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MANUSCRIPTS:
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20050114 Romedi Arquint in Sankelmark
20050201 Romedi Arquint in Saratov
20050405 Romedi Arquint zu den Wahlen in Schleswig-Holstein
20050505 Romedi Arquint in Bukarest
20050610 Romedi Arquint in Disentis
20051003 Nigel Hicks in Strasbourg
CONFERENCES:
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2005 • 50th FUEN-Congress of Nationalities in Bucharest
20050609-12 4th Seminar for minorities without kinstate in Disentis
20050825-27 1st Minority Film Festival in Flensburg/Åbenrå
20051104-07 AGDM_Sankelmark_Workshops
20051104-07 AGDM_Lecture_Diedrichsen DSSV
20051104-07 AGDM_Lecture_Brenner_Schoolsystem in Hungary
20051104-07 AGDM_Lecture_Diedrichsen_Schoolsystem in Denmark
CONFERENCES as Movie:
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20051104_07 AGDM_Sankelmark_Workshop as Video
DOCUMENTATIONS:
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20050308_12 Arquint in Georgia
20051215_17 Arquint in Macedonia
20050812 Arquint in a Hearing regarding the Framework Convention
FUEN-ASSEMBLY:
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20050507 FUEN-Assembly in Bucharest
DOCUMENTS:
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20050610 Manifesto in Disentis
RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION 2005-01
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following main resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
In view of the fact
that the ideal of lingual and cultural diversity is an indispensable element of the intellectual heritage of Europe that is to be implemented in the European institutions and in individual states
That a feeling of belonging together within Europe is growing from mobility, from economic and cultural activities
That in Europe the nation-state is still the most widespread state model in Europe, a model that comprises in itself elements of assimilation and discrimination against peoples and ethnic groups other than those belonging to the majority nation
That directives for the protection and promotion of framework conditions for national minorities and autochthonous peoples without a kin state have been compiled and implemented at the Council of Europe, the OSCE and in many states in Europe
That the extended European Community has been enriched with more than two dozen non-recognised lingual and cultural communities in addition to its 20 official languages, but only marginal attention has been paid to the issues of these national minorities and peoples without a kin state
That respect for and promotion of these peoples and ethnic groups, even in some of the previous EU states, are not at all or only insufficiently existent
That observation of the Copenhagen criteria dating from 1993 was required as a prerequisite for admission of the new EU member states
FUEN calls for
From the Council of Europe
That the work on a supplementary protocol to human rights progresses quickly so that national minorities and people without a kin state obtain the rights to take legal action in cases of discrimination through a court to be set up.
That FUEN, as the European roof organisation of national minorities and people without a kin state, is granted expert or observer status in the bodies of the Council of Europe (CH-min, group of experts on the European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages and the Convention on the Protection of National Minorities) to permanently emphasise the significance of civil-society institutions—not only in theory but also in practice.
That the issues of ethnic groups and peoples without a kin state are permanently taken into consideration and essential fundamental rights are declared at the approaching 3rd summit on 16 and 17 May in Warsaw.
From the EU
The EU is to pay the necessary attention to the preservation and promotion of diversity in lingual and cultural communities, peoples and ethnic minorities in all its decisions and programmes.
The EU is to take over the instruments of the Council of Europe for the protection of the national minorities and implement these in its domestic and foreign policy.
The EU may expect from all its member states a minimum of joint standards on the protection and promotion of national minorities without a kin state and it should ensure the necessary measures on a legal and political level.
The body responsible for the diversity of languages should be extended continually into a body responsible for national minorities. This responsibility should be defined permanently by appointing a commissioner for the coordination of the lingual, cultural, legal and minority-policy issues of the national minorities.
The conversion of the European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia is to be converted into an—independent!—human rights agency. This must adequately take the issues of ethnic groups and peoples without a kin state into consideration.
FUEN welcomes the formation of an INTERGROUP at the European Parliament aiming to better establish the rights of ethnic groups and peoples without a kin state. FUEN expects constructive cooperation from this. It hopes that this cooperation will more strongly take account of the issues of national minorities and peoples without a kin state in overall EU policy.
In addition, FUEN considers it indispensable to integrate civil society and particularly the internationally active NGOs into its structures and work.
From the EU member states
The EU member states are called upon to undertake everything possible within the context of their competencies to fulfil the demands of a modern and liberal constitutional state, which allows all citizens the right to and the necessary support for fostering and living their personal and collective identity .
France:
It expresses its indignation at seeing France, one of the founding members of the European Union, through its refusal to ratify the European Charter on Regional and Minority Languages, exempt itself from the obligations imposed on the new member states, as far as the lingual rights of minorities living on their own territories are concerned. This situation creates an ethically unacceptable discrimination between the members of the European Union, besides setting a deplorable precedent.
Finally, it is in total contradiction with the repeated statements of the highest French authorities as to France’s commitment to the defence of lingual and cultural diversity.
Greece:
1.To recognise the Macedonian minority.
2.To recognise the Macedonian language as a minority language and to introduce it into the elementary and to secondary educational system in the regions where it is widely used. To establish a chair at university level for the Macedonian language. Additionally, to recognise cultural organisations like the „Home of Macedonian Culture“ (registration pending for more than 15 years, despite ruling of the European Court for Human Rights).
3. To introduce the use of the Macedonian language into the state MASS MEDIA (RADIO/TELEVISION).
4. To give all political refugees of Macedonian origin the right to free and unconditional entrance into Greece. Additionally, the ability to claim back/buy property as well as to be given back their citizenship, which was taken from thousands of Macedonians during the civil war in Greece (1945–49).
5. To ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe as also to ratify and implement all the international documents and standards from the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe concerning the rights of national minorities.
6. To give back citizenship to the Macedonians economic emigrants who mostly live in Australia and Canada; citizenship, which was taken due to the expression of their Macedonian identity, the result of this was that the Greek state does not allow them free entrance into Greece.
Federal Republic of Germany
The four recognised national minorities in Germany, the Frisians, Danes, Sorbs and the German Sinti and Roma founded a minority council last year on the basis of a mutual agreement. This council sees itself as a mutual representation of interests of the four minorities and agrees in its meetings on mutual bases for interests to be brought before the federal government and the German Bundestag.
