Exercise 7: Analysing an intercultural issue as it appears in public political discourse

Source: Article 1: ``Guvernul va nfiina un liceu cu predare n limba Rromani``- Gov't OKs
Rromani-language High School at Bucharest; 13.03.2012
``Premierul Mihai Rzvan Ungureanu a afirmat, n edina de mari a Executivului, c nfiinarea
liceului reprezint iniiativa deputatailor din grupul minoritilor naionale Varujan Pambuccian i
Nicolae Pun i a ntrunit consensul coaliiei. Vom putea, n fine, oferi comunitilor de romi
posibilitatea de a-i educa copiii ntr-un liceu care s aib i linie de predare n limba romani. Este
un gest foarte bun i v rog s l punei n balan cu eforturile Guvernului de a acomoda puncte de
vedere nu diferite, ci puncte de vedere aproapre similare, care merg ctre ceea ce ateptm cu toii :
o societate civilizat i construit european", a spus Ungureanu.``
Rromani People
Classical history has been interested, with more or less success, in the long peregrination of the
Gypsies. But all the researchers have found a lack of documental evidence in their intention of
constructing their theories. Many of the projects are no more than castles in the air that t would not
resist a deep analysis. Most of the conclusions reached by Rromani researchers about the history of
Rroma people are reduced to mere hypothesis. Nevertheless, even this has allowed researchers to
achieve a certain degree of consensus on some aspects of the history of the Rroma.
Historical Origins: The road began in India ...crossed Persia.......and after some centuries the
Rroma arrived in Europe.
Racism against the Rroma. From past to present situation in Europe: Persecutions and slavery;
The Nazi Holocaust; The Racist parties proliferate in Europe; The end of the Cold War; The
Yugoslavian Rroma have suffered ethnic cleansing; New forms of racism; Some countries limit the
free traffic of people; The legislative disparity.
Romania is the country with a larger Rromani population - Among the rest of the European
countries Romania is highlighted, with almost 3.000.000 Rroma, which corresponds to the 9,15% of
the total population.
Some Rromani wishes:
1. The youths bet on their culture: The Rromani youth in Europe express their desire of finding
a road that will allow them to reach social and cultural welfare of their people and their
plenum incorporation into the European plural society. This implies the necessary
conservation of their cultural patrimony and of their traditions;
2. The Rromani language should be present in the schools: The Rromani language should be
considered as one more of the European minority languages of the European Document of
the Regional and Minority Languages, and its lack of territoriality should not adversely
effect its protection and development. Public powers and Rromani organizations should start
programmes for training teachers to teach Rromans in the public schools. The programmes
should include the protection of Rromani literature and the establishment of a policy to
promote Rromani literature;

3. To retrieve cultural values: An investigative programme should be carried out, incorporating

various disciplines and using an international viewpoint that could join together the
ethnographic materials and would conclude with the establishment of a European museum
of the Rromani culture. The European public institutions could guide a European school
project of Romani music and could even sponsor the conclusion of the project of the
Rromani Encyclopedia, as well as collaborate in its distribution;
4. To incorporate the Rromani culture to the curricular contents: It is necessary to make access
to education easier for the Rromani youth, not only at primary level but at secondary and
university level as well. The institution responsible should facilitate the creation of an
official training project for professional educators that can later make it possible to introduce
into schools the concepts referred to as intercultural education. It is very important to have a
Rromani in a mediating role as a valid instrument to create awareness of the Rromani
families and from the centres of learning as a rule;
5. The role of the young rromni: The creation of an European Network of Rromani Women is
important;
6. Living conditions and health: The institutions should start integral hygiene programmes
directed at the Rromani communities that live in poverty and conditions of exclusion.
The learner and the languages; An intercultural issue-Teaching in Rromani Language. Its
Roles:

