[Strawbale] Roma

[Harald und Margit Wedig]

chug. wrote:
> 
> Thank you too Harald,
> How is the help for the Roma coming on ?
> Regards Chug.

Hello Chug,
thanks for asking.
Well, its an adventurous story about the Roma, one that kept me busy for
the last couple of weeks.
With help from a few good friends from the permaculture and strawbale
scene, as well from the Netherlands as from Germany, we prepared an
exterior sceleton structure, that can be erected and taken down fast.
We came to the Roma camp on Saturday, but Metusch Berati, their leader,
was so much afraid of the police, that he wouldnt allow us to build the
house. We were shocked.
Only one day before he and all the others had entusiastically agreed in
building the house, more than that, he had promised to organize the Roma
groep who should help us and learn while building.
Something had happened meanwhile. Matusch went underground the very next
day ( may be that was why he didnt want to see the police) and all the
other kept telling me all kinds of different stories.
There was and is a strong rumour in the camp, that german authorities
already had chartered lots of planes to bring the Gipsies to
ex-Jugoslavia. This deportation acually started on the 4th of November.
The other rumour was, that those of the Roma, that organized the
resistance would be brought outside the country first.
Wether this is true or not, fact is, that Metusch Berati and his family
were the first in the camp that got the order to go back to their places
of residence in Germany where the police would pick them up and bring
them to the airport.
As we know now, he did not wait for that but went underground.
You can imagine Chug, that the house suddenly was no longer of
importance. Its a shame, since we wanted to symbolize a home for the
roma by building it, but at the moment the only question is how we can
keep them from being deported.
The situation as it is now: some Gipsies are still in the camp, others
went underground and others again are asking for asylum in churches in
Düsseldorf. 
At the moment I am waiting for a phone call from the Roma and their
german supporters, telling me wether we will give the house a second
chance coming weekend.
We shall see.
I will keep you informed
Harald