Letter to OSCE HCNM on Romanian community in Ukraine

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Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 10:44:50 +0300 (EEST)
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Subject: Letter to OSCE HCNM on Romanian community in Ukraine

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Ion Cretu <[email protected]>

Letter to OSCE HCNM on Romanian community in Ukraine


Ion Cretu – Rapporteur
E-mail: [email protected]
……………………………………………………………………………
 
From:
Constantin Olaru
President – Aliance of Romanians in Ukraine (ACDR)
Ukraina, 58002, Cernauti, str.Henry Barbiusse, no.38/4
Phone&Fax: 0038 037 2 512551
 
(sent To: His Excellency Max van der Stoel
OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities)
 
Dear Sir, Dear Madam,
 
This is to draw your attention to the problems of the Romanian
community from Northern Bukovina, Ukraine.
 
The Romanian community is an autochthonous one on this soil, being in
a minority position nowadays in the new independent state of Ukraine.
Today there are almost 200,000 Romanians in the Chernivtsy/Cernăuti
Oblast (Region - administrative unit of Ukraine), representing around
20% of the population of this Region, according to the last census of
1989. Our estimates indicate more than 300,000 Romanians in the
Chernivtsy/Cernăuti Oblast. Joining the general effort of dismantling
the communism and building a democratic society, Romanians actively
supported the independence of Ukraine proclaimed in August 1991,
proving to be loyal citizens of this country.
 
Among our concerns for the maintenance of our national and cultural
identity, the one regarding the possibility to study in our mother
tongue is a major issue. Despite the numerical and historical
importance of the Romanian population in the region, there is no
higher education in Romanian language either at the "Iuri Fedkovici"
State University in Chernivtsy/Cernăuti or somewhere else in Ukraine.
Two years ago our organisation gathered more than 100,000 signatures
supporting the establishment of a multicultural university in our
city. The petition addressed to the state authorities in this respect
received no answer. In the meantime, we demanded the Romanian
representative in the Verhovna Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament) to
promote this project, but he didn't find support among his Ukrainian
colleagues.
 
Given the situation, more and more young Romanians who want to study
in their mother tongue have only the option to take advantage of the
scholarships offered by the Romanian universities. However, there are
more and more troubles for those going in Romania for studying as many
times artificial barriers are opposed by the Ukrainian authorities.
 
The state report submitted by Ukraine pursuant to the art. 25 of the
Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
mentions in the Part I (referring to the "Public policy regarding the
protection of national minorities") states that "The state ethnic
policy is conducted in accordance with the following: […] the Hague
recommendations regarding the rights of national minorities for
education". As a standard elaborated upon OSCE request and accepted by
Ukraine (as mentioned above), we believe that the state should
immediately recognise our right to benefit of higher education in
Romanian within the existing educational structure (i.e. the "Iuri
Fedkovici" State University from Chernivtsy/Cernăuti), as art. 17 of
the Hague Recommendations and the provisions of the Framework
Convention stipulate. There is a clear need for this given by the
proportion of the Romanian population in the region and also by the
increasing number of students seeking to complete their university
education in Romania, where they can study in their mother tongue.
Moreover, anyone has to be aware that the higher education in Romanian
ceased to exist in Chernivtsy/Cernăuti only after the occupation of
the region by the Red Army during the World War II, when the Romanian
university that existed previously was abolished by the Soviet regime.
 
Looking forward to meeting You in Northern Bukovina,
 
Sincerely Yours,
 
Constantin Olaru
President of the Christian-Democratic Alliance of the
Romanians from Ukraine
 
(Ion Cretu – Rapporteur)
 
------------------------------------------------------
*** The Christian-Democratic Alliance of the Romanians from Ukraine is
a non-governmental organisation established at national level in
Ukraine, having its seat in Chernivtsy/Cernăuti. It represents the
interest of ethnic Romanians living in Ukraine (in Odessa,
TransCarpathia, Kirovograd, Nicolayev as well as in many other
regions).


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