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2004 • 49th FUEN-Congress of Nationalities at Castle Kamien Slaski
20040318-21 Minority Seminar in Chisinau / Moldova
20040319 FUEN Seminar in Chisinau / Moldova (as M1 TV-video)
20040617-18 Minorities without »kin state« in Ladinia / South Tyrol / Italia
20041008-09 Seminar in Almaty /Kazakhstan
20041029 Workshop for German minorities in Pecs / H (as TV Video)
DOCUMENTS / EVALUATIONS
20040527 FUEN Statement to a Frisian Law
20040903 Flensburg Declaration
20041116 FUEN statement to an European Agency for Linguistic Diversity
FUEN-ASSEMBLY:
20040520 FUEN-Assembly at Castle Kamien Slaski
MANUSCRIPTS
20040520 Romedi Arquint in Kamien Slaski
20040816 Romedi Arquint in Talinn
20040830 Hans Heinrich Hansen in Bergen
20040902 Dr Nigel Hicks in Flensburg
PRESS RELEASES 2004
P 2004-73
Minority Protection and the Enlarged European Union:
The Way Forward
Edited by GABRIEL N. TOGGENBURG
This volume constitutes an important and timely contribution to the
question of whether, and how, the Union should take action in order
to improve the protection of minority rights in Europe. Distinguished
experts in the field have joined together to suggest answers at
a moment when the enlargement of the Union offers a unique
opportunity to shed new light on this issue and on the related
issue of the coordination between the policies of the Union and the
protection of minorities by the Member States, the Council of Europe
and the OSCE. The resulting collection of essays is truly compelling
and is an indispensable tool to anyone interested in the protection of
fundamental rights in the Union.
(Olivier De Schutter, Coordinator of the EU Network of
Independent Experts in Fundamental Rights)
A straightforward, reasoned and consistent treatment of minorities
within the European Union context has been overdue for some
time. This compilation of informed and constructive essays provides
a welcome policy-oriented contribution to what is an ever more
pressing subject. Recent and continuing EU enlargement has only
underlined the importance of managing minority-related issues in
a peaceful and productive manner. The Bolzano/Bozen Declaration
that accompanies these essays shows the way forward. Interested
policy and law-makers, and all those affected by these matters, will
fi nd here a useful, practical and achievable set of recommendations.
Responsible politicians and offi cials should take these up in the new
European public interest. If Europe is to continue to evolve and
even to lead as a progressive open society composed of stable and
prosperous democracies, it should follow the approach and program
offered herein. John Packer, Former Director,
Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities)
The publication is available on following link:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20041221ToggenburgEURAC.pdf
P 2004-72
FUEN-Seminar in Pécs / Hungary available as video
Workshop for German minorities met from 28th to 31st October 2004
in Pécs / Hungary
The 14th workshop for German minorities within
the FUEN took place in Pecs / Hungary. The press releases
No. 57 and 61 already dealt with the venue a few weeks ago.
Now this venue is available as video:
http://www.fuen.org/movies/20041029AGDM_Pecs.mov
Download a Quicktime player (Win98/Windows2000XP or Mac)
P
Teaching Human Rights in Europa
Research group visited FUEN Head office
On 30/11/04 a research group which consisted of Dr Claudia Mahler,
Dr Anja Mihr and Dr Reeta Toivanen visited FUEN`s Head office in
Flensburg in order to present a 3 year project. The three ladies were
introduced in the work and aims of the FUEN by Secretary General
Frank Nickelsen.
F.l.t.r: Dr Claudia Mahler, Dr Reetta Toivanen and
Dr Anja Mihr
Above mentioned ladies took the opportunity to present their project
which is available on http://www.humanrightsresearch.de
as follows:
In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Decade
of Human Rights Education (HRE) (1995-2004). This UN-Reso-
lution urges member states to adopt the relevant human rights
documents and encourages nation states to foster Human Rights
Education programmes.
The goal of human rights education is to educate every human
being about the rights s/he is solemnly entitled to through his/her
humanity. Working from this premise, the goal of the researchers
from Potsdam, Magdeburg and Berlin is:
First, to critically examine the existing international and national
legal frameworks for human rights education, the protection of
minorities and methods for combating ethnic discrimination. Further,
to analyze the relationship between these factors.
Second, the identification of governmental and non-governmental
actors contributing to human rights education. This will include
an analysis of these actors´ dependency on and ties to international instruments and international governmental organizations (IGO).
The research is a comparative project looking at the
nation-states of Armenia, Estonia, Finland, Germany,
Slovakia and Spain. The research period is from fall 2003
to 2006 and is covered by the Volkswagen Foundation.
Third, a study of how these frameworks and instruments affect
the lives of minorities. This will involve an examination of how
human rights programmes and legal measures are understood
and experienced by minority groups. The consequences of
human rights education on the lives of members of particularly
vulnerable ethnic and national minorities will be a focal point
of the research.
Further information:
http://www.humanrightsresearch.de
http://www.uni-potsdam.de/u/mrz
http://www.uni-magdeburg.de/ipw/ipw.html
http://www2.hu-berlin.de/ethno/seiten/institut/mitarbeiter/toivanen.htm
P
European Parliament creates Intergroup
to defend national minorities, constitutional regions
and regional languages.
