The Roma (also known as Gypsies) have been part of Europe's s cultural fabric for hundreds of years, yet many Roma still experience widespread discrimination because they refuse to assimilate into local host communities. Aware of the need to remedy the situation, many Europeans are working to improve living conditions for the Roma and to stop forced deportations of Roma from more tolerant countries like Germany to more hostile ones.

Pretend that you are working for a non-governmental organization charged with finding homes for Roma families in western Europe. Pick any country (such as Ireland or Belgium) and research local views toward Roma. What arguments would you make to the host community to help them welcome the Roma?

Soviet mismanagement of eastern Europe during the 20th century led to an emphasis on industrial development without regard to environmental issues. As a result, people living in both central and eastern Europe now have higher rates of environmentally linked health problems. Western and central Europe also made environmental mistakes but are currently world leaders in environmental public health initiatives, eco-sensitive industrial development and eco-political activism.

Please select one example of environmental management in Europe. What is the current situation there and what is being done to improve public health in that area?

One of the most remarkable features of 21st-century Europe is the trend by countries toward breaking up into smaller states (balkanization or devolution), then joining together as members of larger supranational organizations. A good example of this trend is the Czech Republic, which was once part of Czechoslovakia and is now a member of the expanded European Union.

What are the centrifugal forces acting on European countries to break apart into smaller states? What are the centripetal forces pulling them into supranational organizations? What are some good examples for each case?