An inter-parliamentary working group comprising representatives from minorities forming the minority council and Bundestag delegates has been set up to intensify dialogue with the German Bundestag.
The working group supports:
• Inclusion of a minority article for the four recognised national minorities in the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Discussion and monitoring the obligation of the Federal Government concerning the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and the European Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities
• Information about and participation in law initiatives of the Bundestag relating to minority policy, also including the bases of project promotion of the four recognised national minorities
• An active regional policy to secure the minorities in their home and prevent scattered settlement
• Securing and confirmation of the financial support for minorities from the Federal Government
• Care and further development of the minorities’ languages and culture plus the framework conditions connected with this
• Promotion of the information interchange between the minorities and delegates of the Bundestag, including initiatives on information visits on the part of delegates, members of the government and leading politicians to the minorities
• The establishing of a secretarial department at the Bundestag for issues of the four autochthonous recognised minorities in the Federal Republic of Germany
FUEN welcomes the setting up of the working group and calls upon the Federal Republic of Germany to specifically implement the proposals submitted by this working group.
Great Britain:
The United Kingdom government recognised the Cornish language under part II of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages on 5 November 2002. It is now the third year of recognition and the government has done nothing. It has failed to take the „resolute“ action required by the Council of Europe by providing no central government financial resources, no chain of responsibility, no public authority support and no government policy for the Cornish language. Instead, it has seemingly devolved responsibility for implementation of the Charter to unaccountable volunteers with no legal standing or framework and who are obliged to turn to charitable sources for funding. Furthermore, the UK government, despite being 12 months late in submitting its UK Compliance Report to the Council of Europe, continues to refuse to recognise the Cornish under the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, without explanation. Indeed, many indigenous UK minorities such as the Cornish and the Ulster Scots are treated in a manner which is contrary to the notions of equality and parity of esteem.
FUEN resolves to urge the United Kingdom government to discontinue such unfair treatment and discrimination urgently.
Italy:
The ethnic groups in Southern Tyrol have always seen the right to declare themselves a member of a minority as a condition for efficient protection. However, this right may under no circumstances be undermined using the excuse of compulsory data-protection rules. The right to declare membership of a group is the subjective right of every individual and, at the same time, the general requisite for the protection of human rights, the cultural identity of the ethnic groups as a whole and for avoiding discrimination.
Bilingual or tri-lingual freedom is also to be guaranteed or preserved in the respective regions as a basis for access to public bodies to secure lingual minorities.
For Southern Tyrol, the bilateral-international treaty between Austria and Italy, which Austria consolidates as a protective power and homeland, is a basis for minority protection. For this reason, the inclusion of Southern Tyrol in the new Austrian constitution is of a significance which is not to be underestimated and a major issue of the ethnic groups in Southern Tyrol.
Austria:
50 years after conclusion of the International Treaty of Vienna, the ethnic groups recognised in Austria have to note with regret that the rights guaranteed in this treaty have still not been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the minorities threatened in their ethnic existence. Furthermore, we point out the deplorable fact for a state dedicated to the principle of a constitutional state that the Austrian government, despite the recognition of the Austrian constitutional court, has still not implemented the Slovenian official language and bilingual toponomastic after more than four and three years.
The low degree of knowledge the young generation has of their native tongue inspires the fear that the lingual diversity of the Austrian landscape will disappear in coming years. It is essential to improve the field of minority education. It is consequently necessary:
a) To provide obligatory bilingual teaching for children in autochthonous lingual regions.
b) Bilingual classes in normal schools at medium and high level should provided where demand is permanent. Thus the right to lessons in all ethnic languages should be extended from primary to grammar school.
c) The existing subjects at high schools should be extended in ethnic languages for education of the academic youth.
At the same time, FUEN calls upon the Austrian Government to finally fulfil Article 7 of the Austrian State Treaty after 50 years and, at short term, to correctly implement the official language and toponomastic decision of the Austrian constitutional court in the sense of a constitutional state.
Slovenia
In contrast to the autochthonous minorities mentioned in the constitution—Hungary and Italy—the existence of the autochthonous German-speaking minority is still being denied, the minority is still neither officially recognised nor does it enjoy any kind of collective rights. Although it is mentioned in the cultural treaty with the Republic of Austria, it receives virtually no financial support from the Republic of Slovenia. The Republic of Slovenia should recognise its German-speaking minority, because minorities without a status laid down in the constitution do not enjoy any collective protection in Slovenia.
FUEN calls for recognition of the German-speaking ethnic group in Slovenia.
Hungary:
With anxiety, FUEN has noted that the Hungarian government has ordered a 10 per-cent saving in the state funds, including the state self-administration of minorities and for the state foundation responsible for project promotion. Despite a tight budget, such measures should not lead to irrevocable loss in the care and preservation of language and culture of the minorities in a country, that as a new member of the European Union is exemplary in backing minority protection. FUEN appeals to the Hungarian government to revoke these measures.
FUEN appeals to the Hungarian government to overturn this measure. The Hungarian government and parliament are further called upon to adopt as soon as possible the proposed amendments to the minority laws and to the voting conditions of the minority self-administrations, which are backed by the country self-administrations of the largest minorities.
In addition, the Republic of Hungary is called upon to create the legal framework conditions for parliamentary representation of the national and ethnic minorities in line with the constitution, the minority law of 1993 and the respective decisions of the constitutional court.
From the new EU member states
FUEN is hoping for fruitful and constructive impulses towards implementation of a consistent minority policy with in the EU from the new states admitted to the EU.
FUEN calls upon them to continue and extend the positive steps already achieved in building up and stabilising the democracy, a state order of law and political practice of respect and fostering for the lingual and ethnic diversity.
It expects the Baltic states to provide solutions for the Russian population resident there which correspond to the standards of general human rights and those of national minorities.
From the countries admitted
The EU should support the states aiming for admission in their efforts to respect and improve the situation of peoples without a kin state and the national minorities. In particular, these should be obliged to observe the Copenhagen Criteria and the Council of Europe instruments mentioned.
