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| 07:50pm 18/04/2009 |
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i'm resolving to use twitter a little more often than i have been... i kind of dropped the ball for the last six months....
i'd love to add more people..... what's your twittername?
you can find me under the usual, mistresselaura. |
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| 05:15pm 01/04/2009 |
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I'm writing to let all of you know that Jason Webley will be stopping through South Haven while on his nationwide tour. He is absolutely one of my favorite musicians and puts on one hell of a fun show! He tours regularly with the Dresden Dolls and Margaret Cho did a hilarious burlesque number, with him playing live, to one of my favorite songs, "Dance While the Sky Crashes Down".
some videos:
Here's more info on him:
Seattle, WA - In the Spring of 1998 Jason Webley quit his day job, picked up his accordion, and hopped onto a Greyhound bus with the intention of playing in the streets until his money ran out. Nearly ten years, five albums and over a dozen countries later, Webley is still rambling across state lines and howling at the tomato moon. Along the way, Webley has garnered devoted fans everywhere from Moscow to Mexico City. Webley appears like a back alley prophet in layers of baggy clothes, a trench coat and an old porkpie hat; he leaps onto stages, window ledges and bartops, feverishly pumping the bellows and stomping out the beat while roaring and whispering in his passionate, gravelly baritone. His music- a mix of gypsy, folk and punk- traverses age and social background, drawing grandparents, children, punks, drunks, and lovers into the fold. As a Seattle Weekly critic observed, "sixteen-year-old Goths, parents with little kids, aging hippies and fellow musicians- all can be seen at his concerts." Webley's shows are often much more than musical events. Stories, puppet shows and sing-alongs fill the spaces between songs. In one moment, spellbound by Webley's lyrical verse and mysterious air, the audience will be so quiet you can hear a feather fall; in the next, the entire room will erupt into a giant tickle fight. Playful abandon and childlike frivolity are contagious. Everyone laughs. Some people cry. And, almost every show ends with the entire audience, swaying arm-in-arm, singing at the top of their lungs.
He'll be at Foundry Hall in South Haven next Thursday, April 9th. The show starts at 7:30pm and is only $7.00 to get in. The opening number will be The Deep Fried Pickle Project.
I'd reallllly love to have a ton of people there to show him the welcome he deserves!
If you plan to drive over from this side of Michigan, let me know.... perhaps we can carpool or caravan it :) |
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| my life as written by leonard cohen |
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| 01:29pm 18/03/2009 |
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Try It...it's Tricky!
Using only song titles from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions.
My Life as performed by: leonard cohen
1. Are you a male or female: bird on a wire
2. Describe yourself: you know who i am
3. How do you feel about yourself: improvisation
4. Describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend: hey, that's no way to say goodbye
5. Describe your current boy/girl situation: dance me to the end of love
6. Describe your current location: the gypsy's wife
7. Describe where you want to be: chelsea hotel no. 2
8. Your best friend is: anthem
9. Your favorite color is: famous blue raincoat
10. You know that: everybody knows
11. What’s the weather like: hallelujah
12. If your life was a television show what would it be called? first we take manhattan
13. What is life to you: the future
14. What is the best advice you have to give: take this waltz
15. If you could change your name what would it be? suzanne |
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| first post in a while!!! |
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| 03:55pm 11/02/2009 |
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i'm going to make an effort to start updating here at LJ again. i've been so neglectful of my own journal, while still reading everyone else's... that's not really fair now, is it?
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i'm uber tired and achey, so i'm spending a quiet day indoors, waiting for the thunderstorm.
we really need to go grocery shopping. i scrounged up some cheese, crackers and kalamata olives for lunch, which wasn't so bad really. but we're down to ramen and who wants to subsist on that?
really looking forward to the weekend! we're going out of town for valentine's day. we don't have much money, so we're only going as far as ann arbor. but after spending the entire winter indoors, this is going to be nice! we're spending two nights away, within a short drive to whole foods. *heaven* we have a huge fancy room with a king bed (big deal for us double bed dwellers) and a big bathtub :) we're having dinner at cafe zola and planning on going to the farmers market. we'll definitely hit the tea room and the cupcake shop too :) too bad the weather isn't going to be as lovely as it has been the past few days, but at least it won't be below zero!
things in dance have been on the up and up! i have at least ten new students signing up for this new six week session, we've accepted a few junior members to the troupe, and i have several choreographies in the works!
