2023-12-12 17:07:20
Diverse cultural program and dialogues on language preservation, the role of youth and democracy education
Vienna (PK) – National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka and Federal Council President Claudia Arpa today invited people to the Day of the Ethnic Groups in the House of Representatives in order to raise the population’s awareness of the importance of linguistic and cultural diversity for Austria. The ethnic group advisory councils of the six autochthonous ethnic groups recognized in Austria presented their respective concerns regarding the issue of language preservation.
Emma Lantschner from the University of Graz spoke about “protecting ethnic groups as a continuous task” and suggested measures to raise awareness about the social needs of members of the ethnic groups.
The ethnic group advisory councils discussed their priorities in a discussion round. Integration Minister Susanne Raab emphasized that events like today in Parliament are an expression of recognition and appreciation of the ethnic groups as a fixed and integral part of Austrian identity.
The area spokespersons for ethnic groups from all parties represented in parliament made their statements on the content and priorities. Another part of the event was dedicated to the topic of youth and the future as well as future perspectives and visions.
Sobotka and Arpa emphasize the importance of cultural diversity
On today’s Day of the National Minorities, Austria’s linguistic and cultural diversity should once again be demonstrated, said National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka in his welcoming speech. The dialogue – which, as a hallmark of democracy, is well placed in the plenary chamber of Parliament – stands for respecting different opinions and finding compromises, he referred to the dialogue platform set up in Parliament and to the need to “place what is common before what divides.” Sobotka particularly emphasized the role of young people belonging to the ethnic group. They would like more recognition from the majority of society.
Federal Council President Claudia Arpa spoke of a “day of diversity, appreciation and confession” on which the language would be honored in the diversity of its forms of expression. Language creates reality and is therefore essential for social debate, she said. In order to strengthen the culture of diversity, it is important to strengthen knowledge about the ethnic groups in Austrian society as a whole and thus counteract prejudices. Austria is a diverse country, emphasized the President of the State Chamber.
Knowledge about ethnic groups is important for intercultural dialogue
The protection of minorities in Europe is in a phase of stagnation, said social scientist Emma Lantschner from the University of Graz in her speech. In Austria, however, there have been positive developments in recent years, for example through the doubling of funding for ethnic groups or the new curricula in schools that deal with the language, culture and history of the ethnic groups. Knowledge about the diversity of Austrian society is essential to promote intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. Lantschner also highlighted the legislative package against online hate as an important awareness-raising measure.
The expert sees room for improvement in bilingual offerings in elementary education and in the area of school minority language teaching for a level of language proficiency that enables it to be passed on to the next generation. She also suggested the use of minority languages in contact with administrative authorities, the recruitment of bilingual staff in the public service and the promotion of bilingual topography to create greater visibility for national minorities.
The social needs of the ethnic groups are changing, so it is important to maintain exchange and dialogue with the ethnic groups, especially with young people, said Lantschner. The diversity within the ethnic groups should also be taken into account. They are no more homogeneous than the majority population. Events like today’s would actively contribute to the visibility of the ethnic groups in Austria, she said.
Minority group advisory councils present their concerns
The ethnic group advisory councils of the ethnic groups presented their perspectives on recent developments in a panel discussion and fleshed out their concerns on the topic of education and language. Securing the Vienna Komenský School is essential for the Czech ethnic group. The Slovak ethnic group would like to promote the mobility of young people, while the Roma ethnic group is calling for measures against discrimination and the bilingual expansion of elementary education. The Slovenian ethnic group also sees bilingual elementary education as a central element of language preservation. The possibility of bilingual education in the federal capital is important for the Hungarian ethnic group; the main concern of the Croatian ethnic group is the expansion of educational locations. On the Day of the Ethnic Groups in Parliament, information stands enabled direct dialogue with the representatives of the individual ethnic groups.
Raab: Ethnic groups are an integral and integral part of Austrian identity
Integration Minister Susanne Raab, linguist Brigitta Busch and Section Head of the Ministry of Education Margareta Scheuringer discussed the priorities of the ethnic group advisory councils. Busch took up the previously mentioned topics, such as the preservation and vitalization of the ethnic group languages, according to which a public commitment to the country’s multilingual constitution is of central importance. Solutions also need to be found in educational matters. In addition, legal measures are needed to take the mobility of boys into account with regard to the ethnic groups. According to the scientist, ongoing discrimination and racist hostility are also an issue.