From Russia and the Russian Federation
FUEN is convinced that a free and democratic state is only possible by preserving human rights and dispensing with violence. It expects the Russian Federation to instigate sound measures to protect the ethnic groups extensively threatened in their existence. It calls upon the Russian Federation to dispense with violence, to observe human rights and to respect the standards of the Council of Europe as regards the peoples in its territories and to halt the insidious and/or open tendencies towards lingual assimilation, and thus to provide its contribution to the preservation of ethnic diversity in Europe.
In particular, FUEN calls for an end to discrimination of the Mari people, to punish any violations of human rights and to compile and implement measures for positive discrimination of the Mari language and the Mari people.
From Georgia
FUEN has followed the development in Georgia with particular interest as one of the few multinational states in Europe. It expects the centuries-old tradition of peaceful coexistence of the peoples in Georgia to be continued and that the state will take the necessary measures to ensure this. In particular, FUEN expects the final repatriation of the still non-rehabilitated Turk Meskhets to be carried out with the support and active aid of international organisations.
RESOLUTION 2005-02
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities reminds again that at its plenipotentiary assembly and the national referendum held in 1991, the repressed Balkarian nation stated its intention of establishing its national and territorial autonomy within the Russian Federation.
This kind of expression of will by the whole nation fully corresponds to the norms of international law and is provided in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
However, due to the undisguised opposition of the authorities of Kabardino-Balkaria to this process, the legislation in this republic fails to solve the problem of self-determination and autonomy of the Balkarian nation, as well as failing to carry out the Russian legislative act “On rehabilitation of the nations subject to repression” from April 26, 1991. As a result the recommendations provided by the Act—to restore the administrative regions of Balkaria eliminated at Stalin’s order in 1944—have not been carried out.
Moreover today, on explaining it by various restructuring of the Republic, the authorities of KBR try to seize Balkarian lands and eliminate Balkarian villages, and by doing this openly deprives the Balkarian nation of the opportunity to have local self-governance, the right guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
In connection with the above, the Congress of FUEN appeals to the authorities of the Russian Federation with the suggestion—provide the repressed Balkarian nation with the legal opportunity of self-determination and self-governance within the Russian Federation. At the same time, the FUEN Congress requests the Council of Europe to assist in this democratic process.
RESOLUTION 2005-03
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
One more time we draw the attention of the Russian government to a disastrous situation in the Karachay nation, which faces imminent loss of historical land, language, culture, national consciousness—in other words total assimilation. Not even a single textbook of the Karachay language and literature has been published during the last 20 years. There are no journals in the Karachay language, neither for adults nor children. State owned publishing houses do not publish books in the Karachay language. There are no national schools, the entire educational system is in Russian; children learn their native tongue as if it were a foreign language. But the study of a foreign language is compulsory, while the study of the native language is only optional. All appeals of teachers and parents to the Russian government remain unanswered.
The Karachay people are alienated from their native mountains with the justification that Karachay’s territory lies on the Russo-Georgian border. Karachay’s land is sold to millionaires from other regions, and if measures are not taken in the near future, Karachay will be deprived of all its native land.
We believe that many problems could have been solved if only the law “About the rehabilitation of repressed nations”, signed by the Russian Parliament back in 1991, had been fully implemented.
As is known, the Karachay autonomous region was destroyed by Stalin’s regime in 1943 and the Karachay people were exiled into the republics of Central Asia. In 1957 the major bulk of the population managed to return to their fatherland. But the national autonomy, destroyed by Stalin’s regime, still has not been re-established, even though the law “About rehabilitation of repressed nations”, signed on 26th of April 1991, presupposes the re-establishment of national autonomies and unimpeded return of deported people from the places of exile.
Unfortunately, conservative circles of the Russian government, hinder the implementation of this law. What is more, people and official organisations that struggle for the implementation of this law are persecuted by Russian authorities. Not those who are against the law “About rehabilitation of repressed nations” are persecuted, but those who are in favour of it. It is indeed paradoxical, but still remains a fact. The Democratic Organisation of the Karachay People “Dzhamagat” suffered from this itself and not once.
Without the reestablishment of Karachay autonomy, the Karachay people have no future. A government that does not execute its laws and does not listen to the will of its peoples has no future either.
The second very acute problem is the problem of those Karachay people, who still continue living in their places of exile—the republics of Central Asia, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan in particular. There are about 7,000 Karachays living there, and they are subjected to discrimination because of their nationality. Due to the impossibility of living in Kyrgyzstan people are forced to leave their houses and move back to Russia, from where they were exiled in 1943. However, Russia does not accept them. Years pass, but they cannot obtain either Russian passports or citizenship. They are deprived of housing and work. The police persecute them. The situation of this group of Karachay people resembles the situation of the Meskhet Turks. Russian authorities do not create conditions under which people could return to their fatherland and start living there. The Karachays of Central Asia placed in such a predicament start looking at Europe as a possible place of living. But they are not accepted there either. It cannot go on like this. The Russian government has to accept the citizens who were deported by Stalin, has to give them what belongs to them according to their rights. All the more, the law “About rehabilitation of repressed nations” signed in 1991, presupposes all these.
The problems of the Karachay nation can be solved together with governments of Central Asia and Russia. FUEN hopes that the Russian Federation, as a righteous and democratic government, will re-establish national autonomy of the Karachay people which was taken away from them by Stalin’s regime, and will solve the question of returning and settlement of the group of Karachays, who are still suffering in the places of exile. Further procrastination of solving these questions is fraught with frightening repercussions and is dangerous to the lives of Karachay people as a nation.
RESOLUTION 2005-04
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities should pass this resolution and advise the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Council of Ministers about the passing of a resolution for the rights of the Aromanians in the Balkan states, as follows:
1. The recommendations 1333/07 should be made a resolution and one of the basic obligatory criteria for the admission or the beginning of the talks for entering the European Union for Romania and Bulgaria, and later for Macedonia and Albania.
2. Macedonia should start implementation of the duties it had taken over towards the European Institutions with the Framework Agreement of Ohrid, with direct realisation of the rights. The Framework Agreement should be made a model for the recognition of the Aromanian rights in Albania and Greece as well.
