upmanship and competitiveness evident in the interview because I'm female and just don't function this way in conversation, even conversaton with a brilliant and talented person (not that I've had that many of those). I thought the two narrators' voices were excellent and helped to flesh out the give and take and the involuted recursiveness of DFW's thinking. He was very guarded about his biographical details (DT Max's recent bio contradicts several assertions made by DFW in this interview) and obviously wanted to control the essay Lipsky planned to write for Rolling Stone (the essay was never published). But I was surprised at the seeming need to impress his interviewer and convince him that he was just like him, when in fact DFW is like no one else I've ever read or heard speak. To his credit, Lipsky acknowledges the flirtation and flattery going on, with little editorial asides, and I guess this is just the way intellectual males talk to one another, with both trying to establish the pecking order without openly engaging in feats of strength. I wouldn't have guessed DFW had such a need to please! or be admired. In the end, this is an interesting interview done in a novel way, but is probably only going to appeal to completist fans of DFW's work. The DT Max biography is more informative and less irritating.
An amazing page turner with deep undertones. The interviewer is far more of a character than he first appears. Worth revisiting at a later date.
"Worth it for the serious Wallace fan only"
I love DFW, and have read or listened to almost everything he wrote. If you're looking for a Wallace listen, I'd probably go with Consider the Lobster if you're up for non-fiction, or else Girl with Curious Hair or Brief Interviews with Hideous Men if you're looking for fiction.
For those of us obsessed with Wallace, AOCYEUBY is a worthwhile, interesting listen, which provides a great window into the inner Wallace. It also made me interested to read more by David Lipsky.
But for anyone who's not already obsessed with Wallace, I just can't imagine why you'd spend your time on this.
"Oh what a disappointment..."
It's a wonderful book, but the performance almost ruined it for me. It's not that it's bad, it's that it's misses the mark so entirely... If you've ever heard David F. Wallace speak, you'll know what I mean. He had a gentle voice, what inflection there was it came through in his mid-westernisms, yet the narrator here has a sine wave type of intonation that makes him sound like someone completely different. A great performer, but a very wrong cast for this book, unfortunately.
I would cast someone with a less affected performance and gentler voice, but this isn't my job so I can only lament.
I recommend reading the book instead.
"Fan(tods) Fiction"
I would recommend this to a friend who is a David Foster Wallace fan. I think something would be lost without coming to this without having read DFW.
I've got to say that it was great to have a voyeuristic peek into DFW's life. Sure, it's much more than that - but the sense you got from a DFW essay of knowing him - this delivers the same dope.
The highest praise I have for a narrator - any narrator - is that they are not annoying. Mike and Danny are not annoying.
No - akin to a DFW work, there's just too much to take in for an "all in one sitting" thing.
"Along for the ride"
Patchwork quilt of a novel. Created by an author invested and respectful of his subject.
Its always fascinating to eavesdrop on interesting conversations. Though this felt more like I was along for the ride.
"Glad to get an insight on such great author"
It was so well done. It felt like you were hanging out with Lipsky and he was telling you about his times with David Foster Wallace. I wished the book was 20 hours, the time flew by.
I loved getting to hear about everyday things about Wallace. What he liked and a feel for his lifestyle. These things are so interesting because you think about his work you don't think about how he was with his dogs and what songs he liked.
The talks about writers, what IJ meant to him after it had been released. Wallace seemed so down to earth and I think that is important in what makes a writer's material worth anything in the end. I am no scholar obviously, but I don't get why he was so embarrassed by Broom of the System.
I liked how he didn't talk down about many people, he was familiar with the work of other writers I enjoy. I am glad this was made and any Wallace fan will know why on their own.
The Narrators did a tremendous job going back and forth.
"Not DFW's voice"
Only to a fellow fan of DFW.
Find someone who can actually imitate DFW. This actor reads well, but it's not the same persona, he sounds like someone imitating a description of the way Wallace talked and not the way Wallace actually talked, which was much more subtle, a little more reedy and gentler. This guy sounds like a football player and not a writer.
For me, yes.
The endless talk about fame got tedious. This book would be better to "eye read," in my opinion, because there were parts I would have liked to skim in order to get to the parts I was interested in.
"Worthwhile for me"
I'm glad I used a credit on Lipsky's book. Wallace's writing has been reviewed as revolutionary satire, lampooning our current civilization. When I read some of his works, the Broom, Hideous Men etc. I only found a depressed, angry man railing at not being able to make sense of it all.
This books peek at the man Wallace bore me out in my estimation and saved me time, effort and credits that I might have spent on more Wallace works. However other than that the book has no value what so ever.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


text:
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's vast wealth and media empire has protected him against charges of impropriety or fraud, but there is increasing evidence something was amiss at the lavish parties he held for friends and young ladies on his getaway island. Italian prosecutors investigating a health kickback scandal have interviewed women who claim to have been paid to attend parties at the home of Berlusconi. Patrizia D'Addario, says she has audio and visual evidence about the night she spent at Berlusconi's residence. The investigation revolves around two brothers, owners of a health company, who received an unusual number of contracts from government sources.
Ms. D'Addario's main goal was to secure assistance to the health company, not to sleep with anyone. She claims Berlusconi pledged to help her and that he was "a man of his word." Investigators have tapes in which arranging to pay for women to attend the Berlusconi parties is being discussed.
As someone who will never be a millionaire, let alone a billionaire, it is always confusing why those with vast wealth have to pay anyone to attend their parties. As for the payoffs and contracts, that issue is best left to investigators.


text:
'Flyers coach Bill Barber didn't seem particularly enthralled with home-ice advantage. Not that he won't take it. "I don't know if there's any edge," Barber said. "You still have to win games on the road. That's the bottom line when you get into playoff hockey. For a team to be successful you have to find ways to win. "Home-ice advantage – we have it. What does it mean? I don't know."'
Sabres ready to hit road for opener
April 9, 2001 Submitted by
Via: Buffalo News


text: THE OFFICIAL LADY GAGA THREAD! Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American pop singer-songwriter. Gaga came to prominence following the release of her debut studio album The Fame (2008), which was a critical and commercial success and achieved international popularity with the singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". Inspired by glam rock singers like David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, as well as dance-pop artists such as Madonna and Michael Jackson, Gaga is well-recognized for her outré and ever-changing sense of style in music, in fashion, in performance and in her music videos. Her contributions to the music industry have accrued her numerous achievements including five Grammy Awards, among twelve nominations; two Guinness World Records; and the estimated sale of 13 million albums and 51 million singles, making her one of the best-selling music artists worldwide. Newest Video and Single 'Yoü and I' Video ft a Half-Nude Taylor Kinney! Fan Forum: Join GGD!


