MINELRES: Romania: Bulletin DIVERS on Ethnic Minorities - 34 (117) / October 4, 2004

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Original sender: Edivers Buletin <edivers_buletin-admin@mediafax.ro>



Divers Bulletin no. 34 (117) / October 4, 2004
News

FDGR PROPOSE SOLE LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

ROMANIA'S JEWS DESIGNATES THEIR CANDIDATE FOR THE PARLIAMENT

UCM CHOSES ITS LEADERS, WANTS TO COMPETE IN THE GENERAL ELECTIONS

Focus

IT NOW SUITS THE EU TO HELP THE ROMA


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News

FDGR PROPOSE SOLE LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

SIBIU � Germans� Democrat Forum in Romania (FDGR) will take part in the
parliamentary elections on November on a sole list of candidates for the
Chamber of Deputies, which would be proposed to the electors in relevant
counties for the German community. For the Senate, the Meeting of FDGR
Representatives summoned at the end of last week decided to support
Eberhard Wolfgang-Wittstock�s independent candidature, namely the
representative of the German minority in the Chamber of Deputies.
Author: DIVERS


ROMANIA'S JEWS DESIGNATES THEIR CANDIDATE FOR THE PARLIAMENT

BUCHAREST � Representatives of the Federation of Jewish Communities in
Romania (FCER) designated last week the candidate for the Chamber of
Deputies, who would be elected during the parliamentary elections in
November. The candidate is Mr. Aurel Vainer, 72, vice-president of the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania and of Bucharest county
seat. Former deputy Dorel Dorian, though he was included on the lists of
candidates, stated before the voting he gives-up the candidature. The
list of candidates also included Mr. Irina Cajal, prof. univ. dr. Andrei
Oisteanu, prof.univ.dr. Stefan Cazimir, publicist Magdalena Boiangiu,
Jose Iacobescu, chairman of Chamber of Commerce Romania-Israel and Liviu
Beris, with Association of Holocaust Survivors. 
Author: DIVERS


UCM CHOSES ITS LEADERS, WANTS TO COMPETE IN THE GENERAL ELECTIONS

ODORHEIUL SECUIESC � At the parliamentary elections in the fall, the
ethnic Hungarian Civic Union (UCM) will run as an organization of the
national minority and it would focus on getting the autonomy of the
Szeckler�s County, it was decided during UCM�s second congress, which
took place at the end of last week. The Union will try to run on its own
lists if the Central Electoral Bureau accepts the registration in the
electoral race of this organization with impendent candidates or on the
lists of Romanian parties, others than PSD and PRM.
Author: DIVERS


Focus

IT NOW SUITS THE EU TO HELP THE ROMA

BUCHAREST - Tired of asking her husband to read soap opera subtitles on
TV, Tasia Stanescu decided to learn to read them herself, InterPress
Service reported.
Tasia, 29, joined a group of other Roma women in Zanea in eastern
Romania in a new reading programme aimed at putting the long-mistreated
ethnic group on a more equal footing with Europe's other peoples.
The Roma are a people believed to have migrated to Europe from Asia
since the 14th century. Today they still face racism and hunger, and get
little education and health care.
But improving their lives now suits EU policies. EU leaders want the
Roma in aspiring and new member countries to have more opportunities
back home to make a migration of waves of Roma people to other EU
countries less likely.
In the past decade eastern European countries have spent millions of
dollars bringing roads, electricity and running water to Roma
communities. They have set up educational and anti-discrimination
projects, and begun training Roma for jobs like teaching.
EU needs have helped make literacy a dream come true for Tasia and her
classmates. But an independent report raises questions about how many
like Tasia are being helped.
"We are concerned because Romania's efforts to improve the conditions of
its Roma minority lack the necessary resources," says Florin Moisa,
executive director of the Resource Centre for Roma Communities (CRCR).
The CRCR, together with the independent EU Monitoring and Advocacy
Programme (Eumap) and the Open Society Institute (OSI) of the Soros
foundations launched a first report this week on implementation of the
Romanian government strategy for Roma.
The 76-page report says many of the institutions envisaged in the
strategy have been set up, but "while most of these bodies now exist in
form, they lack the resources and authority that would enable them to
carry out constructive activities at the local level."
The report notes progress in small-scale initiatives that have helped
some Roma acquire identity papers and get family planning advice. The
moves have increased access to schools and provided job training. But it
says that "as the only governmental contribution for strategy
implementation to date has been through such EU co-funding, more
resources should be directed towards systematic changes in policies and
programmes, underpinned by clear political will."
Romania launched a long-term strategy in 2001for improving conditions
for the Roma. The EU has given about 20.5 million dollars for programmes
for Romanian Roma up to 2005, but the government has offered only about
three million dollars in direct help. Private foundations pay for most
efforts. "The government must make much stronger efforts to address
major issues impacting the country's Roma population such as racially
motivated violence, discrimination, unequal access to quality education,
to employment and to health care, and inadequate housing conditions."
Moisa said.
The government says its strategy for dealing with Roma people includes
giving the issue a higher political profile, reserving places in high
schools and universities for Roma, and starting vocational training
programmes.
Gelu Duminica, president of the Roma non-governmental organisation
Impreuna (Together) says government funding tends to be distributed
among only a few close to the ruling party.
"There is an obvious lack of Roma participation in decision-making and
project implementation," Duminica said. "The local authorities and the
government have to enhance opportunities for Roma to participate
directly in all phases of planning and implementing projects intended to
benefit their communities."
About six million are estimated to live in eastern Europe. EU
enlargement in May this year almost doubled its Roma population.
Romania has the region's largest Roma minority, with some 550,000
registered under the 2002 census. By some estimates the Roma population
could be as high as two million, representing ten percent of Romania's
population. Many Roma often refuse to register their race for fear of
discrimination.
Neighbouring Bulgaria has about 600,000 registered Roma. Both countries
expect to join the EU in 2007.
Author: Marian Chiriac



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