3. Albania and Greece should recognise the Aromanians as their biggest minority in their constitution, carry out a census of the people, change the law for the political parties and give the Aromanians the right to broadcast on national radio and television in Albania and Greece, with a right to form local administrative units of the Aromanians who would desire autonomy (cultural or territorial).
4. The governments and other institutions of Romania and Greece should be warned to stop the propaganda against the Aromanians in Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania.
RESOLUTION 2005-05
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
The assimilation procedures taken by the state authorities towards Croats in the north of Vojvodina are more obviously repeated. These procedures were part of the politics of the government before the year 2000.We thought it would not be repeated after the changes on the 5 October.
The last in line of assimilation procedures is the announced implementation of „language of
Bunjevci“ in schools, although it is the matter of dialect. That dialect is spoken in a few parts of Croatia, especially in Dalmatia, and is spoken among Croats in Backa and in Hungary.Supporting the artificial character of this language, the authorities in Serbia and Montenegro act against the legal obligations, and especially against:
1. The bilateral agreement made with the Republic of Croatia:
a) The agreement between the Republic of Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro for protection of minority rights of the Croatian minority in Serbia and Montenegro, and the Serbian and Montenegrin minority in the Republic of Croatia
b) The agreement of normalisation of conditions between Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
2. The signed multilateral international agreements:
a) The Framework Convention on Protection of National Minorities
b) CEI ( Central European Initiative ) instrument for the protection of
minority rights
3. The highest legal acts in Serbia and Montenegro, particularly:
a) Charter on Human and Minority Rights and Civil Liberties
b) The Law of Protection of National Minorities Rights and Freedom.
The activities that split the Croatian community in Backa started Slobodan Milosevic’s
regime. In the DOS (Democratic Opposition of Serbia) period these processes were diminished, but with the new government these tendencies come to life. Working actively on language splitting of the Croatian minority in Vojvodina, the new state authorities again work openly on assimilation.
They do not respect the obligation for preservation and promotion of national, ethnic and lingual characteristics, which directly endanger the existence of the Croatian minority in the north of Backa region.
RESOLUTION 2005-06
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities during the past seven annual congress made resolutions on the issue of Meskhet Turks who are an original nation in Georgia. Meskhet Turks pursue their aim to come back to their homeland after the total deportation in 1944 which in its turn in 1989 was admitted by Supreme Court of the USSR as a hideous crime.
The committee considers that the return of deported Meskhet Turks to their homeland, apart from long expected historical and juridical justice, is a unique opportunity to retain their human dignity, cultural identity and physical survival.
The committee considers there are no objective obstacles for the return of Meskhet Turks to their homeland.
In 1999 with admission to the Council of Europe, Georgia undertook the responsibilities on development and law-making, on rehabilitation and repatriation of the deported nation in 1944. According to the procedure plan the President of Georgia presented in 1999, the new laws should have been introduced and accepted during two years, followed by repatriation during the next ten years. Not only the former government of Georgia did not implement their new resolutions, it took a very different and destructive position. Despite the insubstantial references of Georgian authorities on economical difficulties, neither the Council of Europe nor other international organisations exerted pressure for the position of Georgia.
With the new President and new parliament which came to power in 2004, we hope that the new government will show its dedication to the democratic values they have as a priority in their policy. There is a hope that eventually the process of rehabilitation of Meskhet Turks will commence soon. However, there are no grounds to consider that a new power in Georgia has intentions of undertaking the responsibilities with regard to the Meskhet Turks.
The Delegates Committee encourages the authorities of the Council of Europe, the Monitor group of members of the Council of Europe to show interest and action in Meskhet Turks’ lives and the strong position in discussions of undertaken responsibilities in Georgia in 1999.
The Delegate Committee calls upon the President and the government of Georgia, the international community and the governments of interested countries to ensure the return of deported Meskhet Turks to their homeland.
RESOLUTION 2005-07
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passed the following resolution on 7 May 2005 in Bucharest.
In order to preserve the Ladin language and culture, it is imperative that:
uniform, legally secured, positive measures be introduced for the protection of Ladin institutions throughout the Dolomite Ladin area, which comprises three provinces and two regions, taking the positive protective measures within the autonomous provinces and regions into consideration;
such protective measures also include the guaranteed institutional representation and spread of recognition of the Ladin language. The Assembly of Delegates calls upon the Presidium to discuss and propose a solution satisfactory both to the Union Generela di Ladins dla Dolomites and the South Tyrolean National Party regarding the staffing of the co-ordinating institution for general Ladin affairs;
an appropriate financial contribution be granted by the state to the Ladin weekly journal La Usc di Ladins.
RESOLUTION 2005-08
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passed the following resolution on 7 May 2005.
The Assembly of Delegates takes note of the bill on the status of national minorities in Romania.
It welcomes the project to create a legal basis for the protection and sponsorship of the national minorities. The assembly considers this another important step towards consolidating the peaceful co-existence of the Romanian citizens of different ethnic groups.
The present bill does this fully in that it outlines the individual and collective rights and sponsorship measures in all areas that guarantee the preservation of the identity of national minorities while at the same time placing in the hands of those national minorities the linguistic and cultural domains vital to the preservation of their identity..
PRESS RELEASE 2005-80
Fact Finding Mission to Greece postphoned
Meeting with the Greek Government was cancelled
on account of the strike of the Greek air traffic controllers
Yesterday 10/11/2005 a meeting in Athens was planned between the Greek Government and Romedi Arquint. The aim was to hold preliminary talks with the
Greek Government regarding the planned Fact-Finding-Mission to Greece. It is part
of FUEN`s working strategy to discuss minority issues at one round table with
representatives of the state and members of minority associations. Unfortunately
the above-mentioned meeting was cancelled. A new date is in preparation
PRESS RELEASE 2005-79
Participants from 22 countries focus on school issues
German minorities met at the European Academy Sankelmark
Within the framework of the 15th seminar of the "Working Group of German Mino-
rities within the FUEN (AGDM)" from 04th - 07th of November 2005 44 represen-
tatives from 22 different countries met at the European Academy Sankelmark near
Flensburg (D).
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.