The European Parliament has created an 'Intergroup' to preserve
and promote "national minorities, constitutional regions and
regional languages". More than forty MEPs will take part in
this working group.According to the Intergroup's constituent
document, the aims of the Intergroup are the promotion of the
rights of national minorities, the development of constitutional
regions and of "nations without States...it will also focus on
the promotion of regional languages. According to the docu-
ment, "the Members of the European Parliament are responsible
for ensuring that Europe is a continent where minority groups
flourish in safety".
Intergroups are cross-party Parliamentary working groups
recognized as an official way to work in areas of particular
interest. They are integrated into he wider framework of the
European Parliament.
More information: www.eurolang.net
P
FUEN supports the establishment of a
European Agency for Linguistic Diversity
At the present time the European Commission's Directorate
General for Education and Culture are carrying out a 'feasibility
study on the setting up of a European Agency for Linguistic
Diversity and Language Learning.
The objectives of the study are:
- to assess the need for setting up a European Agency for
Linguistic Diversity and Language Learning, taking into account
the existing organisations in the field of linguistic diversity and
language learning and the policies set out in the Commission's
Action Plan;
- to make a preliminary assessment of the likely positive and
negative impacts of the setting up of such Agency, as well as
to study alternative
scenarios.
Along with other minority experts, FUEN has been requested
to complete a questionnaire, which has been answered by
FUEN - Vice-President Dr. Hicks. Hicks' (see picture) answers
are available on the following link:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20041116HicksQuestionnaire.pdf
FUEN-Vice-President
Dr. Nigel Hicks
P
Ute Erdsiek-Rave: KMK agrees –
in the future place names in school atlases also in Frisian
On the initiative of Schleswig-Holstein the Standing
Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs
(KMK) spoke in favour of printing t geographical names within
the Frisian area of settlement bilingually in atlases and other
material for school education.This was said by the Minister of
Education and Cultural Affairs of Schleswig – Holstein, Ms Ute Erdsiek
– Rave, in Kiel today (12.11.2005). The local Frisian name will be
added to certain place names.
„This is an important contribution to the maintenance and support
of the Frisian language“, said the the minister and promised: „I will
send this decision of the KMK to the union of publishers of school
books and ask them to consider both languages in new editions of
atlases and cartographic material.
Further information is available under:
http://www.landesregierung.schleswig-holstein.de
P
Milestone in minority politics
Friisk Foriining welcomes new law on the Frisian Language
The Friisk Foriining feels highly satisfied about the passing of the
law for the support of the Frisian language in public usage by the
parliament of Schleswig-Holsetin on its sitting yesterday.. The draft
which was proposed by the SSW in January deals with the consi-
deration of the Frisian language in administration and on building
and village signs.
„The Friisk Foriining values this new law as an important step into the
future. For the first time now the Frisian language is given equal
status with the official languages if you look at the contact with
administrations or public signposting.“, says Jörgen Jensen Hahn,
Chairman of the Friisk Foriining. Hahn points out that a European
standard of considering minority languages with this law has now
been reached. For the Sorbs in Lusatia the usage of the Sorbian
language in public has already been prescribed since 1994 and
1999 in the laws on Sorbian.
„The new law on the Frisian language shows possible ways of
protecting and supporting language in North Friesland and on
Heligoland without producing more costs for the public. Now we
must realize the certain contents rapidly“, says the Frisian Chairman.
The Law on Frisian runs as follows:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20041112Friesisch_Gesetz.pdf
P
YEN Youth Leader Seminar »Euroburja 2004«
successfully concluded
YEN opens updated homepage and starts image campaign
Abriefiated press release
On the 7th of November the Youth Leader Seminar „Euroburja 2004“ of the
Youth of European Nationalities was successfully concluded. It took place in
Campo Sacro/ Boz•je Polje, close to Trieste / Trst.
60 young people from several minorities in Europe discussed the regions of
Europe and the situation of minorities and minority youth within a new, enlarged
Europe. The hosting organisation was this year the youth of the Slovenian
minority in Italy – MOSP (Mladi v odkrivanju skupnih poti).
„On this seminar we wanted to concentrate on the importance of the region in
an enlarged European union to benefit from the Change process of this
development”, according to the president of the YEN, Mr. Stephan
Kleinschmidt (see picture below) speaking about the content
of the seminar. The participants got from experts a historical overview of the
region, of its regional development and a presentation of specific projects to
improve the attractiveness of the region, so that negative demographic
tendencies can be counteracted. Furthermore a scientific study of the Slovenian
Research Institute about the youth of the Slovenian minority was presented and
analysed. The impressions and opinions were discussed together in a final
discussion.
„
„Because the bi- or multilingualism of the members of minorities, they are
important bridge builders in the European integration process. They are also the
motor for the economic development of the border-regions. With their minority
competences, language skills and the commitment to their region, they
contribute to border-crossing cooperation. This can help to overcome the
economic and socio-political disadvantages of the border-regions”, Kleinschmidt
is the opinion.
