FUEN passes first Rusyn resolution since 2002

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) held its 52nd annual Assembly of Delegates from 16-20 May 2007 in Tallinn, Estonia, and after a pause of many years, Rusyns were on the agenda once again.

The assembly’s Resolution 2007-03 calls on Ukraine to recognize the Carpatho-Rusyn minority in Transcarpathia, end “the violent assimilation” and to grant “equal legal rights to those of other national minorities in the Ukraine…”.

FUEN was founded in 1949 and is made up of 81 member organizations from 32 countries. It is one of the most important bodies in Europe advocating for the rights of national minorities and ethnic groups, with participatory status at the Council of Europe and consultative status at the United Nations.

Rusyn issues at FUEN are somewhat complicated by the fact that the Rusyns’ central
body, the World Council of Rusyns, is not a member. The Society of Carpatho-Rusyns of Ukraine is a regular member, while the pro-Ukrainian Zjednoczenie Lemkow of Poland is an associate member.

Among the regular events FUEN organizes throughout Europe are the EUROmin soccer tournament, the European Minority Film Festival and the European Minority Marathon.

Rusyns in International Organizations

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) based in The Hague, Netherlands, with a coordination office in Tartu, Estonia, has one Rusyn member: Rusyn'ska Obroda (Slovakia)

European Federation of Maisons de Pays (EFMP) based in Antibes, France, has three Rusyn members: Rusyn’ska Obroda (Slovakia); Ruska Matka (Serbia); Carpatho-Rusyn Society (Ukraine)

Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) based in Flensburg, Germany, has two Rusyn members, Carpatho-Rusyn Society (Ukraine) and Lemko Union (Poland; Ukrainian-oriented). See also, FUEN report on 2000 study visit to Ukraine; Resolution 2001/08; and Resolution 2002/08 and Address by Julijan Tamaš to FUEN 2002 Congress, Subotica, Yugoslavia

Youth of European Nationalities (YEN) has no Rusyn members.

European Bureau of Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL) based in Dublin, Ireland, has not focused on Rusyns, but its member organization the Polish Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (PolBLUL) based in Warsaw, Poland, has two Rusyn members: Lemko Association (Poland) and Lemko Union (Poland; Ukrainian-oriented). See also, Nasze Slowo on the founding of PolBLUL. There is no data currently about Rusyn participation in the Czech, Hungarian or Slovak national Bureaux for Lesser Used Languages. Eurolang is the media arm of EBLUL, and Mercator is also aligned with it.

Højskolen Østersøen (HO) based in Aabenraa, Denmark, has had participation by a Ukrainian-oriented Rusyn from Poland and four Rusyns from Rusyn'ska Obroda (Slovakia).

Organization for European Minorities (OEM) based in Kemper/Quimper, France, has three information pages about the Rusyns: Ruthenians, Ruthenians in Hungary, Ruthenians in Serbia. Additional information has been submitted but was never posted.

European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) based in Flensburg, Germany, has included the Rusyns in the following publications: Interethnic Relations in Trancarpathia conference (1998); Ethnic Violence in Vojvodina: Glitch or Harbinger of Conflicts to Come? (2006); and Majority–minority Relations in Ukraine (2006)

Youth for European Nationalities

Youth for European Nationalities is an union of European Youth Associations. Each member organisation represents one of Europe�s minorities and they are joined in their aim to work for the interest of minorities. Together we strive after the creation of a dynamic and vital network of minority youth associations in a multicultural and polyglot Europe. In the focus of attention is in this perspective the preservation and development of the culture, language and rights of the minorities.

At the time 21 youth organisation participate in the network, amongst others the Frisians in the Netherlands, the Danes in Germany, the Germans in Hungary, the Finnish in Sweden, the South Tyroleans, the Rhaeto Romans in Switzerland, the Croats and Slovenes in Austria, the Hungarians in Romania and the Germans in Russia.

Accordingly YEN is the largest, non governmental umbrella organisation for European minorities / nationalities. Moreover we have contacts with over 30 further minority organisationsand groups.