text:
Commissioner and Special Representative Ben Cardin Counters Anti-Semitism and Promotes DiversityFriday, May 26, 2017
When the U.S. funding bill commonly known as the Omnibus passed in May 2017, it included a number of provisions outlining U.S. foreign policy and national security measures. It also included provisions supporting diversity and human rights in foreign affairs in the face of increased violence and discrimination across the 57 North American and European countries that make up the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. "Continuing anti-migrant and refugee sentiments, anti-Muslim backlash following terrorist attacks, and a surge in anti-Semitic and racist incidents in this country and abroad are just some of the reasons I was compelled to act," said Helsinki Commission Ranking Senator Ben Cardin (MD), who is also the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's first Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance. "These legislative provisions are just a few recent efforts I have advanced to ensure diverse populations in our country and throughout the OSCE region are afforded the same rights, protections, and opportunities as others that are enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and numerous OSCE tolerance and non-discrimination commitments," said Senator Cardin, whose U.S. spending bill provisions include: Increased funding to counter global anti-Semitism. U.S. support for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to advance new initiatives to counter anti-Semitism, racism, and intolerance. Expansion of the Department of State workforce diversity programs. Prior to the passage of the Omnibus, on April 25 Senator Cardin introduced the National Security Diversity and Inclusion Workforce Act (NSDIWA) of 2017, building on legislation he passed in December 2016 to diversify the State Department and USAID labor force. "I have championed these equality and anti-discrimination provisions because America's diversity is one of our greatest assets as a nation, and our government should reflect that reality," said Senator Cardin. "When America leads with our values on display, whether we are promoting human rights abroad or helping resolve conflicts to help societies heal and move forward, including our own, it should be done with personnel who reflect the entire tapestry of the United States," Senator Cardin continued. "Inequities and discrimination are not just a U.S. problem. The hope is that this legislation can also serve as a model for other countries grappling with similar issues from hate crimes to inequality." Senator Cardin was appointed the OSCE PA's Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance in March 2015. More on his mandate and efforts can be found at http://www.oscepa.org/about-osce-pa/special-representatives/anti-semitism.
press release
Human Rights Abuses in Russia Focus of Upcoming Helsinki Commission HearingTuesday, April 18, 2017
WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, today announced a hearing to examine the grim state of human rights and democracy in the Russian Federation. DEMOCRACY & HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN RUSSIA: NO END IN SIGHT Wednesday, April 26, 2017 9:30 AM Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 124 Live Webcast: http://www.senate.gov/isvp/?type=live&comm=csce&filename=csce042617 Russia's overt external aggression against countries such as Ukraine, its support for the Assad regime in Syria, and its efforts to disrupt western democracies are made possible by the internal repression of its own people. For example, Russia has not had a free and fair election since March 2000. Opposition activists are routinely assaulted or even murdered, giving rise to a new term: "Sudden Kremlin Death Syndrome." Political prisoner numbers now match those of the late Soviet era, and on March 26, tens of thousands of people in cities across 11 time zones protested widespread government corruption, with more than 1,000 arrested. More nationwide protests are expected on June 12, the national holiday of the Russian Federation. The following witnesses are scheduled to testify: Vladimir Kara-Murza, Vice Chairman, Open Russia Rachel Denber, Deputy Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division, Human Rights Watch Daniel Calingaert, Executive Vice President, Freedom House
International Roma Day 2017Friday, April 07, 2017
International Roma Day is observed annually on April 8, commemorating the anniversary of the1971 London meeting of Romani activists from across Europe. The 1971 London meeting, convened as the "World Romani Congress," was one of the first transnational gatherings of Roma. Since 1990, International Roma Day has been an opportunity to celebrate Romani culture and counter anti-Roma prejudice that fosters political and economic marginalization. Roma—Europe's Largest Ethnic Minority Roma live throughout all European countries as well as the Americas and Australasia. In Europe, the Roma population is very conservatively estimated at 15 million, with large concentrations in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. Roma have migrated to the United States since the colonial period. There are an estimated one million Americans with some Romani roots (recent or distant Romani ancestry). Roma live throughout the United States, with larger communities in New York City, Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles. They are sometimes the victims of racial profiling by law enforcement. The last explicitly anti-Roma law in the United States was repealed in New Jersey in 1998. Romani Americans have served as public members on the U.S. delegation to several OSCE human dimension meetings. In 2016, the President appointed Dr. Ethel Brooks to serve on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, bringing a Romani voice to that body. Helsinki Commission Advocacy on Romani Human Rights The Commission has long record of addressing human rights issues relating to Roma. As early as 1990, a Helsinki Commission delegation in Bucharest raised alarm orchestrated attacks on Roma conducted as part of a larger crackdown on dissent. Helsinki Commissioners have continued to engage regarding the situation of Roma through hearings, briefings, and congressional meetings with Roma in Europe and the United States. In recent years, the Commission has supported Romani inclusion in annual initiatives for political leaders such as the Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership Conference (TMPLC) and Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN). On March 27-28, the Commission worked in cooperation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to hold a workshop during "Roma Week" at the European Parliament in Brussels titled, "Strengthening diverse leadership, participation and representation of Roma, including women and youth, in public and political life." Roma Day Events in the United States Harvard will host its fifth Annual Roma conference on April 10, where Helsinki Commission staff will participate. Scholars of Romani culture and Roma who work as academics, activists, and performers will convene a conference at New York University April 28-29. Later in the spring, on May 6, the 20th Annual Herdeljezi Music Festival will be held in the San Francisco area at the Croatian American Cultural Center. In the Washington area, the Embassy of the Czech Republic supported a March 30 screening of the documentary about the prejudice faced by the FC Roma football club. On May 17, the Czech Embassy will support a concert at the national Gallery of Art by Romani-Czech pianist Tomas Kaco. Learn More International Roma Day: Statement by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Celebrating International Roma Day: Statement by USOSCE Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Michele Siders International Roma Day: Statement by OSCE/ODIHR Director Michael Link
Romani Political Participation Key to ChangeFriday, April 07, 2017
On March 27 and 28, 2017, thirty-five Romani elected officials and civil society representatives participated in a two-day event held by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in cooperation with the U.S. Helsinki Commission, as part of the European Union's "Roma Week." The event focused on opportunities to enhance Romani political participation as a means of strengthening the long-term strength and stability of the OSCE region. As citizens of many OSCE participating States, Roma have long contributed to the prosperity of their countries in numerous ways, ranging from serving in the military to educating the next generation. However, Roma are often described and perceived in negative terms, leading political leaders and others, to consider Roma a problem rather than a solution. Referring to the political rhetoric that instigated the tragic murders of Roma in 2008 and 2009, Romani-Hungarian researcher and Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network alumni Roland Ferkovics stressed, "Political narratives should not only motivate and influence people but should also unite…Political leaders must take Roma as equal partner(s) using narratives [that] focus on similarities instead of differences." Diverse speakers from across the OSCE region also shared experiences and practices that have been successful in inspiring democratic change. "Standing for elected office and using one's right to vote is a powerful tool for Roma communities in Europe to counter anti-Roma rhetoric, hate crimes and racism," said Mee Moua, former President of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), who also served as a Minnesota State Senator in the United States. Noting the importance of united communities, Killion Munyama, a member of the Polish Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, noted the importance of Roma having a seat at the decision-making table: "Societies benefit from broad and diverse participation representing the voices of all communities in the public and political spheres." Participants also stressed the urgency in ensuring the success of current Romani legislative initiatives and the importance of ensuring that legislative initiatives aimed at Roma, such as the EU Framework Strategy for Integration, are designed and implemented with the participation of Roma at all levels of government. Other speakers at the event included MEP Terry Reintke, former MEP Livia Jaroka, and Jamen Gabriela Hrabanova of the European Roma Grassroots Organizations Network. Dr. Mischa Thompson of the Helsinki Commission participated as a facilitator.