YEN) numbers 27 member organisations and is the largest minority youth
organisation in Europe. During above mentioned seminar the updated
webpage of YEN was presented: www.yeni.org.
The complete press release is available here (just klick)
P
50th international FUEN Congress in Romania
FUEN Secretary General visits Bucharest
From 8th to 10th November 2004 FUEN Secretary General
Frank Nickelsen met representatives of the Democratic Alliance
of Hungarians in Romania (http://www.rmdsz.ro). The aim was
to check all technical requirements before the 50th FUEN
Congress planned on 4th-8th May 2005 in Bucharest. Also
the President of the so-called »Romániai Magyar Demokrata
Szövetség«. RMDS, Mr. Belá MARKÓ was visited at his office.
For this anniversary congress Mr. MARKÓ offered assistance
in all required technical and logistic issues and welcomed the
organising of such an event especially in Romania.
Belá Markó (left) took the opportunity to
welcome FUEN Secretary General Frank
Nickelsen although he was very occupied by
election campaigns, on account of the
elections to be held at the end of November.
The Hungarians in Romania have been
FUEN-members since 1993.
But also the State of Romania represented by its State
Secretary for Dept. Interetnic Relations, Mr. Cristian JURA
and Member of the Romanian Parliament and representative
of the Hungarian minority, Mr. Iuliu WINKLER, welcomed the
organising of such an anniversary congress in Bucharest. Bearing
in mind that Romania belongs to the group of EU-applicant
states for 2007 this conference offers a good platform to draw
attention to the specific minority situation in Romania.
Among official welcoming speeches from the State of Romania,
from the international institutions and the host organisations,
various workshops, status reports, the regular assembly of
delegates a joint block for all minorities in Romania is planned.
Further details will be available as soon as possible
P
FUEN Delegation visits secondary School
for Roma children in Pécs / Hungary
On the 29th of October FUEN Vice-President Hans Heinrich
Hansen, Dr. Detlev Rein from the German Ministry for the
Interior, FUEN Deputy Secretary Gary Funck and the Secretary
of the Self-Administration of Germans in Hungary, Albert Konczek,
visited the Gandhi School for Roma children in Pecs / Hungary.
The visitors were welcomed by the director of the school, Ms
Erika Csovcsics, who informed the delegation about this worldwide
unique secondary school for Romas.Every year the school´s
teachers travel through Roma villages in order to search for
talented children in the respective village schools. Very often
these teachers must convince the parents in lengthy discussions
first to allow them to attend the school. Because of the high level
of poverty even the youngest ones have to contribute their part to
the feeding of the family.
F.l.t.r.: Csovcsics, Konczek, Hansen, Rein
The Gandhi School is trying to build up a kind of „Roma elite“,
which will be able to speak up for the interests of the Roma
people in the future. As a result not only the usual subjects
are but also the Roma languages Beas (an old Romanian
dialect) and Romanes.
The school operates a regular exchange with the Danish
minority in Southern Slesvig, which has been supporting
the Roma school in a quite unburocratic way for a couple
of years already.
FUEN Vicepresident Hans Heinrich Hansen was very impressed
by this project and offered the support from the FUEN side.“ We
cannot accept that there is still a whole ethnic group existing
within the united Europe, which is pushed into the social and
cultural offside of the society.
„The FUEN will use all its possibilities, in order to make its
contribution to a significant improvement of the political and social
situation of the Sinti and Roma in Europe“, so Hansen.
P
Hungary, Romania and Germany are planning
a joint „Civil Society Dialogue“ Project together with FUENt
FUEN delegation in Budapest
Under the leadership of FUEN Vice President Hans Heinrich HANSEN
a FUEN delegation, considering of the Chairwoman of the FUEN
Advisory Board Renate SCHNACK, FUEN Secretary General Frank
NICKELSEN and YEN – President Stephan Kleinschmidt, visited the
Hungarian Office for national minorities in Budapest.
Also invited to this meeting was the Federal Republic of Germany,
represented by Dr. Detlev REIN from the Ministry of the Interior, as
well as the Romanian Secretary of State for Inter-ethnic Relations,
Mr Cristian JURA.
The delegation, which was welcomed by the Secretary of State for
Minority Issues, Dr. Vilmos SZABO (see picture below), presented
the joint Civil Society Dialogue – Project, which will take place in
February 2005, as follows:
The „FUEN Civil Society Dialogue“ is a meeting of the people/nations
of Europe.
It focuses on the
Exchange of knowledge and experience of minority organisations and
governmental institutions; strengthening of the process of European
integration and development of democracy through dialogue and co-
operation at the same level.
The project is supported by the FUEN and several national governments.
The goal is an EU – supported long term project for status survey and
evaluation with recommendations on the situation of minorities.
The dialogue is supported variously by :
Representatives from government, science and society with the minority
organisations in the particular state.
The dialogue is supported permanently by:
Representatives by the FUEN Board and Advisory Board, including the
YEN – President. As lecturers / guests / observers representatives from
science, European organisations und minority-organisations from Europe
which are specially prepared for the dialogue.
