Szabad Kapacitás, 1992 (4. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)

1992 / 1. szám (angol)

Common declaration of the Public Against Violence

Movement (VPN) and of the Independent Hungarian

Initiative (FMK) on the coexistence of nations,

national minorities and ethnic groups in Slovakia

Bratislava, 21 january 1990

(...) The solution should start from following

principles: .-

The aim and the starting point of the efforts

made in all spheres of sociaflife is the citizen, the

individual. All citizens are subject of state-creation.-

The VPN and the FMK come out in support of

the respectation of the sovereignity of European

states and their borders, with particular regard to

the situation when borders become more open.-

At the same time, they disclaim the principle of

reciprocity in handling 'the national minorities

problems, being aware of that the enforcement of

this principle woul force the minorities into a posi

tion of hostages. We should not make the enforce

ment of civil and minorities rights dependent on on

the policy of other states.-

The nationalist prejudices could be eliminated

only through a democratic, cultural way, starting

from a basis of mutual respect and attention to the

different opinions. It is necessary to revive the

consciousness of tolerance and mutual respectati

on in the members of all nations and minorities li

vingin Czechoslovakia.-

The free choice of one s (ethnic) national status

is a basic human right. Nations, national minoriti

es, and ethnic groups are subjects of collective

rights. '-

Considering the mutual dependence and unity

of human ana civil rights and freedoms, including

the national, minority and ethnic rights, we reject

the practice of the past to bring a charge of collec

tive guiliness against national minorities and ethnic

groups. "

GA-

The (ethnic) nations, national minorities and

ethnic groups should enjoy the right of self-go

vernment in all those questions, that concern only

themselves, and they snould have equal rights in

decision-making about the questions concerning

them partially. .-

In practical realization aand supervision of the

collective rights it is to be started from the Resolu

tions of the "Helsinki Conference and the following

meetings, and from the principle of superiority of

international law - this principle is laid out in Reso

lution of the Vienna Meeting. (...) A new Europe

an system of

supervision of of the rights of nations, minorities

and ethnic groups should guarantee their protecti

on on international level. ‘-

The rights of national and ethnic minorities do

not depend on the number of citizens belonging to

them.f...)-

Resolving of the situation of nations, national

minorities and ethnic groups in accordance with

the principle of equal rights is one of the crucial

points that opens the way to Europe for Czechos

lovakia.

The

Sándor Márai

Foundation

The

Sándor Márai

foundation

was established by the Independent

Hungarian Initiative in August 1990

for ‘'cultivation of liberal values

among the Hungarian minority

citizens in Czechoslovakia, ana

round the political and public life in

Slovakia.

The aim of the Foundation is

supporting of such cultural

initiatives (both institutional and

individual) that can significantly

contribute to the development of a

liberal, humane hierarchy of values,

to the protection of the national

cultural worthes, in a way that would

work against the dominaucy of

nationalistic emotions in Central

Europe.

The Foundation supports cultural

programmes, conferences,

workshops and individual (research

or artistic) projects.

The President of the

Sándor

Márai

Foundation is

Lajos Grendel,

the renowned writer, the Executive

Director is

András Mészáros,

philosopher and sociologist, the

Executive Secretary is Lidia Pnkler.

The Foundation has organised a

number of international

conferences, e.g. the

Márai

Conference (on liberal values) in

December 1990, Liberalism and

Collective Rights in January 1991,

The Citizen in Central Europe in

March 1992.

The

Márai

Foundation cooperates

with a number of Czechoslovakian and

foreign foundations. In 1992 it started a

project of training activities oriented on

specific social and professional groups in

tne fields of the every-day law,

business-management and ethnic

conflict resolution.

The residence of the „Foundation:

Staromestská

6, Bratislava, CSFR

, Foreign currency ’ account;

Československá obchodná

banka

(Czechoslovak Commercial Bank)

Bratislava 3427-22948/290.