Panelist Profile: Dr. Margareta MatacheTuesday, March 07, 2017
Dr. Margareta Matache was a speaker at the Helsinki Commission's February 16, 2017 panel discussion on the challenges faced by Romani communities in Romania. The event followed a screening of the acclaimed Romanian film "Aferim!" ("Bravo!"), which addresses the forgotten history of 500 years of Roma slavery in two former Romanian principalities. Margareta is a Romani activist and scholar from Romania with over 18 years of experience in the field of human rights. She joined the Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights team in 2012, where she currently works as an instructor and director of the Roma Program. Before this position, for seven years Dr. Matache served as the executive director of Romani CRISS, a leading Romani non-profit in Romania. Margareta grew up under the first wave of Romani activism in post-communist Romania. Her father, a construction worker of Romani descent, was a community activist himself, which played a role in fostering her interest in the field of human rights. "This activist environment taught me about our ancestors, some of whom on my mother's side may have been slaves, and so I am trying to document that now," she says. Margareta was the first child in her family and community to attend high school. She has a B.A. in Social Work, an M.A. in European Social Policies and a PhD, magna cum laude, from the University of Bucharest. However, her educational path was no easy feat. "As an adolescent, I felt the pressure and pain of race and class constructs and wanted to drop out from school way too often," she admits. She says that those feelings later became one of the triggers of her motivation to dedicate a large portion of her work to fighting racism and stigma against Romani adolescents. Margareta became involved with the Romani movement in 1999 as a volunteer for the Roma Students Association, working with association director Emilian Nicolae in a local community in Bucharest. Six years later, she became the executive director of Romani CRISS. "Taking a stand in cases of anti-Roma racism was at the core of our work at Romani CRISS," Margareta says. Since the 1990s, the organization has documented countless cases of Romani rights violations which were later ruled upon by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and included in reports from Amnesty International, the U.S. State Department, and other institutions. "In 2006, we assisted the community in the town of Apalina, after the police used violence against 37 Roma, including elders. Based on a complaint filed by Romani CRISS, the ECHR condemned the way the Romanian government had conducted the investigation and awarded the victims €192,000 in damages," she recalls. Yet, she also recalls that they lost cases before the court in many instances. "We had quite a lot of failures or so called 'lessons learnt,'" she adds. Margareta's work was also dedicated to fostering the right to education. "When I took over the Romani CRISS leadership, I continued prioritizing the issues of Romani children segregated in separate schools and classes from their non-Roma peers. We set up a coalition of five renowned nonprofit and intergovernmental organizations that worked with the Ministry of Education to develop a legal document that prohibits segregation. In 2007, our advocacy led to the issuing of a School Desegregation Bill," she recounts. In 2011, along with other partners, Margareta's organization convinced the Romanian Parliament to include an article that targets the misdiagnosis and abusive placement of children in special schools based on their ethnicity or another discriminatory criterion in the new Education Law. Despite these successes, Margareta feels that there is still a lot to be done as Romani children continue to be placed in segregated schools and classes to this day. In 2012, Margareta decided to take a break from activism and shifted to academia. At the Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, she has been pursuing and piloting participatory approaches for assessing the needs of Romani youth and suggest better-informed policies and measures. Moreover, the Roma Program has provided support for Romani and non-Romani youth to conduct culturally sensitive and participatory research. Margareta is also contributing to strengthening ties and joint advocacy efforts between Roma and other social movements, working on reparations claims across historical and geographical spheres. Slavery in Romania is an example of past state-sponsored injustices around which Margareta's program try to create awareness and solidarity. "Romania has not even advanced symbolic reparations, including memorials, museums to acknowledge this episode in our country history. Roma and Romanian children are simply deprived from learning about this central episode in their collective history. We need to help the next generations of children, Roma and non-Roma, to learn about the origins of the present-day biases, racist behaviors, and also, to understand the effects of the unseen gadjo or non-Roma privilege," she says. Margareta also champions the idea to use films and other artistic productions as a tool to ignite discussions and raise awareness of difficult topics. She points out that "Aferim!" helped lay the foundations for the acceptance, recognition, and memorialization of the past of injustice in Romania. "It was remarkable to me that the film was produced and directed by fellow Romanians, who told the world the hidden truth about the uncomfortable past of 500 years of slavery on Romanian territories. I think that 'Aferim!' started the public conversation on the history of slavery while The Great Shame, a play written and directed by the brilliant mind of Alina Serban, continues the conversation on slavery and takes a step further, by looking at the past through the eyes of the present," she says. According to Margareta, what makes the film exceptional is that "'Aferim!' shifts the emphasis on the non-Roma and their moral responsibility for past injustices and the roots of present-day injustice, including exploitation and discrimination, pulling to pieces the discourse on Roma vulnerability and the 'Roma problem.'" "We would not need any integration policy if we benefited from a just treatment throughout our history, she says. "'Aferim!' speaks, in many ways, to all embedded biases in our Romanian culture, and also mocks them in a manner that could potentially help Romanians understand present-day discrimination against Roma and other groups, and how ridiculous and outdated racism should be." Asked why learning about Roma is important for Americans, Margareta points out that there is a need to build solidarity with the Roma. However, she also stresses that Romani communities face stigmatization on the American soil as well: "There is an idea in the U.S. that the gypsies are not a people; it's rather a way of life: bohemian, free spirit. The truth is that we have quite a large Romani population here in the United States, about a million people. Also, reality shows, Hollywood movies, and many other cultural products continue to portray Roma solely in stereotypical images and that adds to the stereotypical ways in which some Americans perceive this population. Fearing stigma, many Roma in the U.S. hide their identity. In this context, there is a need for mobilization of Romani people in the U.S. in view of building a new discourse to balance the stereotypical ways in which some Americans perceive this population."
Screening and Panel Discussion: Aferim! (Bravo!)Thursday, February 16, 2017
The critically acclaimed Romanian film "Aferim!" (Bravo!), directed by Radu Jude, is the first Romanian film to depict the enslavement of Roma in 19th century Romania. Set in 1835 Wallachia, a southern region of what is today Romania, the film's plot follows a policeman, Costandin, and his son Ionita, who are hired by a nobleman to find a Romani slave who has run away from his estate after having an affair with the nobleman's wife. As the protagonists travel along the wild stretches of the Romanian countryside, they encounter vivid archetypes of Romanians. With strong emphasis on class divides, the film portrays the stark contrast between the enslaved Roma, Romanian peasantry, and the all-powerful nobility. The film's remarkable level of detail reflects the use of historical documentation, contributing to a gripping portrayal of Romanian society into which one is quickly immersed. Following the film, Erika Schlager, Helsinki Commission Counsel for International Law, moderated a discussion with Dr. Margareta Matache, Cristian Gaginsky, and Dereck Hogan who each offered unique perspectives into how "Aferim!" serves as both a remarkable piece of cinema, and as an important educational tool on the much neglected issue of slavery in Romania and its lasting impact. Cristian Gaginsky, Deputy Chief of Mission for the Romanian Embassy, outlined the measures undertaken by the Romanian Government to improve the situation of Roma in Romania, as well as the need for a broader level of global awareness on Romani issues. The discussion then passed to Dereck Hogan, Director of the Department of State's Office for Central Europe. Noting that the United States shares the ugly legacy of slavery and the continuing struggle to address its lasting impacts on our society, politics, and culture, Hogan described State Department engagement on Romani issues and a common goal of preventing acts of discrimination. Finally, Dr. Margareta Matache, a leading Romanian Romani activist and scholar currently at the FXB Center for Health & Human Rights at Harvard University, emphasized the education is one of the most powerful tools that can dismantle power relations and poverty. At the same time, she added, "[w]e need to focus more on anti-Romani racism in schools. I think that children, both Romani and non-Romani children in Romania, need to know what slavery meant for our country and how we can overcome, how we can create solidarity with Roma, and how we can actually have more responsibility for the common past of our country."
