A volume presenting the situation of the Csángó Hungarians in Moldova was presented in Brussels
Initiated by DAHR’s MEP Csaba Sógor, a volume in three languages (Hungarian, Romanian, English) was published about the situation of the Csángó-Hungarians in Moldavia. The book is entitled „We like to live here” appeared on the tenth anniversary of the 1521/2001 Recommendation of the Council of Europe. The volume was prepared for European readers in general, but is a useful handbook for everyone showing interest towards the situation and culture of the Csángó-Hungarian community in Moldavia.
The presentation of the volume took place in the European Parliament on the 29th of March, 2011. Responding to Csaba Sógor’s invitation the authors of the volume, university professor Ferenc Pozsony, human rights activists Smaranda Enache and Gabriel Andreescu and president of the Association of Csángó-Hungarians in Moldavia (MCMSZ), Adrian Solomon presented its contents. Photo artist Gyula Ádám, the designer of the volume’s cover, prepared a photomontage for the occasion.
In his introductory speech, the Hungarian MEP from Transylvania emphasized the importance of the MCMSZ’s activity. – The association is continuously doing its work despite the local authorities’, the police or the church’s opposition with the aid of volunteer professors, having opened several education centers through important financial and personal effort. It is our hope that Romanian authorities will soon recognize this.
The opening study of the volume intended for „European” reading was written by Ferenc Pozsony, professor of ethnography at the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj, Romania. He called the audience’s attention to the values within the Csángó language. He believes that the prestige of the archaic dialect of the Csángós would rise, if the church did not prohibit its use during mass. Therefore institutionalized education and native language media is needed. The professor addressed his interpellation to European decision makers, to exercise their influence, in order for the Catholic Church to lift the ban on the use of the Hungarian language in the region, thus answering the request of the Csángó-Hungarians in Moldavia.
The audience welcomed Adrian Solomon’s autobiographical, personal testimony.
Gabriel Andreescu, president of the Romanian Center for International Studies and Smaranda Enache, co-president of the Pro Europa League have presented their study on progress made in the situation of the Csángós until 2011, an updated version of their original study on the subject. Gabriel Andreescu said that they’ve received a sensibly less hostile welcome in the field on behalf of the local authorities than they did in 2001. This can be explained by the adoption of a legal framework on the issue in the last ten years, but they reminded that repressive actions are still commonplace. In Andreescu’s opinion, the Csángó’s right to use their mother tongue, as sustained by the European Council’s Recommendation, is closely linked with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Since Romania has ratified this document, curbing and restricting the claims and pretenses of the Csángó Hungarians is a breach of values.
Smaranda Enache expressed her regret about the fact that, even after the inclusion of the Charter into Romanian law and the publishing of the international Recommendation, there still isn’t any political will to support the issue at the level of local and central authorities. She urged immediate steps on behalf of the Romanian government and Hungarian-Romanian intergovernmental consultation, because emigration is becoming ever more widespread within the Csángó community due to the possibility of employment abroad. The EP is not an executive body – she said –, but it could call upon the European Commission to devise programs that would protect the endangered communities, and through them Europe’s cultural heritage. With regard to the upcoming census in Romania, the co-president of the Pro Europa League urged for special attention towards the questions about language use, because this could help in identifying the needs of those living in endangered linguistic environments.
- I intend to raise awareness with this volume – said Csaba Sógor. I feel we have much to do in order for the Csángó’s language, customs and culture to be a part of the European heritage. The Hungarians living in Moldavia have preserved their language and culture for centuries without support from intellectuals or the church. Moldavia has also contributed to the Hungarian language: it was here, in the castle at Târgu Trotuș, Bacau County, that the first Hungarian Bible translation was made between 1430 and 1435, the so called Husite Bible. For us it is an issue of human rights that those who still preserve this archaic dialect of the Hungarian language may learn, teach and use it in the schools and churches.
Today, the representatives of the Csángó community and the professors teaching Csángó children to read and write come from the Hungarians living in Moldavia. Thanks, gratitude, respect to them – summarized Csaba Sógor.
In his introductory speech, the Hungarian MEP from Transylvania emphasized the importance of the MCMSZ’s activity. – The association is continuously doing its work despite the local authorities’, the police or the church’s opposition with the aid of volunteer professors, having opened several education centers through important financial and personal effort. It is our hope that Romanian authorities will soon recognize this.
The opening study of the volume intended for „European” reading was written by Ferenc Pozsony, professor of ethnography at the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj, Romania. He called the audience’s attention to the values within the Csángó language. He believes that the prestige of the archaic dialect of the Csángós would rise, if the church did not prohibit its use during mass. Therefore institutionalized education and native language media is needed. The professor addressed his interpellation to European decision makers, to exercise their influence, in order for the Catholic Church to lift the ban on the use of the Hungarian language in the region, thus answering the request of the Csángó-Hungarians in Moldavia.
The audience welcomed Adrian Solomon’s autobiographical, personal testimony.
Gabriel Andreescu, president of the Romanian Center for International Studies and Smaranda Enache, co-president of the Pro Europa League have presented their study on progress made in the situation of the Csángós until 2011, an updated version of their original study on the subject. Gabriel Andreescu said that they’ve received a sensibly less hostile welcome in the field on behalf of the local authorities than they did in 2001. This can be explained by the adoption of a legal framework on the issue in the last ten years, but they reminded that repressive actions are still commonplace. In Andreescu’s opinion, the Csángó’s right to use their mother tongue, as sustained by the European Council’s Recommendation, is closely linked with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Since Romania has ratified this document, curbing and restricting the claims and pretenses of the Csángó Hungarians is a breach of values.
Smaranda Enache expressed her regret about the fact that, even after the inclusion of the Charter into Romanian law and the publishing of the international Recommendation, there still isn’t any political will to support the issue at the level of local and central authorities. She urged immediate steps on behalf of the Romanian government and Hungarian-Romanian intergovernmental consultation, because emigration is becoming ever more widespread within the Csángó community due to the possibility of employment abroad. The EP is not an executive body – she said –, but it could call upon the European Commission to devise programs that would protect the endangered communities, and through them Europe’s cultural heritage. With regard to the upcoming census in Romania, the co-president of the Pro Europa League urged for special attention towards the questions about language use, because this could help in identifying the needs of those living in endangered linguistic environments.
- I intend to raise awareness with this volume – said Csaba Sógor. I feel we have much to do in order for the Csángó’s language, customs and culture to be a part of the European heritage. The Hungarians living in Moldavia have preserved their language and culture for centuries without support from intellectuals or the church. Moldavia has also contributed to the Hungarian language: it was here, in the castle at Târgu Trotuș, Bacau County, that the first Hungarian Bible translation was made between 1430 and 1435, the so called Husite Bible. For us it is an issue of human rights that those who still preserve this archaic dialect of the Hungarian language may learn, teach and use it in the schools and churches.
Today, the representatives of the Csángó community and the professors teaching Csángó children to read and write come from the Hungarians living in Moldavia. Thanks, gratitude, respect to them – summarized Csaba Sógor.
