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The IVth World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples with participation of representatives of more than 20 Finno-Ugric peoples and ethnic groups is held August, 15-19, 2004 in the capital of Estonia the city of Tallinn.
The Head of the Republic of Karelia Sergey Katanandov will take part in the work of the Congress as the official observer. He will greet the delegates and participants of the forum, tell about position of Finno-Ugric peoples of Karelia - Karelians, Vepsians, Finns, Ingermalandians. The official delegation from the Republic of Karelia includes the member of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Victor Stepanov, the State Committee on National Politics of the RK chairman Eugeny Shorohov, the Legislative Assembly of the RK chairman Nikolay Levin, the non-staff Adviser of the Head of the RK for ethnic problems Victor Ahtiev, the Head of local self-government of Kalevalsky national district Vladimir Stepanov.
National delegations from the Republic of Karelia are presented by members of the national and cultural and political organizations - the Authorizied Karelian Council, the Union of Karelian people, the Karelian congress, the Vepsian Culture Society, the Ingermanland Union of Finns (Inkerin Liitto), youth organizations Nuori Karjala and Vepsan vezad. Total number of national delegates from the republic is 28 persons (20 person from karelians, 6 Vepsians and 2 Finns (Ingermalandians).
Preparation for the IVth World Congress of Finno-Ugric peoples was held for the entire lastl year. The program of the forum was discussed at the last session of the advisory Committee of Finno-Ugric peoples (chairman Valery Markov, the Republic of Komi) held in the beginning of October in Szombathely (Hungary). Karelians of the Republic of Karelia in the Advisory committee are represented by the chairman of the Council of representatives of the IVth congress of Karelians Victor Bogdanov, the vice-president of the State Committee RK on National Politics Tatyana Kleyerova, Vepsians are represented by the Vepsian Culture Society chairman, the expert of the Constant Forum of the United Nations on problems of radical peoples Zinaida Strogalschikova, Finns (Ingermalandians) are represented by the deputy of the State Duma of Russian Federation Artur Maki. Duties to provide national representation of the Republic of Karelia in the work of the Congress are also assigned to these people.
Youth Is Our Future is the subject of the forum. The delegation of the Republic of Karelia is half presented by youth. There are scientists, teachers, actors, employees of museums, writers, journalists, civil servants.
The plenary session of the Congress is held on August, 16 in the State music hall "Estonia". In working days of the forum sections on problems of rights of radical peoples and national minorities, language and education, culture, mass media, ecology, health and demography will be held. Subjects of section sessions include consideration of problems on practice of making decisions and creating mechanisms of realization of language and cultural politics in regions of Finno-Ugric peoples' residing, on language planning and the international experience in the field of development of languages, about modern bi-/multilingual education, on culture of Finno-Ugric peoples as a resource of social and economic development of the Russian regions, etc.
Interest to realization of the Forum is shown on the part of the supreme officials of the states Presidents of Hungary, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Heads of some subjects of the Russian Federation, representatives of legislative and executive authority of the Russian Federation, many international experts, political scientists, sociolinguists, lawyers.
A great attention is paid by the Estonian party to preparation of the Language and Education section. Mart Rannut the famous Estonian linguist expert in the problems of language human rights, is in charge of organization of work of the section. In the opinion of many experts, national and regional education both in Russia, and all over the world faces serious problems, basic of which is out-of-date methodology and programs in the field of national languages' functioning in school education. The purposes of work on the given subject is acquaintance to the international experience and modern models of organization of teaching languages (language immersing, language family of words, etc.) Within the framework of sessions it is planned to hold a number of seminars, discussions, exhibitions, meetings, signings of agreements, press conferences.
The indispensable condition of the forum is that at plenary sessions of performances of delegates should be made in native language at synchronous translation into working languages of the Congress. Working languages of the Forum are Estonian, Finnish, English, Russian.
From the Republic of Karelia the chairman of the Council of representatives of the IVth congress of Karelians Victor Bogdanov will speak. The chairman of the Vepsian Culture Society, the expert of the Constant forum on problems of radical peoples of United Nations Zinaida Strogalshchikova will perform the report on results of the All-Russia population census. The vice-president of the State Committee of the RK on National Politics, the member of the Council of representatives of the Karelian Congress Tatyana Kleyerova will tell about ways of solution of the language problem in the Republic of Karelia and the passed law On the State Support of Karelian, Vepsian and Finnish Languages in the Republic of Karelia.
Within the framework of the forum Day of presentations of the most successful projects in the Finno-Ugric world is held. Delegations of Finno-Ugric peoples will present those of their projects which have appreciably influenced preservation and development of language and culture of the subsequent generations. The presentations have been prepared by youth public organizations of the republic Nuori Karjala and Vepsan vezad and the recently created youth informational-legal centre Nevond. Samples of books issued in last years in national languages are also prepared for showing to the Finno-Ugric community.
The musical collective of the State Conservatory Istoki, the soloist of national ensemble Koski Ivan Kielevajnen and the actor of the national theatre Santeri Kuikka will take part in the cultural program of the forum from the Republic of Karelia.
Reference:
The World congress of Finno-Ugric peoples (is held once in four years; last time had been held in Helsinki, in 2000) is a forum of representatives of Finno-Ugric peoples, and also Samody peoples, does not depend on governments and political parties and in its activity bases on the Declaration on Main Principles, Purposes and Tasks of Cooperation of Finno-Ugric nations of the world (Syktyvkar, 1992).
Delegates of the Congress are elected by each people freely, rates of representation are defined by the advisory Committee of Finno-Ugric peoples.
All materials on preparation of the Congress are located in the Internet at http://www.suri.ee/kongress
Natalya Antonova
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