press release
Helsinki Commission to Screen Acclaimed Film Aferim! (Bravo!)Friday, February 10, 2017
WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, with the participation of the Embassy of Romania and the U.S. Department of State, will host a screening of the acclaimed Romanian film Aferim! (Bravo!), the first Romanian film to grapple with the enslavement of Roma. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Romani activist Dr. Margareta Matache, FXB Center for Health & Human Rights, Harvard University. Additional remarks will be offered by Cristian Gaginsky, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Romania, and Dereck Hogan, Director, Office of Central European Affairs, Department of State. AFERIM! (BRAVO!) Thursday, February 16 Cannon House Office Building Room 122 2:00PM – Film Screening 4:00PM – Panel Discussion Aferim!, Romania's 2016 submission for the foreign-language Oscar, follows a constable and his son in 1835 as they track down a run-away slave, encountering various Romanian archetypes along the way. Roma, Europe's largest ethnic minority, were enslaved in Romania until their emancipation during the founding of the modern Romanian nation state in the second half of the 19th century. Today, approximately two million of Europe's 15 million Roma citizens live in Romania. Romania commemorates the end of slavery on February 20.
press release
Hearing Addresses Genocide, War Crimes Driving Refugee Crisis in OSCEThursday, September 22, 2016
WASHINGTON—At a hearing convened today by Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), witnesses unanimously expressed support for Chairman Smith's recently introduced Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2016 (H.R. 5961), bipartisan legislation that provides relief to victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Iraq and Syria, and accountability for perpetrators. "The atrocities in Iraq and Syria have been so horrible, for so long, with so little action from the Administration, that it has been difficult to hope. Nevertheless, when [Secretary Kerry] declared genocide, we dared to hope that finally the Administration would hear the voices of the victims and act. Instead, the Administration has said the right words and done the wrong things," said Chairman Smith. "Displaced genocide survivors cannot pay for food, medicine, or shelter with words from Washington," Chairman Smith continued. "When the Executive Branch fails to acts, then Congress must require it to act. That is why I recently authored and introduced the bipartisan Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2016, with Representative Anna Eshoo as my lead cosponsor." Witnesses discussed ways to support religious and ethnic communities that have survived such atrocities. In addition, they encouraged the U.S. to fund the criminal investigation, prosecution, and conviction of the perpetrators, and identified gaps in U.S. criminal statutes that make it difficult to prosecute Americans or foreigners in the U.S. who have committed such crimes. Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues David Scheffer said, "H.R. 5961 demonstrates an undeniable logic: the survivors of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Iraq and Syria merit the fullest possible assistance of our government, including consideration of admission of victim refugees to the United States." "The perpetrators of atrocity crimes not only in Iraq and Syria but elsewhere in the world should be subject to investigation and prosecution," Scheffer continued. "Federal jurisdiction over crimes against humanity and war crimes remains non-existent or very limited…it is a raw fact that the United States is currently a sanctuary for alien perpetrators of crimes against humanity or war crimes." "The Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief Act [is] a much needed, not to mention overdue, piece of legislation," said Chris Engels, deputy director of the Commission for International Justice and Accountability. "Criminal investigations done contemporaneously with the criminal acts are essential to ensuring later accountability. Otherwise, as we have seen in the past, evidence is lost and those responsible for these mass human rights violations go unpunished." Witnesses also highlighted the humanitarian vulnerabilities and lack of assistance that force the survivors to flee their homes and recommended ways to support entities effectively serving genocide survivors in-country, including faith-based organizations. Steve Rasche, legal counsel and director of resettlement programs for the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Erbil, noted, "Since August 2014, other than initial supplies of tents and tarps, the Christian community in Iraq has received nothing in aid from any U.S. aid agencies or the UN. When we have approached any of these entities regarding the provision of aid assistance …we have been told that we have done too well in our private efforts…every morning we wake up and rob six Peters to pay 12 Pauls." "The current policy prioritizes individual needs but does not consider the needs of vulnerable communities," said Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus. "On one hand, we have the unanimous policy of the elected branches of the United States Government stating that a genocide is occurring. On the other hand we have an aid bureaucracy that is allowing the intended consequence of the genocide to continue, even though it is in our power to stop it." "There is nothing unconstitutional, illegal, unethical or unprofessional about prioritizing their right to survival as a community," Anderson added, referring to Christian and other communities that face extinction in Iraq and Syria. Bill Canny, executive director for migration and refugee services at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), said, "We are gravely concerned by the small number of religious minorities who have been resettled in the United States during the current fiscal year." "It is unclear at the time of this writing precisely why the percentage of Syrian Christians, who have been registered as refugees or resettled in the United States as refugees, is so low," Canny continued. "It is clear, however, that Christians and other religious minorities have become a target for brutality at the hands of the non-state actor ISIS, and that they are fleeing for their lives, and that far too few of them have been attaining U.S. resettlement." USCCB resettles more refugees annually in the U.S. than any other agency. Chairman Smith was joined at the hearing by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Helsinki Commission Co-Chair Senator Roger Wicker (MS), Ranking Commissioner Senator Ben Cardin (MD), and Commissioners Rep. Joe Pitts (PA-16) and Rep. Alan Grayson (FL-09). In 2013, ISIS began its brutal campaign of extermination and expulsion in Syria, expanding to Iraq in 2014. Many of those who survived these atrocities have been joining the flood of refugees streaming out of the region to Europe and other areas of safety. Resolving their plight is a key component to helping address the refugee crisis and has been of intense interest to countries in the OSCE region.
