Help support protest of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding - Boycott Advertisers

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding was billed as investigative journalism, an inside look at the highly private, secret world of gypsy and travelling communities in the UK. The aim, seemingly, was to increase awareness of the culture of gypsy and travelling societies, thereby bringing greater understanding to this much-maligned section of our community. But the result has Romani and Traveller communities outraged. And now the plan is to bring the show to the US.

PLEASE SEE THE END OF THIS ARTICLE FOR INFORMATION ON THE ADVERTISERS OF THIS SHOW. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS, PLEASE WRITE TO THESE ADVERTISERS AND TELL THEM WHY YOU FEEL IT IS WRONG TO SUPPORT THIS SHOW!

A majority of the show is about Irish Travellers not Romani Gypsies. These are 2 entirely different communities and the program does not explain this. Many of the people protesting the show include well known Roma author and Teacher Dr. Ian Hancock, as well as other well known Roma activists, film makers and elders.

"When entertainment of any kind feeds the public's false stereotypical image of a particular ethnic, religious or racial group it only reinforces ignorance. Yale Strom, filmaker.

From Mario Williams

For hundreds of years Romani have suffered racism and prejudice because of the way we were stereotyped. A lot of hard work has went into changing people’s view of us around the world. This is being destroyed along with the reputations of our people. The Television Show “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding” promises a look into the “Gypsy” lifestyle. What they are really doing is showing a small group of Irish Travellers and then passing them off as “Gypsies”. There are many lies that are being peddled to the viewers as facts so that the show’s producers can make a buck. But they are doing it at OUR EXPENSE.

Do not participate in the negative portrayal of the Roma by participating in this documentary. These people are sharks who will use and abuse you and your family. They are soliciting our kids on Facebook already. They’ve contacted my daughter, my sisters and other members of my family. Chances are they are trying to contact your chavies too.

A show like this can make HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars per season and will expose the way that you live and how you do business. They would pay you what amounts to peanuts. We have read dozens of reports from other Travellers and Romani in the United Kingdom about how our children are now the subject of even more abuse and are being bullied because of the lies produced in this show. MORE HERE

Excerpt from a Letter from Katherine of Firecracker Films in response to Ronald Lee:

"There has been a lot of unfounded negativity towards our program. In fact the majority of the people that were featured - Romani, Rumnichel and Travelers were very happy with the show and have said that since its transmission it has actually been of benefit to them. They have also told us that the perception of them and their respective cultures from the outside world has improved and this has manifested itself on a national level as well as in their own day-to-day experiences."

"It transpires that a few influential people have been very vocal voicing criticisms and, on further investigation, sadly it seems part of the reason for this is to further their own competing projects. I find it particularly disappointing that this is the case as these cultures and communities should not be used as some kind of meat to scrap over and those claiming to be protecting them should not be using PR and spin to further their own projects. If people want to level criticism at us they should do so and we are happy to engage with them - however when it becomes evident that they are doing so publicly to suit their own agenda then that is not acceptable."

What can I do?

Sign this petition

Join this group and post your thoughts

Write the advertisers! These are the Advertisers of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. Please write them and tell them it is wrong to support this racist program:

McDonalds 1-800-244-6227
2111 McDonald's Dr., Oak Brook, IL 60523

Volkswagen Group of America Corporate Office | Headquarters
2200 Ferdinand Porshe Drive Herndon, VA 20171
(703)364-7000

The Walt Disney Company/Pixar Productions
Contacts Zenia Mucha
Corporate Communications
(818) 560-5300

John James Nicoletti
The Walt Studios
818-560-6050

Post Foods, LLC
800 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63101
Attention: Consumer Services Post Foods, LLC
Or call 1-800-431-POST

Allstate Insurance Company
Home offices: 2775 Sanders Road,
>Northbrook, IL 60062

GEICO
5260 Western Avenue, Chevy Chase, Md. 20815
Mailing address: One GEICO Plaza, Washington, D.C. 20076

Network: Discovery/TLC Discovery Networks U.S.

