Intermission

(If you only have time for select reading, I recommend the article you'll find by following the last link in this entry)

Hi all! FYI, I've added a box on the left sidebar here, in case you'd like to receive an email notification every time I update my blog. Just enter your email address and click subscribe and you should be good to go! Let me know if you have any trouble!

I'm storing up all kinds of stories and thoughts to share with you, but before I take the time to compile them all in a coherent manner, I thought I'd share some interesting info I've been reading in the media, so that you can maybe balance the things I'm learning and sharing with you in the future, with the things the media puts out there, and the things that other people are doing and saying, especially surrounding the Gypsy population.

There was recently a shooting in Slovakia (where 3 other YAGMs are working with the Roma/Gypsy population), which resulted in the death of a Roma family - whether or not it was racially/ethnically motivated is not known. Two articles on the same event:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Shooting-In-Bratislava-Slovakia-Gunman-Kills-Seven-Including-Roma-Family-Members-And-Wounds-14/Article/201008415709172?f=rss

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11129844

It's interesting, hearing about the Roma population from both the Gadje (non-Roma) and Roma perspective. I'm very excited to be more fully immersed in the Hungarian, and Gypsy culture, that I might acquire a fuller understanding of what's taking place in our world right now.


Here's just one perspective on the Roma in Europe. It's very interesting, especially to read the comments after the article. You can quickly get an idea of how the Roma are viewed in Europe, and across the world. I'll try to find other similar articles that offer different perspectives and stances as the weeks go by, and once I can organize all my thoughts and questions in an understandable manner, I'll be sharing that too!

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/08/19/france.roma.background/index.html?iref=allsearch#fbid=0lMTGQF3OIQ&wom=false

Please keep in mind that anything you read, see or hear (including my own words) must be taken with much consideration and understanding, not just taken at face value for what we want it to be. If we want to view the Gypsy population in a negative light it's so easy to find information from the media, from those around us that enables us to do so. Likewise, if we want to view the Gypsy population in a positive light, I can tell you numerous stories from my short two weeks in Hungary that wouldn't allow you to love them as your brothers and sisters. My hope for this year is that we will be able to read and hear and see things from every different opinion, and that we would be empowered to do right, knowing that we've achieved a fuller understanding of this complicated situation.

God's Peace!