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Roma Journalists

The new constitution of Tito's Yugoslavia of 1974 for the first time included equal rights for minorities. For the Albanians in Kosovo, this meant the beginning of the cultural and political autonomy they had been longing for for a very long time. The Roma, though, did not profit from this.

They were denied the status of being a nationality. Initiatives for an independent press, for publications and teaching in Romanes did exist, but always depended on private initiatives or on cultural organisations like the "Durmus-Aslano-Centre" in Pristina. Support from the central government only started in the middle of the 1980s, when departments for minority issues were established by the public radio and tv stations.

Professional Roma journalists then worked for the local radio programmes in Prizren (Kujtim Pacaku), Mitrovica (Ruzdi Osmani), Gnijlan (Mehmet Sacip), Pec (Agim Saiti), Urosevac (M. Suleymani) and "Radio Pristina" for the whole of Kosovo (Bayram Haliti, Kadri Memesi and Ramiza Berisa). The Roma tv programme

"Rrota" the most important Roma Journal in Kosovo
Photo: Archive Rom e.V.

Azir Jasari, journalist at "TV Pristina" and Una
Hirisha, secretary at "Rrota" in Prizren
Photo: Felix von Gruenberg

was broadcast by "TV Pristina". Responsible there were young journalists Ljuan Koka, Baskim Redjepi, Alija Memeschi and Azir Jasari. Even if these were programmes of only one hour per week, the Roma understood this as a clear sign that society was finally acknowledging their unique culture. The printed media that Roma journalists were now able to publish included "Rrota", "Ahimsa" and "Romano Nevipe".

The latter was a journal for Roma culture for the whole of Kosovo and Serbia. It was published in Prizren. The local Roma culture organisations all issued yearly bulletins. Through these periodicals, the Roma were informed about the history of their people as well as about individual stories and cultural and political activities of Roma in other countries. Orhan and Behjuli Galjus from Prizren were well known Roma journalists reporting from Amsterdam and Budapest.

Kadri Memesi,
journalist at "TV Pristina" and "Rrota" Photo: Archive Rom e.V.

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Roma Journalists

The new constitution of Tito's Yugoslavia of 1974 for the first time included equal rights for minorities. For the Albanians in Kosovo, this meant the beginning of the cultural and political autonomy they had been longing for for a very long time. The Roma, though, did not profit from this. They were denied the status of being a nationality. Initiatives for an independent press, for publications and teaching in Romanes did exist, but always depended on private initiatives or on cultural organisations like the "Durmus-Aslano-Centre" in Pristina. Support from the central government only started in the middle of the 1980s, when departments for minority issues were established by the public radio and tv stations. Professional Roma journalists then worked for the local radio programmes in Prizren (Kujtim Pacaku), Mitrovica (Ruzdi Osmani), Gnijlan (Mehmet Sacip), Pec (Agim Saiti), Urosevac (M. Suleymani) and "Radio Pristina" for the whole of Kosovo (Bayram Haliti, Kadri Memesi and Ramiza Berisa). The Roma tv programme	"Rrota" the most important Roma Journal in Kosovo Photo: Archive Rom e.V.
	Azir Jasari, journalist at "TV Pristina" and Una Hirisha, secretary at "Rrota" in Prizren Photo: Felix von Gruenberg
was broadcast by "TV Pristina". Responsible there were young journalists Ljuan Koka, Baskim Redjepi, Alija Memeschi and Azir Jasari. Even if these were programmes of only one hour per week, the Roma understood this as a clear sign that society was finally acknowledging their unique culture. The printed media that Roma journalists were now able to publish included "Rrota", "Ahimsa" and "Romano Nevipe". The latter was a journal for Roma culture for the whole of Kosovo and Serbia. It was published in Prizren. The local Roma culture organisations all issued yearly bulletins. Through these periodicals, the Roma were informed about the history of their people as well as about individual stories and cultural and political activities of Roma in other countries. Orhan and Behjuli Galjus from Prizren were well known Roma journalists reporting from Amsterdam and Budapest.	Kadri Memesi, journalist at "TV Pristina" and "Rrota" Photo: Archive Rom e.V.
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