Blagoevgrad/Gorna Dzumaja (Bulgaria), Melbourne (Australia) and Toronto (Canada)

OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN, the political party of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, together with the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) and Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) welcome the recent release of the report of the United Nations Independent Expert on Minority Issues on the situation in Bulgaria.

The report was made public on 3 January 2012 by the newly appointed UN Independent Expert, Ms. Rita Izsák and follows the visit to Bulgaria in July 2011 of her predecessor, Ms Gay McGougall. During the visit to Bulgaria, the Independent Expert met with representatives of the Macedonian minority in the country. The delegation comprised of: Stojko Stojkov, Co-President of OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN and Stahil Tupalski, Central Council Member of OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN; Stojan Gerasimov from the Society of Repressed Macedonians; and Georgi Hristov, the Chief Editor of the pro-Macedonian newspaper, Narodna Volja. The meeting gave the Macedonian organisations the opportunity to provide the Independent Expert with a first hand, documented account of the problems facing the Macedonian population in Bulgaria.

The post-visit report made a number of observations in relation to the situation of minorities in Bulgaria. In paragraphs 66-67, devoted to the Macedonian minority, the Independent Expert noted that:

“66. Article 54 of the Bulgarian Constitution states that “everyone shall have the right to avail himself of the national and universal human cultural values and to develop his own culture in accordance with his ethnic self-identification, which shall be recognized and guaranteed by the law.” However, the Government denies the existence of an ethnic Macedonian minority, and does not recognize the Pomaks (considered as Bulgarian-speaking Muslims by the Government) as a distinct minority – claiming that both groups are in fact ethnic Bulgarians. Representatives of those who self-identify as ethnic Macedonians and as Pomaks claim that their minority rights are consequently violated.

67. Ethnic Macedonians consider it of crucial importance that their ethnic identity and distinctiveness be officially recognized. Community representatives strongly dispute census findings reflecting very low and declining numbers of Macedonians,and claim that the true population is many times higher. The Macedonian language is not recognized or taught in schools and Macedonians are not represented on the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Integration Issues.

Most significantly though, the Independent Expert made a number of significant recommendations in relation to the recognition of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria.

In relation to respect for self-identification the Independent Expert recommended that:

“93. In accordance with its Constitutional provisions to respect the right to ethnic self-identification, the Government should ensure and protect this right, as well as the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association of members of the Macedonian and Pomak minorities.

94. Policies relating to the recognition and rights of minority groups must be assessed in relation to the State’s obligations under international human rights law. Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that “in those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their own language.” The question of the existence of minorities is addressed by the Human Rights Committee in its general comment No. 23 (1994) on the rights of minorities. Article 5.2 states that “the existence of an ethnic, religious or linguistic minority in a given State party does not depend upon a decision by that State party but requires to be established by objective criteria.”

95. With regard to identification with a particular racial or ethnic group, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has established in its general recommendation No. 8 (1990) on article 1 of the Convention that “such identification shall, if no justification exists to the contrary, be based upon self-identification by the individual concerned.” The right of individuals to freely identify as belonging to an ethnic, religious or linguistic group is therefore established in international law. Domestic law should recognize such rights and ensure that no individual or group suffers from any disadvantage or discriminatory treatment on the basis of their freely chosen identity as belonging (or not) to an ethnic, religious,  linguistic or any other group.

On Bulgaria’s refusal to abide by judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, the views of the Independent Expert were quite explicit:

96. Bulgaria should comply fully with the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) relating to persons belonging to such communities and implement its rulings without further delay. Associations should be allowed to register and function without impediment, use their chosen names and express their ethnic identities freely. Associations that have been denied in the past should promptly be given official registration.

The Independent Expert also recommended the introduction of the Macedonian language to the Bulgarian education system:

“97. The Government’s position not to allow the use of mother tongue languages as the language of instruction in schools, particularly in regions where minorities are a majority or constitute a large percentage of the population, is a concern for minorities, including the Roma, Turkish Muslims and Macedonians. Bilingual education commencing in the early years of schooling would enable children to become proficient in their mother tongue as well as in Bulgarian. Furthermore, it would enable them to maintain their ethnic and linguistic identity and help minority pupils to achieve positive educational outcomes. The Government is urged to consider introducing bilingual education and to ratify the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages”

The United Macedonian Organisation “Ilinden” PIRIN, the political party of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, together with the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) and Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) demands that the Bulgarian Government to take note of the report of the UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues and implement, in full and without delay, each of the recommendations contained in the report.