The dialogues will take place in the capitals, if possible in embassies or
cultural assembly houses. The preparation, organisation and docu-
mentation is secured by a project-leadership.
Fortunately all representatives declared their will to participate in this
project. Romania had already signified its readiness to cooperate before
the meeting. So the discussion in Hungary was the final breakthrough.
The FUEN will adopt a new project-shape in order to support the Euro-
pean Integration in the field of minority policies and establish a new
form of cooperation among governmental and non-governmental organisations.
Further steps in this direction will be published soon.
Dr. Vilmos SZABO, who will be a personal adviser to
Minister president of Hungary soon.
All old and new functions of the Hungarian Government
PRESS RELEASE
»Minority politics in Hungary are transferable«
Workshop for German minorities met from 28th to 31st October in Pécs / Hungary
Some days ago the 14th conference of the German minorities within
the FUEN took place in Pecs. It was the first time that this kind of
conference was in Hungary. Host was the self-administration of the
Germans in Hungary. The conference was attended by 30 participants
from 20 countries.
After words of welcome from the self-administration of the Germans
in Hungary, the mayor of Pecs, the German Ministry of the Interior
and the FUEN, the participants were divided into 3 workshops.
There were workshops for youth representatives, participants from old
and new EU member states and for participants from CIS states.
The AGDM (working group for German minorities) is just an informal
alliance, so no final documents or resolutions were worked out.
The results which will be available within a few days serve as
reciprocal exchange of experiences. In single cases the FUEN
suggested coordinating demands of the German minorities with
those of other minorities in the certain countries, in order to create
common final declarations which could be discussed at the FUEN
Assembly of delegates.
In fact this seems quite difficult in some cases because of long
geographic distances between the minorities. In France e.g. it is
almost impossible to build up a deeper cooperation among the
people of Alsace, Brittany and Corsica.
The conference ended with an excursion to the a regional studio
of the Hungarian Broadcasting Corporation in Pecs and to the
Hungarian-German village of Himeshaza and its museum.
The participants, e.g. Dr. Harry Augst (left) from Georgia and Philip
Beyer from France were very interested in Hungarian minority politics
and wished for similar solutions for their countries.
PRESS RELEASE
Frisian place names will be included in ADAC maps
The SSW managed to secure the inclusion of Frisian place
names on road maps in the future. The parliamentarian Lars
Harms got the assent from the manufacturer of the ADAC maps
that by the end of the year the first maps with bilingual place
names will already be available. Further maps and atlases will follow.
"Now an old demand of the Frisian minority has been fulfilled.
The mentioning of the placenames in both languages is important
for language promotion. If the bilingualism is visible in general
maps the natural use of the language is also supported. And
in addition the Frisians depend on a stronger anchoring of their
culture and language in the consciousness of the people. If the
Frisian language is visible now in the road maps for everybody,
people throughout Germany become aware of the Frisians and
their language", says the North Frisian SSW - parliamentarian.
PRESS RELEASE
Bornholm Party visits FUEN Secretary General´s Office
On Thursday , 11th October Tonny Pedersen Borrinjaland from the
„Bornholms Selvstyre parti“ visited the FUEN Secretary General´s
Office in Flensburg. For quite some time this party has been working
for an autonomous status of this Baltic Sea island which belongs to Denmark.
About 46,000 people live on Bornholm and many of them still speak
their own old island language, the so-called Bornholmsk.
Tonny Pedersen Borrinjaland (see picture) was informed by FUEN
Deputy Secretary Gary Funck about goals and present activities of the
FUEN and possible ways of cooperation.
During his stay in the German-Danish Border Region the Bornholmer
also visited the political party of the German minority in North
Schleswig (DK) „Schleswigsche Partei (SP)“.
PRESS RELEASE
Revoking of the FUEN work conference of Slavic minorities 2004
The FUEN work conference of Slavonic minorities scheduled for the last week
of october in Burg near Cottbus (Germany) has been revoked due to poor
participation. We regret the low participation. Following substantial cuts
in funds for the previous conference the German federal government bottomed
its commitment for this years FUEN conference of Slavonic minorities due to
unexpected cuts of the administrations general budget. The Sorbian
organizers applied for the funds just after the budget cuts wheras the
organizers of the conference of German minorities were lucky and already
received there funds earlier in the year prior to the cuts. The Sorbian
organizers planed the conference in october in a low cost youth hostel at
Burg. Nevertheless the travel expanses for participants from Eastern and
Southeastern Europe could not be longer reimbursed. The Sorbian organizers
are now planing to organize a conference with the same topic in 2005 and
will surely apply for the necessary funds in the beginning of 2005. We are
asking the presidium of FUEN to assure a balanced funding from the German
federal government for future conferences.
PRESS RELEASE
German minorities from 22 states meet in Hungary
Annual meeting of the Workshop of German national minorities in the FUEN
from 28 - 31 October 2004 in Pécs / Hungary
The workshop of German national minorities in the Federal Union
of European Nationalities (FUEN) will be meeting for the 14th time
this year. This workshop was established on the initiative of the German
Ministry for Internal Affairs in 1991 in Budapest as an informal workshop,
including all those organisations within the FUEN, the umbrella organisation
of national minorities and ethnic groups in Europe, which regard
themselves as German minority organisations.