Joseph Abruzzese
President Advertising Sales
Discovery Communications
Ph: 212.548.5555

John Barry Senior Vice President
Advertising Sales - TLC
Discovery Communications
Ph: 212.548.5555

Scott Felenstein Senior Vice President
Advertising Sales - Discovery Channel & Science Channel
Discovery Communications
Ph: 212.548.5151

Harold Morgenstern Senior Vice President
Advertising Sales - Investigation Discovery,
Military Channel, HD Theater & Digital Media
Discovery Communications
Ph: 212.548.5128

Sharon O'Sullivan Senior Vice President
Advertising Sales - Animal Planet
Discovery Communications
Ph: 212.548.5208

Evan Sternschein Executive Vice President
Advertising Sales Discovery Communications
Ph: 212.548.5189

Scott Kohn Vice President
Advertising Sales, Midwest Region
Discovery Communications
Ph: 312.470.3402

Fred Norris Vice President
Advertising Sales, Southeast Region
Discovery Communications
Ph: 404.995.6639

Joe Paglino Vice President
Advertising Sales, East Central Region
Discovery Communications
Ph: 248.764.4400

Ben Price Senior Vice President
National Advertising Sales - West Coast Region
Discovery Communications
>Ph: 310.551.1611

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racist

Barak Obama sends form letter to Romani Gypsies asking for representation in US Holocaust Memorial Council

Some weeks ago Professor Ian Hancock wrote to the President about the importance of having Romani representation on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. William Clinton (Democrat) made the appointment, George Bush (Republican) removed it.

Former Director of the USHMM's Holocaust Research Institute, Michael Berenbaum wrote that "At the center of the tragedy of the Holocaust is the murder of European Jews . . . Near that center is the murder of the Gypsies." Yet we have had no representation for many years.

With the letter, Hancock sent materials to Barak Obama, including copies of Himmler's and others' documents re: The Final Solution of the Gypsy Question.

Evidently none of those materials reached him; the staff who deal with the thousands of letters received daily evidently decided that all this required was an F.U. response (below). It is hard to believe that the concern shown by his Secretary of State in her
several public addresses regarding Roma was still not enough to warrant a proper reply.

Some time ago there was a charge of racism levelled at President Obama for using the word "gyp" publicly. No doubt a slip made in ignorance, as it often is, but this latest dismissive letter doesn't inspire confidence.

We urge ALL of you to write your own letters via www.WhiteHouse.gov.

Response Below

**************************************

The White House
Washington
May 20, 2010

Dear Friend:
Thank you for taking the time to share your ideas. I appreciate
hearing from you.
Our nation faces serious challenges, and we will only overcome them
by involving all Americans in shaping the policies that affect their
own lives. My Administration is continuously working to engage
individuals in innovative ways. I encourage you to explore
www.WhiteHouse.gov, which is regularly
updated and more interactive than ever before.
Thank you for contacting me and providing your thoughtful suggestions.
Sincerely,

Barak Obama

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romani

Urgetn Call to Action-ITALY, HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS RECEIVE PENAL ORDER FOR THEIR WORK

URGENT CALL TO ACTION

Italy, February 18th, 2010


ITALY, TWO HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS FROM EVERYONE GROUP RECEIVE A PENAL ORDER (A CRIMINAL CONVICTION WITHOUT GOING TO TRIAL) FOR THEIR HUMANITARIAN WORK: “IT IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE WORLD”


THE NEWS GIVEN BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION: “A CONVICTION BASED ON INACCURATE EVIDENCE GIVEN BY A POLICE OFFICER. IT IS THE UMPTEENTH EPISODE OF ABUSE OF POWER BY THE ITALIAN AUTHORITIES”


EVERYONE GROUP APPEALS TO THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND THE FRONTLINE FOUNDATION: “WE ARE ASKING FOR SUPPORT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, VICTIMS IN ITALY OF VIOLENCE, INTIMIDATION AND JUDICIARY ABUSE OF POWER, A WORSE SITUATION THAN IN TOTALITARIAN REGIMES WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL IS AT LEAST GUARANTEED THE RIGHT TO DEFEND HIMSELF



On February 12th, 2010, Roberto Malini and Dario Picciau, co-presidents with Matteo Pegoraro of EveryOne Group, international human rights organization based in Italy, received notification of a penal order, with the prison sentence commuted into a heavy fine. In the decree, issued on 5/11/09 by the Pesaro Justice Court - Office of the Magistrate for Preliminary Investigations – condemns the activists for the offence punishable by art. 110, 340 of the Italian Criminal Code, because on December 20th, 2008 “in complicity with each other, they caused the interruption, or at least disturbed a police operation aimed at identifying three foreign citizens, and used abusive and disparaging language towards the officers from Pesaro-Urbino Police Headquarters, and interfered in the carrying out of their duty.”


“It is the umpteenth episode of abuse from the authorities (and in particular from the Police Headquarters) we have been subjected to in Pesaro and in Italy” say the co-presidents of the Group. ”Throughout 2008 and in the early months of 2009 we were repeatedly summoned to police headquarters because of our humanitarian work in defence of the Roma community living in our Country”.


