MINELRES: Bulletin DIVERS on Ethnic Minorities – 29

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Divers Bulletin no. 29 (112) / August 30, 2004

News
EU SUPPORTS ROMA ACCESS ON THE LABOUR MARKET
COMMUNICATION AND PR GUIDE FOR ETHNIC ROMA ORGANISATIONS
RULING PARTY HOLDS MEETING WITH UDMR
UDMR SAYS DECENTRALIZATION MUST CONTINUE IN ROMANIA
AMERICAN JEWISH TO HELP RENOVATING SYNAGOGUE IN WESTERN ROMANIA
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News

EU SUPPORTS ROMA ACCESS ON THE LABOUR MARKET

BUCHAREST - The European Commission Delegation in Bucharest and the
Department for Interethnic Relations within the Romanian Government have
launched last week the second session of calls for project proposals for
the European Union's PHARE Programme called "Support for the National
Strategy of Improving the Gypsies' Situation," the Delegation says in a
release.
The 1,265,454 euro budget offered by the European Union will finance
projects whose value range from 5,000 to 50,000 euros focused on
professional training and income generating activities aimed at
strengthening and facilitating the active participation of the gypsy
communities in the economic, educational, cultural and political life of
the Romanian society, as well as a better access to the health care
services.
All projects must include solid partnerships between public institutions
and community decision-making groups of the Gypsy minority and will
ensure the Gypsy representatives' participation in all preparation,
implementation and evaluation stages, the release says.
Author: DIVERS


COMMUNICATION AND PR GUIDE FOR ETHNIC ROMA ORGANISATIONS

BUCHAREST – Press Monitoring Agency – Academia Catavencu (AMP) and Roma
Dept for Social Intervention and Studies – Romani CRISS have recently
published the first Communication and PR Guide meant for the ethnic
Roma’s non-governmental organizations.
The Guide is divided into four chapters: Basic elements of
communication, inter-organizational communication, Relation between the
NGOs and mass media and Conflict Management, which are drawn up by the
trainers who developed an educational program of 15 Roma youngsters. The
guide also has a variant in Roma language, aiming at becoming a useful
instrument for ethnic Roma organization abroad as well.
Author: DIVERS


RULING PARTY HOLDS MEETING WITH UDMR

BUCHAREST – Romanian Social Democracy Party (PSD) and Hungarian
Democratic Federation of Romania (UDMR) leaders met on 24 August,
discussing the cooperation between the two parties and the likelihood of
continuing it after the November elections, RFE/RL reported. Prime
Minister Nastase said after the talks that the cooperation between the
two parties has brought about political stability in Romania, intensive
economic development, and a credible foreign policy. He said the two
parties agreed to refrain from mutual criticism during the election
campaign and to help one another if their interests are not affected.
"After the elections, we are ready to continue cooperation with the
UDMR, but this will be decided by the outcome of the vote," Nastase
said. UDMR Chairman Bela Marko said cooperation with the PSD between
2000-04 has been "useful." He also said the UDMR will designate a
candidate of its own for the presidential elections and that
consequently the two parties have not discussed cooperation in a
possible December presidential runoff.
Author: DIVERS


UDMR SAYS DECENTRALIZATION MUST CONTINUE IN ROMANIA

BUCHAREST - UDMR Chairman Marko Bela told journalists on 24 August that
decentralization in Romania must continue in the next few years, RFE/RL
reported. Marko named the spheres of education, culture, health care,
and economy as needing further decentralization. He said this would help
the Hungarian minority in Romania achieve the administrative autonomy it
seeks. He said minorities must be granted more rights to administer
their own education and cultural institutions.
In related news, UDMR recently stated it will not back the new personal
autonomy project proposed by the Hungarian Civic Union of Romania (UCMR)
that is to be put forward to the Romanian parliament in autumn.
UDMR will draft their own project for the status of national minorities,
that will also include the autonomy principles. The planks of the UDMR
election manifesto include the expansion of the national minorities'
private and collective rights, the creation of the legal prerequisites
for various forms of community autonomy, the change of the current
administration forms by viable self-governance ones and ensuring the
Hungarian community's representation in all the major central and local
institutions. The UDMR political manifesto also calls for ethnic
Hungarians to stay in their home country and for their development on
their native land, the creation and functioning of their own education
and cultural institutions, Hungarian-language newspapers and a growing
number of returned property. The UDMR will submit the new political
manifesto to the meeting of the Union Representatives Council on Sept.
4. 
Author: DIVERS


AMERICAN JEWISH TO HELP RENOVATING SYNAGOGUE IN WESTERN ROMANIA

BISTRITA-NASAUD – Jewish community in Brooklyn-New York (SUA) will
contribute at renovating the synagogue in Bistrita (Western Romania),
stated mayor Vasile Moldovan on August 22. Moldovan talked about the
visit of four rabbis, representatives of the Jewish community in
Brooklyn.
On their behalf, rabbi Mayer Spitz, who was born in Bistrita, declared
the visit in Romania aims at evaluating the possibilities of the Jewish
community in Brooklyn to renovate the synagogue in the Transylvanian
city. Up to now the discussion was of principle, the forecasts on the
investments being made only after the drawing up of a feasibility study.
According to the cited source, in 2006 we will be celebrating 150 years
since the construction of this synagogue, which is one of the seven
existent in Romania more than 100 years old.
The Jewish community in Brooklyn also contributed at surrounding the
Jewish Cemetery in Bistrita. Only 21 Romanian citizens of Jewish
nationality are still living in Bistrita-Nasaud town.
Author: DIVERS


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