World Water Day 2010

Photo: Florian Bachmeier

The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. Water means life and there are still places in Europe where people live without potable water. In Osterode and Cesmin Lug the Roma are suffering from diseases because of contaminated water. One of the purposes of A forgotten promise is to provide drinking water, for this reason, we need your support...

Rückkehr ins Elend - A film by Martina Morawietz

A film by Martina Morawietz (2010) broadcasted on ZDF Info on saturday, 13-03-2010, 14:30 h: http://infokanal.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/17/0,1872,3991185_idDispatch:9455400,00.html?dr=1

Rückkehr ins Elend
Abschiebung der Roma ins Kosovo Film von Martina Morawietz
Flüchtlinge aus dem Kosovo gibt es schon lange in Deutschland. Sie waren geduldet und nach dem Krieg 1999 zunächst vor einer Abschiebung geschützt, weil es für sie im Kosovo weder Sicherheit noch Perspektive gab. Doch seit der Unabhängigkeit des Landes vor zwei Jahren gilt diese Regelung nicht mehr, allen Appellen von Menschenrechtsorganisationen zum Trotz. Es trifft vor allem Romafamilien. Wir begleiten eine junge Mutter, die nach 20 Jahren in Deutschland wieder zurück ins Kosovo musste.
Ein Film von Martina Morawietz

Lead Through Life - A poem written by Tomas O Carthaigh

Photo: Florian Bachmeier

Lead throug life

In camps they live in Mitrovica
As UN protected refugees
The silent victims of a war they did not start
Whose plight nobody sees.

The only ones labeled IDP
Taken from them their own name
With the ’liberation’ of Kosovo
Never for the Roma, things be the same.

The planes came and bobed their homes
Roma and Serb had to flee
Torched and totured by the Albanians
They asked how this could be?

In the northern section of Mitrovica
A refugee camp of Roma stands
Along with two others,
Built by UN on Serbian lands.

Its not repaired very well
And as they rise or go to bed
In their lungs they breath red dust
Of where theyre camped: a mine of lead!

Yes UN placed camps on slagheaps
’Only for 45 days’...
Its now three years or so of tears
And there the camp still stays.

© 2007 Tomas O Carthaigh

Another camp death - Report/Update by Bernard Sullivan (www.toxicwastekills.com)

Photo: Florian Bachmeier

KOSOVO'S TOXIC CAMPS - NEWS UPDATE - 11th March 2010

•UK Scientists announce results of latest lead testing at toxic camps and Roma Mahalla in Mitrovica, Kosovo.
•New film "Lead Mountain Refugees" points finger at French minister, Bernard Kouchner.
•Another camp death brings the total to 86, since UNHCR set up camps for Roma families on deadly toxic waste.

Thursday 11th March: A British team of scientists from Aberystwyth University has just published their findings after completing a series of tests in the lead contaminated camps and their vicinity. They reveal high levels of toxicity in both Osterode and Cesmin Lug. Among their recomendations is a call for urgent closure. Other tests showed that the destroyed Roma Mahalla, once home to over 8000, had one of the lowest levels of pollution in the area.

Wed 11th March: A new film, "Lead Mountain Refugees" heavily criticises the French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner for his role in setting up camps for displaced Roma families.

Tuesday 9th March: At the lead contaminated camps of Osterode and Cesmin Lug set up for displced Roma families by UNHCR, camp representatives announced that yet another death had occurred, that of a one year old baby. This brings the total number of deaths to 86.

Meanwhile, in spite of numerous calls from the World Health Organisation, Human Rights Watch, and activists' groups for immediate evacuation and proper medical treatment, only long term resettlement plans with no evidence of medical treatment are being considered for the victims suffering from the world's highest levels of lead and other heavy metal poisoning.

The report, latest film and full details can be found via www.toxicwastekills.com

Inauguration of A forgotten promise at Kreiskrankenhaus Agatharied

The exhibition A forgotten promise can be visited until 28-03-2010 in the foyer of the Kreiskrankenhaus Agatharied. A little catalogue is available at the reception desk...

Exhibition at Krankenhaus Agatharied

A forgotten promise would like to invite you to the opening of the third exhibition in the foyer of the hospital Kreiskrankenhaus Agatharied, Norbert-Kerkel-Platz, 83734Hausham (www.khagatharied.de) on Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 07:00 pm.

Roma Virtual Network: press release on the visit of human rights commissioner Thomas Hammarberg to Kosovo

Commissioner Hammarberg visits Kosovo to assess the situation of forced returnees

Strasbourg, 10.02.2010 - Several European governments are forcibly returning to Kosovo persons who have found shelter in their countries. To assess the
situation, Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, visits Kosovo from 11 to 13 February.

According to UN statistics more than 2 500 persons have been returned from European countries during 2009, mainly from Austria, Germany, Sweden and
Switzerland.

Among them are some Roma, who have ended up in the lead-contaminated camps of Cesmin Lug and Osterode in northern Mitrovica, where inhabitants have
already suffered serious illnesses. The Commissioner will visit these two camps that he already in his report of July 2009 recommended to be closed. He also urged that adequate housing be offered to all families affected, together with courses of decontamination treatment.

A press conference is due to take place on Friday 12 at 11.30 a.m. in the press conference room at the premises of the OSCE in Pristina.