MANUSCRIPTS:
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20070302 Romedi Arquint in Arad
20070517 Romedi Arquint in Tallinn
20070517 Hans Heinrich Hansen in Tallinn (Leave taking of Arquint)
20070517 Hans Heinrich Hansen in Tallinn
20070626 Hans Heinrich Hansen in Flensburg

EVALUATIONS:
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20070518 right to education EN
20070518 Recht auf Bildung DE:
20070906 right to education documentation EN •
20070906 Recht auf Bildung Dokumentation DE

FUEN-ASSEMBLY:
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20070517 The Assembly / Delegiertenversammlung
20070517 Revionsbericht DE
20070517 Living Diversity Report_EN
20070517 The New Presidium of FUEN
20070517 HHH neuer Präsident DE
20070517 Statutes EN
20070517 Statutes FR
20070517 Satzungen DE
20070517 Statutes RU

RESOLUTIONS:
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20070517 Resolutions_01_09_EN
20070517 Resolutionen_01_08_DE
20070517 Resolutions_01_06_FR
20070517 Resolutions_01_06_RU

PRESSE RELEASES:

www.minority-press.info/archieves/2007_part1.html
www.minority-press.info/archieves/2007_part2.html
www.living-diversity.eu/News/News.html

PICTURES • BILDER:

www.fuen.org/pages/english/e_7a_2002.html
www.living-diversity.eu/Tallinn.html

RESOLUTION 2007-01

 The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution on 17th May 2007 in Tallinn:

directed to the Vice-President of the EU-Commission and Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, Mr. Franco Frattini

for adopting an EU-Directive against discriminatory characterization of minorities in reports and data-collections by state-authorities 

The „European Monitoring Center against Racism“ (EUMC) in Vienna („Racism and cultural diversity in mass media 1995 - 2000, Seite 43) und Non-Governmental-Organizations from different countries in Europe pointed to the discriminatory practice of reporting concerning minorities by authorities and the media. The designation of accused persons with their status as members of minorities creates prejudices against the whole minority groups. The Central Council of German Sinti and Roma informed about more than 500 cases of newspaper reports from the past ten years with the minority designation initiated by authorities or by the police, unless there was no compelling relevance for the minority designation for understanding of the reported process in these cases. In its Monitoring Report of March 2006 the Advisory Committee of the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities expressed concern over „the unnecessary publication of the ethnic origin of individuals by certain media, particulary in the confines of procedures surrounding crimes, where information is passed onto the media by the police“. Over and above that, the Advisory Committee is convinced that the practice of attributing specific rates of criminality to a certain ethnic group is incompatible with the Framework Convention. For this reason the Advisory Committee has challanged to make sure that detail registration does not lead to discrimination against members of particular groups.

Concerning that practice in all member states of the EU, the EU-Commission should provide a Directive which formulates guidelines for all member states for binding legal regulations.

RESOLUTION 2007-02

The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution on 17th May 2007 in Tallinn:

Exactly 50 years ago, in may 1957, Karachay people returned to historic motherland from their 14 year long exile. But even now Karachay autonomy, which was destroyed by Stalin’s regime in 1943, has not been re-established. There was some hope in democratic Russia, that on the 26^th of April 1991, ratified the law “About rehabilitation of repressed peoples”. But Russia does not follow this law. Moreover, there is a tendency of destroying national conglomerates in Russia and of assimilating small nations. Some national autonomies in the north are already destroyed under the disguise of strengthening regions.

The most important characteristic of a nation – is its native language. If there is no native language – there is no nation. There is a threat that Karachay nation is going to lose its native language. This is a real threat. Textbooks on native language and literature have not been published for more than 20 years. Children cannot study. There are less and less hours of education in native language in schools. It is not compulsory to learn the native language and literature in schools. Learning of a foreign language is compulsory – learning of the native language is not. Paradoxically, but none the less true. 

The FUEN Assembly demands Russia to put the law »About rehabilitation of repressed peoples” into action and to take all measures for the protection and preservation of the threatened communities.

RESOLUTION 2007-03

The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Tallinn on 17 May 2007:

The FUEN Assembly of Delegates is concerned about the continual violation of the minority rights of the Carpathian Rusins, who have lived in their historic home in the Carpathian Ukraine  since 1946.

The FUEN Assembly of Delegates further calls for: 

-       Recognition of the national minority of the Carpathian Rusins, an end to the violent assimilation and equal legal rights to those of other national minorities in the Ukraine based on historic statements and the last census.

-       Assistance with contact to Rusins in other countries according to the recommendations made by the General Convention of the Council of Europe on the protection of minorities.

