MINELRES: Minority news from Hungary: February - April 2003

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Judit Solymosi <solymosij@mail.datanet.hu>


Selection of news on national and ethnic minorities in Hungary

February - April 2003



National minority self-governments established

With the successfully ended second electoral meeting of Roma electors on
1 March, all national and ethnic minority communities of Hungary have
elected their national minority self-governments. The list of the
addresses of the newly elected bodies is as follows:

List of addresses of the National Minority Self-governments of Hungary

1. 	Bolg�r Orsz�gos �nkorm�nyzat
	Bulgarian National Self-government
	President:  Dr Dancs� Muszev Dimitrov 
	1097 Budapest, L�nyay u. 41.
	Phone: 36 1 216 4211, 
	Fax: 36 1 216 4210

2.	Orsz�gos Cig�ny �nkorm�nyzat
	National Roma Self-government
	President: Mr Alad�r Horv�th
	1074 Budapest, Doh�ny u. 76. 
	Phone: 36 1 322-8903, 322-8961
Fax: 36 1 322-8501
	
3.	G�r�g Orsz�gos �nkorm�nyzat
	Greek National Self-government
	President: Mr Theodorosz Szkevisz
	1054 Budapest, V�csey u. 5.
	Phone: 36 1 302-7275
	Fax: 36 1 302-7277

4.	Orsz�gos Horv�t �nkorm�nyzat
	National Croatian Self-government
	President: Dr Mih�ly Karagics 
	1089 Budapest, B�r� Lajos u. 24.
	Phone: 36 1 303-5636, 303-6094, 303-6093
	Fax.: 36 1 303-5636

5.	Orsz�gos Lengyel Kisebbs�gi �nkorm�nyzat
	National Polish Minority Self-government 
	President: Dr Konr�d Sutarski 
	1102 Budapest, �llom�s u. 10.
	Phone and fax: 36 1 261-1798

6.	Magyarorsz�gi N�metek Orsz�gos �nkorm�nyzata
	National Self-government of the Germans living in Hungary
	President: Mr Otto Heinek 
	1026 Budapest, J�lia u. 9.
	Phone: 36 1 212-9151, 212-9152, 212-9155
	Fax.: 36 1 212-9153


7.	Magyarorsz�gi Rom�nok Orsz�gos �nkorm�nyzata
	National Self-government of the Romanians living in Hungary
	President: Mr Traj�n Kreszta
	5700 Gyula, Eminescu u. 1.
	Phone and fax: 36 66-463-951

8.	Orsz�gos �rm�ny �nkorm�nyzat
	National Armenian Self-government
	President: Mr Gergely Aj�n Senior
	Polg�rmesteri Hivatal
	8600 Si�fok, Fo t�r 1.	
	Phone: 36 84 313 100
	Fax 36 84 311 316
	Mobile: 36 30 902 42 74

9.	Szerb Orsz�gos �nkorm�nyzat
	Serbian National Self-government
	President: Dr Milica Pavlov
	1055 Budapest, Falk M. u. 3.
	Phone and fax.: 36 1 331-5345

10.	Orsz�gos Szlov�k �nkorm�nyzat
	National Slovak Self-government
	President: Mr J�nos Fuzik 
	1114 Budapest, Fadrusz u. 11/a.
	Phone: 36 1 386-8759, 
	Fax.: 36 1 466-9463 

11.     Orsz�gos Szlov�n �nkorm�nyzat
	National Slovenian Self-government
	President: Mr M�rton Ropos 	
	9985 Felsosz�ln�k, Fo u. 5.
	Phone: 36-94-534-024
	Fax: 36-94-534-025
	Orsz�gos Szlov�n �nkorm�nyzat
	Budapesti Kirendelts�g 
	Budapest Office of the National Slovenian Self-government
	Office leader: Mr Ferenc Kr�nyecz 
	1075 Budapest, Rumbah u. 12.
Phone and fax: 36 1 342-2721
	

