MINELRES: Romania: Ethnic diversity briefs, No. 20

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Original sender: Mediafax <divers@mediafax.ro>


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No. 20 / August 26, 2002

DIVERS
- reporting ethnic diversity -

SUMMARY
1. ROMA LEADERS STILL DISCONTENT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENTAL
STRATEGY
2. GOVERNMENT TO RESTORE AND STRENGTHEN UP SYNAGOGUE FROM CENTRAL
ROMANIA
3. "PRO ETNICA 2002" FESTIVAL, THE SECOND EDITION
4. "HISTORY OF ROMANIANS" TO BE FURTHER STUDIED IN MOLDOVA
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ROMA LEADERS STILL DISCONTENT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENTAL
STRATEGY
BUCHAREST - Lately the critics of the leaders of Roma community rose
against the Government's preoccupation with the implementation of the
national strategy on Roma's social integration. At the same time, Roma
leaders refuse to be considered as <<scapegoats >> for the recent
problems caused in West side by many beggars and delinquents.

Into a release made early last week the PSD deputy Madalin Voicu, who is
also the honor president of Roma Party complaints over the more and more
obvious degenerating relations between Roma and the government party.
"The collaboration protocol between our parties is much observed by the
gypsies than PSD" says Madalin Voicu. The main discontent is related to
the implementation of the governmental strategy for Roma's social
integration. "I know this document is extremely elaborated, but so far
only a third of the forecast measures has been enforced", stated PSD
deputy. Other leaders of Roma community also bring critics against the
politics pursued by the Executive. Vasile Ionescu, the president of Roma
Resource Center for Public Matters said: "I believe that the issue of
Roma condition, that starts to become a problem at the European level,
obviously indicates the failure of the current Government. If PSD and
the Roma Party signed a collaboration protocol it is evident it stood
only for a matter of image ". Another question in need to be solved by
the representatives of the Roma ethnicity is the so-called offensive
chiefly mediated lately against Roma people, considered as "Romania's
barrier in the way to a civilized Europe". "I do not fully agree with
the accusations brought against Roma as if they were the sole beggars
and delinquents of Europe. This is one of the biggest offenses against
us", said Madalin Voicu. (DIVERS)

GOVERNMENT TO RESTORE AND STRENGTHEN UP SYNAGOGUE FROM CENTRAL ROMANIA
BUCHAREST - Government passed the finances necessary to start the
consolidation and resorting works for the synagogue in Orastie (central
Transylvania), which require an amount of ROL 1,2bln, the finance
following to be assured through supplementary sums of the Ministry of
Culture and Faith's budget and the according diminish of the budget of
the Government's general Secretariat. The total amount necessary for the
synagogue to be restored is worth of ROL 2,5bln, and will be assured by
means of a support granted by the Government of the United States of
America through the Agreement for the culture goods protection and
preservation, signed in Bucharest on July 9, 1992. The synagogue from
Orastie is a historical monument from 18th century, particular to
churches of mosaic rite-type. (DIVERS)

"PRO ETNICA 2002" FESTIVAL, THE SECOND EDITION
BUCHAREST - Educational Youth Inter-ethnic Resource Center Sighisoara on
August 22 - 25 period organized the second edition of "Pro Etnica 2002"
- The days of Ethnic Minorities in Romania, so the manifestation gives
the possibility for each ethnicity to express it cultural, linguistics
and spiritual identity. The current edition of "Pro Etnica" encompassed
18 out of the 20 minorities from Romania, enclosing over 865 attendants.
At the first edition, there attended 15 minorities, including 650
participants in full. (DIVERS)

"HISTORY OF ROMANIANS" TO BE FURTHER STUDIED IN MOLDOVA
CHISINAU - Moldovan schools curriculum for this year will include
courses on the "History of Romanians" and "Universal History", rather
than the controversial "History of Moldova" that provoked protests
earlier this year, according to local press. RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau
reported last week that Anatol Petrencu, chairman of the Association of
Historians in the Moldovan Republic, said the only exceptions will be
schools in the unrecognized Transdniester Republic, where the curriculum
provides for the study of the "History of Transdniester." Petrencu added
that Education Minister Gheorghe Sima has signed a letter confirming
that Moldova's curriculum for the teaching of history remains unchanged.
(DIVERS)


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