MRKOPLJE, June 22 (Hina) - The fifth international symposium on national minorities in democracies was held in the central Croatian town of Mrkoplje.
MRKOPLJE, June 22 (Hina) - The fifth international symposium on
national minorities in democracies was held in the central Croatian
town of Mrkoplje. #L#
About 40 participants from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Slovenia agreed that the legal and
political regulation of the national minorities' status and the
protection of their rights were of key importance for the further
democratisation and economic prosperity of the said countries.
The participants said national minorities were often victims in
bids to achieve regional stability in south-eastern Europe,
according to a statement issued from the symposium.
They assessed that "an ethnocentric concept of the organisation of
the recently-established countries (...) in this region is
directed in long run towards the intolerant treatment - thus
removing the communities from stability, social development and
civilisation trends in Europe," read the statement.
The symposium pointed to positive examples and projects conducted
by non-governmental organisations and local communities to promote
national minorities' rights in Croatia, Bosnia, Yugoslavia and
Slovenia.
The participants advocated the revision of the introduction of
religious teaching in secondary schools in multiethnic
communities.
According to the statement, "the drawing up of a constitutional law
on national minorities' rights in Croatia for one year in secrecy as
well as waiting one year for the announcement of data on the
national structure of the population are indications of the
insufficient sensitivity of the ruling political parties in
Croatia for the minorities' issues."
The event, held on 20-22 June, was organised by the Zagreb-based
Political Science College, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and the
Council of National Minorities in Croatia.
(hina) ms