Acrobat Reader (Win98/Windows2000XP oder Mac)
20050114 Romedi Arquint in Sankelmark
20050201 Romedi Arquint in Saratov
20050405 Romedi Arquint zu den Wahlen in Schleswig-Holstein
20050505 Romedi Arquint in Bukarest
20050610 Romedi Arquint in Disentis
20051003 Nigel Hicks in Strasbourg
CONFERENCES:
Acrobat Reader (Win98/Windows2000XP oder Mac)
2005 • 50th FUEN-Congress of Nationalities in Bucharest
20050609-12 4th Seminar for minorities without kinstate in Disentis
20050825-27 1st Minority Film Festival in Flensburg/Åbenrå
20051104-07 AGDM_Sankelmark_Workshops
20051104-07 AGDM_Lecture_Diedrichsen DSSV
20051104-07 AGDM_Lecture_Brenner_Schoolsystem in Hungary
20051104-07 AGDM_Lecture_Diedrichsen_Schoolsystem in Denmark
CONFERENCES as Movie:
Quicktime player (Win98/Windows2000XP or Mac)
20051104_07 AGDM_Sankelmark_Workshop as Video
DOCUMENTATIONS:
Acrobat Reader (Win98/Windows2000XP oder Mac)
20050308_12 Arquint in Georgia
20051215_17 Arquint in Macedonia
20050812 Arquint in a Hearing regarding the Framework Convention
FUEN-ASSEMBLY:
Acrobat Reader (Win98/Windows2000XP oder Mac)
20050507 FUEN-Assembly in Bucharest
DOCUMENTS:
Acrobat Reader (Win98/Windows2000XP oder Mac)
20050610 Manifesto in Disentis
RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION 2005-01
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following main resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
In view of the fact
that the ideal of lingual and cultural diversity is an indispensable element of the intellectual heritage of Europe that is to be implemented in the European institutions and in individual states
That a feeling of belonging together within Europe is growing from mobility, from economic and cultural activities
That in Europe the nation-state is still the most widespread state model in Europe, a model that comprises in itself elements of assimilation and discrimination against peoples and ethnic groups other than those belonging to the majority nation
That directives for the protection and promotion of framework conditions for national minorities and autochthonous peoples without a kin state have been compiled and implemented at the Council of Europe, the OSCE and in many states in Europe
That the extended European Community has been enriched with more than two dozen non-recognised lingual and cultural communities in addition to its 20 official languages, but only marginal attention has been paid to the issues of these national minorities and peoples without a kin state
That respect for and promotion of these peoples and ethnic groups, even in some of the previous EU states, are not at all or only insufficiently existent
That observation of the Copenhagen criteria dating from 1993 was required as a prerequisite for admission of the new EU member states
FUEN calls for
From the Council of Europe
That the work on a supplementary protocol to human rights progresses quickly so that national minorities and people without a kin state obtain the rights to take legal action in cases of discrimination through a court to be set up.
That FUEN, as the European roof organisation of national minorities and people without a kin state, is granted expert or observer status in the bodies of the Council of Europe (CH-min, group of experts on the European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages and the Convention on the Protection of National Minorities) to permanently emphasise the significance of civil-society institutions—not only in theory but also in practice.
That the issues of ethnic groups and peoples without a kin state are permanently taken into consideration and essential fundamental rights are declared at the approaching 3rd summit on 16 and 17 May in Warsaw.
From the EU
The EU is to pay the necessary attention to the preservation and promotion of diversity in lingual and cultural communities, peoples and ethnic minorities in all its decisions and programmes.
The EU is to take over the instruments of the Council of Europe for the protection of the national minorities and implement these in its domestic and foreign policy.
The EU may expect from all its member states a minimum of joint standards on the protection and promotion of national minorities without a kin state and it should ensure the necessary measures on a legal and political level.
The body responsible for the diversity of languages should be extended continually into a body responsible for national minorities. This responsibility should be defined permanently by appointing a commissioner for the coordination of the lingual, cultural, legal and minority-policy issues of the national minorities.
The conversion of the European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia is to be converted into an—independent!—human rights agency. This must adequately take the issues of ethnic groups and peoples without a kin state into consideration.
FUEN welcomes the formation of an INTERGROUP at the European Parliament aiming to better establish the rights of ethnic groups and peoples without a kin state. FUEN expects constructive cooperation from this. It hopes that this cooperation will more strongly take account of the issues of national minorities and peoples without a kin state in overall EU policy.
In addition, FUEN considers it indispensable to integrate civil society and particularly the internationally active NGOs into its structures and work.
From the EU member states
The EU member states are called upon to undertake everything possible within the context of their competencies to fulfil the demands of a modern and liberal constitutional state, which allows all citizens the right to and the necessary support for fostering and living their personal and collective identity .
France:
It expresses its indignation at seeing France, one of the founding members of the European Union, through its refusal to ratify the European Charter on Regional and Minority Languages, exempt itself from the obligations imposed on the new member states, as far as the lingual rights of minorities living on their own territories are concerned. This situation creates an ethically unacceptable discrimination between the members of the European Union, besides setting a deplorable precedent.
Finally, it is in total contradiction with the repeated statements of the highest French authorities as to France’s commitment to the defence of lingual and cultural diversity.
Greece:
1.To recognise the Macedonian minority.
2.To recognise the Macedonian language as a minority language and to introduce it into the elementary and to secondary educational system in the regions where it is widely used. To establish a chair at university level for the Macedonian language. Additionally, to recognise cultural organisations like the „Home of Macedonian Culture“ (registration pending for more than 15 years, despite ruling of the European Court for Human Rights).
3. To introduce the use of the Macedonian language into the state MASS MEDIA (RADIO/TELEVISION).
4. To give all political refugees of Macedonian origin the right to free and unconditional entrance into Greece. Additionally, the ability to claim back/buy property as well as to be given back their citizenship, which was taken from thousands of Macedonians during the civil war in Greece (1945–49).
5. To ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe as also to ratify and implement all the international documents and standards from the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe concerning the rights of national minorities.
6. To give back citizenship to the Macedonians economic emigrants who mostly live in Australia and Canada; citizenship, which was taken due to the expression of their Macedonian identity, the result of this was that the Greek state does not allow them free entrance into Greece.