The full report can be downloaded here:

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/19session/A.HRC.19.56.Add.2_en.pdf

__________

OMO ”Ilinden” PIRIN is a political party supporting the rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. It has been banned since 2000, despite a 2005 European Court of Human Rights Judgement ruling that the decision was a violation of the Euroepan Convention on Human Rights. For more information please visit www.omoilindenpirin.org.
Established in 1984 the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) is a non governmental organisation that advocates before governments, international institutions and broader communities about combating discrimination and promoting basic human rights. Our aspiration is to ensure that Macedonian communities and other excluded groups throughout the world are recognised, respected and afforded equitable treatment. For more information please visit www.macedonianhr.org.au , or contact AMHRC by email info@macedonianhr.org.au or on +61 3 93298960.
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information: www.mhrmi.org, twitter.com/mhrmi, facebook.com/mhrmi, info@mhrmi.org,+1 416-850-7125.

Esta unión de palabras que hago tiene como propósito reflejar una cuestión que me ronda en la cabeza hace ya unos meses: nosotros y nosotras, jóvenes de diferentes organizaciones de Europa (algunos con más destacado desarrollo e implantación social que otros), estamos siendo testigos de la muerte del incipiente proyecto de Europa por la que trabajamos. Ya hace muchos años que se alejó de lo que hubiese sido nuestra Europa, la Europa de los pueblos; pero hoy, no sólo nos separan unos cuántos nudos de aquella orilla, sino que el trasatlántico en el que íbamos está naufragando.

Soy una extraña entre extranjeros que con una serie de complicidades tejen (tejéis) la red europea en ese entorno de Bruselas.  Digo que soy una extraña, porque nunca me veréis entre vosotros y vosotras trabajando por algo que sinceramente creo que no es nuestro; hoy vuelvo a subrayar, que éste no es el sistema europeo por el que nosotras y nosotros nos unimos. Este sistema sólo alimenta al poderoso, mientras las diferentes minorías se nutren de las migajas que dejan los grandes gigantes de la política económica.

Estos meses estamos asistiendo a la defunción de Grecia y he observado con estupor a la escasa articulación de la juventud europea para desarrollar un plan de denuncia social… porque las personas jóvenes tenemos unas líneas sociales que nos guían ¿no? La justicia social, la lucha contra el empobrecimiento, el internacionalismo de base como parte dentro del europeísmo que asimilamos, deberían ser nuestras líneas, líneas de trabajo para colaborar en la erradicación de sistemas que patetizan a pueblos, que empobrecen a la sociedad y que condenan al mundo.

Con estas cuatro líneas quiero animaros a que estéis donde estéis, tengáis un puesto laboral en Bruselas o no, o en cualquier otra institución, os animéis a quitaros las corbatas y los tacones, y veáis las fotos de Atenas aunque sea por un segundo. Si es que sois jóvenes, si es que detrás de todo protocolo sigue habiendo una persona joven, en cuestión de segundos entenderéis el porqué de mi preocupación y la escritura de estas líneas. Porque no sólo con fe cambiaremos Europa; porque la lucha activa en las causas son las que nos ayudarán a construir una Europa de los pueblos, solidaria y justa con las causas que duelen al mundo. La denuncia y sobre todo, el trabajo, la lucha por erradicar la esquilmación social debe ser prioritaria para cualquier persona joven. ¿No estáis de acuerdo?

The  EFAy deems that the treaty is neither useful nor necessary since it delivers very few new elements, lacks creativity and is in large part already integrated in the EU’s 6-Pack of economic governance legislation, the reinforced “Stability and Growth pact” aiming at facilitating and preserving the stability of the Economic and Monetary Union.

Moreover, the treaty is being pushed forward by France and Germany, the two member states that few years ago failed to respect the Stability and Growth Pact. And today, the German-French couple, the so-called ”Merkozy”, wants to impose their austerity measures troughout Europe. This ‘austerity pact plus’ lacks concrete measures for resolving the Euro crisis (such as meaningful steps for creating more jobs for young people and boosting innovation), does not address the root causes of the problem and therefore it does not deliver the needed, comprehensive crisis response. It will only lead to a further deterioration of the economic situation throughout Europe, especially in the poorest countries, and it will have a significant, negative impact on Europe’s regions and minorities who are already facing serious difficulties. The treaty will especially affect the youth taking into account that its unemployment rate is far above the EU average.

