Jar� hosts Rusyn youth in Krakow

On 14 and 15 March, the preparatory committee for the World Forum of Rusyn Youth met in Krakow, Poland. Unfortunately, only delegations from Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine managed to arrive. The Serbian delegation was unable to attend due to the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran �in�i� just days before; the Russians could not come due to the cost of the visa for Poland.

These issues made European integration a major topic of discussion at the meeting. There are Rusyn minorities in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, all of which will join the European Union next May. However, Rusyn populations also live in Ukraine, Russia, Romania and Serbia; these countries are expected to sit on the sidelines of European integration for many years to come.

The meeting was hosted by the Lemko Rusyn youth group Jar�, led by Damian Trochanowski and Olena Du�. The organization is based in Ruska Bursa, in the Gorlice region of Poland. The Pedagogical Academy of Krakow co-hosted the meeting.

The prep committee for the youth forum met twice last year, in Budapest and Komlo�ka, Hungary. The World Forum of Rusyn Youth will be held simultaneously with the World Congress of Rusyns in June 2003, in Pre�ov, Slovkia. Delegations from ten countries made up of Rusyns under the age of 30 are expected to participate.

See:

Petro Krajnjak, Jr. �Rusyn�ska molode� zasidala v Krakovi,� Narodny Novynky, 13-14, 2 April 2003. p.1

and

�Miedzynarodowy zjazd Lemkyw,� Gazeta Krakwoska, 15 March 2003.