RESOLUTION 2007-04

The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Tallinn on 17 May 2007: 

The continuing discrimination of the balkar people (forcibly displaced in 1944 from their homeland) in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic of the Russian Federation

The 52. congress of the FUEN notes that in spite of many years of protests of a variety of institutions and organizations sent to the government of the Russian Federation and of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic (KBR), the rights of the balkar people (forcibly displaced in 1944 from their homeland) have not been restored. The situation of the balkar people in the KBR is systematically worsening leading to ethnic discrimination. Two laws introduced in 2005 concerning the administrative and teritorial structur of the KBR made the situation of the balkar people even worse endangering the further existence of the balkar people. Due to these facts (see also the Original) the congress of FUEN appeals to the government of the Russian Federation to finally implement the law on the rehabilitation of forcibly displaced people introduced in 1991 and to reestablish the balkar regions and settlements forcibly abolished in 1944. The congress of FUEN assignes the FUEN presidium to ask the Councel of Europe and the UN to contact the government of the Russian Federation in this issue.

see also original Russian text of the resolution proposal at: www.fuen.org/pdfs/20070517Resolution_04RU.pdf

RESOLUTION 2007-05

The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution on 17th May 2007 in Tallinn:

The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities

expects and call upon

Romania

1. De jure recognition/registration of the Aromanians as a national minority.

2. The introduction of the Aromanian language, in order to be studied, into the elementary and secondary educational systems in the regions where it is widely used. The establishment of an university chair dedicated to the Aromanian language.

3. The introduction of the Aromanian language into the public/governmental mass media.

4. A respectful treatment of the Recommendation 1333/1997 regarding the Aromanian language and culture from the side of governmental institutions.

5. The establishment of a co-operation institutional structure between the governmental institutions and the aromanian organisations in order to achieve/acquire the specifics rights of an ethnic group.

Balkan countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, R. of Macedonia

An efficacious institutional dialogue between the “Aromanian Council” as a representatively body of the Aromanians at the regional level and the governments of all countries mentioned by the Recommendation 1333/1997.           

Council of Europe

The acquirement by the „Aromanian Council” of the participatory status in the Council of Europe according to the Resolution (2003) 8.

RESOLUTION 2007-06

The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution on 17th May 2007 in Tallinn: 

In view of the declared policy of the French state in wanting to totally abolish the Breton language, the Breton delegation implores its fellow European citizens to exert as much pressure on the French state through its representatives so that it finally adopts the prevailing international ethnic standards regarding the rights of autochthonous minorities to their historic home and ceases to pursue the fatal policy of standardising the language, which in contradiction to this, outwardly preaches cultural diversity.

At this point, we would like to recall Kant's motto 'Act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world.' We are of the opinion that this principle in 21st-century Europe, whose basis rests on Kant's spiritual and moral idea of rights and thus follows on from Kant's ideas, should apply as an absolute law in the context we are concerned with.

In view of the fact that the majority of Breton people, on the territory corresponding to the Breton state region, which, until this state was unilaterally abolished during the French Revolution, was also a sovereign state, agreed to the project of the European Constitution—in contrast to the French people who rejected this—we call for the formation of an independent international commission of experts to investigate the actual legal status of Brittany as regards international law and for suitable forms of a lingual, cultural, administrative and political self-administration to be.  Here, it is a matter of the survival of a European people, namely the survival of the Breton people as a people. 

RESOLUTION 2007-07

About the future status of Kosovo 

The Assembly of Delegates of Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Tallinn on 17 May 2007.

The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) supports the proposal for a future international status settlement for Kosovo, which was presented by the special envoy of the United Nations, Matti Ahtisaari. The proposal envisages far-reaching autonomy – controlled and protected by the international community.

FUEN call all stakeholders to start a dialogue about the future development of the whole Kosovo society. Athissaris plan is a good start, which can be improved in the fields of security, access to justice and rights of minorities.

The FUEN Assembly of Delegates calls upon the UN Security Council to adopt a corresponding resolution about the future status of Kosovo.

Both the main actors – (Kosovo)-Albanians and (Kosovo)-Serbs – are explicitly called upon to abstain from violence and to settle the disputes.

FUEN demands that all minorities are included in the future settlement of the Kosovo.

The Assembly of Delegates emphasises that the development of Kosovo and the protection of minorities in the region will become determining for the question if there can be a future for Kosovo and Serbia in the European Union. 