After the protests of our Organization for the endless camp clearances of Roma families (without any offer of assistance) and after our protests over the illegitimate expulsion of a group of Afghan refugees who had applied for asylum, the Pesaro Police Commissioner issued Roberto Malini a verbal warning on the following grounds: “Seeing the Roma are notorious criminals, I consider EveryOne Group part of a criminal organization and I invite it to cease its activity”. Following this warning, the activists of EveryOne Group were subjected to various episodes of intimidation and provocation, while the brutal operations aimed at driving the Roma out of the city continued. The attitude of the Police Commissioner and the anti-Roma programme carried out by the Pesaro authorities have been the subject of various Parliamentary questions, leading to the transfer of the Police Commissioner to a different detachment.


Following the camp clearance (in mid winter) of the last Roma families to take refuge in Pesaro, EveryOne Group filed a complaint to the Public Prosecutor's Office at the same Pesaro Justice Court - reporting both the violation of human rights and the open hostility shown towards human rights defenders.


“We were expecting the Prosecutor's Office to investigate the abuse committed by the local authorities towards the Roma community”, say Malini, Pegoraro and Picciau, “actions that have led to several deaths (due to the hardship suffered by seriously ill people, who were suddenly left without a shelter over their heads), miscarriages (due to the stress and fear experienced by the pregnant women faced with so many armed police officers) and serious humanitarian emergencies.

Instead, the same authorities made use of a legal instrument that exists only in Italy, an instrument that violates article 24 of the Italian Constitution. We are talking about a conviction without a trial, yet another intimidatory tool used against human rights defenders which allows an untrue statement made by a police officer to become law without the accused being given the opportunity to contradict him.


We are aware that there is a danger of falling into a legal ‘black hole’, but we have decided to oppose the sentence and we will continue to oppose it on all levels, even if this means taking the case before the European Court of Human Rights. It is a fundamental principle of civility and democracy which does not only concern this episode, but international activism as whole, and the endless obstacles and dangers involved in defending the lives and the dignity of our most vulnerable citizens”.


As for the case in question, Roberto Malini and Dario Picciau say “on the evening of December 20th, 2008 a police officer was talking in an arrogant manner to a young Roma man, while his colleague waited in the patrol car in front of the bar to be served with sandwiches and drinks. We greeted the young man, Nico Grancea, who we knew very well seeing we had been offering him assistance for over year. In answer, we received from the first officer a brusque and threatening invitation to show some identification. We have had dealings with the police force for years and therefore have sufficient experience to know not to rise to the bait. The police officer took down our details without issuing any notification. The magistrates investigating the case did not listen to what the owner of the bar, Mr. Grancea, or the EveryOne activists had to say. The Pesaro investigating magistrate then decided for “a conviction without a trial”.


“Through our appeal and the relevant procedures for defending our humanitarian work” says EveryOne Group, “we intend to bring the case to the attention of the authorities in charge of protecting human rights defenders, in order for them to establish efficient organisms that defend the work of activists who are forced to operate in extremely difficult conditions”.


On February 14th, 2010 Malini and Picciau's case was brought up by the co-president of EveryOne, Matteo Pegoraro, in Dublin, during the 5th Frontline Platform for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, which EveryOne Group (the only European organization) had been invited to attend along with 99 other human rights defenders from all over the world – activists who have received several threats during the course of their human rights activities. “We are appealing to the Frontline Foundation (which protects human rights activists all over the world in cooperation with the United Nations and European institutions) to take up our case. We hope too that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, - always very alert to episodes of this kind - to immediately intervene against this judiciary abuse, which has no precedent in European activism. We will fight” says Pegoraro, “to ensure that these two human rights defenders – who have been involved for many years in difficult campaigns in defence of minority groups – are not subjected to this violation, even more so if we consider that as co-presidents of EveryOne, they were operating in Pesaro and on Italian territory on behalf of the European MP, Viktoria Mohacsi with the precise aim of investigating the behaviour of the authorities towards the Roma people in Italy.


On behalf of our group, we invite civil society, the politicians who are more alert to matters of fundamental rights, the human and civil rights associations and organizations and the European and international institutions and authorites, to express their criticism of an action that goes against all the charters on the human rights of the individual – as well as violating the international laws on the protection and freedom of action and movement of human rights defenders”.