wedding plans have *not* been so lovely on the other hand. we're 80% sure we want to either push back the wedding to september or just plain elope. we don't have the money to do what we want (which is not terribly extravagant). so, we're either going to buy ourselves some time to save money (weird pun) or just use what we've got to elope. we'll see. i'm just tired of all of the trappings of tradition and sick of fending off pressure to do things in ways we have no interest in. we've barely spent any money yet... just my dress and a deposit on the theatre. so really, no big deal. stay tuned.... i'm sure we'll make up our mind by the end of the weekend.
i really need to force myself to make a doctors appt. i've had health insurance for almost six months and have not used it yet. i keep gaining and gaining weight, which does not make any sense, since i dance for at least an hour every day... often times three or more hours. i don't eat like a monster. so there really must be something wrong with me. first thought is thyroid. i just need to get up the gumption to make an appt. somewhere. anywhere! |
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| itunes meme |
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| 01:45pm 11/02/2009 |
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1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool...
Opening Credits:
famous and dandy (like amos and andy) - disposable heroes of hiphoprisy
Waking Up:
bamboo banga - MIA
First Day At School:
radioactivity - kraftwerk
Falling In Love:
epic tales of misadventure - dead milkmen
Fight Song:
posessed - suicidal tendencies
Breaking Up:
fire - kimya dawson
Prom:
brass monkey - beastie boys
Life:
le disko - shiny toy guns
Mental Breakdown:
helix - maduro
Driving:
spiritwalker - the cult
Flashback:
electric molecular (kmfdm instrumental no taxes mix) - chemlab
Getting back together:
birds of a feather - killing joke
Wedding:
crackin up - revolting cocks
Birth of Child:
beto baharan - fcbd and helm
Final Battle:
jockey full of bourbon - tom waits
Death Scene:
postcards from italy - beirut
Funeral Song:
no love lost - warsaw
End Credits:
bad habit - dresden dolls |
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| the best of intentions |
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| 07:45pm 01/01/2009 |
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so, i guess this is my version of the requisite resolution post of the new year...
i don't really like to make resolutions, but it is good to assess the past year and figure out where i need to focus more energy.
- i'm going to spend more time on my creative side. this includes visiting other artistic works to get my juices flowing. art galleries, theatre, dance events... and i'm going to start watching more of the movies that i like to watch. yes, those pretentious foreign and independent ones.
- i'm going to become a better dancer. i'm going to focus more on my OWN technique and conditioning. i spent this past year learning new stuff from all sorts of people and have a notebook FULL of knowledge from *the best* teachers in my field. it's time to make it my own.
- fusing the last two ideas: i am going to focus on turning my technique into art. unlike a lot of dancers that i've gotten to know, i really enjoy performing and creating performances. i want to be the best dancer i can be, but what's the point if the dance doesn't entertain my audience?
- i'm going to spend more time with the people i love. i never see abby or andru anymore. i'd like to visit with my mom more. and i'd definitely like to be a part of my nephew's (and brother's) life.
- i'm going to find more people here in kzoo that fit my lifestyle. i want silly goofy friends that get excited about absurd and simple things. like indoor floor picnics and making faces in our ice cream cones. i have that in my true blue friends, but they just don't have the same schedule as me anymore. and i need these little joys.
- i'm going to build a savings account. this is something i plan to do with erik, since he'll be my husband and all.
- i'm going to make the apartment more comfortable and conducive to working on projects. that means getting rid of the love seat and buying a card table that can be set up to work on bigger projects.
- i'm going to read at least 35 books. i used to aim for 50, but i'm a lot busier than i used to be and i have tons more responsibility.
- i'm going to get rid of a lot of stuff. i have so many books. so much fabric. so many clothes that just don't fit anymore. my old desktop computer. and that's just some of it.
- i should probably address my physical health seperately from dance. i have gained over 50lbs since this time last year. i'm sure that some of it is because i'm not taking regular classes with someone else (i was taking THREE last year). but i also have completely stopped paying attention to what i eat. i've even let myself slip out of vegetarianism, which i'm pretty angry at myself about. so, we're not going out to eat nearly as much. and we're going to the gym every sunday. i'm hoping to go to the gym with kendra at least once a week too.
so yeah. that's a lot to focus on this year. but i don't think any of it is unreasonable. most of it are parts of me that i've just let slide anyway. i know i can be that person again. i just need to keep an eye on myself. |
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| good year |
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| 07:44pm 01/01/2009 |
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unlike a lot of people, i'm looking back on the year of 2008 and it makes me happy. i accomplished and experienced so many things!
- we got engaged!
