The list of winners

Český rozhlas (Czech Radio) and the Romipen Jury were quite impressed by the high quality of many of the photographs submitted. Obviously, there are very talented photographers addressing the subjects that Romipen has sought to bring before the public. The most difficult part of any contest is to realise that deserving artists are sometimes not winners. But everyone is a winner, this contest served a greater purpose: to push aside the common stereotypes one finds in photographs of the Roma, and to put in their place pictures that are honest and true and beautiful. The Jury congratulates all who participated, and urges you to continue in your creation of images such as those you have sent to us. Your work is one more tool to push open the societies in whose midst is a valuable and historic minority, full of benefit to those who learn to communicate fully.

	1st Prize: Douglas Green, Lithuania The portrait at the window was taken while in wait for mama to return from the hospital after a long illness. The photo is part of a series taken over a period of years from 1996-2001. I tryed to depict the beauty of the Roma people in a candid portrait style. They were taken in a village named Eišiškes in the country of Lithuania. This village is mostly Polish and Belarus so they speak Russian and Polish. There are now many Roma families living in this village.
	2nd Prize: Nikola Mihov, Sofie, Bulgaria Todorov Den - Horse Easter. Festival marking the traditional holiday of Todorov den, also known as Horse Easter in the two biggest gipsy neighbourhoods of Sofia Fakuteta and Filipovci - 15,16 March 2008. The Orthodox tradition features horse and cart races to honour the role of horses in Bulgaria's history. (2008)
	3rd Prize: Petr Axmann, Prague, Czech Republic Bijav / A Wedding. (Dolina 2005)
	4th Prize: Lukáš Houdek, Prague, Czech Republic A Girl from the group Kalbelya (Pushkar - Radzastan, 2008)
	5th Prize: Valentin Hristov, Sofia, Bulgaria Pictures of roma living in my mother's village Vetren dol near town of Pazardjik – Bulgaria
	6th Prize: Ciprian Cirniala, Prague, Czech Republic / Romania Old Veta. When I was a little boy, my father used to take me to Veta, an old Roma woman, who bought beer in the brewery and sold it a little more expensive in front of her door. Therefore we used to say: We are going to old Veta (la baba Veta). We also used to visit her with my teacher to persuade her Grandson to attend school. Veta´s improvised pub is called At the white horse. In summer she sells popcorn there, she can foretell future from cards or from 41 corn grains. (summer 2005)
	7th Prize: Martin Holík, Přerov, Czech Republic Fishing. Dushan is throwing the fish he caught with other boys back to water. (Přerov, by the Beczva river, 28th July, 2007)
	8th Prize: Jaroslava Hánělová, Litomyšl, Czech Republic From the cycle Children (Litomyšl, 1964-67)
	9th Prize: Jiří Salik Sláma, Rešice, Czech Republic The Congress of KDU-ČSL where mayor of Vsetín Jiří Čunek was elected the chairman of the party was accompanied by protests of Prague NGOs´ activists. They were trying to point out that a cheap antiroma populism used as a means to gain power is dangerous. The congress agreed with them. Jiří Čunek was elected the chairman of the party and has yet been building his career on antiroma statements.
	10th Prize: Sebastian Trznadel, Nowy Targ, Poland The shower. In hot Plemetina all the kids loved cold showers once we had some water. Only muslim girls couldn?t get undressed in public. Thats why they were getting wet with their clothes on and later they were drying out in the sun. (Plemetina, between May 2007 and January 2008)