Atrocities in Iraq & Syria: Relief for Survivors and Accountability for PerpetratorsThursday, September 22, 2016
The civil war in Syria, which began in early 2011 and since spread into Northern Iraq has devastated both countries. Estimates of the number of people who have died during Syria's civil war since March 2011 range from 250,000 to 470,000. In Iraq, the estimated range is between 19,000 and 41,650 deaths since January 2014. The people living in these regions have been subjected to an extensive list of atrocities including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Thosands of refugees have fled Iraq and Syria to seek refuge in the OSCE region. The desperate situation in these areas has resulted in the worst refugee crisis since World War II. With the war in Iraq and Syria showing little signs of abating the danger for vulnerable groups in these countries continues to worsen. This hearing examined the current situation in Iraq and Syria regarding the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, and looked at how the United States and the international community can best help protect persecuted people in this region and ensure that perpetrators of genocide and related crimes in Iraq and Syria are punished. It featured witnesses from CIJA, the former Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, and leaders from the Catholic community. "The atrocities in Iraq and Syria have been so horrible, for so long, with so little action from the Administration, that it has been difficult to hope. Nevertheless, when [Secretary Kerry] declared genocide, we dared to hope that finally the Administration would hear the voices of the victims and act. Instead, the Administration has said the right words and done the wrong things," said Helsinki Commission Chairman Chris Smith (NJ), "When the Executive Branch fails to acts, then Congress must require it to act. That is why I recently authored and introduced the bipartisan Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2016, with Representative Anna Eshoo as my lead cosponsor." Witnesses discussed ways to support religious and ethnic communities that have survived such atrocities. In addition, they encouraged the U.S. to fund the criminal investigation, prosecution, and conviction of the perpetrators, and identified gaps in U.S. criminal statutes that make it difficult to prosecute Americans or foreigners in the U.S. who have committed such crimes. Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues David Scheffer said, "H.R. 5961 demonstrates an undeniable logic: the survivors of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Iraq and Syria merit the fullest possible assistance of our government, including consideration of admission of victim refugees to the United States." "The perpetrators of atrocity crimes not only in Iraq and Syria but elsewhere in the world should be subject to investigation and prosecution," Scheffer continued. "Federal jurisdiction over crimes against humanity and war crimes remains non-existent or very limited…it is a raw fact that the United States is currently a sanctuary for alien perpetrators of crimes against humanity or war crimes." "The Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief Act [is] a much needed, not to mention overdue, piece of legislation," said Chris Engels, deputy director of the Commission for International Justice and Accountability. "Criminal investigations done contemporaneously with the criminal acts are essential to ensuring later accountability. Otherwise, as we have seen in the past, evidence is lost and those responsible for these mass human rights violations go unpunished." Witnesses also highlighted the humanitarian vulnerabilities and lack of assistance that force the survivors to flee their homes and recommended ways to support entities effectively serving genocide survivors in-country, including faith-based organizations. Steve Rasche, legal counsel and director of resettlement programs for the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Erbil, noted, "Since August 2014, other than initial supplies of tents and tarps, the Christian community in Iraq has received nothing in aid from any U.S. aid agencies or the UN. When we have approached any of these entities regarding the provision of aid assistance …we have been told that we have done too well in our private efforts…every morning we wake up and rob six Peters to pay 12 Pauls." "The current policy prioritizes individual needs but does not consider the needs of vulnerable communities," said Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus. "On one hand, we have the unanimous policy of the elected branches of the United States Government stating that a genocide is occurring. On the other hand we have an aid bureaucracy that is allowing the intended consequence of the genocide to continue, even though it is in our power to stop it." Bill Canny, executive director for migration and refugee services at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), said, "We are gravely concerned by the small number of religious minorities who have been resettled in the United States during the current fiscal year." "It is unclear at the time of this writing precisely why the percentage of Syrian Christians, who have been registered as refugees or resettled in the United States as refugees, is so low," Canny continued. USCCB resettles more refugees annually in the U.S. than any other agency. Chairman Smith was joined at the hearing by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Senator Roger Wicker (MS), Ranking Commissioner Senator Ben Cardin (MD), and Commissioners Rep. Joe Pitts (PA-16) and Rep. Alan Grayson (FL-09).
Five Years of the Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders NetworkThursday, August 25, 2016
2016 marks the fifth anniversary of the Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN), an innovative project of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, in cooperation with the U.S. State Department, German Marshall Fund, and other stakeholders that prepares diverse, young leaders with a global outlook. TILN bridges the transatlantic divide between the U.S. and Europe by annually bringing together driven individuals from a range of political backgrounds for a week-long workshop focused on inclusive leadership. Workshops take place in European cities ranging from Copenhagen to Brussels to Turin – allowing participants to immerse themselves in international policy-making at national and regional levels. Participants engage with public and private sector figures while shaping their personal missions and strengthening leadership skills to support careers in public service and transformative initiatives that will promote more equitable societies. The TILN project already boasts an impressive list of alumni, including U.S. Congressman Ruben Gallego, Swedish Parliamentarian Said Abdu, UN Expert on Minority Issues Rita Iszak, and other Parliamentarians, Ministers, Mayors, City Councilpersons, regional and local leaders. During its five-year history, TILN annual workshops have highlighted issues of special interest to the US Helsinki Commission from the ongoing struggle to realize Roma and migrant rights to racism, anti-Semitism, and religious discrimination. Additionally, many TILN alumni support innovative initiatives that promote equality and inclusion in their home countries through alumni Action Grants that allow former participants to maintain their connections, further the work of multinational inclusion, and maximize the impact of collective action. For example, former German and Dutch participants have launched national inclusive leadership programs inspired by TILN. The German "Network Inclusive Leaders" program (NILE), created by Gabriele Gün Tank and Daniel Gyamerah of the TILN class of 2013, is a week-long seminar that provides 20 diverse young adults with an opportunity to engage with German political leaders, academics, artists, and others on anti-racism and anti-discrimination efforts. Following the 2016 TILN event, Dutch alumni Mpanzu Bamenga and Kamran Ullah – along with GMF's Marshall Memorial Fellows Ahmed Larouz and Mei Ling Liem – launched the "Inclusion Leaders Network" in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The event successfully brought together more than 40 community and political leaders from different parties and sectors to discuss tools and strategies to increase inclusion in political, economic, and education sectors. Both the NILE and the Inclusive Leadership Network have enjoyed the support of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, State Department, GMF, and other stakeholders. Hosted by Helsinki Commissioner Representative Alcee L. Hastings, TILN experts and alumni Simon Woolley, Assita Kanko, Gabriele Gün Tank, and David Mark also attended the 2014 three-day Quad Caucus meeting of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL), the National Asian Pacific Caucus of State Legislators (NAPACSL), the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (NCNASAL), and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) in the United States. In his opening remarks to the Quad Caucus, Commissioner Hastings highlighted the importance of inclusive and representative governance in all countries. The TILN delegation followed with a panel discussion on the similarity between the U.S. and Europe on experiences of Roma, Muslim, Afro-descent, and other diverse communities, leading to support for joint U.S.-Europe partnerships and initiatives from members of the Quad Caucus. As a result of these meetings, the TILN alumni network was able to organize a speaking tour in Germany for Ajenai Clemmons of NBCSL – a 2015 TILN participant – to share the U.S. minority caucus model in Germany. The momentum of the Quad Caucus also advanced development of anti-discrimination legislation authored by TILN alumni Mpanzu Bamenga in the Netherlands, which was later adopted by Eindhoven City Council. The U.S. Helsinki Commission congratulates TILN on five successful years, and looks forward to witnessing further fruits of the Network as alumni continue to advance inclusive policymaking, thought, and leadership in our societies.