Federal Republic of Germany
The four recognised national minorities in Germany, the Frisians, Danes, Sorbs and the German Sinti and Roma founded a minority council last year on the basis of a mutual agreement. This council sees itself as a mutual representation of interests of the four minorities and agrees in its meetings on mutual bases for interests to be brought before the federal government and the German Bundestag.
An inter-parliamentary working group comprising representatives from minorities forming the minority council and Bundestag delegates has been set up to intensify dialogue with the German Bundestag.
The working group supports:
• Inclusion of a minority article for the four recognised national minorities in the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Discussion and monitoring the obligation of the Federal Government concerning the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and the European Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities
• Information about and participation in law initiatives of the Bundestag relating to minority policy, also including the bases of project promotion of the four recognised national minorities
• An active regional policy to secure the minorities in their home and prevent scattered settlement
• Securing and confirmation of the financial support for minorities from the Federal Government
• Care and further development of the minorities’ languages and culture plus the framework conditions connected with this
• Promotion of the information interchange between the minorities and delegates of the Bundestag, including initiatives on information visits on the part of delegates, members of the government and leading politicians to the minorities
• The establishing of a secretarial department at the Bundestag for issues of the four autochthonous recognised minorities in the Federal Republic of Germany
FUEN welcomes the setting up of the working group and calls upon the Federal Republic of Germany to specifically implement the proposals submitted by this working group.
Great Britain:
The United Kingdom government recognised the Cornish language under part II of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages on 5 November 2002. It is now the third year of recognition and the government has done nothing. It has failed to take the „resolute“ action required by the Council of Europe by providing no central government financial resources, no chain of responsibility, no public authority support and no government policy for the Cornish language. Instead, it has seemingly devolved responsibility for implementation of the Charter to unaccountable volunteers with no legal standing or framework and who are obliged to turn to charitable sources for funding. Furthermore, the UK government, despite being 12 months late in submitting its UK Compliance Report to the Council of Europe, continues to refuse to recognise the Cornish under the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, without explanation. Indeed, many indigenous UK minorities such as the Cornish and the Ulster Scots are treated in a manner which is contrary to the notions of equality and parity of esteem.
FUEN resolves to urge the United Kingdom government to discontinue such unfair treatment and discrimination urgently.
Italy:
The ethnic groups in Southern Tyrol have always seen the right to declare themselves a member of a minority as a condition for efficient protection. However, this right may under no circumstances be undermined using the excuse of compulsory data-protection rules. The right to declare membership of a group is the subjective right of every individual and, at the same time, the general requisite for the protection of human rights, the cultural identity of the ethnic groups as a whole and for avoiding discrimination.
Bilingual or tri-lingual freedom is also to be guaranteed or preserved in the respective regions as a basis for access to public bodies to secure lingual minorities.
For Southern Tyrol, the bilateral-international treaty between Austria and Italy, which Austria consolidates as a protective power and homeland, is a basis for minority protection. For this reason, the inclusion of Southern Tyrol in the new Austrian constitution is of a significance which is not to be underestimated and a major issue of the ethnic groups in Southern Tyrol.
Austria:
50 years after conclusion of the International Treaty of Vienna, the ethnic groups recognised in Austria have to note with regret that the rights guaranteed in this treaty have still not been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the minorities threatened in their ethnic existence. Furthermore, we point out the deplorable fact for a state dedicated to the principle of a constitutional state that the Austrian government, despite the recognition of the Austrian constitutional court, has still not implemented the Slovenian official language and bilingual toponomastic after more than four and three years.
The low degree of knowledge the young generation has of their native tongue inspires the fear that the lingual diversity of the Austrian landscape will disappear in coming years. It is essential to improve the field of minority education. It is consequently necessary:
a) To provide obligatory bilingual teaching for children in autochthonous lingual regions.
b) Bilingual classes in normal schools at medium and high level should provided where demand is permanent. Thus the right to lessons in all ethnic languages should be extended from primary to grammar school.
c) The existing subjects at high schools should be extended in ethnic languages for education of the academic youth.
At the same time, FUEN calls upon the Austrian Government to finally fulfil Article 7 of the Austrian State Treaty after 50 years and, at short term, to correctly implement the official language and toponomastic decision of the Austrian constitutional court in the sense of a constitutional state.
Slovenia
In contrast to the autochthonous minorities mentioned in the constitution—Hungary and Italy—the existence of the autochthonous German-speaking minority is still being denied, the minority is still neither officially recognised nor does it enjoy any kind of collective rights. Although it is mentioned in the cultural treaty with the Republic of Austria, it receives virtually no financial support from the Republic of Slovenia. The Republic of Slovenia should recognise its German-speaking minority, because minorities without a status laid down in the constitution do not enjoy any collective protection in Slovenia.
FUEN calls for recognition of the German-speaking ethnic group in Slovenia.
Hungary:
With anxiety, FUEN has noted that the Hungarian government has ordered a 10 per-cent saving in the state funds, including the state self-administration of minorities and for the state foundation responsible for project promotion. Despite a tight budget, such measures should not lead to irrevocable loss in the care and preservation of language and culture of the minorities in a country, that as a new member of the European Union is exemplary in backing minority protection. FUEN appeals to the Hungarian government to revoke these measures.
FUEN appeals to the Hungarian government to overturn this measure. The Hungarian government and parliament are further called upon to adopt as soon as possible the proposed amendments to the minority laws and to the voting conditions of the minority self-administrations, which are backed by the country self-administrations of the largest minorities.
In addition, the Republic of Hungary is called upon to create the legal framework conditions for parliamentary representation of the national and ethnic minorities in line with the constitution, the minority law of 1993 and the respective decisions of the constitutional court.
From the new EU member states
FUEN is hoping for fruitful and constructive impulses towards implementation of a consistent minority policy with in the EU from the new states admitted to the EU.
FUEN calls upon them to continue and extend the positive steps already achieved in building up and stabilising the democracy, a state order of law and political practice of respect and fostering for the lingual and ethnic diversity.
It expects the Baltic states to provide solutions for the Russian population resident there which correspond to the standards of general human rights and those of national minorities.
From the countries admitted
The EU should support the states aiming for admission in their efforts to respect and improve the situation of peoples without a kin state and the national minorities. In particular, these should be obliged to observe the Copenhagen Criteria and the Council of Europe instruments mentioned.