- we started Boheme and have watched it grow. it also taught us a lot about ourselves and our abilities. we're getting some great feedback and recognition from other dancers.
- i started teaching dance again. i now teach every day except sunday! this means i'm self employed, doing what i love. i'm even making enough to pay my bills!
- i studied with nearly every important tribal dancer out there. carolena nerricio (8 hours), rachel brice, (12 hours) mardi love (12 hours), zoe jakes (5 hours), ariellah (13 hours)... plus amy sigil, paulette reese denis, sera, kaeshi chai, kami liddle, zafira, karim nagi, romka, blue lotus tribe, heidi alexander and jenabah.
- i held another successful fundraiser for 'warm your heart'.
- we traveled a lot! spirit of the tribes in florida, golden opportunity in california, pennsic in pennsylvania, mardi love in pittsburgh, tons of trips to chicago, ann arbor and detroit, a few b&b excursions, and bloomington, indiana.
- i have distanced myself from people that i've had in my life for years that are just toxic. they were never very good friends and honestly, not very interesting people. not being in a tiny town makes you less likely to settle. that and erik has really helped me see how hard i was working for those friendships and how pointless they were anyway.
- i actually like to eat olives now. this has brought erik and i even closer together. |
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| 07:54pm 16/11/2008 |
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oh man :(
http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/11/death_stalks_abcs_pushing_dais.php
apparently, one of my absolute favorite tv shows is possibly going to be canceled. 'pushing daisies' is one of the *very* few shows worth watching these days. i watch 'heroes' and 'lost' with erik, but PD is the only one that i tune into (online) to watch on my own.
the show has such a whimsical and absurd sense to it. the sets and costumes are fun and the sense of humor is so intelligent. does anyone here watch it? the ratings haven't been as strong in the 2nd season, but it seems that that is the truth with all shows that were affected by the writers strike. i wish they would give it just a little bit longer to pick up steam.
i can't believe that my anti-tv self is encouraging this, but if you have some time on your hands on wednesday night, tune in. hopefully it will affect ratings and the stupid corporation will pay attention. however, if you have something useful and important to do, do that, because well.... it is TV.
 ( Read more... ) |
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| quiet at home |
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| 08:26pm 16/10/2008 |
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things are quiet here at home. i'm sitting under a really dim lamp, burning a sandalwood candle, drinking a latte and researching tea rooms and patisseries in san francisco. erik is snoring quieter than i've ever heard him, although everytime he makes a funny noise, it startles me. he had surgery to remove polyps from his sinuses today and i'm feeling extra-protective of him. i'm doing my best to spoil him, although it probably is best to just let him sleep.
it's chilly and wet outside and starting to smell full on like fall. erik might actually get to smell it with me this year. funny how the simple things can really excite me sometimes! yesterday, kendra and i went for coffee. after about an hour or so, we walked down to my favorite little lake and watched the swans. there was a guy walking his dogs and they were super affectionate and sweet. i need to wash my jeans though, since they still smell of wet dog.
i've been so busy lately that our place is a wreck. usually, by this time of year, the nesting instinct sets in. it hasn't yet and i should probably find a way to kick start it before winter or i'm going to be miserable!
things in the dance world are going well. still trying to deal with egos and selfishness in other sectors, but at least the troupe is all good. i've come up with a plan that i think will accommodate all of our members through tough financial times. we have a show coming up on nov. 8th. we're doing the roller derby half time show in grand rapids. would love to see some of you GR folk there! we're planning the boheme birthday party for january 24th. there will be lots of special guests and good foodage!
wedding plans are crawling along. it's driving my mom nuts that things aren't getting planned fast enough, but with everything on my plate right now, i'm working the equivalent of 50-60 hours a week. eloping is seeming so romantic at the moment. although the promise of such a kick ass party is keeping me from booking plane tickets to vegas!
we've been watching episodes of 'rome' on dvd lately. it's gorgeous to look at, with the sets and costumes, but they could have sewn the stories together a bit better. i'll give it a few more chances to get better or it's on to a new series.
as for movies, i reallllly want to go see 'miracle at st. anna', but we need to wait until erik can get up and moving around. i'd also love to see the 'W' film about bush.
well, i think i'm going to go wash the dishes and do something slightly more useful. that way i can bake some cookies and make cinnamon tea. maybe later, we'll watch 'heavy metal in baghdad', if erik is feeling up to it!
for those of you that have not seen the pixie pix yet, here is one of our favorites!
