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Building a culture of tolerance and participation in schools
Sovata, 1-10 July 2010
In 10th July has ended the training organized by the CEMO in human rights education field, entitled: "Building a culture of tolerance and participation in schools" Fostering democracy through the inclusion of human rights education within the formal education system. The training has been founded by the European Commission, Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, Europe for Citizens Programme.
There were 28 participants from 3 countries: Hungary (8 people), Slovakia (8 people) and Romania (12 people). The training participants were mainly teachers and educators who are strongly motivated to introduce the human rights within their teaching curricula, and who want to consolidate their professional skills, acquire new skills, and who are firmly convinced that tolerance and mutual respect build the basis of a democratic society. Additionally, young motivated persons were present at the training who work at NGO's, deal with social questions and are interested in human rights, tolerance, and mutual respect and are willing in enlarging their knowledge in these areas as well as trying out and implementing new methods and techniques.
The trainers and facilitators used different approaches for group dynamics, the participants worked in mixed groups. The training modules were learner - centered and based on the experiences of participants and the principle of mutual learning, taking into consideration the personal responsibility for learning, supported by a strong group dimension and a collective approach and will enable participants to apply and transfer into their work practice what they learnt.
The persons involved in the Training will become multipliers and they were provided with new teaching methods and this will help to bridge the existing methodological gaps between formal and non-formal education.
The participants have forfmulated their conclusions: "I have learned here that we have to live with our rights and use them in our daily lives, because those -on paper formulated rights- will become realities only if we, ourselves take them very seriously. I am intending to teach my students this." (Printz Ágnes, Áprily Lajos High school, Braşov).
We believe that our training has reached its goal: many teachers, social workers, NGO members have realized the importance of the human rights and they have acquired new techniques and methods in teaching human rights, tolerance, mutual respect, diversity and solidarity.
Civic Engagement Movement
Call for participants
"Building a culture of tolerance and participation in schools"
Sovata, 1-10 July 2010
In the present days, there is an increased need to the formation of an active and informed responsible and tolerant community. The role of education in creating such a citizenry is now almost universally acknowledged. (More)
Round table discussion on education
29 April 2010
The Training for Public Life Foundation, Transindex and Erdély FM organized a round table discussion that dealt with the new Romanian Education Law and more in depth with education in primary schools and high schools. The participants at the round table discussion were: Batizán Emese Emőke - sociologist and CEMO activist, Bartos Miklós - principal of the school group from Erdőszentgyörgy, Bodolai Gyöngyi -redactor of the Népújság (a local newspaper), Beke Tünde - geography teacher from the Erdőszentgyörgy school group, Csegzi Sándor vice-mayor of Marosvásárhely/Tirgu Mures, Horváth Gabriella - vice-principal of the Bolyai Farkas High School, Kacsó Erika - school psychologist, Kupán Edit - principal of the Bălcescu School, Pethő László - teacher, engineer at the Elektromaros High School and Szigeti Enikő - the Executive Director of the Civic Engagement Movement. The discussion was moderated by Kósa András László - sociologist and researcher at the Training for Public Life Foundation.
Next to the structural transformations in the public educational system, the participants have discussed about the specific issues, problems related to the education of children belonging to the Hungarian minority population:
Szigeti Enikő: - In Maros/Mures county the alternatives for Hungarian children have immensely narrowed, they practically can choose between two schools, the Bolyai Farkas High School and the Art School, and when speaking about the vocational education - this means studying for years in Romanian language even though theoretically there are Hungarian vocational classes.
Pethő László: - In Marosvásárhely/Tirgu Mures there has become a real problem the lack of a Hungarian Vocational School. The atmosphere is totally different in a school where there are Hungarian inscriptions, where people, children can and do speak publicly Hungarian. Presently, in the bilingual vocational schools Hungarian children are dominated by a second-hand feeling.