The EFAy believes that the way out of the crisis lies in an EU-wide strategy negotiated not only among the Member States but also with the European Parliament, which is the only directly-elected democratic body,  in order to ensure that the interests and needs of the regions, the marginalized people as well as people coming from remote areas are protected and promoted in the debate. We need a future-directed, sustainable development that will boost the youth potential and promote EU diversity, innovation and stronger solidarity among European peoples, all of these implemented according to the subsidiarity principle. People deserve to have the opportunity to create their future with awareness and choice and not by default. The EFAy calls on MEPs to make sure that the budget consolidation is not implemented in a manner that hinders the future of young people.

EFAy welcomes Croatia as the next full EU member in 2013. We also welcome the inclusion of Croatian in the Regulation determining the official EU languages and we would like to use this opportunity to remind the EU institutions of the need to recognize as official languages of the Union the other European languages spoken on its territory, at least the languages of the nations whose National and Regional Parliaments and/or local authorities have asked for an official language status, such as the Catalan, the Basque, the Galician, the Welsh, etc.

It is true that both Croatia and the EU are facing economic and social crisis which means that by becoming a member of the Union, Croatia will not automatically loose its problems and challenges but it will certainly gain a better framework for resolving them, including a full access to the European single market and participation in the decision making process at EU level.

When it comes to reforms to be still implemented, EFAy believes that in Croatia there is a need for a greater and more efficient decentralization that will truly boost the potential of the regions and provide for a sustainable development following the bottom-up approach.

EFAy welcomes the establishment of a solid legal framework for the protection of minorities in Croatia (including the Charter of Fundamental Rights), in line with the European standards for human rights. However, we encourage the Croatian Government to focus their energies and resources on promoting more tolerance and good interethnic and interfaith relations in the multicultural Croatian society as well as on better implementation of the already existing laws.

EFAy dreams of a Europe that upholds and celebrates national and regional diversity against State assimilation and uniformity. We favor a ‘Europe of the Peoples’, a Europe that values and safeguards its different national minorities and identities (languages and cultures). We believe in a Europe that sustains the principle of subsidiarity, supports and encourages self-determination, advocates effectively for social justice and environmental protection and practices progressive democracy.

Together with our members from Croatia, the youth branch of Lista za Rijeku, we will continue to work for a better Europe and a more social, more sustainable and more inclusive Union that enhances the potential of young people and gives them the opportunity to actively participate in our societies.

Moreover, considering the current economic and social crisis that Europe is facing at large, there is a need for a leader that will reinforce the role of the Parliament and the Union, make sure that the democratic principles and values are maintained and respected in all the Member States and guarantee that young people are given the opportunity to get a job and have a better future.

Thus, the case of Hungary should serve as a warning to all other European countries finding themselves on the edge of undermining the union’s basic principles and values, that such non-democratic policies and behaviours have no place in Europe and they will not be tolerated.

]]> http://europeanfreeallianceyouth.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/efay-wishes-you-a-splendid-new-year/feed/ 0 europeanfreeallianceyouth cestitka za Jana copy http://europeanfreeallianceyouth.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/jong-n-vas-conference-einstein-or-frankenstein/ http://europeanfreeallianceyouth.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/jong-n-vas-conference-einstein-or-frankenstein/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:56:50 +0000 europeanfreeallianceyouth http://europeanfreeallianceyouth.wordpress.com/?p=427 ]]> EFAy member organization, Jong N-VA, held a successful conference titled “Einstein or Frankenstein?”. The conference took place on Saturday, November 26^th, in the Flemish Parliament. The theme of the conference was “Science, Ethics and Innovation” and it explored a variety of topics such as privacy on social networks, GMOs, innovation in sports, innovation in public transport and blue economy. During the fruitful discussions the potentials and dangers of technological development were underlined. Please check out the video from the conference by clicking on the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6WHtHOoOpM

With this statement we would like to reaffirm our commitment to the Basque peace process and express our strong support to the new international declaration made at the international peace conference that took place on October 17^th in Donostia/San Sebastian. The conference was attended by high profile delegates including ex-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Bruntland and former Prime Minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern. Among other things, the declaration urges ETA to publicly declare a definitive end of violence and embark in a dialogue with the Spanish and French Government in order to address the consequences of the conflict.

In light of this declaration and following the experience of South Africa, we believe that establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Committee for the Basque Country would help in the process of reconciliation and healing the personal and social wounds from the past. Recognition of the harm that has been committed by both sides is necessary for the process of forgiving and building mutual trust to take place.

