Book Review [Romaphobia. The Last Acceptable Form of Racism, by Aydan McGarry, London: Zed Books, 2017, 294 pp]

The text of Aydan McGarry brings to light a topic which, despite its relevance in contemporary society, has not attracted much scholarly attention: Romaphobia. As the author emphasizes in the title, Romaphobia is the last acceptable form of racism; a fact that is sadly observable not only in the increasing xenophobic attacks on Roma all over Europe, but also in the general tendency of justifying and legitimizing racist comments towards this community within media and political debates

Mikey Walsh. 2010. Gypsy Boy. My Life in the Secret World of the Romany Gypsies. New York: Thomas Dunne Books St. Martin’s Press.

Gypsy Boy is the autobiographical story of Mikey Walsh, a Romani boy belonging to the Gypsy community[1] in the UK, who had to abandon his family because of his LGBTIQ identity. Throughout the book, the author describes his childhood in a Romani family, residing in caravans, moving to different campsites, earning a living via various formal and informal activities, segregated from the rest of society. Mikey’s childhood is marked from the beginning by a violent relationship with his father who, unsuccessfully, tries to make him a bare-knuckle fighter, and the difficulties of blending into the patriarchal environment in which he finds himself. Here, sex is taboo, preventing him from speaking openly about his sexuality. Gender roles are sharply defined: men are expected to fight other men, experience sex at an early age with gadjo (non-Roma) and marry a Gypsy woman a few years later, spend nights drinking in pubs talking about fights and money, and prove their virility both inside and outside their community. As a result, all forms of sexuality which fall outside this model must be hidden and rejected, with no opportunity to face them. Mikey pays the tragic price for this when he falls victim to sexual violence committed by his uncle, which his father, even when told of it, refuses to acknowledge. Only at the end of the novel does the author have the strength to escape this circle of violence and find someone willing to accept and support him

Adequate for whom? Reflections on the right to adequate housing from fieldwork on Roma inclusion in Italy

The definition of 'adequate housing', a term widely used in the protection of the related right and the development of housing policies, has never been fully questioned, despite the acknowledged importance of shelter for the well-being of the individual beyond its physical function. This article analyses the weaknesses of the current definition of this term through the findings of reflexive fieldwork conducted in Italy with Roma targeted by inclusion policies in the housing sector. Departing from the analysis of the impact of anti-gypsyism in the Italian policy context, the interviews highlight how policies constructed around ideas of adequacy focused solely on the physical structure of the dwelling contribute to the neglect of the variety of social, cultural, economic and emotional factors that affect housing choices, leading to the failure of initiatives aimed at providing adequate housing solutions

A right to home or an individual preference? The impact of the definition of home in international and European legislation on cases concerning Roma, Travellers, and Gypsies

This article analyses how the concept of home is interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights and how its definition affects the decisions on cases concerning the Right to Home of Romani individuals. The analysis is conducted departing from a series of renowned cases that have been brought in front of the European Court by individuals of Romani origin. It has often been argued that these cases are steps towards the recognition of the Romani ???special needs,??? although such narrative has already been criticized for reproducing a stereotypical idea of Roma. In opposition to this argument and in light of the academic debate on the definition of the home, this article claims that the decisions of the Court are mainly based on the association between the home and a sense of stability, which fails to recognize other ideas of the home. The article, though, also highlights possible evolutions in the jurisprudence of the Court emerging from latter cases which may result in a reinforcement of the housing rights of these groups

Women movements’ perspective on the WPS Agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Assessing “human security” and peacebuilding

Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of the first countries in the Western Balkans to adopt a National Action Plan (NAP) for implementing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1325 (Res. 1325) and it is currently completing the implementation of its third NAP. More than a decade after the adoption of the first NAP, however, not all the parties concerned agree on what results have been obtained: while national institutions highlight achievements in the sectors of security and defence, women’s movements claim that these measures have failed to promote a different understanding of peace and security. Given this context, the article aims to further investigate this tension by analysing how the concept of “human security” and more substantial involvement on the part of local civil society could improve the impact of the WPS Agenda at the local level

Roma, Adequate Housing, and the Home

This article presents a critical discourse analysis of the European Union’s documents released between 2008 and 2016 on the Right to Housing and on the inclusion of the Romani minority. The objective is to analyze the definition of adequate housing and its impact on the representation of the Roma and on the consequent housing strategies. The article highlights how a restrictive interpretation of the term “adequate housing”, understood exclusively as a series of physical parameters, associates the Roma with “inadequate” and “substandard” accommodation. This interpretation supports the persistent representation of the Roma as a vulnerable homogeneous group, “Other” from “mainstream society”, informing paternalistic policies that prevent the meaningful participation of Romani individuals in decisionmaking. Furthermore, it fails to acknowledge the immaterial factors affecting the subjective understanding of the house and its relation with the identity of the individual, hindering the empowering potential of home-making practices. Following this analysis, the article claims the necessity of recognizing the impact of affective and immaterial factors such as the creation of a socially supportive environment and the possibility of personalizing the domestic space, in the development of housing policies aimed at supporting the identity and well-being of the individual

REINSER 2022 International Conference for Sharing Best Practices: Economic and Social Integration of Refugees and Asylum Seekers through Social Entrepreneurship. Book of abstracts

This book collects the proceedings of the Conference “Economic and Social Integration of Asylum Seekers and Refugees through Social Entrepreneurship – International Conference for Sharing Best Practices” held at the Forlì Campus of the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna on the 10th and 11th of March 2022. The organisation of the conference took place in the framework of the Interreg-ADRIONfunded project REInSER – Refugees’ Economic Integration through Social Entrepreneurship – which brings together partners from six countries of the ADRION area, namely, Slovenia, Italy, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia. The project aims to improve the economic and social integration of refugees and asylum seekers in host societies of the ADRION programme area by using social economy approaches and, in particular, social entrepreneurship (SE). The long-term objective is to enhance the possibilities for refugees to become active economic actors and agents of their integration in a given host society, contributing to the local and regional sustainable economic development by generating employment and supporting the creation of new social and responsible businesses

Women movements’ perspective on the WPS Agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Assessing “human security” and peacebuilding

Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of the first countries in the Western Balkans to adopt a National Action Plan (NAP) for implementing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1325 (Res. 1325) and it is currently completing the implementation of its third NAP. More than a decade after the adoption of the first NAP, however, not all the parties concerned agree on what results have been obtained: while national institutions highlight achievements in the sectors of security and defence, women’s movements claim that these measures have failed to promote a different understanding of peace and security. Given this context, the article aims to further investigate this tension by analysing how the concept of “human security” and more substantial involvement on the part of local civil society could improve the impact of the WPS Agenda at the local level

Comparative diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for breast cancer recurrence

In the last decades, in addition to conventional imaging techniques and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) has been shown to be relevant in the detection and management of breast cancer recurrence in doubtful cases in selected groups of patients. While there are no conclusive data indicating that imaging tests, including FDG PET/CT, produce a survival benefit in asymptomatic patients, FDG PET/CT can be useful for identifying the site of relapse when traditional imaging methods are equivocal or conflicting and for identifying or confirming isolated loco-regional relapse or isolated metastatic lesions. The present narrative review deals with the potential role of FDG PET in these clinical settings by comparing its accuracy and impact with conventional imaging modalities such as CT, ultrasound, bone scan, 18F-sodium fluoride PET/CT (18F-NaF PET/CT) as well as MRI. Patient-focused perspectives in terms of patients\ue2\u80\u99 satisfaction and acceptability are also discussed

50-Hz extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields enhance cell proliferation and DNA damage: possible involvement of a redox mechanism

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