Horváth Gabriella: - When we, teachers, children from the Bolyai Farkas High School visit other schools, we can hardly imagine how our colleagues can exist in these, so called bilingual schools. In class breaks Hungarian children are lying snug in corners or in the courtyard, in worse case they do not even go out from the classrooms, because they cannot, do not dare to speak publicly Hungarian. From this reason, the idea of a Hungarian vocational school is a very good and useful idea.
Szigeti Enikő: - In "normal" cases segregation of children is not a viable idea, moreover, is much better if Hungarian and Romanian children are together so that they can learn from each other. But because the experience shows that even in these bilingual institutions happens a strange and hierarchical segregation, it is worth to think on the idea that the Hungarian community should build up a strong educational institutional system. In these conditions there would be respected the language rights of Hungarian children and they personality would develop better as well, in a psychical atmosphere that could be characterized as being more secure for the children.
Kupán Edit: A Hungarian child feels herself/himself in a different way as a Romanian child when going on the corridor of the so called bilingual school: he/she is surrounded only by Romanian inscriptions, advertisements, attends events organized only in Romanian language. This is the responsibility of those people who are directing the school, however they often do not realize how important these tasks would be." (Transindex)
European City Seminars 2010 - Ethnicity in the City
16-22 April 2009
Photo taken by Viorica Buica
Our colleague, Batizán Emese Emőke has participated at a research seminar organized by the Multicultural Centre Prague (website European City), Insitute for Public Affairs, Villa Decius Association and Rejs e.V. (magazine Plotki). There were invited researchers, journalists and artists to participate in a unique project that will deal with ethnic themes in central European cities.
Historically, European cities always faced the challenge of dealing with migration; the urban much more than the rural spaces thus became the realm in which the ability to integrate, accommodate and include diverse and changing populations had to be negotiated. Any talk of inclusion should, however take note underlying power structures, and question who defines the rules of integration. How are the chances of this model´s survival in a changing economic and demographic environment, characterized by the influx of new migrants, the rising power of developers and investors, and the spread of urban areas beyond its historic borders? The uncertainty about the future of the "European city" model is maybe most visible in case of the cities of Central and Eastern Europe, which experience a process of rapid changes that affects the cities´ social and built fabric and the political steering of its development. These were the questions discussed and debated during the event.
The use of mother tongue in official institutions
1 April 2010
"The Use of the Mother Tongue in the Official Institutions" was the title of the conference held in Csíkszereda/ Miercurea Ciuc organized by the Local and County Council, having as goal the promotion of the usage of regional languages, the usage of spoken and written Hungarian in different institutions of the administrations, in mayors' offices, in the local and county councils and in the so called "de-concentrated" institutions. The conference was opened by Mr. László Zsolt Ladányi, the prefect of Hargita/Harghita County, followed by the speeches of Mr. Csaba Sógor, European Parliamentary deputy and Mr. Csaba Borboly the chair of the Hargita/Harghita County Council. Mr. István Horváth, the chair of the Romanian Institute for Research on National Minorities presented the findings of the research entitled The Usage of Administrative Language in the County of Hargita/Harghita in Local and De-concentrated State Institutions. The title of Ms. Erika Mária Tódor's presentation was: Language Usage in Administration and Viable Bilingualism. The conference has ended with the presentation of our colleague's Ms. Emese Emőke Batizán who aimed to answer the question: What Can a Leader do for the Usage of Hungarian Language?
Open letter related to the initiation "Let's start to achieve the official status for the Hungarian language"
17 March 2010
The media-events of the last days as well as the methods and contents of the information disseminated by different media have compelled our organization, the Civic Engagement Movement (CEMO) to formulate two open letters.