For further information:

EveryOne Group

+39 393 4010237 :: +39 334 3449180 :: :: +39 331 3585406

www.everyonegroup.com :: info@everyonegroup.com

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romani

Roma Community protest Julia Chaplins book "Gypset Style"

A thoroughly exploitative new book has been published recently and has caused an uproar in the Roma community.

Julia Chaplin's new book GYPSET STYLE"covers contemporary art, fashiondesign, lifestyle and travel. Gypset," she explains, "is GYPSY + JET-SET. The book consists of profiles of wealthy, privileged, effete gazhe who live in exotic surroundings in exotic places around the world, the "true
Gypsies."

To give legitimacy to her book Ms. Chaplin includes a history of Roma, "although it is wholly derivative and quite inaccurate." states Professor Ian Hancock, acclaimed Roma author and teacher of Roma studies. "She includes a photograph of some French Romanies that she took, I suspect that they didn't know it would be used in a book, and that they received no compensation for it."

"To put this into prospective and help you understand our point of view, Substitute the word GYPSY with JEW or NEGRO. Would her book have been published? Would the public have accepted it? How are we expected to feel about this? " Dani Bamberger of NRADO.

The group ROMA IN AMERICAS which contains some of the Roma communities most distinguished educators, authors, activists and supporters has been coordinating letter writing campaigns and protests. "She did not reply to an e-mail from Hancock, NRADO (the National Romani Anti Discrimination Organization) or other supporters from the group Roma In Americas. Amazon.com did not print our "reader's comment" about this book and other comments we have made on various websites are being removed. This is an example of how we are treated." RIA group member.

"It's time people stopped playing at "gypsy." said Professor Ian Hancock.

REMOVED COMMENTS INCLUDE:

"Wow, for anyone looking for the modern-day Marie Antoinette Manifesto, look no further than this revolting and exploitative garbage. The "true Gypsies?" That should come as a tremendous relief to the heretofore-"true Roma" - you know, the ones whose children's lifeless bodies wash up on beaches in Italy, to be ignored by sunbathers as so much flotsam and jetsam? How about the ones who are being murdered and burned out of their homes in Hungary by nationalist, neo-Nazi thugs? No? If that doesn't ring any bills, go ahead and put on a colorful caftan and jetset around Europe, calling yourself a "Gypsy" (presumably because, like many Roma, you can't seem to hold down a job... even though in your case, it's because you choose to be idle, not because no one will hire you and you can't feed your children). I'm not an advocate of book-burning. Neither am I an advocate of burning down anyone's community."

You would not know Rom culture if it hit you in the head. Try for one second putting yourself in the shoes of the Roma and how exploitive such a book you have written would feel. Substitute the word Jew or Jewish for your questions for example: WHO'S THE ULTIMATE JEW SETTER IN YOUR EYES? SO IN SHORT, WHAT SHOULD ONE DO TO LIVE LIKE A JEWSETTER? Hmm does not sound so innocent to the ears does it. Was this the only way you could get this book published? Bring you book to the ERRC (European Roma Rights Committee) in Budapest and present it to 1000 Roma sitting in the audience and see what your response is.-Yale Strom"


Information about the book can be found at:
http://www.factio-magazine.com/profiles/detail.cfm?article_id=06084425

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gypsy discrimination

FREE Angelika Libera - 16 yr old Romani girl imprisoned

10th of May 2008, Ponticelli district, Naples, Italy, the 16-old girl Angelika got arrested under an extremely defamatory charge: “She attempted to kidnap a baby”. According to a recent decision issued by the Court for Minors of Naples because she is a ROMNI “totally inserted in schemes belonging to Romani culture”, fully “integrated within that” she faces a “concrete danger of “recidivism”. At the moment she is deprived of her freedom and locked in the Neapolitan infamous “juvenile” by the sea “Istituto Penitenziario Minorile di Nisida” until she will turn 18 when she will be probably relocated to a penitentiary for adult females. Most importantly, this is last opportunity to intervene against this latest racist decision openly referring to all Roma people and directly targeting “Romanipè” (Romani identity) as an illicit attitude. Angelika’s lawyer lost every appeal but very soon, in December he will have to handle this very complicated case in front of the Italian Court of Cassazione. Besides all of the terrible events that affected Angelika, she strongly declared her innocence. Angelika will have to stay in a penitentiary for 3 years and 8 months to serve her sentence.

