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NATMINET: Minority news from Romania


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Subject: NATMINET: Minority news from Romania


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NATMINET: Minority news from Romania


New survey on inter-ethnic relations

7 July - An survey sponsored by the USA Government, the results of
which were made public in Bucharest on Friday, on the occasion of the
international conference "The Romanian Model of Ethnic Relations: the
last ten years, the next ten years" shows that the relationships
between Romanians and Hungarians in Transylvania have not become
worse, thanks to a high level of tolerance and to the wish of the two
ethnic groups to co-operate in a democratic framework.

The survey was conducted by the Interethnic Relations Research Center
in the period between 19th May and 1st June, according to the
communiqu� of the USA Embassy in Bucharest.

According to the same survey, 64.2% of the Romanians and over 70% of
the Hungarians consider that the relationships between Romanians and
Hungarians are better or the same as compared to the period before
1989. Only one third of the Romanians consider that the situation is
worse today.

In Transylvania, where the concentration of people belonging to the
Hungarian ethnic group is highest, almost 50% of the Hungarians
believe that the relations between the Romanians and the Hungarians
are 'the same', 'better' and 'much better' than before 1989. Almost
one third consider that the situation is 'somewhat better' and 'much
better'. Approximately one third of the ethnic Hungarian think that
there is a situation of conflict between the Romanians and the
Hungarians. The percentage of the Romanians who answered the same
question affirmatively is much lower - of approximately 15.7%.
Questioned about the interethnic relations at local level, meaning the
region they live in, only 12.7% of the Hungarians and 2% of the
Romanians feel that there is a conflict between the two ethnic groups.
"It is certain that those questioned feel the situation in their
immediate vicinity - the one that they are accustomed to - better than
that at national level", concluded James Rosapepe, the Ambassador of
the USA in Romania, present at the launching of the results of the
survey.
In Transylvania the figures are clearer. Over two thirds of the
Romanians (66.4%) consider that the term that best describes the
relations in the region is cooperation.

The percentage of those that consider that the ethnic groups or the
minorities represent a threat to the peace and security in Romania has
dropped in the last five years to half, the survey points out.

The question "Why did a violent conflict such as the one in Kosova not
break out in Romania?" got the following first three answers from the
Romanians, emphasizing the strengths of the democratic Romanian
society: better treatment for the ethnic Hungarians, an increased
tolerance of the Romanians towards the minorities and a more
democratic system. One of the first three answers given by the ethnic
Hungarians was the same as one of the first three Romanian possible
explanations: a more democratic system. The other two answers are: the
ethnic Hungarians' patience with their condition and the wisdom of the
leaders of the Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania. 

As for the future, 39.1% of the Romanians think that the relations
between the two ethnic groups will improve in the next three years.
The percentage of Hungarians is higher - 47.3%.
Only 11.6% of the Romanians and 7.3% of the Hungarians think that the
relations between the ethnic groups has become worse in the last three
years. The majority of the Hungarians (52%) and a considerable part of
the Romanians (45%) consider that the HDFR has had an important role
in the improvement of the situation of Hungarians in Romania.

As for language and communication, 75% of the ethnic Hungarians speak
Romanian fluently or almost fluently. Almost 60% of the Romanian
population of the towns where they are a minority speak Hungarian
fluently or almost fluently. A substantial part of the Romanians,
65.3% , think that those who have learnt Hungarian in order to
communicate with their relatives and neighbours did a good thing,
while 98% of the ethnic Hungarians think that it is good to speak
Romanian, and 81% that ethnic Hungarians, citizens of Romania, must
speak Romanian. 

84.3% of the Romanians from Transylvania agree that the Hungarians
must be allowed to live wherever they like in Romania. At the same
time, 80% of the Romanians and 86% of the Hungarians consider that the
Jews should be able to live wherever they like.
The percentage of those who state that the Rroma should live wherever
they like in Romania is considerably lower, but a majority of the
Romanians (53.8) think that the Rroma population should be free to
choose where to live. 

As for the means of improving interethnic relations, a considerable
percentage of the Romanians (87.5%) and Hungarians (94.2) agree that
the broadcasts and publications that stir ethnic hatred should be
banned. "It seems that both the Romanians and the Hungarians are of
the same opinion - when there is nothing nice to be said about a
minority group it is better to keep silent", the American ambassador
James Rosapepe commented.
A considerable percentage of the ethnic Hungarians (94.3) believes
that the opportunity granted to Romanian children to learn the
languages of the minority groups should lead to the improvement of the
existing relations, a fact which is also approved by most of the
Romanians (60.4%).
Ethnic pride is considerable, taking into account the fact that 67.5%
of the Romanians and 77.4% of the Hungarians declare that they totally
agree with the statement: "I am proud to have been born a
Romanian/Hungarian". 

"There are certainly differences in politics and perception. For
instance, 65.9% of the Romanians consider that the Hungarians have
enough rights, while 83.1% of the Hungarians think that the minority
groups do not have enough rights. But, as the survey demonstrates,
there is a high degree of tolerance and acceptance between the two
ethnic groups. We have the conviction that the Romanian democratic 
system is a means of solving any kinds of differences. This is the
Romanian model - a debate in a tolerant society", ambassador Rosapepe
concluded.


