MINELRES: Romania: Ethnic Minority Briefs No. 55

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Mediafax <divers_buletin-admin@mediafax.ro> 


No. 55 / May 19, 2003 
  
DIVERS
- reporting ethnic diversity - 
 
SUMMARY 

 
1. NEW PROGRAM FOR AIDING ROMA MINORITY... 
2. ...AND FIRST JOB BOURSE FOR THE SAME MINORITY
3. NATIONAL HUNGARIAN COUNCIL TO DRAW UP LAW OF REGION AUTONOMY
4. ROMANIAN POLITICIAN CRITICIZES IT AGREEMENT WITH HUNGARY
5. DAYS OF RUTHENIAN CULTURE 
6. UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE OLYMPIAD


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NEW PROGRAM FOR AIDING ROMA MINORITY... 
BUCHAREST - Public Information Minister Vasile Dancu and Romany Social
Democratic Party Chairman Madalin Voicu announced on 13 May that the
government is launching a program called "Partnership for Aiding Roma -
2003," Radio Free Europe reported. The program allocates some 56.65
billion lei ($1.78 million) for local-government bodies to devise
programs aimed at improving the minority-group's situation, including
the creation of jobs, the renovation of housing, and the acquisition of
agricultural land by Roma.  


...AND FIRST JOB BOURSE FOR THE SAME MINORITY
BUCHAREST �Over 800 ethnic Roma found a job within the first job bourse,
organized nationally, chiefly targeted at this minority. Other 2500
persons were registered by various companies that attended the bourse.
The interest expressed towards the event was lower than initially
estimated. Most of the jobs held by Roma people lie in average
qualification: agriculture, social services, constructions and trade
sectors. (DIVERS) 
 

NATIONAL HUNGARIAN COUNCIL TO DRAW UP LAW OF REGION AUTONOMY 
CLUJ-NAPOCA - The Initiative Committee of the recently- set up National
Hungarian Council in Transylvania will draw up a law regarding region
and culture autonomy, announced UDMR deputy Toro T. Tibor. Each of the
frame-laws will also include annex-status. Toro envisions these laws are
to show up in at latest a year time, taking into account the period when
setting up the Council. The frame-laws and their statuses will regulate
culture and region autonomy in compliance with EU guidelines, EC
suggestions, with the positive functional patterns in European countries
and in accordance with the current legislation. Toro Tibor also
indicated that in order to get political support necessary for these
laws, certain dialogue is to be held with the political parties and
expressed his hope for UDMR membership to give support in this respect.
(DIVERS) 

 
ROMANIAN POLITICIAN CRITICIZES IT AGREEMENT WITH HUNGARY
BUCHAREST - The president of the Covasna county organisation of the
ruling Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSD), Adrian Vlad Casunean,
said an agreement concluded by the Hungarian Ministry of Information
Technology and Telecommunications with the Hungarian Democratic Union of
Romania (UMDR) was an impermissible intervention into Romanian
education, MTI reported. The agreement was signed last week by Hungarian
IT Minister Kalman Kovacs and UDMR President Bela Marko in Tirgu Mures.
That same day, the Romanian ruling party politician sharply criticized
the agreement in Sfintu Gheorghe. He said Romanian (ethnic Hungarian)
students can receive assistance from Hungary "as private individuals",
however, as they are enrolled in the Romanian education system the
agreement is impermissible. Casunean interpreted the agreement as one in
which the UDMR determines which Romanian schools teaching in the
Hungarian language should receive support from the Hungarian ministry.
"The UDMR cannot do this as it is not a state within a state. The Union
can merely make a proposal to the Romanian Ministry of Education, which
can, in turn, conclude an agreement about the possible support with the
Hungarian Ministry of Education," the PSD county president said.
Hungarian IT Minister Kalman Kovacs said in an interview carried in the
Cluj daily Szabadsag that the agreement he had concluded with the UDMR
president is in concert with the framework agreement to be signed by the
Hungarian and Romanian IT ministries in the near future. 

 
DAYS OF RUTHENIAN CULTURE 
SUCEAVA � On Saturday, May 10, at Culture House in Suceava, there took
place the Ruthenian Culture Days, according to Radio Romania. The
manifestation was attended by almost 50 members of the World Ruthenian
Union in five countries: Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and
Romania. Into the message addressed to the ethnic Ruthenians by the
Minister of Public Information, Vasile Dincu, it is indicated that for
the first time in 50 years this minority is beneficial of rights
stipulated by the European Union, nevertheless being able to confirm its
identity peacefully next to the Romanians and the other ethnicities.
According to the chairman of Culture Union of Ruthenians in Romania,
Gheorghe Firczac, in our country this minority encloses 292 individuals,
yet the Ruthenian language is used by almost 6000 people. (DIVERS) 

 
UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE OLYMPIAD
BOTOSANI � At the end of the week few tens of pupils in Romania and
Ukraine attended the Olympiad of Ukrainian language and literature,
organized in Botosani, as released Radio Kiev. The first place is ranked
by pupils from Maramures, the second one by those from Ukraine, while
the third position is held by Ukrainian ethnics in Botosania area. No
less than 21 contesters achieved awards while other 14 honorable
mentions. The Ministry of Education and Research offered the winners
diplomas and money awards, the membership of the Ukrainian Union in
Romania sent congratulations, while the officials from Ukraine sent
present and vacation tickets in Crimea for the fist two places holders.
In Romania there are over 9500 pupils in almost 90 schools attending
Ukrainian language courses. There are three Ukrainian majors at the
Universities from Bucharest, Suceava and Cluj Napoca. (DIVERS) 


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