Hungarian American Coalition News, 1995 (4. évfolyam, 3. szám)
1995 / 3. szám
Hungarian American Coalition NFm Special Conference Edition - December 1995 Vol. 4, No. 3 Coalition Co-Sponsors Minority Conference on Capitol Hill Opening remarks by the discussion moderator, Mr. Paul Goble, Senior Fellow at the Potomac Foundation. From left to right: Mr. László Hdmos (Hungarian Human Rights Foundation, New York); Dr. László Józsa (Hungarian Association of Voivodina); Mr. Miklós Kovács (Cultural Association of Hungarians in Subcarpathia); Dr. Edith Bauer (Slovakia’s Co-Existence Political Movement); Bishop László Tőkés (Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania); Mrs. Edith Lauer (Hungarian American Coalition, Cleveland); Mr. Paul Goble (Potomac Foundation, Virginia); Dr. Christoph Pan (Federal Union of European Nationalities); Mr. Joan Vallvé (Member of European Parliament, formerly Head of the Catalan Autonomous Chancellery); and Professor Pult (President of the Lia Rumantscha). On Friday, November 3, approximately 150 people representing Washington’s policy-makers, universities and Hungarian-American community attended the Hungarian American Coalition’s all-day conference entitled, “Promoting European Security and Integration: The Role of National Minorities. ” The Conference, cosponsored by the Potomac Foundation and held in a Congression-al hearing room of the Rayburn House Office Building, began with a keynote address by Paul Goble, Senior Fellow at the Potomac Foundation. Mr. Goble stressed that a fundamental rethinking of the relationship between nation and state, and a willingness to devolve sovereignty — as distinct from independence — to sub-state groups, are necessary components of building a lasting and peaceful international order. The conference proceeded with statements by three representatives of West European national minorities: Dr. Christoph Pan, President of the Federal Union of European Nationalities; Mr. Joan Vallvé, Member of European Parliament and formerly Head of the Catalan Autonomous Chancellery; and Prof. Chasper Pult, President of Lia Rumantscha, the organization of Switzerland’s Raeto-Romansh minority. The four Hungarian minority leaders then sketched the minority situation in their respective countries. Following the presentations by Hungarian minority leaders Dr. László Józsa, Hungarian Association of Voivodina; Mr. Miklós Kovács, Cultural Association of Hungarians in Subcarpathia; Dr. Edith Bauer, Slovakia’s Co-Existence Political Movement; and Bishop László Tőkés, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania; Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs Peter Tamoff expressed the U.S. position that respect for human rights and the rights of national minorities will be an important criterion in deciding which countries to accept for NATO membership. After a lunch break, the afternoon Security Panel featured U.S. scholars and diplomats who addressed general issues of U.S. security policy in Europe: Dr. Danid McDonald (Potomac Foundation); Dr. Constantine M enges (George Washington University); Ambassador Charles H. Thomas, former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary and a U.S. negotiator in the Balkans; and Frank Koszorús, Jr., of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker. As in the morning session, the security panel’s presentations were followed by question-and-answer periods. In this issue: Coalition Co-Sponsors Minority Conference on Capitol Hill page 1 Commemorations - Past and Future page 3 Summary of the Conference Proceedings pages 4-6 Fundraising Gala Dinner pages 7-8