Our first open letter is addressed to the Realitatea TV and Antena 3 TV. These TVs are broadcasting in Romanian language, and during informing a large population about the latest events related to bilingualism in Romania they have shown obvious signs of lack of professional journalism and absence of politically correct attitude. These TVs have informed the public adding their disapproval about the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Béla Markó has mailed a bilingual, Romanian and Hungarian official letter to the schoolmasters of Maros/Mureş County (county in Romania populated by Romanians and Hungarians almost in equal percentages) and stating that this fact was received with revulsion by the Romanian schoolmasters and the Romanian public opinion. These TVs have additionally informed with revulsion the public about the March 15th celebrations, about the national holiday of Hungarians. Our organization has monitored only the two above mentioned televisions because; given our limited human resources we could not cover all Romanian language national media channels.
Our second open letter is addressed to Mr. Balázs Izsák and it is related to his initiation of the "Let's Start to Achieve the Official Status for the Hungarian Language". In this open letter we express the professional standpoint and the opinion of our organization.
In the attached documents you can read these open letters that we have written, unfortunately only in Romanian and Hungarian languages.
Letters: [1] [2]
Opportunities for the assertion of minority-rights
20 February 2010
Ms. Enikő Szigeti, the Executive Director of the Civic Engagement Movement (CEMO) has held an interactive presentation at Sepsiszentgyörgy/Sfântu Gheorghe about the opportunities for assertion of minority-rights. After presenting the CEMO, Enikő Szigeti made the participants realize the importance of individual responsibilities, the importance of local community initiatives and she convinced those who were present that they themselves should attempt to assert and practise their own rights. "The relationship between the state and minority is like a bad human relationship, and it can be solved only by the minority itself" - Ms. Enikő Szigeti stated. The instruments and modalities will become visible and available as soon as we have taken the decision that we want to do something in order to assert and to put into practice our rights.
Will there be a real bilingualism in Transylvania? It depends on you.
19 February 2010
"Will there be a real bilingualism in Transylvania? It depends on you." was the title of a presentation that was held in Csíkszereda/Miercurea Ciuc at 19 February 2010. This evening, during the interactive presentation lively with questions and remarks from participants, members of our organization presented the internal Romanian legal framework as well as those international conventions that were ratified by Romania in the area of bilingualism and minority rights which would allow achieving bilingualism in our country,. Following presenting various successful multicultural models and societies, we were to convince those present about the necessity of societal bilingualism in ethnically mixed regions as well as about the necessity of individual responsibility and civic engagement.
The absence of bilingualism in "multicultural" schools of Marosvásárhely/Tirgu Mures
Parents in Marosvásárhely for bilingualism
2010 January
In 2010 January a group of Marosvásárhely/Tîrgu Mures parents whose children study in "Dacia" School, "Europe" High School, "Liviu Rebreanu" High School and in the No. 2 Primary School surveyed the languages projected by these schools, and found an utter lack of Hungarian language inside or outside their buildings in what concerns public interest messages, bulletin boards, and in the entire communication of the schools toward the children.
The fact that Hungarian children can study in their mother tongue in mixed-language schools, does not mean that the Hungarian community's language rights are fully respected. Marosvásárhely's mixed-language education schools are limiting language rights of Hungarian children solely to their classroom studies. School communications, their linguistic landscape do not reflect at all the Hungarian children's presence in these schools. As example the façades of the schools, their bulletin boards, and their publications are solely monolingual (Romanian only).
More the 200 parents has signed the petition (50 signatures/school) requesting the usage of the Hungarian language in school communications, inside the school environment and on the exterior, on the façade of the school, on different school buildings, and generally within the entire communication scene.
Should the schools choose to refuse the present request, or if they do not respond within the time prescribed by law (30 days), the parents are prepared to turn with their legitimate claim to higher authorities and are prepared to take further steps for the language rights of their children. This, to make sure that at those schools where their children are studying true multiculturalism and multilingualism is to appear. These rights are guaranteed by the Local Administration Act No. 2001/215 regarding public institutions, the Constitution, and by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ratified by Romania through the Act No. 2007/282.
