MINELRES: Romania: Bulletin DIVERS on Ethnic Minorities no. 41 (237) / November 13, 2006

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Ethnic Minorities Briefs # 41/2006

Divers Bulletin no. 41 (237) / November 13, 2006

News

CONVENIENCE PEACE AMONG ROMANIA'S ETHNIC HUNGARIAN LEADERS? 
HUNGARY AND ROMANIA TO HOLD JOINT CABINET SESSION 
DRAMA CONTEST FOR ETHNIC ROMA 
ETHNIC ROMA ASK FOR EUROPEAN CHART AGAINST DISCRIMINATION 
THREE POLICEMEN UNDER INVESTIGATION IN APALINA CASE 
ACTIVISTS MARCH AGAINST DISCRIMINATION IN ROMANIA 
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON THE HOLOCAUST 
-----------------------------------------------------------
News

CONVENIENCE PEACE AMONG ROMANIA'S ETHNIC HUNGARIAN LEADERS?
CLUJ NAPOCA- Leadership of Democratic Union of ethnic Hungarians in
Romania, or UDMR, and of the National Council of Hungarians in
Transylvania, or CNMT, decided on November 3 to set up a joint political
manifesto to subsequently be embraced by various associations,
organizations and ethnic Hungarian groups throughout Romania. 
The decision comes after the meeting between UDMR and CNMT presidents,
Marko Bela and Tokes Laszlo, respectively. The two leaders agreed upon
drafting a document on the joint requirements, including a kind of
territorial autonomy for ethnic Hungarians in central Transylvania. 
"We decided to set up such a joint forum and a working group that drafts
a document on our joint requirements and goals regarding the autonomy,
with which we further collaborate," Marko Bela said. 
CNMT president said Hungarians need something more than compulsory unity
to accomplish the joint national, zonal or collective goals. 
"We need understanding, the right to constant dialogue between the
members of the political, civil, and church fields with the small
Hungarian community in Romania. Moreover, we need total unity to reach
our goals of autonomy. The unity is not enough but still prerequisite to
reach autonomy. Our joint situation and interest made us look for
understanding. We reached an agreement on a standing dialogue and joint
actions, a round table, a standing conference of the factors and members
of the ethnic Hungarian community in Romania," Tokes said. 
Author: DIVERS - http://www.divers.ro/


HUNGARY AND ROMANIA TO HOLD JOINT CABINET SESSION 
BUDAPEST - The governments of Hungary and Romania will hold a two-day
joint Cabinet session in Budapest on November 16 -17. The meeting will
focus on coordinating the two countries' economic development plans -
particularly in regions near their common border - increasing rail and
road links between the countries and resolving a dispute over a gold
mine project in Romania.
Hungary is opposed to the opening of a gold mine at Rosia Montana, 190
kilometers east of the border with Hungary. The mine would use cyanide
to extract gold from ore, and Hungary fears another cyanide leak such as
the one at a Romanian gold mine in 2000 that killed much of the aquatic
life in the Tisza River, which also runs through Hungary and is a
tributary of the Danube River.
The two Cabinets held their first joint session in Bucharest in October
2005.
A Hungarian-Romanian business forum will be organized parallel to the
governments' meeting. There are some 1.4 million ethnic Hungarians in
Romania.
Author: DIVERS - http://www.divers.ro/


DRAMA CONTEST FOR ETHNIC ROMA 
BUCHAREST - Romania's Culture Center for Ethnic Roma, under the
subordination of Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, or MCC, has
launched the first edition of the drama contest with the Theater Studio
"I. Budai Deleanu". 
The theme of the contest is "Present or history of ethnic Roma
community." It aims to set a portfolio of theater shows to be staged in
"I. Budai Deleanu" studio, established by the Culture Center for Ethnic
Romas to promote theater shows specific to the ethnic Roma community. 
Moreover, the contest aims to draw the ethnic Roma public closer to the
theater. The drama texts could be submitted to the Culture Center for
Ethnic Roma by November 30. 
Three important figures in theater field will nominate three texts. The
winner will receive the Grand Prize of RON1,000 and will be staged at
the Culture Center for Ethnic Roma. 
This Center was established in 2004 and aims to promote the cultural
patrimony of the ethnic Roma community.
Author: DIVERS - http://www.divers.ro/
summary