12.	Orsz�gos Ruszin Kisebbs�gi �nkorm�nyzat
	National Ruthenian Minority Self-government
	President: Ms Vera Giricz
	1145 Budapest, Gyarmat u. 85/B.
	Phone and fax: 36 1 468-2636,  468-2637

13.	Orsz�gos Ukr�n �nkorm�nyzat
	National Ukrainian Self-government
	President: Mrs Jaroszlava Harty�nyi 
	1066 Budapest, Zichy J. u. 10.
	Phone and fax: 36 1 302-5842, Fax: 36 1 216-5934



Parliamentary resolution on law amendments

On its 24 March session, the Hungarian Parliament voted Parliamentary
Resolution No H/1549 On the necessity of the reconsideration of legal
provisions concerning minorities (354 votes for and 1 vote opposing). In
this resolution, Parliament has invited the Government to reconsider Act
No 77/1993 on the rights of national and ethnic minorities as well as
Act No 100/1997 on the procedure of electing minority self-governments,
and to submit the necessary amendments to Parliament before 31 December
2003. The Government has been requested to continuously consult with
national minority self-governments during this work. The Parliamentary
Standing Committee on Human Rights, Minority and Religious Affairs shall
follow the draft legislation process with attention and contribute to
the amendment of the acts. 

Minority ombudsman Dr Jeno Kaltenbach stated several times that the
participation of all citizens in the election of minority
self-governments was unlawful and he proposed the setting-up of
registers on minority affiliation. In his opinion it is possible that
minority communities keep these local registers themselves in harmony
with detailed legal regulations. Registration should be voluntary.
According to Dr Kaltenbach's proposal, candidates should not only state
their minority affiliation, but also meet the objective criteria of
belonging to a given community and be backed by a minority organisation. 


Constituent meeting of the National Minority Informatics Board 

The National Minority Informatics Board was established in conformity
with the co-operation agreement of the Ministry of Informatics and
Communications and the national minority self-governments signed on 20
December 2002. This consultative and advisory body is composed of the
political state secretary of that ministry, the chef de cabinet of the
minister, representatives delegated by the national minority
self-governments as well as representatives of some other line
ministries concerned in the implementation of the government's minority
policy. At its constituent meeting held on 25 February 2003, the Board
discussed and adopted its preliminary organisational and operational
statutes. The body is headed by Gy�rgy Csepeli, Political State
Secretary of the Ministry of Informatics and Communications.


Hungarian minority ombudsman re-elected in ECRI

In March, Minority Ombudsman Dr Jeno Kaltenbach has been re-elected the
third time Vice-President of the European Commission against Racism and
Intolerance of the Council of Europe. 


Ministry of Defence recruits Roma soldiers

After the establishment of a Roma desk office in the Ministry of Defence
at the end of 2002, a 10-member Roma social committee has been set up to
fight discrimination and to protect the interests of Roma soldiers in
the army. One of the committee's aims is to increase the number of Roma
soldiers in order to have a proportion similar to their rate in the
whole population. A scholarship system is being developed to help Roma
youth who want to become professional officers and sub-officers.
Training courses on romology will be organised for army commanders, too.
On his February visit to the P�cs-based Gandhi Secondary Grammar School,
the Minister of Defence popularised work with armed bodies and announced
that every year the Hungarian Army can offer 3,000 job opportunities to
Roma and non Roma youngsters. 


Hungarian member of the European Convention proposes the establishment
of a Commission of Minorities

At the end of February, Mr J�zsef Sz�jer, member of the European
Convention submitted to the Convention a proposal entitled "Unity in
diversity" on the establishment of a Committee of National and Ethnic
Minorities aimed at the representation of national and ethnic minorities
in the institutional system of the European Union. Similarly to the
Committee of Regions or the Economic and Social Committee, this
Committee would have advisory competences in areas related to the life
and the interests of national and ethnic minorities such as culture,
trans-frontier co-operation, education, employment policy, etc. National
and ethnic minority communities as well as indigenous peoples living in
the member states without statehood would be represented in the
Committee. The presence of national and ethnic minorities in the
institutional system of the EU would strengthen the protection of
minority rights at the European level, and it would open new dimensions
to subsidiarity and partnership in the decision-making mechanism of the
European Union. The full text of the proposal can be consulted at the
following website address:
http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/03/cv00/cv00580en03.pdf


