Anniversaries...

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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 22:24:01 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: Anniversaries...

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]> 

Anniversaries...


Dear MINELRES subscribers, 

Today is the first MINELRES list birthday - exactly one year ago the
first postings were sent to the list. Some of you know that the idea
of this project emerged much earlier, and more than two years had been
needed till it came into reality. For many people working in the field
of minority rights, including myself, Internet offers the main if not
the only "open window" to the world, and I have been trying my best to
help as many people as possible to open this window.

It is up to you to judge if the list is useful and interesting to the
participants. As to formal indicators, they are as follows. One year
after the beginning of the list functioning, we have 208 subscribers
from 46 states (for a moderated list, up to 200 subscribers used to be
considered about the optimum number). The MINELRES web site has been
visited 1,265 times (in fact, it was "officially" opened for public
since 1 October last year)- not so bad for a non-commercial site.  

I would like to express my gratitude to all those who submitted
contributions to the list, and hope we will receive your submissions
also in future. As always, any your comments, critical notes and
advise will be highly appreciated. 

One more anniversary is celebrated today - eight years ago, on 4th May
1990, the Supreme Council of Latvia adopted the Declaration of
Independence. For me, then activist of the Latvian Popular Front, it
was a really great day. Then unity of people of different ethnic
origins, speaking different languages, is unforgettable, indeed. Many
bitter disappointments followed, particularly for Latvia's
minorities... 

In some sense, life is easier when barricades exist, when it is
completely clear who is on what side. Unfortunately, we have managed
to build new invisible barricades - in our minds. Nevertheless, I hope
the day will come when also these barricades which divide us are
destroyed - like were dismantled barricades built in Old Riga in
"bloody January"-1991. I am sure you all working with the minority
issues do  contribute into making this day come sooner.  

Yours, 

Boris

-- 
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MINELRES - a forum for discussion on minorities in Central&Eastern
Europe

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