Individual member of the European Free Alliance, MEP Tatjana Ždanoka (Latvia) has launched a campaign in order to support non-citizens of Latvia - persons belonging to Russian-speaking linguistic minority. One half of this minority (or one-fifth of Latvian residents) has such status.

Non-citizens of Latvia are now fighting for their right to participate in local and European elections to be held simultaneously on June 2009. The Committee of Petitions of the European Parliament after having examined corresponding submissions has to decide on preparing the own-initiative report concerning the situation of Russian-speaking community and non-citizens of Latvia.

Everyone is invited to support this proposal. In order to do this you have to put your name under the text below and to send it to the following address:

tatjana.zdanoka-assistant2@europarl.europa.eu

Date:
Name and Surname of the sender (Name, Surname and position if sent on behalf of organization:

Also see the news item below, which can also be accessed here.

EFAy President, Rhisiart Tal-e-bot, has supported the proposal on behalf of the EFAy and would like to encourage others to also show their support.

“Appeal to EP for support for Latvian non-citizens’ voting rights

We hereby ask the members of the European Parliament to induce the Latvian authorities to allow non-citizens to take part in local and European elections. We see the consideration of special EP report concerning the situation with Russian-speaking community and non-citizens of Latvia would promote the normalization for non-citizens’ legal status. We see the securing legal equality for Latvian non-citizens with EU citizens in the field of voting rights could become the first logical step in solving the non-citizens’ problem".

The European Free Alliance Youth (EFAy), along with the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) have been lobbying the EFA Members of the European Parliament (MEP) and others to sign a written declaration on “Youth Empowerment” at an EU level.

The declaration, which has been drafted by several MEP’s, calls on the European Commision to take into account the interests and voice of young people in all EU policy areas and not just those that traditionally refer to youth policy.

The content of the declaration reads:

"...1. Calls on the Commission to consider and incorporate the impact on youth and the results of the structured dialogue with youth organisations when preparing legislative proposals, in particular in the policy fields referred to in recital A;

2. Calls on the Member States to focus on youth when implementing the Lisbon national reform programmes and to take youth into account in the relevant policy fields;..."

So far EFA MEP's, Tatjana Zdanoka and Jill Evans have signed the declaration and the Efay will be calling on the other members of the group to do likewise.

For more information and how you can get involved, click here.

The European Free Alliance Youth is appalled by the behaviour of airline company Air Berlin in its recent response to the request of the Government of the Balearic Islands to also use Catalan in its operations.

While the request of the Government was based on a constructive approach, by offering airline companies with a base on the Balearic Islands help in providing information in Catalan to its customers, the Air Berlin CEO responded by publishing an article in the company's in-flight magazine that disparages the Catalan language and accuses the Government of wanting to divide up Europe in small states "just like in the Middle Ages".

The European Free Alliance Youth does not understand the reasoning by Air Berlin. Passengers expect quality service from the companies they fly with. Addressing customers in their native language is a good way of accommodating them. Simply rejecting the existence of their language on the other hand, is not. Air Berlin has through its behaviour not only hurt the feelings of the millions of Catalan speakers, but has foremost also hurt its own reputation as a company.

Hopefully, Air Berlin will see the error in their judgement and change its position after a meeting with the Government of the Balearic Islands. The European Free Alliance Youth meanwhile stands by its member organization Joves d'Esquerra Nacionalista in forcefully rejecting the statements made by the Air Berlin CEO and requesting an apology. Especially in this year of the intercultural dialogue, an airline company that brings people in Europe closer together should know that linguistic diversity is a strength and not something to mock about.

European Free Alliance Youth is hiring:
Coordinator (m/f)
based in Brussels

For the full profile, see full post.

The EFAy has written to the Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, to draw his attention to a number of points in the EFAy resolution passed at its 2008 AGM in Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca.

In the letter EFAy President Rhisiart Tal-e-bot says:

“Over the coming months, the EFAy will be following up the different aspects of the resolution in various ways. Meanwhile we would appreciate it if you could respond by informing us of any recent developments, relating to the issues raised above, that have been undertaken by the Israeli Government to further the peaceful coexistence between the Israeli and Palestinian people.”

The full text of the letter can be found here.

The EFAy cautiously welcomes the new proposed amendment to the French Constitution, recognising that the 'regional' languages of the French state are part of the heritage of France.

The new amendment was voted in favour of by the Assemblée Nationale of France on the 22nd May 2008 and although still needs approval by the Senate, it is expected that it will be accepted. However, the amendment only applies to Article 1 of the Constitution and not to the much disputed Article 2, which states that the language of the Republic is French.

The amendment comes after only a couple of weeks since the Assemblée Nationale debated the 'regional' languages of France for the first time on May 7th, where the centralist position of the French state, with regard to its 'regional' languages, was reinforced. During the 7th May debate, the French Culture Minister, Christine Albanel, stated that France would not ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, because it would be unconstitutional.