The last German workshop in 2003 focused on media.
The annual conference will focus on cross border cooperation and
an excursion to the German minority institutes in Hungary in particular.
The organisers expect 50 persons from 20 different states
A first draft of the programme is available on following http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20041020programm_pecs.pdf
PRESS RELEASE
»The role of the national minorities in the Enlarged Europe«
Congress from 21th/22nd October 2004 in Feistritz/Gail/ Carinthia
The annual Congress on Nationalities in Carinthia
will take place from 21th/22nd October 2004 in Feistritz/Gail/
The conference will focus on the The role of the
national minorities in the Enlarged Europe.
FUEN will be represented by Heinrich SCHULTZ who will
make a speech on above mentioned subject.
Heinrich Schultz
The detailed programme is available on following link
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20041019Programm_Kaernten.pdf
PRESS RELEASEFUEN conference in Almaty
Problems of minorities within the transformation society
FUEN represented by Hans Heinrich Hansen and Dr. Koloman Brenner
In cooperation with the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan
and the Association of German organisations „Wiedergeburt“
FUEN is organizing a conference with the title „Problems of
Minorities within the Transformation Society“ on the 7th and
8th of October in Almaty (KZ).
Beside the representatives of FUEN, Vice President Hans
Heinrich Hansen (DK) and DR. Koloman Brenner (H), and the
representative of the German Ministry of the Interior (BMI), Dr.
Detlev Rein, participants will be coming from all major ethnic
communities of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Among the speakers are, aside from the representatives of the
FUEN and BMI, the Vice Chairmen of the Assembly of the
People of Kazakhstan, Sergej Tereschenko, and Sh. Alijev,
the Chairman of the German Association „Wiedergeburt“, Mr
Alexander Dederer, the Chairman of the Dagestanian Cultural
Centre M. Uveissov, S. Osdojev from the Association for
Chechen and Ingush Culture „Weinach“ and many others.
The conference will end on Friday, 8th of October with
a final resolution.
A detailed programme is availabe here:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20041007almaty.pdf
Further information:
http://www.samal.kz
http://www.deutsche-allgemeine-zeitung.de
PRESS RELEASE 2004-54D
minorities in Hungary
New Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany
announces personal and structural changes in the government
On 29 September, upon the proposition of the President
of the Republic of Hungary Ferenc Madl, and with the
supportive votes of the coalition parties, the Hungarian
National Assembly voted Ferenc Gyurcsany as new prime
minister. The voting concerned not only the person of the
new prime minister but at the same time the adoption of the
new government programme 2004-2006.
On 30 September, the newly elected prime minister announced
personal and structural changes in the government. Dr Kinga
Goncz, who up to now held office as minister without portfolio
responsible for equal opportunities and supervised the work
of the Government Office for Equal Opportunities, will in the
future work as minister leading a Ministry for Youth, Family
and Equal Opportunity Affairs. According to the new admini
strative set-up, Ms Goncz’s scope of duties will cover not only
social, youth and family affairs as well as equal opportunity
issues, but she will be responsible for issues connected to
national and ethnic minorities living in Hungary as well as
consumers’ protection and relations with the civil society. The
Office for National and Ethnic Minorities will be subordinated
to Ms Goncz’s Ministry, and shall continue to operate as an
autonomous organ of state administration with nationwide
competence. The Office for Hungarians Abroad will work
under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As
a consequence of these changes, the Political State
Secretariat responsible for minority issues within the Prime
Minister’s Office will be dissolved and Mr Vilmos Szabó, who
held this office, will deal - as a state secretary within the
Prime Minister’s Office - with issues connected to foreign
and security policy.
Dr Goncz was born in Budapest in 1947. Originally trained
as a doctor, she took her special examination in psychiatry
and in psychotherapy respectively in 1978 and in 1982. She
worked in different medical institutes and hospitals, but in
parallel with this she played an important part in
developing the training of social workers at university
level. Since 1989 she has been the lecturer of the
Department of Social Policy of the Eotvos Lorand University
and she regularly lectured in several other institutions of
higher education both in Hungary and abroad. Being the
director of the Partners Hungary Foundation between
1994-2002, she took part in training and development
activities concerning the techniques of democracy, mediation,
the facilitating of social participation and conflict management
in twelve different countries. Between May 2002 and June
2004, Dr Goncz worked as the political state secretary of
the Ministry of Health, Social and Family Affairs, and on 15
June 2004 she was appointed Minister without portfolio
responsible for equal opportunities. Dr Goncz speaks
English and German.
Further information:
http://archiv.meh.hu/nekh/Magyar/12.htm
http://archiv.meh.hu/nekh/default.htm
PRESS RELEASEFrisian "Harfsthuuchschölj"
From Friday, 8th until Tuesday, 12th of October the North Frisian
organisation "Friisk Foriining" is offering a Frisian "Harfsthuuchschölj"
(autumn adults and children´s education) in the Danish education
centre in Jarplund / Flensburg again.
This year the whole Harfsthuuchschölj will deal the topic of seafaring
and pirates. So the participants are requested to come in special
clothes and costumes which go with the topic.
