http://www.florina.org/news/2009/1)8_1_09_Press%20Release_UN%20Forum%20for%20minority%20issues_gr.doc


ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ

ΣΥΜΜΕΤΟΧΗ ΤΟΥ ΟΥΡΑΝΙΟΥ ΤΟΞΟΥ ΣΤΟ FORUM ΤΟΥ ΟΗΕ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΓΛΩΣΣΙΚΑ ΔΙΚΑΙΩΜΑΤΑ ΜΕΙΟΝΟΤΗΤΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΤΙΚΕΣ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΕΣ ΚΡΑΤΩΝ ΜΕΛΩΝ.


Στη Γενεύη 15-16 Δεκεμβρίου 2008 συμμετείχε εκπρόσωπος του Ουράνιου Τόξου σε Forum, το οποίο διοργάνωσε το Συμβούλιο Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων του Οργανισμού Ηνωμένων Εθνών.

Το Forum ήταν αφιερωμένο στα ζητήματα δικαιωμάτων εκπαίδευσης και σεβασμού των εθνικών μειονοτήτων, των χωρών μελών των Ηνωμένων Εθνών. Αντικείμενο της εκδήλωσης ήταν η εποικοδομητική συζήτηση, τοποθετήσεις-προτάσεις τόσο των εκπροσώπων μελών μειονοτικών οργανώσεων όσο και αντιπροσώπων των κρατών του ΟΗΕ.

Ο Οργανισμός Ηνωμένων Εθνών πραγματοποιεί ουσιαστικά έναν άτυπο διάλογο ανάμεσα σε όλους τους συμμετέχοντες στο Forum, έχοντας ως βάση της συζήτησης τις προτάσεις που ετοιμάζουν οι Ειδικοί συνεργάτες του Συμβουλίου Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων, προς τα κράτη μέλη του ΟΗΕ, σε ότι αφορά τα εκπαιδευτικά δικαιώματα μειονοτήτων.

Εκπρόσωπος του Ουράνιου Τόξου είχε την ευκαιρία να παρουσιάσει την ανύπαρκτη εκπαιδευτική και όχι μόνον πολιτική της χώρας μας, σε ότι αφορά την εθνική Μακεδονική μειονότητα στην Ελλάδα. Η πολυπρόσωπη ελληνική αντιπροσωπεία απλώς επανάλαβε τη γνωστή θέση της Ελλάδος, περί “ολίγων ατόμων στην Ελλάδα που ομιλεί μια σλαβική διάλεκτο…” Φυσικά οι επίσημες αντιπροσωπείες των κρατών μελών του ΟΗΕ στο Forum, οι Ειδικοί συνεργάτες του Συμβουλίου Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων, είδαν και παρακολούθησαν τον άτυπο διάλογο ανάμεσα σε Ουράνιο Τόξο και την ελληνική αντιπροσωπεία. Τα συμπεράσματα σίγουρα θα περιληφθούν στις ανάλογες εκθέσεις-προτάσεις του Συμβουλίου προς τη χώρα μας. Αντίστοιχα εύκολα μπορούν να διαπιστώσουν εκπρόσωποι κρατών μελών του ΟΗΕ σε ότι αφορά την εκπαιδευτική-ανύπαρκτη πολιτική της Ελλάδος απέναντι στους εθνικά Μακεδόνες.

Στο παρακάτω link – σελίδα μπορείτε να πληροφορηθείτε για τις λεπτομέρειες της εκδήλωσης:

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hr ... /forum.htm

Το Ουράνιο Τόξο θα συνεχίσει τη διεθνοποίηση του μειονοτικού μακεδονικού ζητήματος, στη βάση διεθνών, συμβάσεων, άρθρων, διακηρύξεων που έχει υπογράψει η Ελλάδα, τις οποίες δεν γίνονται σεβαστές από τη χώρα μας, ούτε οι στοιχειώδες βασικές ανάλογες αρχές.


ΤΟ ΓΡΑΦΕΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ

Oral presentation of representative of Rainbow :
15 December 2008
http://www.florina.org/news/2009/1a)8_1_09_UN%20Forum%20on%20minority%20issues_presentation_Monday%2015th%20_eng.doc


Thank you Mrs. Chairperson,

Many thanks to UN institutions for giving us the opportunity participate in the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues on the topic of “Minorities and the Right to Education”.

As members of the Macedonian minority in Greece, we appreciate very much the visit of Ms. MacDougal and Mr. Fox to Northern Greece a few months ago.

We believe the visit to a minority region in Greece by UN experts will finally give a positive motivation to the Greek government and generally our state institutions to take a positive approach to the elementary rights of the Macedonian minority.

