PRESS RELEASE
Prague - a city with hostile social politics?
Battle to save a centre for homeless families continues at the Municipal council
Prague, 26.1.2009
On 29th January 2009 people will gather at the Municipal Council of the city of Prague in Marianske Square to protest against the decision to close down a centre offering accommodation to homeless single mothers and families with children. Prague councillors will hold their meeting there on the same day, starting at 9 a.m. The protesters will remind them of their responsibility for the services that have been provided in the Centre about to be closed as well as for the pointless squandering of money. The protest is coordinated by the association 'Citizens for their Rights' in Prague.
The Committee and Council of Prague 11 still insist on the termination of the lease of the premises where the NGO Walking Together Centre provides accommodation for homeless single mothers and families with children, where they run a citizens' advice centre and a programme for social reintegration. They refuse to consider using other appropriate premises for setting up a kindergarten (e.g. a former kindergarten in Hrabakova St., where there is a fitness centre and a restaurant today). Neither do they listen to an alternative proposal. The protest that took place before the meeting of Prague 11 Council last Thursday had no effect either.
The Centre about to be closed serves citizens from the whole city. Specialists doubt that a suitable substitute building can be found at such a short notice. In spite of Mr Jiri Janecek's promise (Janecek is a councillor both in Prague 11 and the Municipal Council of the City) and in contradiction to a statement of the Mayor of Prague 11, Dalibor Mlejnsky, the Walking Together have not received a serious offer of premises yet. Neither has the Social Work Committee of the City of Prague, chaired by Lenka Alincova, offered any assistance. The three months' notice expires at the end of February.
The protestors against the closure of the Centre do not understand why Prague 11 intend to solve the problem of lack of kindergartens at the expense of a great number of children who, because of losing accommodation, will be taken from their mothers and put into an expensive-to-run children's homes. Neither do they comprehend the financial aspect of councillor Janecek's current "solution": Premises that have been reconstructed for several million CZK, so that they would be fit to provide accommodation for single mothers and families with children, should be reconstructed for more millions into a kindergarten. At the same time, the efforts of the NGO, their cooperation with the congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, the assistance from home and abroad, and last but not least, the support of the Municipal Council, all has been in vain. The Centre might start again in another place after an expensive reconstruction; and on the other hand a kindergarten will not use the current premises of the NGO in its full capacity. To all this we can add the loss of the 'know-how' that has been gained for years, also by successful realisations of European projects.
At the time of EU presidency, Prague finds itself in an unfavourable light due to its current hostile social politics. Councillor Janecek and Mayor Bem are receiving letters from the foreign partners of the NGO expressing their concern for the Walking Together Centre. A meeting of Mayor Bem and the German Ambassador has also taken place. The voices to save the Centre are getting louder. More than five thousand people have signed the petition. The headquarters of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren has also joined the protest and so have the leaders of specialist organisations. The cause of the Centre also has a significant overall impact. The coordinator of the Council for the Development of Social Work, Jarmila Rollova, says: "We are perplexed by the way the Prague 11 Council decides and acts and we find it alarming not only in connection with the NGO Walking Together, but also in respect of other non-profit organisations and social services."
There are several satisfactory solutions at hand. For instance, in the area of Prague 11, there is a deserted building with a garden of the former nursery in Chomutovická St. 1444. The present owner is the Czech Republic and the user is the Ministry of Finance. According to accessible information, it is possible to transfer the ownership tax-free to the City of Prague and, consequently, under the management of Prague 11 Council. Then it could be reconstructed for the use of a kindergarten for about 87 children.
Should you be interested in further details, you can contact:
Milena Svobodová: 723 981 624, email: info@spolcest.cz
Ondřej Načeradský: 739 227 412, email: o.naceradsky@centrum.cz
Karel Matějka (spokesperson) :732 318 657, email: karel.matej@gmail.com
Internet links: www.spolcest.cz, www.sos-azyl.cz