Among other things a treasure hunt with difficult talks is planned.
Together the participants a will build and music, lectures and
presentations are also part of the programme.
An excursion will be made to the Flensburg museum shipyard,
the seafaring-museum and will end with a boat tour of the
Flensburg harbour.
The main event wiil be a "Harbour Party", which starts on Monday
afternoon at 2:30 pm in the grounds of the education centre
and where day visitors are also invited to come.
the Danish education centre in Jarplund Jaruplund Højskole
The "Harfsthuuchschölj" offers a good opportunity to improve
your knowledge of the Frisian language and to get used to
other idioms.
Anybody who is interested in the full programme can contact the
office of the Friisk Foriining in Bargum: Tel: +49 4672 775 20
info@friiske.de
PRESS RELEASE 2004-51
September-Newsletter of the German minority in Denmark
The Bund deutscher Nordschleswiger in Denmark
is publishing its monthly newsletter with information
about the work of the German minority in Denmark.
The latest September edition is dealing with several issues
as well as the calender of the second part of the year.
and is available at:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20040910bdn_Interna.pdf
PRESS RELEASE 2004-50
FUEN-Seminar in Ladinia available as pdf-format
in cooperation with the Autonomous Region of Trentino and the
Union Generela di Ladins dla Dolomites FUEN organised the 3rd
Seminar for minorities without »kin-state« from 17/18th June 2004
in Ladinia in La Ila/Stern, Val Badia/Gadertal, South Tyrol, Italy
The documentation
of a/m event is just finished and available on following site:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20040906DOKU_Ladinia.pdf
PRESS RELEASE 2004-49
Aysun Kacar from Flensburg was granted
Exhibition "Children draw Multilingualism" opened at Flensburg
Within the framework of the competition »Children draw
Multilingualism« the winner Aysun Kacar from Flensburg
was granted on 01st September 2004 at the North port in Flensburg
Aysun Kacar (2.f.l.) received all grants from the project manager
Peter Josika (left).
The winners and the scores of all participating drawings can
now be found on the following website:
http://www.bilinguisme.ch/competition-wettbewerb
PRESS RELEASE 2004-48
Flensburg Declaration 2004
of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN)
On the occasion of the meeting of the board of the Federal Union of
European Nationalities (FUEN) on 3rd and 4th of September 2004 in
Flensburg the FUEN Presidium passed the following declaration:
F.l.t.r.: Renate SCHNACK (Commissioner for Minority Affairs in Schleswig-Holstein and chairwoman
of the FUEN-Advosry Board), Hans Heinrich HANSEN (FUEN-Vice-President / German in Denmark),
Heinrich SCHULTZ (FUEN-Vice-President / Dane in Germany), Dr. Martha STOCKER (FUEN-Vice-
President / South Tyrolian in Italy), Dr. Nigel HICKS (FUEN-Vice-President / Cornish in Great Britain),
Romedi ARQUINT (FUEN-President / Rhaetian in Switzerland), Dr. Jurji BRANKACK (FUEN-Vice-
President / Sorb in Germany), Zlatka GIELER (FUEN-Vice-President / Croatian in Austria), Frank
NICKELSEN (FUEN-Secretary General) and Gary FUNCK (FUEN-Deputy Secretary) photo: Anne Busch
The FUEN
- takes note with regret the fact that the new constituting European Commission has scheduled no explicit competence and responsibility for matters of European national minorities / ethnic groups;
- welcomes that the commissioner for education, training and culture will explicitly be responsible for the variety of languages in future.
- Acknowledges that the appointment of a group of commissioners for equal opportunities can mean a better recognition for national minorities and ethnic groups too.
Considering
- the prohibition of discrimination because of belonging to a national minority as adopted in the Charter of Basic Rights, which was adopted in Nice 2000 and integrated in the draft of the contract of a European Constitution, which was passed on 17th/18th June 2004
- as well as the Laeken Declaration which indicates the consideration of minorities as a requirement for European Integration
- and with the hint on the criteria for membership , laid down in 1993 by the European Council of Copenhagen, which contain the consideration and protection of minorities,
the FUEN urges the European Commission
- to consider the protection of minorities, declared in numerous documents in their politics as a decisive question;
- to follow, support and develop the consideration and protection of minorities immediately by coherent politics, not only at negotiations with new candidates for membership but in the total enlarged EU;
- to pass the repeatedly announced programme for lesser used languages and cultures and to realize it currently;
- to extend continuously the newly appointed competence for the variety of languages to a competence for minorities too;
- that a commissioner assumes responsibility for the coordination of the linguistic, cultural and legal interests of the national minorities.
Flensburg, 3rd September 2004
PRESS RELEASE 2004-47
The complete Marathon Programme is availabe now!