School and Roma culture

At the beginning of March, an international seminar was held in Debrecen
on the role of Roma culture in the school system. The four-day seminar
received minority experts from seven countries and was hosted by the
K�lcsey Ferenc Protestant Teachers' Training College. The representative
of the Ministry of Education emphasized that ten years ago only 3-5% of
Roma children attended secondary schools providing a secondary school
leaving certificate that would allow studies in higher education. By now
this proportion has almost reached 20%. Yearly some 400 Roma students
graduate from universities, but only few of them go back to work in the
Roma community. However, international experience shows that highly
qualified young Roma experts working as teachers or responsible leaders
within the Roma community can achieve much better results than other,
non Roma experts.


Visit of the Advisory Committee of the European Charter for Regional or
Minority Languages in Hungary

Representatives of the Advisory Committee and the Secretariat of the
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages visited Hungary
between 31 March and 2 April in the framework of the monitoring
mechanism of the Charter. The delegation met the newly elected
presidents of the national minority self-governments, representatives of
other outstanding minority organisations as well as the representatives
of governmental and public bodies responsible for implementing the
obligations contained in the Charter.


Programme for Roma children

The first part of the 13-volume series entitled Katitzi by Swedish
writer Katarina Taikon was published in Hungarian and presented to the
public by Minister of Education B�lint Magyar at the beginning of March.
This marks the launching of the Katitzi programme in the framework of
which the book about the story of this Swedish Roma girl will be
distributed in 3,000 copies to more than 50 Hungarian schools. This
programme has already been developed in the Czech Republic and in
Slovakia, and it aims at decreasing prejudice, discrimination and
exlusion by means of discussions on Roma history and culture. The
illustrations of the book were made by the pupils of two Hungarian
schools.


"People's advocates" for those in need

At its session of 26 March, the Government approved the conception of a
network of "people's advocates" that will start working from 2004
onwards. According to the plans, the state will advance or cover the
fees of the litigations and the drawing up of petitions as well as
provide legal advice and representation for those in need.  Lawyers,
notaries public, legal aid organisations and offices will participate in
the network on an optional basis and they will be paid for their work by
the state.
 

Meeting of minority representatives with Hungarian Television leaders

On a meeting held on 9 April with the participation of the leaders of
the Hungarian Television and the national minority self-governments, the
representatives of national minorities expressed their wish to have
minority TV programmes broadcast at a more suitable hour, whilst the
Roma would like to have longer broadcasting time at their disposal.
Minority leaders asked for an enhanced integration of reports on the
situation of minorities into mainstream TV programmes that do not have
an explicit minority profile. The management of the television decided
to reconsider an earlier proposal according to which - differently from
the general practice - minority programmes will be passed to local
televisions free of charge. The responsible division of the Television
has worked out a complex "Roma package" in order to improve the image of
the Roma in the television. The elements of this programme will be
separately discussed with the representatives of the Roma community.


International Festival of Books in Budapest

The tenth International Festival of Books was organised by the National
Foreign Language Library in the Budapest Congress Hall at the end of
April. A special stand was devoted to the presentation of the cultural
and educational institutions of national and ethnic minorities, their
library network, books and written press as well as publications on
minorities. Books, periodicals, cassettes exhibited could be purchased
or ordered on the spot. 


Festival of Minority Theatres

The festival of minority theatres will be organised between 29 April and
2 May 2003 in three Budapest theatres. Nine theatre performances will be
staged in eight minority languages by nine different minority theatres.
The festival is organised under the auspices of the Minister of the
National Cultural Heritage and the Minister leading the Prime Minister's
Office. The programme of the festival also includes professional
discussions and round-tables on dramatic arts.