MINELRES: ERRC: Support the Campaign of Romani Survivors of Coerced Sterilisation for Apologies and Compensation
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Tue Jul 8 19:25:23 2008
Original sender: European Roma Rights Centre <[email protected]>
Romani Women Campaign around Forced Sterilisation Practices at the 2008
Women�s Worlds Congress in Spain
Information also in cesky, espanol, magyarul.
3 July 2008, Budapest, Madrid, Ostrava, Prague: Today, a coalition
comprised of the Ostrava-based Group of Women Harmed by Sterilisation,
the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and the Peacework Development
Fund launch a global campaign seeking support for Romani women
victimised by coerced sterilisation practices in Czech Republic, Hungary
and Slovakia. The campaign is supported by the Open Society Institute�s
Public Health Program and the Heinrich Boll Stiftung Warsaw.
The governments concerned have failed to react, through public apologies
and compensation for the harms inflicted upon Romani women, to 5 years
of targeted advocacy and lobbying by the victims and their advocates.
Today, the survivors and their advocates turn to the global human rights
movement to strengthen their efforts to secure justice, beginning with
action around the 2008 Women�s Worlds Congress in Madrid, Spain, from
3-9 July, where the most pressing women�s rights matters from around the
world will feature.
The campaign includes a panel discussion on coerced sterilisation
practices in Central Europe by survivors and their advocates, as well as
a letter-writing campaign targeting key officials in Czech Republic,
Hungary and Slovakia, calling on the respective governments to recognise
the extreme human rights violations perpetrated on their territory and
to ensure apologies and compensation for the survivors.
Key dates:
>From 3-9 July, the Coalition will conduct a series of meetings with
Romani organisations around Spain and hold various television and radio
interviews, and distribute information brochures and advocacy letters
and postcards to send to the responsible governments.
On 4 July, the Coalition will be distributing information pamphlets and
advocacy postcards/letters in Madrid and Budapest (Godor Klub, 14:00 �
18:00 PM).
On 5 July, the Coalition will host a panel discussion comprised of
coercively sterilised Romani women and their advocates to raise
awareness within the global women�s movement and initiate global
lobbying efforts (16:30, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Espana),
habitacion ODO-Fernando del Rio, Facultad de Odontologia, Ciudad
Universitaria).
On 6 July, women from the Group of Women Harmed by Sterilisation will
distribute advocacy postcards/letters in Ostrava for submission to the
Czech Government.
Tell the governments concerned that it is time for action! Support the
Romani survivors of coerced sterilisation in Czech Republic, Hungary and
Slovakia by sending our postcard or letter, available on the ERRC
website in English, Spanish, Czech, Hungarian and Slovak.
For updates on our work at the Madrid Congress, the pamphlet and the
postcards/letters, please visit the ERRC website at:
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2965.
Tell us you sent the letter or postcard, or otherwise supported the
campaign, and join our online list of supporters by writing us at:
[email protected].
For further information or interviews, please contact:
Group of Women Harmed by Sterilisation:
*Elena Gorolova (Czech, Romanes), [email protected]
European Roma Rights Centre:
*Anita Danka (Hungarian, English), Staff Attorney,
[email protected]
*Ostalinda Maya (Spanish, English), Women�s Rights Consultant,
[email protected]
*Monika Pacziga (Hungarian, English), Women�s Rights Officer,
[email protected]
Peacework Development Fund:
*Gwendolyn Albert (Czech, English), Director of Women�s Initiatives
Network, [email protected]
During the Congress, the representatives can be reached on the following
mobile numbers: +34.627.212.118 or +36.20.398.8303 or +420.774.895.444.
Otherwise, please contact the ERRC office at: +36.1.413.2200.
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The European Roma Rights Centre is an international public interest law
organisation which monitors the human rights situation of Roma and
provides legal defence in cases of human rights abuse. For more
information about the European Roma Rights Centre, visit the ERRC on the
web at http://www.errc.org
To support the ERRC, please visit this link:
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2735
European Roma Rights Centre
1386 Budapest 62
P.O. Box 906/93
Hungary
Tel: +36.1.413.2200
Fax:
+36.1.413.2201
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