European Minority Marathon in Flensburg
FUEN-Presidium meets in Flensburg
Under the chairmanship of the German minister for the Interior,
Mr Otto Schily and the Minister President of Schleswig- Holstein,
Ms Heide Simonis the first European Minority Marathon is taking
place next week. The detailed Marathon Run and shorter
distances are planned for Sunday, 5th September, but the
minority organisations in the German-Danish border region
as well as the FUEN have organised a programme for the whole
week which is available on following site:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20040826YOUMM_Programm.pdf
The newly elected presidium of FUEN will have its first session
after the Congress in May and take the opportunity to present
itself together with the Commissioner for Minority Affairs of
Schleswig-Holstein and chairwoman of the FUEN-Advisory
Board during the
FUEN-Press Conference on Friday, 03rd September 2004 at 13.00 h
in the Danish Library, Norderstr. 59 • 24939 Flensburg (http://www.dcbib.de).
FUEN is convinced, that this sporting event will foster relations
among different nationalities and hopes that a large number
of runners will participate in such competition and at least will
be inspired of the German-Danish-Frisian minority situation.
PRESS RELEASE 2004-46
FUEN-Congress in Poland available as pdf-format
49th FUEN Congress on Nationalities from 20th-22nd May 2004
at Castle Kamien Slaski
The Federal Union of European Nationalities held its 49th Congress
on Nationalities and its obligatory Assembly of Delegates at Castle Kamien Slaski
from 20th-22nd May 2004. The documentation
of a/m event is just finished and available on following site:
Congress: http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20040820DOKU_KAMIEN_SLASKI.pdf
Assembly: http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20040520FUEN_Assembly.pdf
PRESS RELEASE 2004-45
EU-Faction for Etnic Groups?
from the InterNet editorship http://volksgruppen.orf.at from 19/08/04
The Latvian member of the European Parliament, Ms Tatjana Zdanoka
is planning a EU-Faction for Etnic Groups.
Tatjana Zdanoka
Zdanoka, belongs to the Russian minority in Latvia and is representative
of the party »For Human Rights in a unified Latvia (PCTVL)«, told that she
will focus on such idea just after the summer break.
PRESS RELEASE 2004-44
For the first time FUEN was present at the
so-called Schleswig-Holstein-Day
Within the framework of the Schleswig-Holstein-Day
from 13 - 15 August in Flensburg the minorities in the German-
Danish-Frisian border region as well as the FUEN
were present by a large number of exhibitions.
From left to right you see FUEN Secretary General Frank Nickelsen,
togeher with the Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein, Ms.
Heide Simonis and the Commissioner for Minority Affairs and
chairwoman of the so-called FUEN-Advisory Board, Ms Renate
Schnack.
PRESS RELEASE 2004-43
Re-construction of EBLUL
EBLUL set to continue working for linguistic diversity with
European Commission support
he Board of Directors of the European Bureau for Lesser
Used Languages (EBLUL) met with representatives from the
European Commission on Friday and discussed the future
development of the organization over the weekend. The
Board also drafted a new policy programme for 2005.
Speaking to the press on Friday President Bojan Brezigar said:
“The Board has drafted a list of priorities which will be submitted
to the EBLUL General Assembly for approval at their meeting in
September and in the meantime the Board of Directors are
keeping a close eye on developments.
“We cannot deny that there is a crisis for this year, it follows
a lapse in our contract with the European Commission caused
by the introduction of new financial regulations by the
Commission. The EBLUL Board of Directors met in Brusselstod
ay and yesterday conducted extensive meetings with Commission
officials concerned. The Commission underlined its continuing
support for EBLUL on the basis of new financial regulations.
“This will mean that EBLUL will have to reorganise its structure,
make it more decentralised, with more activities being held in
its language communities and less staff in its central office. It
will mean that we will be inviting more organisations to participate
in co-funding activities to promote lesser-used languages and
linguistic diversity and at the same time ensuring that these
activities take place within the community concerned.
“The Board wishes to express particular gratitude to EBLUL
staff such as the ongoing Partnership for Diversity project,
and to the Eurolang news agency and its journalists, who
voluntarily have kept the cause of language rights alight in
the heart ofEurope”.
PRESS RELEASE 2004-42
August-Newsletter of the German minority in Denmark
The Bund deutscher Nordschleswiger in Denmark
is publishing its monthly newsletter with information
about the work of the German minority in Denmark.
The latest August edition is dealing with several issues e.g.
BdN Presentation in Rendsburg (27-29. August)
Schleswig-Holstein-Day in Flensburg (13-15 August)
and is available at:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20040809BDN_InternaJAugust.pdf
PRESS RELEASE 2004-41
No cash from the European Union:
EBLUL closes office in Brussels
from the InterNet editorship http://volksgruppen.orf.at from 08/08/04
Wolfgang Mayer of the Society for Threatened Peoples reports
the threatening of the closing of European Lesser Used Languages Office.
... reason for the closing plans are financial problems, says Wolfgang
Mayer of the Society for Threatened Peoples in Bolzano. The EBLUL
submitted a funding request to the European Union central management
for culture and will otherwise have to close the office of the EBLUL and
the press agency Eurolang in Brussels ...a few staff members have
already been dismissed, said Wolfgang Mayer in a telephone call...
... background of the closing of the office of the
EBLUL in Brussels, which is approaching now, could be the
activities of the organization in Greece and Spain, Mayer feels.
Both states criticisied EBLUL`s way of dealing with minority issues.