From Russia and the Russian Federation
FUEN is convinced that a free and democratic state is only possible by preserving human rights and dispensing with violence. It expects the Russian Federation to instigate sound measures to protect the ethnic groups extensively threatened in their existence. It calls upon the Russian Federation to dispense with violence, to observe human rights and to respect the standards of the Council of Europe as regards the peoples in its territories and to halt the insidious and/or open tendencies towards lingual assimilation, and thus to provide its contribution to the preservation of ethnic diversity in Europe.
In particular, FUEN calls for an end to discrimination of the Mari people, to punish any violations of human rights and to compile and implement measures for positive discrimination of the Mari language and the Mari people.
From Georgia
FUEN has followed the development in Georgia with particular interest as one of the few multinational states in Europe. It expects the centuries-old tradition of peaceful coexistence of the peoples in Georgia to be continued and that the state will take the necessary measures to ensure this. In particular, FUEN expects the final repatriation of the still non-rehabilitated Turk Meskhets to be carried out with the support and active aid of international organisations.
RESOLUTION 2005-02
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities reminds again that at its plenipotentiary assembly and the national referendum held in 1991, the repressed Balkarian nation stated its intention of establishing its national and territorial autonomy within the Russian Federation.
This kind of expression of will by the whole nation fully corresponds to the norms of international law and is provided in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
However, due to the undisguised opposition of the authorities of Kabardino-Balkaria to this process, the legislation in this republic fails to solve the problem of self-determination and autonomy of the Balkarian nation, as well as failing to carry out the Russian legislative act “On rehabilitation of the nations subject to repression” from April 26, 1991. As a result the recommendations provided by the Act—to restore the administrative regions of Balkaria eliminated at Stalin’s order in 1944—have not been carried out.
Moreover today, on explaining it by various restructuring of the Republic, the authorities of KBR try to seize Balkarian lands and eliminate Balkarian villages, and by doing this openly deprives the Balkarian nation of the opportunity to have local self-governance, the right guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
In connection with the above, the Congress of FUEN appeals to the authorities of the Russian Federation with the suggestion—provide the repressed Balkarian nation with the legal opportunity of self-determination and self-governance within the Russian Federation. At the same time, the FUEN Congress requests the Council of Europe to assist in this democratic process.
RESOLUTION 2005-03
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
One more time we draw the attention of the Russian government to a disastrous situation in the Karachay nation, which faces imminent loss of historical land, language, culture, national consciousness—in other words total assimilation. Not even a single textbook of the Karachay language and literature has been published during the last 20 years. There are no journals in the Karachay language, neither for adults nor children. State owned publishing houses do not publish books in the Karachay language. There are no national schools, the entire educational system is in Russian; children learn their native tongue as if it were a foreign language. But the study of a foreign language is compulsory, while the study of the native language is only optional. All appeals of teachers and parents to the Russian government remain unanswered.
The Karachay people are alienated from their native mountains with the justification that Karachay’s territory lies on the Russo-Georgian border. Karachay’s land is sold to millionaires from other regions, and if measures are not taken in the near future, Karachay will be deprived of all its native land.
We believe that many problems could have been solved if only the law “About the rehabilitation of repressed nations”, signed by the Russian Parliament back in 1991, had been fully implemented.
As is known, the Karachay autonomous region was destroyed by Stalin’s regime in 1943 and the Karachay people were exiled into the republics of Central Asia. In 1957 the major bulk of the population managed to return to their fatherland. But the national autonomy, destroyed by Stalin’s regime, still has not been re-established, even though the law “About rehabilitation of repressed nations”, signed on 26th of April 1991, presupposes the re-establishment of national autonomies and unimpeded return of deported people from the places of exile.
Unfortunately, conservative circles of the Russian government, hinder the implementation of this law. What is more, people and official organisations that struggle for the implementation of this law are persecuted by Russian authorities. Not those who are against the law “About rehabilitation of repressed nations” are persecuted, but those who are in favour of it. It is indeed paradoxical, but still remains a fact. The Democratic Organisation of the Karachay People “Dzhamagat” suffered from this itself and not once.
Without the reestablishment of Karachay autonomy, the Karachay people have no future. A government that does not execute its laws and does not listen to the will of its peoples has no future either.
The second very acute problem is the problem of those Karachay people, who still continue living in their places of exile—the republics of Central Asia, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan in particular. There are about 7,000 Karachays living there, and they are subjected to discrimination because of their nationality. Due to the impossibility of living in Kyrgyzstan people are forced to leave their houses and move back to Russia, from where they were exiled in 1943. However, Russia does not accept them. Years pass, but they cannot obtain either Russian passports or citizenship. They are deprived of housing and work. The police persecute them. The situation of this group of Karachay people resembles the situation of the Meskhet Turks. Russian authorities do not create conditions under which people could return to their fatherland and start living there. The Karachays of Central Asia placed in such a predicament start looking at Europe as a possible place of living. But they are not accepted there either. It cannot go on like this. The Russian government has to accept the citizens who were deported by Stalin, has to give them what belongs to them according to their rights. All the more, the law “About rehabilitation of repressed nations” signed in 1991, presupposes all these.
The problems of the Karachay nation can be solved together with governments of Central Asia and Russia. FUEN hopes that the Russian Federation, as a righteous and democratic government, will re-establish national autonomy of the Karachay people which was taken away from them by Stalin’s regime, and will solve the question of returning and settlement of the group of Karachays, who are still suffering in the places of exile. Further procrastination of solving these questions is fraught with frightening repercussions and is dangerous to the lives of Karachay people as a nation.
RESOLUTION 2005-04
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities should pass this resolution and advise the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Council of Ministers about the passing of a resolution for the rights of the Aromanians in the Balkan states, as follows:
1. The recommendations 1333/07 should be made a resolution and one of the basic obligatory criteria for the admission or the beginning of the talks for entering the European Union for Romania and Bulgaria, and later for Macedonia and Albania.
2. Macedonia should start implementation of the duties it had taken over towards the European Institutions with the Framework Agreement of Ohrid, with direct realisation of the rights. The Framework Agreement should be made a model for the recognition of the Aromanian rights in Albania and Greece as well.
