Main topics set for the European Dialogue Forum

In preparation of the constitutive session of the new European Dialogue Forum, representatives of FUEN and YEN had a meeting in Strasbourg/Kehl last week.

The European Dialogue Forum is the contact body of the European autochthonous, national minorities with the European Parliament, represented by the members of Parliament in the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities.

All the 10 elected representatives of FUEN and YEN answered the invitation and during the meeting that lasted two days they agreed on the goals, principles on how to work and on the main topics for the European Dialogue Forum.

The first session of the European Dialogue Forum will take place in Brussels in December, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Intergroup.

In the body recent challenges, problems and long-term strategies for the autochthonous, national minorities in Europe will be discussed and the contact between politicians and the European minorities will be brought into an institutional framework. The members of the Dialogue Forum represent on a pan-European level the interests and matters of the minorities.

Priorities that were mentioned were the creation of the conditions for an effective political participation of the minorities on the European, national and regional level; another effort will be to establish effective European minority protection and the elaboration of a position for effective protection of autochthonous (old) and allochthonous (new) minorities.

After the meeting the members of the Dialogue Forum had the opportunity to participate in the conference on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in the Palais d´Europe in Strasbourg and earlier they were informed about the activities of Elsaß -Lothringischer Volksbund.

The president of FUEN Hans Heinrich Hansen expressed his appreciation about the efficient, well-prepared and intensive meeting, which due to the engagement and skills of each individual member had led to a good preparation of the constitutive session of the Dialogue Forum.

“Although each member comes from a different minority and bring with him or her very different experiences and skills, the meeting showed very fast that the FUEN and YEN representatives together will represent the minorities all over Europe well-prepared. Now we look forward to the constitutive session with a certain anticipation”.

The members of the Dialogforum are Bernhard Ziesch, secretary general of Domowina – the umbrella organisation of the Sorbs in Germany, Dr. Koloman Brenner, Self-government of the Germans in Hungary and chairman for the German Workshop in the FUEN, Dieter Paul Küssner, chairman of SSF, of the Danish minority in Germany, Dr. Jacob van der Bij, chairman of the Council of the Frisian Movement, Aleksander Studen-Kirchner, from the Youth of European Nationalities, Nicolae Sdrula, from the Aromanians in Romania and Halit Habip Oglu, chairman of ABTTF, of the Western Thrace Turkish minority in Greece. The representatives of the Youth of European Nationalities (YEN) are Hester Knol and Christiana Walde. The FUEN-president is also member of the Forum.

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