I am writing about the same issue in "Weekly Agendas" of last weeks. I am trying to evaluate losing process of our traditional jobs, new subsistence ways our people have found after the process and difficulties of these subsistence ways... News published on our web page are excellent examples for discussing on these issues.
We read the sedulity, the determination and the endless sufferings of Roma tobacco workers of Samsun from memoirs of Metin Özbaskıcı. We learned our brothers and sisters, who were basketmakers and tinners before, are working in coal mines under difficult conditions from a news published on our web page about Haci Evhat Neighbourhood. All those examples shows how the life of Gypsies is changing. On the other hand, the Gypsy image in minds have never changed...
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Everbody has an idea about subsistence ways of our people living in big cities. Musicians working in places of amusement and flower sellers is always visible for publicity. Everbody see and know them. However, there are only a few people knowing about subsistence ways of Gypsies living in small cities, small districts or towns. Cingeneyiz.org is trying to do something about this situation with the help of our volunteers. Our brothers and sisters, who had never found the opportunity to become popular, say "We are here" by dint of our campaigns just like "Introduce your neighbourhood".
Teenager being started to work in textile fabrics, our brothers working in coal mines under difficult conditions, our friends collecting coal pieces falling from coal bogies in Hacı Evhat and the others... Everybody, trying to find new ways not to make ones waiting bread at home to be disappointed, want to be more visible today! They are right! Because, we are fed up. We are fed up being larky of television channels. We want cameras to take our pains anymore. Maybe, some people could try to do something to solve our problems than...
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lifes of all of us have been changed. This is true for even the ones who are still nomads... Today, life of our brothers and sisters with Roma origin who are living in İstanbul for some months of year and are living in Hayrabolu for some other months of year are comletely different from what it was before. Their traditional way of subsistence is bear performing. They have no chance anymore to do this job. They are collecting paper and scraps in Istanbul. They are working in factories in Hayrabolu. However these are not usual factories. They are producing according to demand seasonally. People prefering to work regularly don't want be employed there. This cause this kinds of factories look for Gypsy labor.
Nothing is same like before it is today. Manything has changed in also Gypsies' life. A new life have started. Our brothers and sisters worked as bear performers, who are believed to go on traditional Gypsy life, found new ways of subsistence. Bear performes are scrap collectors on one side. On the other side they are factory workers today.
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As changing effects everything, it also effect our lifes. Is it goog or bad? It's problematic. İndeed, we had a better position in society when our tradional jobs were valid. We lost this advantage today. We are more poor than the others. However, we were a more closed society than we are today. Now, we are changing. The image we have on the others eyes is important for us today. We are even working to improve our image. For that purpose, we have founded a web page like Cingeneyiz.org and we are trying to keep it alive for 5 years under difficult conditions. Our brothers and sisters from different regions of the country are supporting us to strengthen Cingeneyiz.org. Changing brings hope beside pains.
Cingeneyiz.org was found by the Gypsies effected by changing before the others. Because the ones felt changing before the others are the most uncomfortable ones about the image we have in society. This image makes us bound hand and foot. This image limits us. This image puts us in to the borders we didn't draw. The new life forces the new Gypsies to exist. The new Gypsies introduce themselves to the world over Cingeneyiz.org
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Have a nice week..
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