ETHNIC ROMA ASK FOR EUROPEAN CHART AGAINST DISCRIMINATION 
STRASBOURG - The communities of ethnic Roma and nomadic groups in Europe
on November 8 asked for the drafting of a European Chart that guarantees
a better protection against discrimination, the news agencies report. 
"The ethnic Roma minority is a frequent victim of discrimination in many
states around Europe, as regards the access to education, medical
services or labor places," said the president of the European Forum for
Ethnic Roma and Nomadic Groups, Rudko Kawczynski, during a seminar
organized by the Council of Europe. Some 80 delegates throughout Europe
decried the aggravated status of ethnic Roma in some countries in
Eastern Europe, such as Slovakia or the Czech Republic. "Women fear
forced sterilization, entire families are subject to forced shifting,"
Kawczynski said. 
The situation is even worse in Kosovo, where 20,000 ethnic Roma were
evicted "right in front of the eyes of the members with the Peacekeeping
Force, or KFOR," Kawczynski added. 
Some 14 million ethnic Roma are living in the 46 member states of the
Council of Europe, only 1% of them representing nomadic groups. 
The European Forum for Ethnic Roma and Nomadic Groups was established in
1991 and fights the alienation of the ethnic Roma communities, asking
for "a better use of the EU's funds" targeting this minority.
Author: DIVERS - http://www.divers.ro/


THREE POLICEMEN UNDER INVESTIGATION IN APALINA CASE
BUCHAREST - Romania's General Police Inspectorate, or IGPR, "started the
preliminary investigation" of three policemen in charge with allegedly
mismanagement of the conflict on September 7, in Apalina district,
central Romania, which triggered the hospitalization of some 15 ethnic
Roma citizens. 
IGPR's investigation into the three policemen settled "the events in
Apalina case were mismanaged.' The policemen's measures breached the law
in force and the existent internal provisions of the police on the
briefing upon the events and research."
The internal investigation settled the police measures influenced the
burst of the conflict. The conflict caused "important damages in
Ministry of the Interior's patrimony and created a negative image on the
Romanian Police, triggering negative effects upon the population,
internal and international non-governmental organizations," the police
said.
A conflict between policemen, Police Rapid Intervention Department, or
DIAS and ethnic Roma burst on September 7 in Apalina. Two police
vehicles were damaged, two policemen were slightly injured and 15 ethnic
Roma required medical care. 
Author: DIVERS - http://www.divers.ro/


ACTIVISTS MARCH AGAINST DISCRIMINATION IN ROMANIA 
BUCHAREST - About 200 activists marched on November 10 through the
downtown of the Romanian capital to protest discrimination based on
race, disabilities, gender or sexual orientation, AP reports.
Participants "including human rights supporters, media freedom activists
and anarchists" carried banners reading "All different, all equal."
They also commemorated victims of Nazi persecution, with marchers
stopping at a the site of a monument for Holocaust victims. "Romania
needs to take responsibility for the crimes committed 60 years ago ...
We don't see this in history books," said Razvan Martin, one of the
organizers.
Romania's wartime pro-Nazi government, led by Marshal Ion Antonescu, was
responsible for the deaths of 280,000-380, 000 Jews and more than 11,000
Gypsies, or Roma.
After decades of denial about the country's role in the Holocaust,
Romania's government took responsibility for the crimes in 2004 and
pledged to educate citizens about them.
Demonstrators also read a manifest calling for respect for minorities.
"There is still enormous discrimination and marginalization about Roma
and homosexuals in Romania," Martin said.
Police stopped about 30 people, apparently radical soccer fans, who
tried to halt the march. 
Author: DIVERS - http://www.divers.ro/


INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON THE HOLOCAUST 
BUCHAREST - National Institute for the Study of Holocaust in Romania
"Elie Wiesel" on November 9 held an international seminar on "The
Holocaust - history and education in the 21st century Europe." 
The ambassador of Sweden in Bucharest Mats Aberg gave the opening speech
during the seminar.
"The conference mainly targets the history teachers, and aims to get the
participants familiar with the elements of the Holocaust in Romania and
with the perception upon it after the �90s, as well as with aspects upon
the contemporary education on the Holocaust," the organizers said.
The special guests of the event were Paul A. Levine, university teacher
and research director within the program to study the Holocaust and
genocide at the University in Uppsala, Sweden and Mikael Enoksson,
teacher with the University in Orebro, Sweden, expert in teaching
history of the Holocaust in schools and in educational programs for
history teachers. 
Lya Benjamin with the Center for Studying Jewish History, Viorel Achim
with the Institute of History "Nicolae Iorga", and Liviu Rotman with the
National School for Political and Administrative Sciences, also held
conferences during the seminar. 
Author: DIVERS - http://www.divers.ro/

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