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| heidi of domba and jenabah of tree of life studios workshops october 4th! |
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| 11:19am 25/09/2008 |
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saturday october 4th
Join Jenabah from Tree of Life, and special guest, Heidi Alexander of DOMBA TRIBAL BELLYDANCE from Tempe, AZ
Heidi & Jenabah will be sharing dance and technique inspired from African and Middle Eastern origins infused with their fun & creative dance styles. Be Dazzled by our wonderful dancers and dance troupes in the area at the DANCES OF THE EAST PERFORMANCE 8:00PM
All dancers & dance troupes are welcome to perform. Vendor space is available!
for more information, email info@treeoflifestudio.org
10:30am............. Bellyesque
11:45am.............. Domba Tribal Combos
1:15pm................ Lunch Break
2:15pm............... East African Dance
3:30pm............... Belly Belly Afro Belly
$20.00 per class,
$70.00 entire day (Includes performance )
$60.00 entire day for groups bringing 5 or more students! (Includes performance )
Space is limited, pre-registration is required!
All workshops and
performance will be held at :
Tree of Life Studio
6065 Sibley rd
Chelsea, Mi
For more information,
www.Treeoflifestudio.org |
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| 05:18pm 08/09/2008 |
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i've been in denial of the fact that fall is on the air as of late. don't get me wrong, i love fall... but the first two weeks of september are usually still warm and they give one the chance to catch up on all the things you meant to do this summer.
but today is giving me that nudge to make some tea, listen to the rain and watch 'twin peaks' on dvd. i would really like some carrot cake, but i don't have the car today, so it's just me and some wasabi almonds. no sense in trying to substitute for cravings. unless i have the real thing, it's just a disappointment.
life has been going swell-like... our performance at fire was a hit and i've been getting lots of phone calls about classes. erik and i are having fun planning the wedding and coming up with honeymoon ideas. we've been having a lot of fun in general. on saturday, we went out to the bowling alley by the airport. he beat me in both games, which is a big change! we played in the arcade (what happened to real arcade games? now it's all these weird token gambling things) and played a game of lazer tag. he beat me by 5 points, but that was mostly because i kept charging him. i'm not much of the patient type these days :)
no serious plans for the next couple of weeks. then the troupe has our big photo shoot with pixie on the 21st. and then the following weekend is a big bridal expo. there are some tentative plans for the first week of october in chelsea and the following week, helene eriksen will be in town. i'm hoping to get a few more day trips in to some places and spend as much time outside as possible before it gets unbearably cold again. but then again, december brings rachel brice and california! |
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| prices go up after sept. 10th for helene eriksen event! |
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| 12:32pm 08/09/2008 |
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Helene Eriksen Comes to the Mid-West ( Kalamazoo Michigan ) Oct 9-12
Check out www.bellydancekalamazoo.com for details
early bird warning; reg by Sept 10 (postdate)for reduced pricing
Her first visit here!
Guedra and Saharoui West Sahara Dessert Dance Workshop and
Evening Sacred Dance Cultural Event
Ottoman Dance and Hand Percussion Workshop
Persian Court and Classical dance Workshop and Evening Solo Performance
World Origins Rhythm Dance and Drum Gala Saturday night- exciting,unique dance styles, join us for a fantastic event!
Saudi Arabian Khaleegi Dance workshop on Sunday
All for an amazing pre-reg price (by Sept 10) of only $274 save $64 (due to sponsorship we have kept prices down to allow access to as many as possible)
Ala Carte pricing available as well. Show tickets are only $5 students, adults $12/$15 at the door
Mark your calendars for Oct 9, - 12 2008 and plan on attending this rare opportunity to study with such a renowned seasoned artist, dance ethnologist and gifted performer.
Gala Performance of World Dance with;
Dunuya West African Drum and Dance-Afro Cuban Bembe and Traditional West African
Embarr Irish Music- live Irish music and song
Quinn Irish Dancers- Traditional jiggs and reels
Mesmeric Bellydance Fusion, Toledo-Coming of Age through dance
Habibi Dancers of Lansing-Andalusian and Karshlama
Magical Rain Touring Company-Mayan Music and Blacklight show
W.O.R.D.D. Dancers- Armenian and Khaleegi
Vikash Achutaramaiah, India- dancing the rare eunich style of KUCHIPUDI - TARANGAM”, an Indian Classical Dance
And of course the incredible Helene Eriksen !
Check out Helene's incredible credentials at http://www.helene-eriksen.de/
W.O.R.D.D.-World Origins of Rhythm Dance and Drum
Our vision statement is;
the creation of an opportunity in South West Michigan for exposure, experience and participation in the cultural component of World Dance and the opportunity for engaging with both world reknown and local artists in this field.