3. Albania and Greece should recognise the Aromanians as their biggest minority in their constitution, carry out a census of the people, change the law for the political parties and give the Aromanians the right to broadcast on national radio and television in Albania and Greece, with a right to form local administrative units of the Aromanians who would desire autonomy (cultural or territorial).
4. The governments and other institutions of Romania and Greece should be warned to stop the propaganda against the Aromanians in Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania.
RESOLUTION 2005-05
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
The assimilation procedures taken by the state authorities towards Croats in the north of Vojvodina are more obviously repeated. These procedures were part of the politics of the government before the year 2000.We thought it would not be repeated after the changes on the 5 October.
The last in line of assimilation procedures is the announced implementation of „language of
Bunjevci“ in schools, although it is the matter of dialect. That dialect is spoken in a few parts of Croatia, especially in Dalmatia, and is spoken among Croats in Backa and in Hungary.Supporting the artificial character of this language, the authorities in Serbia and Montenegro act against the legal obligations, and especially against:
1. The bilateral agreement made with the Republic of Croatia:
a) The agreement between the Republic of Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro for protection of minority rights of the Croatian minority in Serbia and Montenegro, and the Serbian and Montenegrin minority in the Republic of Croatia
b) The agreement of normalisation of conditions between Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
2. The signed multilateral international agreements:
a) The Framework Convention on Protection of National Minorities
b) CEI ( Central European Initiative ) instrument for the protection of
minority rights
3. The highest legal acts in Serbia and Montenegro, particularly:
a) Charter on Human and Minority Rights and Civil Liberties
b) The Law of Protection of National Minorities Rights and Freedom.
The activities that split the Croatian community in Backa started Slobodan Milosevic’s
regime. In the DOS (Democratic Opposition of Serbia) period these processes were diminished, but with the new government these tendencies come to life. Working actively on language splitting of the Croatian minority in Vojvodina, the new state authorities again work openly on assimilation.
They do not respect the obligation for preservation and promotion of national, ethnic and lingual characteristics, which directly endanger the existence of the Croatian minority in the north of Backa region.
RESOLUTION 2005-06
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Bucharest / Romania on 07th May 2005:
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities during the past seven annual congress made resolutions on the issue of Meskhet Turks who are an original nation in Georgia. Meskhet Turks pursue their aim to come back to their homeland after the total deportation in 1944 which in its turn in 1989 was admitted by Supreme Court of the USSR as a hideous crime.
The committee considers that the return of deported Meskhet Turks to their homeland, apart from long expected historical and juridical justice, is a unique opportunity to retain their human dignity, cultural identity and physical survival.
The committee considers there are no objective obstacles for the return of Meskhet Turks to their homeland.
In 1999 with admission to the Council of Europe, Georgia undertook the responsibilities on development and law-making, on rehabilitation and repatriation of the deported nation in 1944. According to the procedure plan the President of Georgia presented in 1999, the new laws should have been introduced and accepted during two years, followed by repatriation during the next ten years. Not only the former government of Georgia did not implement their new resolutions, it took a very different and destructive position. Despite the insubstantial references of Georgian authorities on economical difficulties, neither the Council of Europe nor other international organisations exerted pressure for the position of Georgia.
With the new President and new parliament which came to power in 2004, we hope that the new government will show its dedication to the democratic values they have as a priority in their policy. There is a hope that eventually the process of rehabilitation of Meskhet Turks will commence soon. However, there are no grounds to consider that a new power in Georgia has intentions of undertaking the responsibilities with regard to the Meskhet Turks.
The Delegates Committee encourages the authorities of the Council of Europe, the Monitor group of members of the Council of Europe to show interest and action in Meskhet Turks’ lives and the strong position in discussions of undertaken responsibilities in Georgia in 1999.
The Delegate Committee calls upon the President and the government of Georgia, the international community and the governments of interested countries to ensure the return of deported Meskhet Turks to their homeland.
RESOLUTION 2005-07
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passed the following resolution on 7 May 2005 in Bucharest.
In order to preserve the Ladin language and culture, it is imperative that:
uniform, legally secured, positive measures be introduced for the protection of Ladin institutions throughout the Dolomite Ladin area, which comprises three provinces and two regions, taking the positive protective measures within the autonomous provinces and regions into consideration;
such protective measures also include the guaranteed institutional representation and spread of recognition of the Ladin language. The Assembly of Delegates calls upon the Presidium to discuss and propose a solution satisfactory both to the Union Generela di Ladins dla Dolomites and the South Tyrolean National Party regarding the staffing of the co-ordinating institution for general Ladin affairs;
an appropriate financial contribution be granted by the state to the Ladin weekly journal La Usc di Ladins.
RESOLUTION 2005-08
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passed the following resolution on 7 May 2005.
The Assembly of Delegates takes note of the bill on the status of national minorities in Romania.
It welcomes the project to create a legal basis for the protection and sponsorship of the national minorities. The assembly considers this another important step towards consolidating the peaceful co-existence of the Romanian citizens of different ethnic groups.
The present bill does this fully in that it outlines the individual and collective rights and sponsorship measures in all areas that guarantee the preservation of the identity of national minorities while at the same time placing in the hands of those national minorities the linguistic and cultural domains vital to the preservation of their identity..
PRESS RELEASE 2005-80
Fact Finding Mission to Greece postphoned
Meeting with the Greek Government was cancelled
on account of the strike of the Greek air traffic controllers
Yesterday 10/11/2005 a meeting in Athens was planned between the Greek Government and Romedi Arquint. The aim was to hold preliminary talks with the
Greek Government regarding the planned Fact-Finding-Mission to Greece. It is part
of FUEN`s working strategy to discuss minority issues at one round table with
representatives of the state and members of minority associations. Unfortunately
the above-mentioned meeting was cancelled. A new date is in preparation
PRESS RELEASE 2005-79
Participants from 22 countries focus on school issues
German minorities met at the European Academy Sankelmark
Within the framework of the 15th seminar of the "Working Group of German Mino-
rities within the FUEN (AGDM)" from 04th - 07th of November 2005 44 represen-
tatives from 22 different countries met at the European Academy Sankelmark near
Flensburg (D).
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.