1. Raising the language awareness of learnes: Teaching Rromani offers many opportunities to
raise pupils awareness of language generally (plurilingualism).
As most pupils will be bilingual, the majority language is a readily available resource. It
is possible to draw comparisons between languages and to demonstrate how one
language may impact on another.
Attention should also be drawn, as appropriate, to the existence of different varieties of
Romani. This means highlighting the use of different words/expressions for the same
thing. Such extension helps to make learners aware of the richness of the Romani
language.
2. Bilingual education: some policy issues

3. minority`s protection;
4. Linguistic diversity
Efforts to keep minority languages alive and to set up intercultural education programmes for
minorities in Romania in the system of High School were one of the priorities of our present

Government conducted by the Prime Minister, Mihai Ungureanu. Rroma minority and Hungarian
minority are predominant in raport with the total population of Romania. The Rroma are the second
largest community after Hungarians in Romania. According to the latest census conducted in 2011
they represent 3,2 per cent of the population (619,007 people). They are the most disadvantaged
community due to poverty and the poor level of education. As I mention above, one of Rromani`s
desire was that Rromani language should be present in the schools. The initiative belongs to the
parliamentary group of the national minorities and was approved by government amid the scandal
triggered by the setting up of a medical school in Hungarian at Targu Mures (Western Romania)
University. "From now on, we will be able to offer the Rroma community the opportunity to
educate their children in a high school where they will learn in their language. It is a very good
gesture () that meets our expectations for a civilized European society," PM Razvan Mihai
Ungureanu said today ahead of a cabinet meeting. The language used in the new high school will be
Romanian, but there will be classes of the Rromani language and civilisation.
Article 2: the same issue as I presented above: The learner and the minority language; An
intercultural issue -Teaching in Romania in Hungarian Language at University level.
Article 2: ``Prim Ministru Romaniei - Ungureanu: Vom adopta o soluie tehnic de nfiinare
a liniei maghiare de nvmnt la UMF Trgu Mure`` - Gov't OKs Hungarian-language
faculty at Targu Mures; 13.03.2012
``UDMR has won the first battle within the ruling coalition after the Education Ministry published
yesterday a draft government decision that stipulates the setting up of a Hungarian and Englishlanguage faculty within the University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMF) in Targu Mures. The
decision discussed during yesterdays government meeting stipulates the creation of a Hungarianlanguage (350 seats) and English-language (50 seats) faculty within UMF. The purpose of the new
draft law is part of our preoccupations on developing the statute of multicultural and multilingual
universities, in view of making the national education system compatible with the European system
of education and professional training, the government decision reads.The decision was adopted
after Prime Minister Ungureanu and UDMR leaders agreed on Monday evening to launch it for
public debate for 10 days. UDMR President Kelemen Hunor returned to the government on
Monday evening in order to make sure the draft decision will be included on the agenda of
Tuesdays government meeting, in the form agreed immediately after the ruling coalitions meeting.
The decision was adopted after UDMR MPs boycotted the Lower Chamber and Senate meetings.
However yesterday, UDMR MPs returned to the Parliament, Vice-premier Marko Bela saying that
they would attend Parliament meetings as long as the draft is in public debate. The DemocratLiberal Party did not appreciate the pressure it was subjected to in Parliament. PDL President Emil
Boc stated on Monday evening on B1TV that UDMRs gesture of boycotting the Parliaments
works was profoundly incorrect, that PDL does not accept ruling through blackmail and will not
accept a Hungarian-language-only faculty in Targu Mures as UDMR wants. Boc pointed out that
PDLs mandate is to support UMFs multicultural character and to observe the education law,

pointing out that multiculturalism is the red thread.PM Ungureanu stated the same thing,
explaining that the government applied a technical solution that would respect the education law,
the principle of university autonomy and multiculturalism. He added that he talked with the leader
of students in Targu Mures too, assuring him that this is not about ethnic segregation. Ungureanu
pointed out that he wanted the German language included alongside Hungarian and English
languages within UMF, but that currently there are some obstacles in implementing this
measure.``