Greece unfortunately is discriminating by not recognizing the Macedonian minority at every level regarding the respect for a separate Macedonian ethnic identity. Basic fundamental rights are not respected at all particularly in relation to linguistic rights and education in minority language. Greece recognizes linguistic minority rights only with Turkish language in Western Thrace, however only giving our Turkish compatriots minimum rights.

Let me stress that today on 15 December, the issue of the non-registration of the Home of the Macedonian Culture is before the Supreme Court in Greece. This organization is trying among other aims the promotion of Macedonian culture as well as the Macedonian language. Greece is refusing since 1989 the recognition and registration this association against the European court of Human Rights. Unfortunately our State Greece is not respecting and implementing the ECHR decision since 1998 which found that Greece violated Articles 6 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights when it refused to register this association.

In various international forums, the representatives of Greece are often expressed the argument that “a small part of people speaking an idiom, dialect” regarding the Macedonian language speaking in Northern Greece. It is a fact that there is a linguistic diversity in our country. Indirectly, this is a “recognition” by state officials regarding minority languages in Greece.

So according to Greek officials we believe that it is essential to organize a census in Greece. A linguistic census is the first step regarding implementing educational policy for linguistic diversity.

Let me stress that 90 years ago Greece organized a linguistic census supported from the then League of Nations. In 1920, according to the official Greek documents a specific “Macedonian language” was noted as different language among the population of the Greek state. This official document (census list) from this census is clearly opposite again the present Greek state views referring to “idiom” or “dialect”.

It is our suggestion that UN institutions can support Greek state in organizing a “linguistic census”. I hope that Human Rights Council will recommend to Greek state for organizing the census. Let me stress that there is not just linguistic diversity regarding Macedonian language in Greece. There are also different ones from Greek official language, for instance Romani and Vlach (Armanish) language speaking from thousands of people, Greek citizens. The census is a great opportunity and relevant instrument for our state Greece, to “defend” the official statements of our state for “not existing” other languages in our country.

Finally, as Macedonian organizing of the Macedonian minority in Greece, we are ready to contribute and help our State regarding the implementation of a positive policy regarding recognition and educational measures regarding Macedonian language in Greece.

Thank you all for your attention.

16 December 2008

http://www.florina.org/news/2009/1b)8_1_09_UN%20Forum%20on%20Minority%20Issues_presentation_Tuesday%2016th_eng.doc



Good morning ladies and Gentleman.

Thank you Mrs. Chairperson very much for giving us even two minutes of expressing orally views and recommendations.

It’s great for us representatives of Macedonian minorities organization participating, listening, learning and exchanging views among participants, regarding UN institutions as well as here in the Forum of Human Rights Council, all these days, particularly listening to experience from experts and speakers about educational policies related to minorities in various countries.

Unfortunately there is not possible to be organized in Greece a similar forum, or at least a dialog between us from the Macedonian minority and our Greek government.

On this occasion as indirect dialog with the Greek government here in UN, Geneva we appeal our government of Greece to implement at least article 26 paragraphs (1), (2), (3) from the UN Universal Declaration from 1948 to respect a minimum of rights regarding educational policies for the Macedonian minority in Greece.

Let me mention that we have information regarding minority policies, state policies in Southeastern Europe, the situation of minorities, and off course the disaster situation, discriminations and war in former Yugoslavia from the previous decade.

We suggest that a comparative study regarding national minorities in Balkan states should be very useful for the implementation of minority rights in all Balkan States.

We believe that Human Rights Council could recommend to Balkan States comparative studies particularly about educational minority rights. It’s very important for us, having on mind the Social Cohesion and Integration discussed in this afternoon’s Session, the respect for linguistic rights and peaceful living among citizens.

On this occasion we are suggesting continually to the Greek state to include Macedonian language in the educational state system in the elementary and secondary level and not separate, segregate education in Macedonian language. This is very important for respectful coexistence of language and culture learning and teaching pupils and children in a joined system between the minority and majority population. We would not suggest a separate parallel educational system for the Macedonian minority.

We have enough experience regarding the respecting of minority policies by progressive States. We believe it is essential for a society and a country to give elementary knowledge to every citizen, members of minority and majority, about cultural and linguistic diversity. Fundamental is the educational minority policies but we also believe it’s very important to the mass media policies. Particularly we believe that minority languages, as the Macedonian language, should be included in Greek national TV and radios in the regions where Macedonian language is spoken.

Mass media can also be as secondary instrument regarding linguistic rights and educational policies in present modern electronic era.

Thank you all.