In order for true and long lasting peace to be established it is necessary to create a  safe space for inclusive dialogue that will involve not only the representatives of the Spanish Government, Basque Government, ETA and the political parties active in the Basque Country but also members of the Basque and Spanish civil society. Open consultations with the citizenry will lead to a new era of positive peace, characterized not only by the absence of physical violence but also by the absence of structural and cultural violence and a true respect of the right to self-determination of the Basque people.

We must not forget that while we are facing a definitive cease of armed actions by ETA, there are still steps to be taken on the road to pacification in Euskal Herria. At this point we must not forget the work that is being carried out by the signatories of the Gernika Agreement, that the signing of the agreement by political parties, trade unions and social actors, and the vindication of the different points that appear in written, their steps towards the fulfillment and vindication of all rights for all people have been a constant.

This is a first step but not the last, and as a platform for young people in Europe we must not forget the outlawed youth organizations, the dozens of young people who are in prison awaiting a trial… examples and more examples of the need to resolve the situation in Euskal Herria. That is why we support the work done consistently by our member organization Gazte Abertzaleak in this direction, and we underline the impulse and the effort that it continues to give daily to the different political and social spheres of its activity.

Therefore, we call for active participation of young people in constructing the road to peace and finding a definite solution to the conflict.

As this is a matter of relevance for all Europeans, EFAy also calls on the EU to take an active role and facilitate the dialogue needed for ending permanently the violence in the Basque Country. The conflict can no longer be considered an internal issue of a Member State.

EFAy President Roccu Garoby said:

“Since its establishment, EFA Youth has always supported the peace process in the Basque country and it has always backed the Basque people in their fight for the recognition of their rights especially the self-determination one.

I would like to remind that although the European Union was created in order to give peace to all people living on its territory, the Basque country is the last space in Europe where Spain and France have been failing for decades. As the situation in the Basque country is changing, the Spanish and the French Governments should change as well and act positively to this new situation. Moreover, the European Union should take part in the peace process as it did in the Irish case few years ago.

The Basque people deserve to live in peace and the Basque youth should not be forgotten again.”

Toda la ciudadanía de Euskal Herria desea una situación de paz duradera que nunca hemos llegado a conocer. Pero como la paz y la normalización política son tan importantes, no podemos dejar su logro en manos de nadie. Todos y todas las ciudadanas tenemos que participar en este proceso.

Nosotros y nosotras, ciudadanas y ciudadanos de este país, tenemos que proteger e impulsar con todas nuestras fuerzas esta oportunidad para la paz y las soluciones democráticas.

Para ello la paz y la normalización política que queremos traer a Euskal Herria han de ser verdaderas y llenas de contenido. Así es la solución para el conflicto que queremos los agentes políticos, sindicales y sociales que hemos suscrito el Acuerdo de Gernika:

- Integral, porque tiene que dar solución tanto a las causas que originaron el conflicto como todas y cada una de sus consecuencias.

- Democrática, porque se tiene que basar en el respeto a todos los derechos de todas las personas y en el respeto al derecho a decidir de la sociedad vasca.

- Sin vencedores ni vencidas, porque una paz justa nos hace a todas y todos vencedores, frente al conflicto armado, la imposición y la discriminación.

- Dialogada, porque sólo el diálogo político y la negociación son instrumentos con garantía de éxito a la hora de resolver conflictos.

En este largo camino que queremos recorrer éstos son los primeros hitos que queremos alcanzar:

- Mejorar la situación de los presos y presas políticas, libertad para quienes se hallan gravemente enfermos y enfermas, derogación de la doctrina Parot y traer a todos y todas las presas políticas a prisiones de Euskal Herria, además de mejorar sus condiciones de vida para que puedan participar en el proceso.

- Legalización, de todas las opciones políticas, tanto de Sortu como del resto de partidos, organizaciones y asociaciones ilegalizadas por razones ideológicas.

- Desactivación de la represión, paralización de juicios políticos y final del acoso a todas las personas por razones políticas.

-Asimismo, impulsaremos el reconocimiento de todas las víctimas.

Abramos nuestras puertas y seamos nosotras y nosotros la llave de la solución.

¡El 22 de octubre TODAS Y TODOS A BILBO!

Porque la ciudadanía vasca está por la solución

Source:  http://es.gazteabertzaleak.org/euskal-herria-por-la-solucion/#more-1501