BACKGROUND[1]

On Friday 11^th March 2007 the United States of America, United Kingdom and France together brought in a draft resolution in the Security Council of the United Nations. This draft resolution is based on the Ahtisaari proposal; the draft writes amongst other things that the Security Council will work for “a democratic Kosovo with different ethnic groups”. Russia already threatened with its veto; Moscow rejects at this moment every solution that is not accepted by Serbia. Serbia already rejected the Ahtisaari proposal. In case the UN Security Council will not find a solution, observers expect that Kosovo will declare its independence and that it might come to warlike violence between Serbs and Albanians. A decision in the Security Council is expected within the next weeks.

After the end of the Kosovo-war in 1999 the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1244 and brought the Serbian province of Kosovo under the authority of the United Nations (UNMIK – United Nations Mission in Kosovo). The NATO-led KFOR-force was deployed and secures the peace mission. In the Serbian province, which is populated for 90% by Kosovo-Albanians independence has been demanded already for eight years.

In February 2006 so-called status talks began in Vienna between representatives of the Serbian government and a delegation of Kosovo-Albanians – led by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari. It has however not been possible for the parties to find a compromise. Therefore Ahtisaari presented his own proposal for the future status of Kosovo in February 2007 in Belgrade and Pristina. Because a next, last round of talks also failed, the special envoy presented his proposal to the UN Security Council on 26^th March 2007.

The proposal avoids the word independence – but it would mean a separation of Kosovo from Serbia according to international law. In the Ahtisaari proposal Kosovo would have the opportunity to become member in international organisations, get the right to have an own anthem and other state symbols and could have its own light-armed protection force.

In the European Union no agreement could be found to support the Ahtisaari-proposal officially. Spain, Greece and Slovakia are sceptic and are afraid that Kosovo will create a precedent that will have an effect on other regions of Europe.

RESOLUTION 2007-08

For sustainable support of the regional or minority languages by the European Union (EU) 

The Assembly of Delegates of Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Tallinn on 17 May 2007.

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) is with 81 member organisations in 30 countries of Europe the largest umbrella organisation of the autochthonous national minorities in Europe. The support for regional and minority languages and especially the support to the small and smallest languages of Europe is a prime concern of FUEN.

The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities, on the 18^th of May 2007 in Tallinn,

- referring to the FUEN/YEN “Charter of the autochthonous national minorities in Europe”,

- referring to the “Joint statement of FUEN and YEN about the future support for regional and minority languages by the EU”,

- referring to the “European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages” of the Council of Europe,

- referring to the “Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities” of the Council of Europe,

- referring to the “Report with recommendations to the Commission on European regional and lesser used languages - the languages of minorities in the EU - in the context of enlargement and cultural diversity” of the European Parliament,

- having regard to Article 21 and 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European union.

-       whereas in Europe every seventh citizen belongs to a autochthonous national minority,

-       whereas in Europe 90 languages are spoken, 37 of them are spoken as national state languages and 53 are spoken as “languages without a state”,

-       whereas – following the motto of the European Union: “United in Diversity” -, an explicit objective of the EU is sustainable support for linguistic diversity,

-       are committed to a Europe of diversity, of inalienable values and to the intellectual heritage of our continent, in particular to respect and support for the linguistic and cultural diversity. [2]

The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities calls upon

1) the EU-Commission and the national governments, to develop an effective and sustainable language policy and language support for the regional or minority languages, together with the organisations of the regional or minority languages. This will contribute to safeguard and stimulate linguistic diversity and the resulting cultural richness of Europe. At the same time the regional or minorities have a positive impact in the context of European multilingualism, early and lifelong language learning and the preservation of European linguistic diversity that will even increase towards the future. In this context the European Union / EU Commission is explicitly called upon to seize the initiative and to formulate an appropriate language policy, together with the member states and the autochthonous national minorities in Europe. FUEN offers its help as cooperation partner for the elaboration of such language policy.

2) the EU-Commission to establish the European language agency that was demanded by FUEN and by the European Parliament, and that takes into account the regional or minority languages. This agency must – similar to the recently established agency for fundamental rights (former monitoring centre) – amongst other things be responsible for the language policy that has been described in item 1. In view of the legal basis that will be needed for agency is referred to the proposal of the EU-Parliament in the “Report with recommendations to the Commission on European regional and lesser used languages - the languages of minorities in the EU - in the context of enlargement and cultural diversity” (Ebner report).

3) the EU-Commission to establish an EU-support programme for linguistic diversity with particular consideration of the regional or minority languages, in order to ensure effective, project-oriented support for regional or minority languages. Since the cancellation of a budget line of its own for regional or minority languages by the European Court of Justice because of legal formalities there have been no initiatives by the European Commission to create a new legal base – the Assembly of Delegates call for this. In the meantime the Commission is called upon to ensure that the regional or minority languages and in particular the small and smallest amongst them are taken account of according to their needs within the new Integrated Lifelong Learning Programme of the EU.