EBLUL was created in 1982 of the request of the European
parliament and is present as a network in all European Union states.
In 2000 EBLUL installed Eurolong as an international press agency
reporting minority issues. President of the EBLUL is Bojan
Brezigar, editor-in-chief of the "Primorski Dnevnik", the newspaper of
the Slovenian minority in Italy...
More details:
http://volksgruppen.orf.at/volksgruppen/aktuell/stories/8506
PRESS RELEASE 2004-40
The competition "Children draw Multilingualism" was a major success!
Aysun Kacar from Flensburg/Flensborg is the Winner
Exhibition is planned
The competition "Children draw Multilingualism" was a major success. The
organizing committee, consisting of the Network of Bilingual Cities, the
City of Biel/Bienne and the Forum for Bilingualism, would like to thank all
14 participating municipalities for their contributions.
The winners are:
1. Aysun Kacar, Flensburg/Flensborg, 119 points
2. Jens Kazmarek, Bautzen/Budysin, 101 points
3. Joe Annicchiarico, Luxembourg/Lëtzebuerg/Luxemburg, 80 points
The winners and the scores of all participating drawings can
now be found on the following website:
http://www.bilinguisme.ch/competition-wettbewerb
International Celebration of "22nd Lemko Vatra" in Zhdynia,
and 4th International Art Exhibition "Lemko Jerusalem"
in Gorlice, Poland
From July 23th to 25th the Lemko Union in Poland celebrated
in Zhdynia, south-eastern Poland, its 22nd International bonfire-festival,
the Lemko Vatra. Several thousands of Lemko (an ethnic goup
of Ukrainians, formerly known as Ruthenians) from Poland, Slovakia,
Ukraina, Canada and guests from many European countries
gathered at the traditional Vatra festival of Lemko Culture.
The village Zhdynia is loc ated in the region called Lemkowyna
(East Beskides), since the thitheenth century the homeland
of Ruthenians on both sides of what is today the Polish-Slovak
border. After 1944 several hundred thousands of Lemko had
been deported to former Soviet Ukraina and in 1947 during the
so called Vistula Operation another 150 000 ethnic Ukrainians
where expelled and dispersed to western and northern Regions
of Poland. This act of ethnic cleansing 57 years ago has not yet
been officially condemned by the Polish Parlament even so
a slow process of critical historical reconsideration has recently
started. During the annual Lemko Vatra festivities ethnic
Ukrainians of all ages from allover the world visit their homeland
Lemkowyna and celebrate Lemko Culture, inspired by the beautiful l
andscape and the woode n architecture of Eastern and Eastern
Catholic churches.
On July 23th opened the 4th International Art Exhibition "Lemko
Jerusalem" at the Ma?opolska Art Galery in the town Gorlice.
Young Lemko artists from Poland, Slovakia, Ukraina and
Romania presented creative and emotionally inspired modern art.
Projection of the minority languages to the public at large
3rdSeminar for minorities without so-called. »kinstate« met in Ladia (Italy)
At the invitation of the „Union Generela di Ladins dla Dolomites“
minorities without kin-states from throughout Europe met on
17th / 18th July in the „Gadertal“ (Ladinia/Italy) to participate in the
3rd FUEN Seminar for small minorities without kin-state. Among
the participants were representatives of the Raetians from Grisons,
the Occitanes from Piemont, the Western Frisians from the
Netherlands, the Sorbs and Northern Frisians from Germany,
the Cornish minority in Great Britain, the Aromanians from
Bulgaria and from Macedonia and the Ladins from South Tyrol.
Approx.25 representatives from 8 different states participated in the 03rd seminar of this kind.
Former meetings were in Sankelmark/Schleswig-Holstein and Starbienino/Pomerania.
Even if the situations of these ethnic groups are quite different it was
possible to reduce them to a common denominator: The minority
itself must be willing to go public. This ranges from the stubbornnes
and defiance of the Frisians in Netherlands up to the very small
possibilities of the Aromanians in Macedonia.
FUEN-Vice-president Dr. Nigel
Hicks welcomed and opened the
conference
Obviously the discussions in the „Gadertal“ fell on fertile ground, so
that the representatives decided to meet again in the following
years in order to detect and work on similarities and differences.
In the spare hours of the seminar the participants visited the
„Museum Ladin“, the Ladinian Cultural Institute, the Mill Valley
in Lungiarü, the office of the „Union Generela di Ladins dla
Dolomites“ in Urtijei/St. Ulrich and the office of the weekly
v newspaper „Usc di Ladins“.
A documentation will be available soon.
German minority in Denmark with own Newsletter
The Bund deutscher Nordschleswiger in Denmark
is publishing a new newsletter with interesting information
about the work of the German minority in Denmark.
The latest July edition is dealing with several issues e.g.
The annual meeting at Knivsberg
and is available at:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20040618BDN_InternaJuli.pdf
FUEN-Assembly of delegates available as pdf-format
On 20th May 2004 FUEN held its obligatory Assembly of Delegates
at Castle Kamien Slaski. The documentation of a/m event is
just finished and available on following site:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20040520FUEN_Assembly.pdf