Two journalists carried out their own investigations, Marco Imarisio writing for “Corriere della Sera” and Miguel Mora for “El Pais”, both of them discovered that the mother of the baby Mrs. Flora Marinelli had a previous criminal record for “falso ideologico” (lie), while her father Ciro- also known as “O’ Cardinale” (The Cardinal) - was charged before with a nine months sentence for “criminal organization” and affiliated with the Clan Sarno, a Camorra family ruling the Ponticelli district and characterized for its ability in obtaining public tenders. According to EveryOne Group the version of the facts provided by authorities and media was false. It was given to trigger off a “gypsy hunt”.

But Ponticelli was also undergoing a plan of renovation, a massive, super expensive enormous investment, right on the place where Roma settled. Some sources affirmed that Roma had to go away because the works had to begin, too much money was already involved and so were the Commune of Naples, politicians and the Ponticelli’s Committee, companies based in Luxemburg whose members’ names can not be disclosed. Few days after the arrest of Angelika the Roma settlement was set on fire by an organized mob.

Angelika is victim of an exemplary punishment, issued and reconfirmed during an extremely hard time for Roma in Italy, when decrees ad hoc have been promulgated, fingerprinting and biometric data have been collected, evictions and expulsions have been carried out disregarding a number of recommendations, international EU laws and treaties.


http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=197717376119&ref=ts

http://www.petitiononline.com/angelika/petition.html

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romani

lobby for the immediate evacuation & medical treatment of around 650 refugees at a camp in Osterode Kosovo

Dear Colleague's

Please see UK Association of Gypsy Women - Annual Report 2009 on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/British_Roma/files/

UKAGW are embarking on a campaign to lobby for the immediate evacuation and medical treatment of around 650 refugees at a camp in Osterode Kosovo. They are living in what has been described as a hell-hole and where test carried out on the children in the camp show that they now have so much 'Lead' in their Blood' that medical equipment cannot measure it accurately!

We want to lobby your support in our appeal and quest for the immediate, effective and constructive change to the lives of those poor unfortunate people as soon as is humanly possible.

I have copied in my Colleague Shay Clipson who has taken on the responsibility to spearhead this mammoth campaign, Shay hopes to make a fact-finding mission to the camp in Kosovo as soon as possible. Shay will be first-line contact and will be happy to work and hear from individuals or organization that are able to significantly contribute to this campaign

UKAGW would sincerely appreciate your expertise, influence or indeed any help or support you are able to contribute to this mission.

The people on Osterode camp do not need another mission to highlight their suffering, the world is in full receipt of what is happening there, they deserve and need you to use your influence and expertise to secure effective change and not to abandon them to a future that is doomed which will only ensure further heartache and misery and inevitably their early death.

Please support this important humanitarian campaign.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very healthy, happy and successful New Year.


Kind regards

Rachel Francis-Ingham
Inclusion officer
Suite 03
Imperial Business Centre
Grange Road
Darlington
DL1 5NQ, UK

Phone: 01325-788281
Fax: 0161-8830440
Mobile: 07880-637591

E-mail: ukagw@ymail.com

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roma

WITHDRAWN "IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED-Write a letter to Baylor president in protest!"

Withdrwan-IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED

PLEASE SEE NEW POST REGARDING THIS ISSUE. WE left this intact so you can see the original issue.

Professor Ian Hancock, received a letter (below) from a student named Joy Fattori-Hudson at Baylor University. She submitted a paper regarding the the fate of Romanies in the Holocaust. The professor refused to accept it because it dealt with Romanies. His name is Dr. Paul Sands, a theologian. I wrote to him and he replied

“I'm afraid that FERPA (the Family Education Rights & Privacy Act) does not allow me to speak with you about this matter. I applaud your work on behalf of the Romani people. May the truth be told and justice prevail -- at last. Cordially, Paul Sands.” Paul_Sands@baylor.edu

Please (PLEASE!) e-mail a protest to the president of Baylor, his address is david_garland@baylor.edu

We will also be pursuing this further.

ORIGINAL LETTER

Dear Professor Hancock,

I did not reply earlier because I ended up having a serious problem with my Holocaust Paper. My professor would not even grade it and told me it had to be rewritten. He did not like the subject matter.

I looked at the guidelines (one and half lines long) and it was okay . . . it was radical because it looked at how people hide memories that are not convenient such as the number of Romany people and others who also died in the Holocaust.

Anyway, I felt unable to argue . . . though I did try . . . I rewrote my paper leaving out almost all references to the Romany slaughter and got an A for it. I felt the original paper was the better paper even after re-reading it.

I remain unable to say anything until after I graduate, which I will on Friday.

There is something that still pervades about the Romany holocaust that people just simply do not want to know.

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protest