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	Many EU Roma face life like people in the world’s poorer countries by Michael O’Flaherty Fundamental Rights Agency, agencies European Union (EU)   Poor sanitation, hunger, youth unemployment – Roma in the EU face these basic challenges in their daily life, finds the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights’ latest report. It underlines the persistent inequalities that have long plagued Europe’s Roma in many countries of one of the world’s richest regions.   “Anti-Gypsyism, from discrimination to hate crime, fuels the vicious cycle of Roma exclusion. It leaves them as societal outcasts and treated in a stereotypical manner that is intolerable,” says FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty. “We need to break this vicious cycle. So why not start with the obvious – ensuring that each and every Roma enjoys the same opportunities as other EU citizens?”   The ‘A persisting concern: anti-Gypsyism as a barrier to Roma inclusion’ report reveals how Member States are still falling short on most of their integration targets, despite efforts so far. This is a key element of the EU’s 2011 National Roma Integration Strategies Framework. Areas of particular concern include:   Anti- Gypsyism remains high with one out of three Roma being victims of harassment. Member States need to recognise and monitor anti- Gypsyism, and take effective measures to combat such hate crime and hate speech.   Living conditions for EU Roma have not changed much between 2011 and 2016: 80% of Roma are at risk of poverty compared with an EU average of 17%. 30% live in households with no tap water. Their access to safe water is often on a par with people in Ghana or Nepal. Such conditions undermine progress in education, health or employment. This calls for greater efforts on reducing poverty including eliminating segregated housing, better access to public utilities like electricity and water as well as more social housing.   Education has improved in some Member States but gaps remain. Over 50% of young Roma children attend early childhood education. This is often much less than non-Roma children their age. As for pre-school education rates, Roma in the EU are similar to the people of Puerto Rico. Member States should provide access to high quality education, learning support to compensate for the poor living conditions of many Roma pupils, as well as targeted support at every stage of their education.   Youth unemployment: The share of young Roma from 16-24, particularly women who are not in employment, education or training remains high compared to the general public. Member States need to boost employment, particularly for young Roma, through on-the-job training, traineeships and apprenticeships, for example. Roma should also receive targeted support to help them set up their own business.   This report will feed the debate on future EU Roma inclusion as the existing EU framework ends in 2020. It measures the impact of existing measures over the years. It also contextualises Roma deprivation against other countries globally. This will help the EU and its Member States measure their commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.   http://bit.ly/2v0eIQm http://bit.ly/2AXCUVb http://bit.ly/2EvSjtD http://bit.ly/2CzPTJx Visit the related web page
	In 2017, the world witnessed a rollback of human rights by Amnesty International   Feb. 2018   Over the past year, leaders have pushed hate, fought against rights, ignored crimes against humanity, and blithely let inequality and suffering spin out of control. This provoked mass protests, showing that while our challenges may never be greater, the will to fight back is just as strong.   Amnesty International’s report, The State of the World’s Human Rights 2017/18, covers 159 countries and delivers the most comprehensive analysis of the state of human rights in the world today.   While the findings remain shocking, it is the events such as those highlighted in the report that galvanised people across the world to stand up in the face of adversity and make their voices heard.   In 2017, the world witnessed a rollback of human rights. Signs of a regression were everywhere. Across the world governments continued to clampdown on the rights to protest, and women’s rights took a nosedive in the USA, Russia and Poland.   From Venezuela to Tunisia, we witnessed the growth of a formidable social discontent, as people were denied access to their fundamental human rights to food, clean water, healthcare and shelter.   And from the US to the European Union and Australia, leaders of wealthy countries continued to approach the global refugee crisis with outright callousness, regarding refugees not as human beings with rights but as problems to be deflected.   In this climate, state-sponsored hate threatens to normalise discrimination against minority groups. Xenophobic slogans at a nationalist march in Warsaw, Poland and sweeping crackdowns on LGBTI communities from Chechnya to Egypt showed how the open advocacy of intolerance is increasing.   Prominent among a sea of stories that caused shock were the horrific reports of ethnic cleansing carried out by Myanmar’s military against its Rohingya population. The stories captured by our researchers were utterly heartbreaking.   “Shafi, my two-year-old son, he was hit hard with a wooden stick. One hit, and he was dead … Three of my children were killed,” said one woman, whose money, possessions – and children - were taken by soldiers.   But with few leaders willing to stand up for human rights on a global stage, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from Myanmar to Iraq have gone ignored, making the world a more dangerous place.   Last year saw a record numbers of individuals come under attack for taking a stand against injustice. As a global organisation dedicated to fighting for human rights, we did not escape attack. Our own staff in Turkey were arrested and jailed on entirely baseless charges. While Idil Eser, Director of Amnesty Turkey, has been released, Taner Kilic the chair of Amnesty Turkey, remains in prison.   ''Imagine being a lawyer, journalist or activist, whose life is under threat for telling the truth. In 2018, we cannot take for granted that we will be free to gather together in protest or to criticize our governments. In fact, speaking out is becoming more dangerous''. - Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General   That is exactly what is happening right now, as authorities aggressively pursue people who have stood up for human rights. These activists are being killed in staggering numbers, with more than 312 killings recorded in 2017, up from 281 the year before.   Despite the efforts of governments to shut down NGOs, undermine the media, take away people’s right to protest and jail campaigners, people refused to be silenced. And in this climate of fear and intimidation, it is all the more vital that we continue to speak out.   * Access the State of the World’s Human Rights 2017/18, via the link below. Visit the related web page
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