2017
18th of January
The Women’s Networking Salon at the Chief of Mission’s Residence
The Ambassador, Colleen Bell, from the Embassy of the United States invited Ms. Katalin Barsony to the Women’s Networking Salon at the Chief of Mission’s Residence. This Salon was intended to bring together women from many fields in the Hungarian Society to meet, network, discuss women-related issues, and encourage the advancement of gender equality in Hungary. The overarching topic was the professional and personal implications of the “Glass Ceiling”.
21st of February
EFC Forum for Roma Inclusion had a study visit to Romedia
On 21 February 2017, the EFC Forum for Roma Inclusion visited Romedia. The group of foundation representatives gathered in Budapest for a study visit hosted by the Open Society Foundations. Romedia was delighted to share its work with the group of foundation representatives and hopes that the participants have taken back ideas on how to improve their own work.
8th of March
Flash mob/ Romedia Foundation Promotes a Culture of Tolerance and Acceptance for the International Women’s Day
On the 8th of March 2017, Romedia crossed 'borders' and celebrated Women's International Day of social tolerance and acceptance...with the motto of “We must make a united move from tolerance to acceptance.” The main goal of Romedia Foundation was to foster respect and open-mindedness for International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day: The Pursuit of Acceptance and tolerance, was an activity that encouraged random participants to celebrate International Women’s Day by receiving a flower from a Romani girl and to pass it on to a random person on the spot.
It is vital that positive interactions among people from different backgrounds are spread and amplified, and that the stereotypes about them be unveiled. Romedia Foundation hopes that the BUVERO’s girl’s initiative will cross these ‘borders’ and build bridges between various people. The rational behind this was that only when we practice tolerance, do we arrive at acceptance of ‘otherness’; and only after tolerance and acceptance are reached, do we have a chance of reaching true understanding and consciousness about the fact that all human beings are EQUAL.
8th of March
British Embassy Hungary – Speed mentoring event with the participants of the Buvero camps (alumni)
This is the third year that the British Embassy marked Women’s Day by holding a “speed mentoring” event where our BUVERO girls were invited. The British Embassy has inspired the BUVERO girls and made them think about their careers. They also had short chats with some real role models from the world of diplomacy, business and civil society.
8-11th of March
Prague - EAST DOC PLATFORM
Katalin Barsony and Benedek Kaban participated at the Pitching JWO in Prague. The Project Market started on the 9th of March and lasted until the 11th of March. On the 11th of March the Eastern European Forum pitch took place, followed by the awards featured at East Doc Platform.
23rd of March
13th ANNUAL NGO FAIR,
Romedia Foundation was pleased to participate in the 13th ANNUAL NGO FAIR, organized by the Human Rights Initiative (HRSI) based at Central European University. Romedia introduced its work to the CEU community and met with the dedicated and international student body.
31st of March
Second All-Ukrainian Forum for Roma Youth, “600 Years of Freedom”
On March 31 - April 2, 2017 – Romedia’s Foundation employee, Ramona Cara has participated in the Roma Youth Forum, Kyiv, Ukraine called ‘Second All-Ukrainian Forum for Roma Youth, “600 Years of Freedom”
Among the participants, Yevhen Bystrytskyi, Executive Director, International Renaissance Foundation; Svitlana Fomenko, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Culture of Ukraine; Oleksandr Yarema, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and other personalities were present.
The representative from Romedia delivered a seminar on “THE SOCIAL SIDE OF CREATIVITY - Romani communities beyond the traditional boundaries”. The session aimed to provide participants with effective audiovisual tools that have the potential to empower Romani communities in today’s society.
8th of April
Let the spirit of the International Roma Day unite us once again!
Romedia Foundation invited everyone to walk from the Bem Cinema (Budapest, Margit krt. 5, 1027) to the Danube and cast flowers into the river.
On 08 April 2017, it was almost forty-six years to the day that the first World Roma Congress was held in Orpington near London. Since then, the 8th of April has had a special place on the calendar for all Roma as we celebrate International Roma Day. Romani people in Budapest and worldwide have embraced the tradition to “gather at noon to cast flowers into our nearest river, sea, or ocean”. This year, Romedia foundation has gathered together a large group of Roma activists, Roma students, alumni and pro-Roma organizations in Budapest to cast flowers into the Danube.