Press Release
Open letter addressed to the management of the schools
Building a culture of tolerance and participation in schools
Sovata, 1-10 July 2010
In 10th July has ended the training organized by the CEMO in human rights education field, entitled: "Building a culture of tolerance and participation in schools" Fostering democracy through the inclusion of human rights education within the formal education system. The training has been founded by the European Commission, Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, Europe for Citizens Programme.
There were 28 participants from 3 countries: Hungary (8 people), Slovakia (8 people) and Romania (12 people). The training participants were mainly teachers and educators who are strongly motivated to introduce the human rights within their teaching curricula, and who want to consolidate their professional skills, acquire new skills, and who are firmly convinced that tolerance and mutual respect build the basis of a democratic society. Additionally, young motivated persons were present at the training who work at NGO's, deal with social questions and are interested in human rights, tolerance, and mutual respect and are willing in enlarging their knowledge in these areas as well as trying out and implementing new methods and techniques.
The trainers and facilitators used different approaches for group dynamics, the participants worked in mixed groups. The training modules were learner - centered and based on the experiences of participants and the principle of mutual learning, taking into consideration the personal responsibility for learning, supported by a strong group dimension and a collective approach and will enable participants to apply and transfer into their work practice what they learnt.
The persons involved in the Training will become multipliers and they were provided with new teaching methods and this will help to bridge the existing methodological gaps between formal and non-formal education.
The participants have forfmulated their conclusions: "I have learned here that we have to live with our rights and use them in our daily lives, because those -on paper formulated rights- will become realities only if we, ourselves take them very seriously. I am intending to teach my students this." (Printz Ágnes, Áprily Lajos High school, Braşov).
We believe that our training has reached its goal: many teachers, social workers, NGO members have realized the importance of the human rights and they have acquired new techniques and methods in teaching human rights, tolerance, mutual respect, diversity and solidarity.
Civic Engagement Movement
Call for participants
"Building a culture of tolerance and participation in schools"
Sovata, 1-10 July 2010
In the present days, there is an increased need to the formation of an active and informed responsible and tolerant community. The role of education in creating such a citizenry is now almost universally acknowledged. (More)
Round table discussion on education
29 April 2010
The Training for Public Life Foundation, Transindex and Erdély FM organized a round table discussion that dealt with the new Romanian Education Law and more in depth with education in primary schools and high schools. The participants at the round table discussion were: Batizán Emese Emőke - sociologist and CEMO activist, Bartos Miklós - principal of the school group from Erdőszentgyörgy, Bodolai Gyöngyi -redactor of the Népújság (a local newspaper), Beke Tünde - geography teacher from the Erdőszentgyörgy school group, Csegzi Sándor vice-mayor of Marosvásárhely/Tirgu Mures, Horváth Gabriella - vice-principal of the Bolyai Farkas High School, Kacsó Erika - school psychologist, Kupán Edit - principal of the Bălcescu School, Pethő László - teacher, engineer at the Elektromaros High School and Szigeti Enikő - the Executive Director of the Civic Engagement Movement. The discussion was moderated by Kósa András László - sociologist and researcher at the Training for Public Life Foundation.
Next to the structural transformations in the public educational system, the participants have discussed about the specific issues, problems related to the education of children belonging to the Hungarian minority population:
Szigeti Enikő: - In Maros/Mures county the alternatives for Hungarian children have immensely narrowed, they practically can choose between two schools, the Bolyai Farkas High School and the Art School, and when speaking about the vocational education - this means studying for years in Romanian language even though theoretically there are Hungarian vocational classes.
Pethő László: - In Marosvásárhely/Tirgu Mures there has become a real problem the lack of a Hungarian Vocational School. The atmosphere is totally different in a school where there are Hungarian inscriptions, where people, children can and do speak publicly Hungarian. Presently, in the bilingual vocational schools Hungarian children are dominated by a second-hand feeling.