press release
U.S. Delegation to OSCE PA Drives International Action against Human Trafficking, Discrimination, and Anti-SemitismFriday, July 08, 2016
WASHINGTON—Seven members of Congress traveled to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Annual Session in Tbilisi, Georgia last week to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, including respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. At the Annual Session, which brought together nearly 300 parliamentarians from 54 of the 57 OSCE participating States, the U.S. lawmakers introduced several successful resolutions and amendments targeting current challenges facing the OSCE region, ranging from human trafficking to discrimination and anti-Semitism to the abuse of Interpol mechanisms to target political opponents and activists. The delegation included Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), Commissioner Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Commissioner Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14), Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08), and Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-06). Rep. Aderholt currently serves as a vice-president of the OSCE PA, while Sen. Wicker was re-elected to a third term as chair of the OSCE PA Committee on Political Affairs and Security, also known as the First Committee, during the annual meeting. Chairman Smith led international lawmakers in battling international human trafficking and child sex tourism through a successful resolution calling on all OSCE participating States to raise awareness of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT), especially by convicted pedophiles, business travelers, and tourists. Chairman Smith, who serves as the OSCE PA Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues, also hosted a July 3 briefing on U.S. efforts to prevent SECTT through a new international reciprocal notification system – known as International Megan's Law – that facilitates timely communications among law enforcement agencies. A second U.S. resolution, authored by OSCE PA Special Representative for Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance and Helsinki Commission Ranking Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), called for action against the anti-Semitic and racist violence sweeping across North America and Europe. The resolution, which passed overwhelmingly, urged members of the OSCE to develop a plan of action to implement its long-standing body of tolerance and non-discrimination agreements, called for international efforts to address racial profiling, and offered support for increased efforts by political leaders to stem the tide of hate across the region. The resolution was fielded by Commissioner Hultgren. Chairman Smith also called on participating States to more effectively prevent and combat violence against European Jewish communities through the introduction of two amendments to the resolution of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions (also known as the Third Committee). His first amendment called for the explicit recognition of the increase in anti-Semitic attacks in the region, while the second encouraged participating States to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups. Responding the abuse of Interpol systems for politically motivated harassment by Russia and other members of the OSCE, Co-Chairman Wicker authored a successful amendment to the First Committee resolution, which called on participating States to stop the inappropriate placement of Red Notices and encouraged Interpol to implement mechanisms preventing politically motivated abuse of its legitimate services. The amendment was fielded by Rep. Hudson. During the Annual Session, members of the delegation also offered strong support for important resolutions fielded by other countries, including one by Ukraine on human rights in illegally occupied Crimea and another on the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. They voted for a highly relevant resolution on combating corruption fielded by Sweden, and helped to defeat a Russian resolution attacking the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine in the context of combating neo-Nazism. U.S. delegates indicated their support for the work of attending Azerbaijani human rights activists, and met with attending members of the Israeli Knesset. While in Tbilisi, the group also met with several high-ranking Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili; Tedo Japaridze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Parliament of Georgia; Mikheil Janelidze, Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs; and David Bakradze, Georgian Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
press release
Chairman Smith Champions Improved Security for European Jewish Communities at Annual Meeting of OSCE ParliamentariansSunday, July 03, 2016
WASHINGTON—At the 2016 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Annual Session, meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia this week, Helsinki Commission Chair Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today called on participating States to more effectively prevent and combat violence against European Jewish communities in the face of increasing anti-Semitic violence in the region. "Violent anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise in several European countries – and there is a lot more we can do to stop it," said Chairman Smith, who led the U.S. delegation to the event. "European police and security forces should be partnering with Jewish community security groups, and the United States government should be working with the European governments to encourage this. The terrorist threat to European Jewish communities is more deadly than ever. We must act to prevent a repeat of the horrific massacres of Paris and Copenhagen." Chairman Smith offered two amendments to the draft resolution of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions (also known as the Third Committee). His first amendment called for the explicit recognition of the increase in frequency, scope, and severity of anti-Semitic attacks in the OSCE region, while the second called on participating States to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups to strengthen crisis prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and responses related to anti-Semitic attacks. Both amendments reflect consultations with and requests from European Jewish communities. Chairman Smith has a long record as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism. He co-chairs the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism in the U.S. House of Representatives and authored the provisions of the U.S. Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 that created the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism within the U.S. State Department. In 2015, he authored House Resolution 354, a blueprint for strengthening the safety and security of European Jewish communities. Following his landmark 2002 hearing on combating the escalation of anti-Semitic violence in Europe, "Escalating Anti-Semitic Violence in Europe," he led a congressional drive to place the issue of combating anti-Semitism at the top of the OSCE agenda. As part of this effort he authored supplemental resolutions on combating anti-Semitism, which were adopted at the 2002, 2003, and 2004 Annual Sessions of the OSCE PA. In 2004 the OSCE adopted new norms for its participating States on fighting anti-Semitism. Chairman Smith is a founding member of the the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism (ICCA), where he also serves on the steering committee. In the 1990s, he chaired Congress's first hearings on anti-Semitism and in the early 1980s, his first trips abroad as a member of Congress were to the former Soviet Union, where he fought for the release of Jewish "refuseniks."
press release
Chairman Smith Holds Hearing on Terrorist Threats to European Jewish CommunitiesTuesday, April 19, 2016
WASHINGTON— The growing risks to European Jewish communities and the actions that countries should take to address the threats faced by their Jewish citizens was the focus of a hearing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (aka, Helsinki Commission) chaired today by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04). "The recent terrorist attacks in Brussels were reminders that Europeans of all religions and ethnicities are at risk from ISIS," said Smith. "But there can be no European security without Jewish security. As we have seen so many times in so many places, violence against Jewish communities often foreshadows violence against other religious, ethnic, and national communities. ISIS especially hates the Jewish people and has instructed its followers to prioritize killing them. The group's cronies targeted the Jewish Museum of Belgium in May 2014, the Paris kosher supermarket in January 2015, and the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen in February 2015, and murdered people in all of them." Click here to read Chairman Smith's opening statement. A number of other members of Congress spoke at the hearing, including Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), CSCE co-chairman, Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-06), Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), Rep. Alan Grayson (FL-09), and Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14). Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs at the American Jewish Congress, and the OSCE's Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson, thanked Smith for the "pioneering work" he has done in identifying and addressing the problem of anti-Semitism in Europe, and pressing the United States government and European States and in mobilizing the OSCE to confront the "age-old scourge" of anti-Semitism. "One of the problems we have faced and we continue to face is that governments are slow to recognize the very problem itself, let alone to marshal the necessary resolve and expertise to confront it," Baker testified. For the past two years, witnesses John J. Farmer, Jr., Rutgers University Professor of Law, has led an initiative at Rutgers designed to identify the best ways to protect vulnerable communities in light of the evolving threat. "We have worked with U.S. communities to develop what FBI officials have called an 'off-ramp' to radicalization," said Farmer. "This is a time of particular peril for the Jewish future in Europe, and it is incumbent upon us to do what we can to assure that future." Jonathan Biermann, Brussels attorney and elected city councilman, and a former political adviser to the President of the Belgian Senate, the Development Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, described the current atmosphere among Belgian Jews. "Community members are nowadays used to see Police, guards, military in front of Jewish buildings and schools," Biermann said, recommending establishing Memorandums of Understanding as an important step. "Creating the tools to communicate amongst communities with the government will be considerably facilitated by the 'See something Say something strategy,'"Beirmann said. "The collaboration with Law enforcement agencies has to be based on trust and confidence, in respect of international laws and rules protecting individual freedom, civil liberties and privacy." Paul Goldenberg, a senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, serve on the Countering Violent Extremism Sub-Committee, Co-Chair the Foreign Fighter Task Force and Vice-Chair of the Faith-Based Advisory & Communications Sub-Committee. He also works with the Faith-Based Communities Security Program at Rutgers University. He is Executive Director of the Crisis Cell for the Belgian Jewish community "I have made countless trips in recent months overseas, traveling to multiple European cities," Goldenberg said. "What we have seen, heard and learned has confirmed our initial hypothesis: while the levels of cooperation and partnerships between Jewish and other minority religious communities with their respective policing services–in many parts of Europe–is as diverse as the communities themselves, more work needs to be accomplished to move closer to a medium and standard of safety and security. While this presents distinct challenges, there is also hope. For much of what we have learned, innovated, tested and improved upon here in the United States, as well as in other progressive nations, can be imparted to, and replicated by, many of our partners." Smith also chairs the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations subcommittee. Documents, video and other information about today's CSCE hearing, will be posted here. In 2015, Smith held a hearing in, "After Paris and Copenhagen: Responding to the Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism," on the crucial role of the U.S. and other participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in battling anti-Semitism and called for strong American leadership.