As a fixed and integral part of Austrian identity, it is about visibility, political recognition and appreciation for the ethnic groups, emphasized Integration Minister Susanne Raab. The federal government has worked intensively on this in recent years, highlighting, for example, the doubling of funding for ethnic groups and the creation of a leading medium for each ethnic group. In addition, Raab mentioned a newly created federal-state agreement on elementary education and the ethnic groups explicitly mentioned. As part of the latest ORF amendment, it was also ensured that the ethnic groups were given more visibility.
Margareta Scheuringer, section head in the Ministry of Education, represented Education Minister Martin Polaschek, explaining that in recent years the ethnic groups have been made a topic in all curricula. The curricula of the minority schools have been completely revised, said Scheuringer. Another important pillar is that schools such as the Oberwarter Gymnasium have been transferred from the school trial to regular mode. If you want to create an additional offer in the area of bilingual education, you need to change the minority school law, but also the appropriate specialists, she said.
Dialogue about youth and the future, perspectives and visions
The topic of youth and the future, perspectives and visions was introduced by Parliamentary Director Harald Dossi. The motto of today’s event is “Dialogue connects,” said Dossi. Overall, this mandate is taken very seriously in Parliament. He mentioned, for example, the establishment of a dialogue platform, but also content contributions in the new visitor center that concern the ethnic groups, as well as the focus of guided tours and overall the teaching of democracy, of which the ethnic groups are an essential part. The head of the democracy education department in the parliamentary directorate, Leopold Lugmayr, confirmed that the issue of ethnic groups was also playing a steadily growing role in the parliament’s democracy workshop. A format has been developed in which contemporary witnesses from the ethnic groups are invited to workshops with young people. Two students from the Bundesgymnasium Oberwart who took part in a workshop reported on their experiences and confirmed that it had made them more aware of the importance of democracy.
Afterwards, a group of experts from the media environment and a student from the Bundesgymnasium Oberwart exchanged their thoughts in connection with ethnic group issues. Similar to ORF editor Mario Czory, who, among other things, advocated bringing ethnic group issues into the “mainstream,” film and content producer Thomas Kamenar said “ and visibility” were needed. Overall, diversity should be a majority issue and a “must-have,” emphasized Marko Londa, managing director of Moonshot Pirates.
Melanie Juriga, media representative in the Komenský school association and former ORF ethnic group editor, agreed and highlighted multilingualism as an important basic element for the economy. From the perspective of ORF editor Lina Verdel, in order for multilingualism to be a matter of course, digital formats are also increasingly needed to reach young people. Konstantin Vlasich, author and editor-in-chief of the magazine Novi Glas, pleaded for “multilingualism as a matter of course” and for politicians to have more courage to deal with the ethnic groups. István Mihály Zsótér, a student at the Oberwart Federal High School, would like to see many more young people take part in leadership positions, for example in the ethnic group advisory councils, as he said.
Statements from the area spokespersons for ethnic groups
From the group of area spokespersons for ethnic groups in the parliamentary groups, Nikolaus Berlakovich (ÖVP) emphasized the importance of the ethnic group languages also being used in public spaces. Harald Troch (SPÖ), among others, emphasized that Austria is also becoming more linguistically colorful and diverse beyond the ethnic groups through immigration. Anyone who advocates for cultural identity must do so for everyone, said Isabella Theuermann (FPÖ), for example with regard to “compatriots” in South Tyrol who are denied recognition as an ethnic group. Olga Voglauer (Greens) would also like to strengthen and expand the rights of the ethnic groups in future political negotiations. Michael Bernhard (NEOS) spoke out in favor of an ethnic group policy with solutions for the present and the future, for example by establishing ethnic group languages in the administration.
In the early afternoon, a variety of cultural contributions from the ethnic groups were on the program for the National Minorities Day in Parliament.
In the Federal Constitution, Austria commits itself to respecting and promoting the ethnic groups resident in Austria, which are protected by international, constitutional and ordinary law provisions. Parliament pursues an intensified dialogue process with the ethnic groups and sees their linguistic and cultural diversity as an identity-creating feature of the republic. The exhibition “The Austrian ROMANES. 30 years of recognition – 600 years in Austria” opens today. (Continuation Day of the Ethnic Groups) fan/mbu
A NOTICE: Photos from this event as well as one Review of past events you find in Parliament web portal .
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