Horváth Gabriella: - When we, teachers, children from the Bolyai Farkas High School visit other schools, we can hardly imagine how our colleagues can exist in these, so called bilingual schools. In class breaks Hungarian children are lying snug in corners or in the courtyard, in worse case they do not even go out from the classrooms, because they cannot, do not dare to speak publicly Hungarian. From this reason, the idea of a Hungarian vocational school is a very good and useful idea.
Szigeti Enikő: - In "normal" cases segregation of children is not a viable idea, moreover, is much better if Hungarian and Romanian children are together so that they can learn from each other. But because the experience shows that even in these bilingual institutions happens a strange and hierarchical segregation, it is worth to think on the idea that the Hungarian community should build up a strong educational institutional system. In these conditions there would be respected the language rights of Hungarian children and they personality would develop better as well, in a psychical atmosphere that could be characterized as being more secure for the children.
Kupán Edit: A Hungarian child feels herself/himself in a different way as a Romanian child when going on the corridor of the so called bilingual school: he/she is surrounded only by Romanian inscriptions, advertisements, attends events organized only in Romanian language. This is the responsibility of those people who are directing the school, however they often do not realize how important these tasks would be." (Transindex)
European City Seminars 2010 - Ethnicity in the City
16-22 April 2009
Photo taken by Viorica Buica
Our colleague, Batizán Emese Emőke has participated at a research seminar organized by the Multicultural Centre Prague (website European City), Insitute for Public Affairs, Villa Decius Association and Rejs e.V. (magazine Plotki). There were invited researchers, journalists and artists to participate in a unique project that will deal with ethnic themes in central European cities.
Historically, European cities always faced the challenge of dealing with migration; the urban much more than the rural spaces thus became the realm in which the ability to integrate, accommodate and include diverse and changing populations had to be negotiated. Any talk of inclusion should, however take note underlying power structures, and question who defines the rules of integration. How are the chances of this model´s survival in a changing economic and demographic environment, characterized by the influx of new migrants, the rising power of developers and investors, and the spread of urban areas beyond its historic borders? The uncertainty about the future of the "European city" model is maybe most visible in case of the cities of Central and Eastern Europe, which experience a process of rapid changes that affects the cities´ social and built fabric and the political steering of its development. These were the questions discussed and debated during the event.
The use of mother tongue in official institutions
1 April 2010
"The Use of the Mother Tongue in the Official Institutions" was the title of the conference held in Csíkszereda/ Miercurea Ciuc organized by the Local and County Council, having as goal the promotion of the usage of regional languages, the usage of spoken and written Hungarian in different institutions of the administrations, in mayors' offices, in the local and county councils and in the so called "de-concentrated" institutions. The conference was opened by Mr. László Zsolt Ladányi, the prefect of Hargita/Harghita County, followed by the speeches of Mr. Csaba Sógor, European Parliamentary deputy and Mr. Csaba Borboly the chair of the Hargita/Harghita County Council. Mr. István Horváth, the chair of the Romanian Institute for Research on National Minorities presented the findings of the research entitled The Usage of Administrative Language in the County of Hargita/Harghita in Local and De-concentrated State Institutions. The title of Ms. Erika Mária Tódor's presentation was: Language Usage in Administration and Viable Bilingualism. The conference has ended with the presentation of our colleague's Ms. Emese Emőke Batizán who aimed to answer the question: What Can a Leader do for the Usage of Hungarian Language?
Open letter related to the initiation "Let's start to achieve the official status for the Hungarian language"
17 March 2010
The media-events of the last days as well as the methods and contents of the information disseminated by different media have compelled our organization, the Civic Engagement Movement (CEMO) to formulate two open letters.