8th of April
The celebration of International Romani Day continued with COMPACT-Roma Film Night which took place on 8 of April at the Bem Cinema.
23rd of May
“Empowering Roma Young Leaders to shape Inclusive Narratives”
The event was organized by the Roma in European Societies Initiative at Central European University and The German Marshall Fund of the United States on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 10 AM CEU, Nador 15 Quantum Room 101. Romedia Foundation was invited to the panel discussion to speak about the role of media as well as proposing inclusive strategies.
3rd of June
“IMAGE FRAGMENTS- ‘clamor’ for self-representation”
The Romedia Foundation team organized the event “IMAGE FRAGMENTS- ‘clamor’ for self-representation”. The event took place on the 3rd of June at the French Institute Budapest. At the event Jacques Leonard: El payo Chac documentary and Pamyatay, a Ukrainian short film were screened.
The public screening was followed by a roundtable discussion. The invited participants of the roundtable discussion were Yago Leonard (Spain), Romani filmmaker, director of Jacques Leonard: El payo Chac, Petro Rusanienko (Ukraine), Romani filmmaker, director of Pamyatay and Galya Stoyanova (Bulgaria), Romani filmmaker. The discussion was moderated by Katalin Bársony, curator of the Film Section and executive director of Romedia Foundation.
Video of the discussion was recorded for the purpose of internal documentation.
On this occasion, the Film Section team recorded a video interview with the invited participants, Galya Stoyanova, Petro Rusanienko and Yago Leonard. The interview aimed to provide the possibility for these emerging Romani film professionals to talk about their experiences as filmmakers.
2nd of August
Roma Holocaust International Memorial Day
Romedia Foundation, together with the Holocaust Remembrance Center, the Drom Association of Finland and the Roma Holocaust Memorial Committee, which was brought to life by the Roma Production Bureau Foundation, the Amenca Community, the Citizenship Association and the Romano Instituto Foundation, Romedia Foundation commemorated the lost Romani people during the Holocaust.
1st of November
Romedia – OSJI contract on advocacy/raise awareness video making of Aven Amenca
OSI’s Open Society Justice Initiative (” OSJI”) has retained Romedia, a non-profit organization, existing and operating under the laws of Hungary, to produce an approximately 4-minute long video in Ostrava, the Czech Republic between November 10 and 12, 2017 on the mobilization of Czech Roma families in Ostrava (the “Event”) to mark the 10th anniversary of a European Court of Human Rights decision (“D.H. v. Czech Republic” or the “Ruling”), which found that the Czech government was discriminating against Roma school-children by segregating them into “special” schools offering only limited educational opportunities (the “Video”).
Romedia hereby acknowledges and agrees to provide all services as described herein, including, but not limited to, documenting the events as they unfold in Ostrava; preparing interviews with individual activists/parents and providing an overview of community mobilization efforts and individual activism; submitting, exclusively to OSI, first in rough cut, then, based on OSI’s feedback, in fine cut form, the Video by December 15, 2017 and January 31, 2018, respectively. The Video will be produced in the Czech language, but Romedia will arrange for the translation of the Czech voices and subtitles into English.
16th of November
Creating the Romedia’s Child Protection Policy
The newly designed policy states the commitment of Romedia Foundation, the terms and conditions, and the principles needed to ensure the effective development and implementation of child protection policies and procedures for any project or activity where children under 18 years of age are involved or present, and to all working in such activities, whether as an employee, interns, volunteers, service providers or otherwise.
16-18th of November
First Congress of Romani Feminism in Madrid
The Congress was attended by Roma women and men from different parts of Spain, and was organized by an organization of young Roma feminists with the support of the Madrid City Council, the Open Society Foundations and FRA. The project focused on gender equality and included the development of several videos on gender-based violence and women’s rights. Romedia Foundation presented and screened its project dedicated to Roma women – “I’m a Roma woman” campaign and Buvero camp.