William Penn Life, 2002 (37. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
2002-01-01 / 1. szám
Memorandum on Status Law sparks political row among from The Budapest Sun BUDAPEST — A memorandum of understanding signed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Romanian counterpart Adrian Nastase on the Status Law (under which Hungary gives preferential treatment to ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries) sparked a political row which has spilled over into the new year. The deal was struck following months of objection by the Romanian government to the new law which, it said, threatened ethnic equality. Around two million ethnic Hungarians live in Romania and large numbers legally and illegally cross into Hungary each year for seasonal agricultural work, more highly paid here than in Romania. The memorandum allowed for all Romanians to be given the same preferences given to ethnic Hungarians under the Status Law when seeking employment in Hungary, and agreed a review of the law after six months in force. Nastase described the memorandum as a "solution" to Romania's objections to the Status Law. Opposition politicians and labor union officials, however, raised NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - The American Hungarian Language Center is offering Hungarian language courses beginning the end of this month at the Hungarian Heritage Center in New Brunswick. The Elementary Hungarian course is intended for students with no knowledge of Hungarian. The course aims at primary language skills through extensive practice in listening, reading and writing. Students will be engaged in conversations and creative writing based on everyday situations and cultural topics. Hungarian leaders alarm over the details of the memorandum, which they claimed could result in a serious influx of Romanian workers, posing a threat to the Hungarian labor market. Foreign Minister János Martonyi, however, insisted that the deal was merely a declaration of intent which would later be set out in detail and any final agreement would not have a negative effect on anyone except ethnic Hungarians in Romania. János Bozsik, of the autonomous trade union bloc, said the memorandum "harms Hungary's chances of catching up with the EU as it will put Hungarian wage levels under pressure and increase the amount of illegal labor." Concern was also expressed by MSZP Parliamentary Health Committee Chairman Mihály Kökényi over the health benefits the memorandum appeared to provide for Romanian guest workers, which he said could overload an already stretched health service. Health Minister István Mikola however dismissed Kökényi's comments, saying his primary concern on the issue was ensuring that all foreign workers pay social insurance contributions. The Advanced Hungarian course is for those with good communication skills in Hungarian. It aims at improving writing skills by imitation of styles and forms, spelling and vocabulary development. Students will also improve their computer skills through using word processors to manage multilanguage texts. Dates and fees will depend on enrollment. For more information, contact the American Hungarian Language Center by calling (732) 247-1630 or visit their website at www.a-h-l-c.org. Qn BrieQ ■■■HI Language grants COLUMBUS, OH - The Ohio State University in Columbus, Slavic Center, is accepting applications from graduate students for the Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships. The fellowship can be used for studying Hungarian, either at OSU during the academic year or in Hungary during the summer. Deadline for applications is Feb. 8. More information can be obtained by calling (614) 292-8770 or by emailing Maryann Keisel at keisel.l@osu.edu. HHHBBH Childbirths rise BUDAPEST — The number of childbirths increased significantly in Hungary during 2001, but population continued to decline, even if more slowly than in 2000, said Peter Harrach, minister of Social and Family Affairs. Although exact data is not yet available, this welcome trend is clearly indicated by statistics from the first three quarters of the year, the minister said. “Halting the decrease in population will be one of the greatest challenges for the Hungarian nation in the coming years,” Harrach said. He also said the government would modify the rules of adoption so that “all adoptable babies should get into families.” ■■■■■■■ Calling all Magyars If you have news that you think would be of interest to the American Hungarian community, please send it to us at: Magyar Matters, William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. American Hungarian Language Center to offer courses in Hungarian llilliiiin Pern I,iff, January 2002 9