Our first open letter is addressed to the Realitatea TV and Antena 3 TV. These TVs are broadcasting in Romanian language, and during informing a large population about the latest events related to bilingualism in Romania they have shown obvious signs of lack of professional journalism and absence of politically correct attitude. These TVs have informed the public adding their disapproval about the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Béla Markó has mailed a bilingual, Romanian and Hungarian official letter to the schoolmasters of Maros/Mureş County (county in Romania populated by Romanians and Hungarians almost in equal percentages) and stating that this fact was received with revulsion by the Romanian schoolmasters and the Romanian public opinion. These TVs have additionally informed with revulsion the public about the March 15th celebrations, about the national holiday of Hungarians. Our organization has monitored only the two above mentioned televisions because; given our limited human resources we could not cover all Romanian language national media channels.
Our second open letter is addressed to Mr. Balázs Izsák and it is related to his initiation of the "Let's Start to Achieve the Official Status for the Hungarian Language". In this open letter we express the professional standpoint and the opinion of our organization.
In the attached documents you can read these open letters that we have written, unfortunately only in Romanian and Hungarian languages.
Letters: [1] [2]
Opportunities for the assertion of minority-rights
20 February 2010
Ms. Enikő Szigeti, the Executive Director of the Civic Engagement Movement (CEMO) has held an interactive presentation at Sepsiszentgyörgy/Sfântu Gheorghe about the opportunities for assertion of minority-rights. After presenting the CEMO, Enikő Szigeti made the participants realize the importance of individual responsibilities, the importance of local community initiatives and she convinced those who were present that they themselves should attempt to assert and practise their own rights. "The relationship between the state and minority is like a bad human relationship, and it can be solved only by the minority itself" - Ms. Enikő Szigeti stated. The instruments and modalities will become visible and available as soon as we have taken the decision that we want to do something in order to assert and to put into practice our rights.
Will there be a real bilingualism in Transylvania? It depends on you.
19 February 2010
"Will there be a real bilingualism in Transylvania? It depends on you." was the title of a presentation that was held in Csíkszereda/Miercurea Ciuc at 19 February 2010. This evening, during the interactive presentation lively with questions and remarks from participants, members of our organization presented the internal Romanian legal framework as well as those international conventions that were ratified by Romania in the area of bilingualism and minority rights which would allow achieving bilingualism in our country,. Following presenting various successful multicultural models and societies, we were to convince those present about the necessity of societal bilingualism in ethnically mixed regions as well as about the necessity of individual responsibility and civic engagement.
The absence of bilingualism in "multicultural" schools of Marosvásárhely/Tirgu Mures
Parents in Marosvásárhely for bilingualism
2010 January
In 2010 January a group of Marosvásárhely/Tîrgu Mures parents whose children study in "Dacia" School, "Europe" High School, "Liviu Rebreanu" High School and in the No. 2 Primary School surveyed the languages projected by these schools, and found an utter lack of Hungarian language inside or outside their buildings in what concerns public interest messages, bulletin boards, and in the entire communication of the schools toward the children.
The fact that Hungarian children can study in their mother tongue in mixed-language schools, does not mean that the Hungarian community's language rights are fully respected. Marosvásárhely's mixed-language education schools are limiting language rights of Hungarian children solely to their classroom studies. School communications, their linguistic landscape do not reflect at all the Hungarian children's presence in these schools. As example the façades of the schools, their bulletin boards, and their publications are solely monolingual (Romanian only).
More the 200 parents has signed the petition (50 signatures/school) requesting the usage of the Hungarian language in school communications, inside the school environment and on the exterior, on the façade of the school, on different school buildings, and generally within the entire communication scene.
Should the schools choose to refuse the present request, or if they do not respond within the time prescribed by law (30 days), the parents are prepared to turn with their legitimate claim to higher authorities and are prepared to take further steps for the language rights of their children. This, to make sure that at those schools where their children are studying true multiculturalism and multilingualism is to appear. These rights are guaranteed by the Local Administration Act No. 2001/215 regarding public institutions, the Constitution, and by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ratified by Romania through the Act No. 2007/282.
Press Release
Open letter addressed to the management of the schools
Copyright CEMO - 2010
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Monolingual school inscription
