- Communiqués de presse
The FUEN Congress 2018 started in good spirits in Leeuwarden/Ljouwert, the capital of Fryslân and of culture on 21 June 2018. Ferd Crone, the mayor of Leeuwarden/Ljouwert welcomed the Congress in behalf of the Frisian people, talked about Fryslân’s cultural significance. „We are very proud that in 2018 we are the European Capital of Culture. Our town has a very rich history, even the royal family of the Netherlands and Mata Hari comes from the city of Leeuwarden/Ljouwert. We put multilingualism on the agenda of ECoC, besides tackling the social problems like the poverty of the outskirts”, said Crone, and explained why he feels multilingualism is a key element of the ECoC program: “Your mother tongue is the first language you learn. Even if you have to learn the language of the country you are a minority in, you will never lose your mother tongue”, said Crone. He added that more than half of the Europeans are multilingual, hence multilingualism is in the heart of many people in Europe. “You are a minority by definition, but you are actually a majority, because more than half of Europe’s population has a second language”, he concluded.
Geart Benedictus, Chair of the Council of the Frisian Movement greeted the Congress, and took the occasion to present Fryslân to the guests. He explained that farming is a very important part of the Frisian way of life and culture. After talking about the animal breeds Frisians take pride in, and the unique geography of the Frisian land, which is mostly beneath see level, he talked about the objectives of his organisation.“ The Frisian Movement constantly tries to find new ways to win the hearts and the minds of the people, and I hope that the Congress can provide new ideas in this regard”, Benedictus added.
In his welcome address Paul Bekkers, Director of the Office of the Secretary General of the OSCE presented the role of his organisation across the world. „We must always strive to prevent crises from escalating into conflicts. Crisis management is important, but it should be exceptional. Early morning diplomacy, peaceful conflict resolutions, sustainable peace building should be the rule”, he explained.
András Kocsis, Ambassador of Hungary to the Netherlands wished wisdom to FUEN on contemplating on strategic moves and living up to the challenges that arise concerning the protection of minority rights. He also read the message of Árpád János Potápi, Minister of State for Hungarian Communities Abroad. The minister of state reiterated that traditional minority issues are high on the agenda of Hungary, and agreed with the remark expressed earlier this week by FUEN president Loránt Vincze, that rights and freedoms of minorities are not extra rights, they should not be considered as complementary to the human rights. In his letter Potápi also expressed his conviction that the work of FUEN is indispensable, because new solutions are needed to cope with new arising issues. The Minority SafePack can be such a solution.
The Minority Commissioner of Germany, Dr. Bernd Fabritius explained that the help of the mother state is important, but even the best policies do not help if the members of the minority community are not involved. Furthermore, this help is not an additional factor, but rather an additive that should not be constitutive or existential for minority protection, which is in first place the job and responsibility of their homeland.
MEP Andor Deli, member of the Minority Intergroup pointed out that as much as 50 million citizens of the EU declare themselves minorities. And although minority rights are not part of the EU legislation, the Intergroup tries to keep the issue on the European agenda. “Minority communities need an organisation such as FUEN to successfully represent their claims, and I am convinced that FUEN is on the verge of becoming a partner to the European Commission in this issue.
Bob Deen, Senior Advisor at the Office of High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE surprised the audience by noting that he is a West Frisian. In his speech he stressed the need for minorities to be recognised as bearers of values. “We want the whole Europe to see diversity as an asset, not as a threat”, he said.