Also this week France was criticised by the United Nations for failing to give appropriate support and recognition to its 'regional' languages. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights said:

"29. The Committee remains concerned about the lack of official recognition of minorities within the territory of the State party. With specific regard to cultural rights, the Committee further notes with concern that some of these rights are not respected - such as the right to use a minority language, which can only be exercised in community with other members of the minority group.

30. The Committee notes with concern that the State party has not made sufficient efforts in the field of preservation and promotion of regional and minority languages and cultural heritage. The Committee also notes that the absence of formal recognition of regional and mminority languages has contributed to the constant decline in the number of speakers of such languages."

The Committee went on to recommend:

"49. The Committee, while taking note that the recognition of minority groups or collective rights is considered by the State party to be incompatible with its Constitution, wishes to reiterate that the principles of equality before the law and prohibition of discrimination are not always adequate to ensure the equal and effective enjoyment of human rights, in particular economic, social and cultural rights, by persons belonging to minority groups. The Committee therefore recommends that mthe State party consider reviewing its position with regard to the recognition of minorities under the Constitution, and recognise officially the need to protect the cultural diversity of all minority groups under the jurisdiction of the State party, in accordance with the provisions of article 15.

In this regard, the Committee reiterates the recommendation formulated in its previous concluding observations (E/C.12/1/Add.72, para. 25) that the State party (i) withdraw its reservation to article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to article 30 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and (ii) consider ratifying the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, as well as the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages."

The full report can be found here and the full text of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights can be found here.

The EFAy has written to the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dr. Jacques Rogge, to bring to his attention the EFAy reolution passed at our April 2008 General Assembly in Palma de Mallorca.

The letter urged Dr Rogge to use its influence to ensure that no further repression of the Tibetan people by the Chinese authorities takes place in the run up to the Olympics. In particular the following points were also raised, in line with the resolution passed:

“[We] urge the IOC and China not to take the Olympic flame through Tibet, as it will be seen as a provocation by Tibetans and might give the Chinese government extra reason to increase the repression of the population”

“Note that China’s use of the Olympics to use as propaganda for world harmony while at the same time crushing all dissent in Tibet is obscene. All European athletes competing in the Olympics should look to their conscience and decide if they wish to take part in a competition in a state that is committing acts of genocide against Tibetans.”

The EFAy also wrote to the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, Minister Yang Jiechi, requesting that China refrains from taking the flame through Tibet. Li Lizhi, of the Beijing Olympic torch relay centre, said yesterday that the torch is still planned to go through Tibet, but the time it will be in the country will be shortened due to the recent earthquake. Li Lizhi said that the torch will be in Tibet:

“… either on June 18 or June 19, as is tentatively set now. But it is still open to future adjustment.”

The full text of the letter sent to the IOC can be found here.

The full text of the EFAy resolution can be found here.

The EFAy continues to receive good press coverage from Aland thanks to EFAy Members,Youth of Äland Framtid.

Last weekend the Aland based newspaper ‘Ålandstidningen’ featured an article relating to the EFAy representation at the Youth of European Nationalities supported event, ‘The more I see you - the added value of minorities’ event in the Danish town of Gråsten.

The EFAy would like to encourage its members to publicise its activities in their own nations/regions.

Clik here for article.

Also click here for EFAy link.

The EFAy has written to the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Minister Yang Jiechi, informing him of the resolutions passed relating to his Government, at the EFAy General Assembly on April 12th 2008.

In particular the EFAy called on Minister Yang Jiechi for his Government to renew contacts with envoys of the Dalai Lama and to respect the human rights of the Tibetan people, in particular their right to self determination. The EFAy also urged the PRC to release all Tibetan political prisoners with immediate effect and strongly condemned the incidences of imprisonment, torture, forced sterilisation of Tibetan women, rape, forced labour, restrictions on religious observance, restrictions on the use of Tibetan language, restrictions on the expression of Tibetan culture; pointing out that these actions may constitute genocide under international law.

The full text of the letter to Minister Yang Jiechi can be found here and the resolution text can be found here.

The EFAy has written to Prime Minister Mr. Hashim Thaçi of Kosova, welcoming his Governments declaration of independence on 17th February 2008 and supporting the right of the people of Kosova to self-determination.

At the same time, the EFAy strongly condemned the isolated acts of violence that followed this declaration and expressed its disappointment that Kosova’s independence was not unanimously recognised by all 27 Member-States of the European Union. Over the coming months the EFAy will be writing to those Member States who have not yet recognised Kosova’s independence and urging them to do so.

Moreover, the EFAy called for the highest standards of minority rights to be upheld for the non-majority ethnic groups in Kosovo, namely Serbs, Turks, Bosniaks and others, and called upon them to participate in Kosovo’s institutions peoples

The full text of the letter to Prime Minister Mr. Hashim Thaçi can be found here and the full text of the EFAy resolution this relates to can be found here.