This effort is designed to bring together diverse groups to foster a deeper understanding of each others cultural expressions of joy, music and dance. |
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| !!!! |
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| 10:07pm 07/08/2008 |
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home from pennsic! too tired to post about it at the moment, but instead, i will share with you pictures of my brand new nephew!!!!!!!!
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| Market Saturdays at FIRE - $5 Belly Dance classes! |
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| 01:24pm 24/07/2008 |
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In conjunction with Market Saturdays at FIRE, I am holding a half hour belly dance class session. It is perfect for both beginners and experienced dancers! I will give a brief overview of basic Middle Eastern Dance movement, as well as boost your energy level! This is an opportunity to see what all the buzz is about, without committing a lot of money or time!
Bring a scarf to tie around your hips and wear close fitting exercise clothing.
Any questions? Email Sarah at raksanais@gmail.com
What is Market Saturday?
It's Fire brunch catered by Bites featuring Executive chef Howie Peak (formerly of Fandango, R. Stanley's, and Food Dance), working his culinary magic in Fair Food Matters Community Kitchen, cooking food fresh from the local farmer's market for purchase to Fire guests!
Browse the wares of local artists and vendors and take classes from local wellness instructors.
Come out and support Fire as we support the Farmer’s Market, Fair Food Matters and local artists
We are holding the Market each Saturday and are looking for folks with cool things to sell. Booth space and tables at reasonable rates.
Also , know any artists to make a trail on the street from and to the Farmer’s Market to create some real live street art on Market Saturdays? Seeking quiet traveling musicians, magicians, mimes, stilt walkers, jugglers etc. Contact us if you want to be an artist or vendor. |
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| discrimination and racism against roma |
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| 10:53pm 21/07/2008 |
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are you familiar with what is going on in italy right now? the past few years have seen a rising tide of racism against roma peoples. italians do not accept them as citizens, even though italy is a member of the european union. quite a lot of the roma are immigrants from romania and turkey, who are also members of the EU.
Article 17 (1) of the amended EC Treaty[11] states that
Citizenship of the Union is hereby established. Every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union. Citizenship of the Union shall complement and not replace national citizenship.
All nationals of Member States are citizens of the union. "It is for each Member State, having due regard to Community law, to lay down the conditions for the acquisition and loss of nationality." [12]
here is an article from The Guardian, stating that these people are being classified by ethnic origin, religion and education. sounds dangerously familiar to what was happening some 70 years ago in europe. and not just to the Jews... but to the very same group of people. the romani.
(p.s. gypsy was originally a derrogatory term, not unlike the use of the word nigger. i try to refrain from using it. i wish society and the press would have the same sort of sensitivity.)
MEPs call on Italy to halt Gypsy fingerprinting
* Angela Balakrishnan and agencies
* guardian.co.uk,
* Thursday July 10, 2008
The European parliament today urged the Italian government to stop the fingerprinting of Gypsies, saying it was racial discrimination.
The assembly agreed a resolution saying the practice was not supported by EU human rights treaties and insisting EU citizens of Roma or Gypsy origin must be treated equally to others in Italy.
Roma fingerprinting has been taken up by Italian authorities as part of a wider crackdown on street crime and to identify illegal immigrants for expulsion.
Today's resolution came after the parliament asked the European commission to check whether the practice violated EU law. Italy said the presence of Gypsy camps around large cities allowed for government emergency action, but the MEPs called the measures disproportionate and inappropriate.
Many Gypsies living in and around Naples have been pictured in local newspapers with gloved officials taking fingerprints from their ink-stained hands. Evidence from papers filed in Naples showed officials were identifying those fingerprinted according to their religion, ethnicity and education level.
Authorities are expected to move in on camps in other cities such as Rome and Milan in coming days. More than 700 encampments have been built in Italy, housing some 7-9 million Gypsies in squalid conditions.
The parliamentary resolution, which was approved by 336 votes to 220, is not binding but puts political pressure on Italy to refrain from the fingerprinting.
Franco Frattini, the Italian foreign minister and former EU justice commissioner, said the motion was politically motivated. The fingerprinting "does not target ethnic groups and is not inspired by racism but by the elementary need to identify anyone who does not have a valid document", he told Repubblica TV.
For decades, members of Europe's largest, poorest and fastest-growing minority have been at risk of social exclusion, despite many government programmes designed to help them. The EU itself has no effective policy in place to help integrate Gypsies into society. |
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mistresselaura's journal