Romanian Foreign Minister visits Hungary 

On Saturday, June 24th, 2000, Romanian Foreign Minister Petre Roman
attended the meeting of the Central European Initiative in Szeged. On
the occasion of his visit to Hungary, Petre Roman also visited
Battonyia and Gyula, two of the localities where ethnic Romanians
live. The representatives of the Romanian local government in Hungary
stated that they were skeptical about their chances to have deputies
in the Budapest parliament in the near future, adding, however, that
they expected a law would be passed to grant the parliamentary
representation of the 15 ethnic minorities living in Hungary.
According to Traian Cresta, president of the local government, there
are between 20,000 and 25,000 Romanians living in Hungary, and
Romanian is taught in schools in 11 localities. The representatives of
Romanians living in Hungary have also declared that every year there
are problems related to the funds that schools where Romanian is
taught should get. They have requested the Romanian Foreign Minister's
support so that the authorities from Bucharest should contribute to
building an old people's home in Mikereki. In addition, Romanians from
Hungary have asked that Petre Roman should initiate the introduction
of a regulation to allow trucks over 3.5 tons to cross the
Romanian-Hungarian border at Salonta-Mikereki and Turnu-Battonyia.

After a meeting with the Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martony,
Romanian Foreign Minister Petre Roman declared that Romania and
Hungary can start common projects for the protection of the
environment in order to obtain funds from the European Union. The two
ministers agreed that a general legal framework should be worked out
by the two neighbouring countries regarding the protection of the
environment.

Roman and Martony declared that they would support the initiative to
open three new border crossings between Romania and Hungary. 

As regards the representation of the Romanian ethnic minority in the
Hungarian Parliament, Martony stated that Hungary was still searching
for solutions to meet this demand.

Sources from the Romanian delegation have explained that the issue of
establishing a Hungarian Consulate in Miercurea Ciuc, a constant
demand of Budapest, cannot be settled before the general elections
take place in Romania, 'for fear that extremist feelings could be
aroused'.  


Grants for partnerships between minority and majority NGOs

The Ethnocultural Diversity resource Center offers financial support
for activities aimed at encouraging interethnic cooperation and
dialogue among ethnic groups living in Romania and community
development within ethnically mixed communities. Projects will be
eligible only if they are the result of a partnership between two or
more minority and majority NGOs. Following the agreement concluded
with the Ethnocultural Diversity Resource Center, the Romanian
Association for Community Development (ARDC) will catalyze and
facilitate the development of partnerships and the writing of projects
for this financial support program. ARDC will offer assistance for the
interested organizations and will organize a series of seminars
focusing on partnership development. The theme of the three seminars
is interethnic cooperation. Each seminar will be structured on three
distinct components: minitraining in interethnic cooperation issues;
minitraining for project writing; facilitating partnerships among the
organizations attending the seminar. The main objective of the
seminars is to establish links among ethnic minority and majority 
organizations so that they can initiate several projects and
partnerships. The exact date and venue will be announced in due time.
The organizations that will lay the basis of a partnership during
these seminars will be granted assistance by ARDC to draw up action
strategies for the development of partnerships. The partnership
initiatives will enter a competition for financial support granted by
CRDE. The organizations that are interested to participate in this
program should contact ARDC until July 1, 2000, by telephone: 01 212
30 87; tel/fax: 01 212 30 86; e-mail [email protected]. Contact:
Florian Nitu, Mara Danaila.


Governmental grants for minority NGOs

The Department for the Protection of National Minorities of the
Romanian Government announces forthcoming financing for the following
categories of projects:
� projects that address ethnic minorities in Romania, initiated by
national minority NGOs or Human Rights NGOs, in partnership with at
least two national minority organizations;
� projects that aim at fighting racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and
intolerance.

Financing will be granted in accordance with the Budget Law for the
year 2000; projects shall be submitted to the office of the Delegated
Minister for National Minorities, at least 30 days before the
commencement of the project. All applications will be analyzed by a
jury set up within the DPNM, who will decide on granting the required
funds. For application forms and further information concerning
application and the running of the project contact: The Government of
Romania, the Department for the Protection of National Minorities -
Office for Relations with the Civil Society and International
Organisms. telephone: 01 230 62 08; 01 314 34 00/ ext. 1020, 1321; 
fax: 01 222 61 37; e-mail: [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]


The Statute of Hungarian ethnics to be approved by the end of this
year

July 4th, 2000 - Hungarian Consul in Cluj-Napoca Aron Gusztav Cseh
stated that the approval of the Statute of Hungarian ethnics living
outside Hungary would lead to the development of the Romanian business
environment. He added that a great many Hungarian ethnics who would be
granted a work permit in Hungary would return to Romania after three
months' work and invest the money they earned.

The Statute of Hungarian ethnics living outside Hungary was concluded
on June 30th, 2000 by the Government in Budapest; it is going to be
passed by the Parliament of Hungary by the end of this year. According
to the stipulations in the Statute, the Hungarian state will grant the
so-called 'half-citizens' the possibility to work in Hungary three
months a year without covering health care costs. Families with
several children and war veterans will be granted social allowances by
the Hungarian state, while pensioners will be given discounts for
transport. Citizens that wish to be granted this statute and the
accompanying facilities shall prove their Hungarian ethnicity by
speaking the language, as well as documents to probe schooling and
religious background.

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Romania, the Romanian Diaspora in the neighboring countries,
nationalism in general, multi- and intercultural education. It
includes call for papers, conference announcements, grant
opportunities and job vacancies in the fields mentioned.

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