4) Linked to the FUEN/YEN “Charter of the autochthonous national minorities in Europe” and the first fundamental right of the Charter that has been worked out in detail – the right to education – the board of FUEN is called upon to work on the further support of regional or minority languages – in particular taking into account the small and smallest languages. As European umbrella organisation the interests of the member organisations have to be guarded, in a dialogue the requirements of a stringent European language policy for the regional or minority languages have to be inventoried and together concrete follow-up measures have to be worked out.

EXPLANATION:

FUEN notices with regret that the EU-Commission did not implement the basic demands of the European minorities in view of the future support for regional and minorities, against the recommendation of the European Parliament, against the feasibility study it ordered and against the advice of FUEN.

FUEN welcomes the approach of the new Integrated Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013 that recognises the regional and minority languages as “mainstream” and therefore gives the opportunity to take part in all the sub-programmes. At the same time however the Assembly of Delegates points out that the Integrated Lifelong Learning Programme cannot be a replacement for a support programme for the linguistic diversity with special consideration for regional and minority languages in its own right (see item 3). This is both the case for project support as well as support for European networks. At the same time we point out that the EU often overlooks the needs of the small and smallest languages – and does not take into account the possibilities / demands to this language communities (project size, costs/efforts and usefulness).

FUEN also warns that the very broad definition of regional or minority languages should not be explained to the disadvantage of the small and smallest languages, focussing the attention only on the large and strong regional languages, which are entitled to adequate support by the EU. It has be a primary objective of the EU to create suitable conditions for the small and smallest languages to safeguard these languages that are often threatened in their existence.

RESOLUTION 2007-09

The Assembly of Delegates of Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the following resolution in Tallinn on 17 May 2007.

The Federal Union of European Nationalities,

-       having regard to the principles of regionalism and subsidiarity, as cornerstones of the European Union,

-       having regard to the problems of national minorities divided by borders,

-       having regard to the relative lower living quality of the population living in border regions, with special regard to minorities without kin-states,

-       having regard to the principles of democratic equality and self-government,

-       having regard to the rights of minorities to establish and maintain free contacts across frontiers, guaranteed in international conventions,

-       having regard to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, to the Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities and its Additional Protocols, all signed under the aegis of Council of Europe, and to Recommendation No. 1201 (1993) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,

-       having regard to the regional policy of the European Union, to community initiatives supporting cross-border cooperations, and in particular to Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European grouping of territorial cooperation, adopted the following resolution:

1. transfrontier cooperations and contacts can contribute to the historical reconciliation, peaceful togetherliving, development and constructive cooperation of neighbouring States and majority and minority societies in a Europe divided by borders and overtaken by ethnic tensions in the beginning of the 21. century too;
2. with this goal in view it is necessary to guarantee the participation of minority groups in the elaboration, implementation and monitoring of transfrontier cooperation programs. It is indispensable to mention that reaching the above-mentioned goal complex cooperation programs should be elaborated, and beside the economic and spatial planning dimension the fields of educational and cultural cooperations should get more accent, as specifically the problems and interests of minorities – in particular cases without a kin-state – specifically living in border regions too;      
3. in this reason we strongly condemn aspirations and policies of States intending to restrict cross-border cooperations or want to efface their minority dimension;
4. we proclaim that against the counter-interested, sometimes ethnopolitically motivated State policies it is necessary to promote the further strengthening of the legal character and institutionalisation of transfrontier cooperations. For this purpose we warmly welcome the regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) and fully support the work of the Council of Europe in elaborating the structure of Euroregional Co-operation Groupings (ECG);
5. we emphasise, that organs of transfrontier cooperation do not constitute a new administrative level and do not harm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. They only constitute a cooperation platform for the transfrontier solution of social, economic and infrastructural problems in border regions;
6. we underline that transfrontier cooperations are based on democratic principles of self-government and subsidiarity, they could be therefore restrained by governments only in extreme and justified cases;
7. we emphasise the importance of multilingualism and language teaching – above all in connection with languages of neighbouring countries and of minorities living in border regions – to form a spirit of mutual tolerance and understanding and develop a competitive workforce in border regions;
8. and finally we confess to a cooperation-oriented and tolerant spirituality facilitated by transfrontier cooperations too, which exceeds the nationalist, centralized and statist thinking, dividing the peoples of Europe in the heads and lays down there new borders yet too