Anticipating and Preventing Deadly Attacks on European Jewish CommunitiesTuesday, April 19, 2016
This hearing was organized in response to the growing number of violent anti-Semitic attacks (namely Belgium, Copenhagen and Paris credited to ISIS), and assessed what needed to be done - particularly by law enforcement agencies - to anticipate and prevent future attacks against the European Jewish communities. The threat to Jewish communities comes not only from Islamic militants, but also from Neo-Nazi groups across the continent, and from acts of anti-Zionists. The panelists expressed concern over the low levels of cooperation and consistency in government responses to this violence. Witnesses Rabbi Andrew Baker, Jonathan Biermann (from Brussels), John Farmer, Paul Goldenberg also discussed counter terrorism strategies and methods to improve security and cooperation. They suggested plans to further engage Muslim communities on integration and to gain their inside knowledge on "potential radicals." This led to a debate on the "see something, say something" policy, with the Jewish community as pilots. The panelists debated whether the military could play a role in the implementation of this, or if it would be best to keep engagement solely with the local police. All agreed that collaboration with law enforcement agencies would have to be based on trust and confidence and be in respect of international laws and rules protecting individual freedom, civil liberties and privacy.
press release
Helsinki Commission to Hold Hearing on the Prevention of Violent Anti-Semitic Attacks in EuropeTuesday, April 12, 2016
WASHINGTON – The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following hearing: "Anticipating and Preventing Deadly Attacks on European Jewish Communities" Tuesday, April 19 1:00 PM Cannon House Office Building Room 210 Live Webcast: www.youtube.com/HelsinkiCommission Violent anti-Semitic attacks doubled in some European countries between 2014 and 2015 – in some others they quadrupled. ISIS has instructed its followers to prioritize targeting European Jewish sites and killing European Jewish people. The terrorists who attacked the Jewish Museum of Belgium, Great Synagogue in Copenhagen, and kosher supermarket in Paris, all claimed ISIS allegiance. In the wake of the recent terrorist bombings in Brussels, the hearing will focus on violent threats to European Jewish communities from the full range of groups and individuals, and what needs to be done – particularly by law enforcement agencies – to anticipate and prevent future attacks. It will also feature lessons from the partnerships between Jewish communities and law enforcement agencies that can help counter terrorism and improve security in European countries more broadly. Scheduled to testify: Rabbi Andrew Baker: Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism, and Director of International Jewish Affairs, American Jewish Committee Jonathan Biermann: Executive Director, crisis cell for the Belgian Jewish community John Farmer: Director, Faith-Based Communities Security Program, Rutgers University Paul Goldenberg: National Director, Secure Community Network
Religious Freedom, Anti-Semitism, and Rule of Law in Europe and EurasiaThursday, February 11, 2016
In this hearing ODIHR Director Michael Link discussed the importance of the OSCE's work on human rights through ODIHR. He focused on the fight against anti-Semitism and the human rights situation in Ukraine. He spoke about ODIHR's newest project to combat anti-Semitism, called "Turning Words into Action," which will give leaders the knowledge and tools to address anti-Semitism in their communities. Director Link also noted that in Ukraine he was particularly concerned about the human rights violations in Crimea and expressed his support for a cease-fire as a pre-condition of the implementation of the Minsk package.
The Helsinki Process: A Four Decade OverviewMonday, February 01, 2016
In August 1975, the heads of state or government of 35 countries – the Soviet Union and all of Europe except Albania, plus the United States and Canada – held a historic summit in Helsinki, Finland, where they signed the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. This document is known as the Helsinki Final Act or the Helsinki Accords. The Conference, known as the CSCE, continued with follow-up meetings and is today institutionalized as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, based in Vienna, Austria. Learn more about the signature of the Helsinki Final Act; the role that the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe played during the Cold War; how the Helsinki Process successfully adapted to the post-Cold War environment of the 1990s; and how today's OSCE can and does contribute to regional security, now and in the future.
Germany to Lead OSCE in 2016Friday, January 15, 2016
Germany will serve as OSCE Chair-in-Office in 2016. Germany has indicated it will continue the work on youth exchanges initiated by the previous Serbian and Swiss chairmanships. In the human dimension, Germany will focus on: Freedom of the press and freedom of information, independence of the media, and the safety of journalists. Protection of minorities. Combating political extremism, intolerance and discrimination, including anti-Semitism and integration issues related to migrants. Strengthening the rights of women.
OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting 2015Friday, January 15, 2016
"The Human Dimension" is OSCE-speak for human rights, democracy, and humanitarian concerns. When the Helsinki Final Act (HFA) was signed in Helsinki, Finland in 1975, it enshrined among its ten Principles Guiding Relations between participating States (the Decalogue) a commitment to "respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience religion or belief, for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion" (Principle VII). In addition, the HFA included a section on cooperation regarding humanitarian issues that provided an umbrella for addressing (among other things) family reunification and working conditions for journalists. "The Human Dimension" was a term coined during the drafting of the 1989 Vienna Concluding Document to serve as shorthand to describe the human rights and humanitarian provisions of the agreements concluded within the framework of the Helsinki process. Today, it has come to include the OSCE's watershed commitments on democracy, the rule of law, and free and fair elections. In any given year, the OSCE participating States address human dimension issues in multiple fora. The Human Dimension Implementation Meeting – HDIM – attracts the largest number of participants, covers the greatest range of issues, and is open to participation by civil society. That work includes formal sessions on the full range of human rights issues as well as rule of law, free elections, and democracy-building issues. National minorities, Roma, and tolerance and nondiscrimination are also on the agenda. U.S. Delegation Led by David Kramer The 2015 HDIM was held September 21 to October 2 and drew 1,386 participants. The U.S. delegation was led by David J. Kramer, Senior Director for Human Rights and Human Freedoms at the McCain Institute and former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. It also included U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Daniel Baer; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Robert Berschinksi; Department of State Special Advisor for International Rights Judith Heumann; and Helsinki Commission Senior Senate Staff Representative Ambassador David T. Killion. Helsinki Commission staff participated in all aspects of the delegation's work. In addition to active engagement in the formal sessions, the United States participated in side events focused on specific countries or issues organized by civil society, OSCE participating States, or international organizations, and held numerous bilateral meetings with other delegations to raise and discuss human rights. Special Advisor Heumann led a panel highlighting the importance of disability rights for OSCE countries as part of a U.S. side event cosponsored with Finland. Russia: External Aggression and Internal Repression During the HDIM, Russia's aggression in and against Ukraine was raised in connection with almost every agenda item for the meeting. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) also issued a joint report prepared with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities detailing widespread human rights violations in Russian-occupied Crimea. Increasing levels of repression within Russia also were raised throughout the HDIM and served to highlight the relationship between external aggression and internal repression. In early 2015, Boris Nemtsov, an advocate for the rule of law and accountability in Russia and an outspoken Russian critic of the Russian government's war against Ukraine, was gunned down just outside the Kremlin. Russia's increasingly repressive government has eroded the democratic institutions that ensure a government's accountability to its people. A free and independent media is virtually nonexistent and the remaining state-controlled media is used to propagandize disinformation, fear, bigotry, and aggression. Azerbaijan's Record Draws Sharp Criticism In 2015 Azerbaijan unilaterally shuttered the OSCE Mission in Baku, effectively blocked the OSCE's independent election observation in October, and sentenced journalist-heroine Khadija Ismayilova to 7 ½ years in prison for reporting on government corruption. The government of Azerbaijan has also escalated pressure against the family members of its critics, in a further effort to stifle dissent. As a consequence, throughout the HDIM, Azerbaijan was the subject of singular attention and criticism. In one particularly sharp exchange with the moderator during the discussion of fundamental freedoms in the digital age, Azerbaijan challenged its critics to name at least 25 of an estimated 100 political prisoners. A partial list – 25 names – is below. Abilov, Abdul Aliyev, Intigam Aliyev, Nijat Akhundov, Rashadat Guliyev, Araz Hasanov, Nasimi Hashimli, Parviz Hazi, Seymur Ismayilova, Khadija Jabrayilova, Valida Jafarov, Rasul Karimov, Fara Mammadli, Anar Mammadov, Hilal Mammadov, Igar Mammadov, Omar Mirkadirov, Rauf Ramazanov, Rashad Rustamov, Aliabbas Rustamzada, Ilkin Seyidov, Elnur Yagublu, Tofig Yunusov, Arif** Yunus, Leyla** Zakharchenko, Irina **Leyla and Arif Yunus have been released from prison since the HDIM but remain under house arrest.
Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Represents US at OSCE Parliamentary Assembly; Also Visits Ukraine, Czech RepublicMonday, August 17, 2015
Forty years after the signing of the Helsinki Final Act established the precursor to today's Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), five members of the Helsinki Commission and four other members of Congress traveled to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session in Helsinki to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to confronting Russian aggression in Ukraine and elsewhere. Led by Commission Co-Chairman Senator Roger F. Wicker (MS), the bicameral, bipartisan delegation organized by the Helsinki Commission included Commission Chairman Representative Chris Smith (NJ- 04); House Commissioners Robert B. Aderholt (AL-04), Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Alan Grayson (FL-09); and Representatives Gwen Moore (WI-04), Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Richard Hudson (NC-08) and Ruben Gallego (AZ-07). Before attending the Annual Session from July 5 to 7, several members of the delegation also visited Ukraine and the Czech Republic. A central concern to the delegation throughout the trip was Russia's restrictions on democracy at home and aggression in Ukraine, along with Russia's threat to European security.
By Dr. Angel W. Colon-Rivera
April 8th marks International Roma Day – a day to remember that Europe's largest ethnic minority still faces anti-Roma violence, violations of their human rights, discrimination, and systematic marginalization, so that many have difficulty meeting their basic human needs, such as education, housing, health care and, in some cases, even clean water. In a number of OSCE participating States, Roma live in segregated communities, their children attend segregated schools, and they are discriminated against in employment and other areas of public life. In some OSCE countries, Roma are subject to violence or threat of violence on a daily basis.
The Helsinki Commission has long monitored and reported on human rights violations against Roma and other ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities. In the early 1990s, the commission issued a series of reports on OSCE countries making the transition from communism to democracy – almost every report identified the deteriorating situation of Roma as a problem. Commissioners have addressed violations of Roma rights through hearings and briefings, engagement with representatives of the OSCE participating States, and by encouraging the Department of State to ensure that human rights violations of persons belonging to Romani communities are appropriately reported in the annual Country Reports on Human Rights.
Last year, the Commission hosted two special roundtables in Washington for representatives of OSCE Embassies to elevate the discussion of Romani human rights concerns: the first, in January, was a conversation with Andrzej Mirga, the OSCE Senior Advisor for Romani issues; the second, in October, was with Viktoria Mohacsi, who had served as one of two Romani MPs in the European Parliament and was a recipient of the Human Rights First 2010 award. During the OSCE Review Conference in Warsaw, the Commission also organized a meeting for the U.S. delegation with Romani participants, many of whom are now advisors to their governments. The discussion focused on mass expulsions of Roma from France and the dangerous rise in anti-Roma political rhetoric in much of Europe. Commissioners have paid particular attention to the escalation of anti-Roma violence in the Czech Republic and Hungary, and to comments by public figures in a number of countries associating Roma with criminality – discourse that echoes the rhetoric of the Nazi period.
In September and October of 2011, the OSCE will hold its annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, where one of this year's special topics will be "Enhancing implementation of OSCE commitments regarding Roma and Sinti." The OSCE Chair-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis has made tolerance education a priority. Part of that effort emphasizes the importance of Holocaust remembrance and education due to a need to educate future generations about the tragedies of the Holocaust where millions of Jewish, Romani, and other victims perished because of intolerance and hatred. Commission leaders have paid particular attention to the goal of Holocaust education and commemoration, as well as access to Holocaust-era archives. Accordingly, the Commission continues to follow on-going efforts to build, in Berlin, a memorial for Sinti and Roma victims of the genocide. Although various complications have delayed this historic undertaking (including weather-related construction delays), German officials have indicated the monument should be completed and unveiled this year.


text:
I'm thinking this should be posted in the Coffee House since it is not about beekeeping directly.
Yes, send it to coffee house, before too many "redistributionists" get involved and get all giggly over the beloved larger government programs..... :-D
it surely is about beekeeping or at least the 'business' of beekeeping.
I think I'll back out of this one. Frameshift is either trolling, or he's so far left, he fell off the edge. I don't want to be banned for saying the wrong thing, so I'll just go away.


text:
Nashua police officer honored for attitude about hearing loss
By KIMBERLY HOUGHTON
Union Leader Correspondent | July 21. 2013 5:50PM
Sgt. Joseph Molinari of the Nashua Police Department, who was previously named one of 12 finalists in the running for the Oticon Focus on People Awards, recently took home the first place honor in the adult category.
As part of his first place award, Molinari received a $1,000 cash prize and a $1,000 donation to a non-profit organization of his choice.
* e-Edition subscription required