Voice of America, 23 July 1996 (CURRENT AFFAIRS FEATURE)

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] CONFLICT RESOLUTION: MOSTAR'S YOUNG BRIDGE TO THE BY JUDITH LATHAM (WASHINGTON)

[02] CONFLICT RESOLUTION: HUNGARIAN ROMA N-G-O'S SEEK U.S. BY JUDITH LATHAM (WASHINGTON)

[01] CONFLICT RESOLUTION: MOSTAR'S YOUNG BRIDGE TO THE BY JUDITH LATHAM (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: MANY POLITICAL ANALYSTS BELIEVE THE FATE OF THE BOSNIAN FEDERATION IS CLOSELY LINKED TO ACHIEVING PEACE IN THE CITY OF MOSTAR, WHERE THE FIRST POSTWAR ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA WERE HELD RECENTLY [6/30]. ELECTIONS FOR THE MOSTAR CITY COUNCIL PRODUCED A NARROW MAJORITY FOR THE LARGELY MUSLIM PARTY FAVORING UNIFICATION, BUT ONLY WITH THE HELP OF PRO-UNITY VOTES CAST BY REFUGEES LIVING ABROAD. THE SHARPLY SPLIT VOTE WAS ANOTHER INDICATION OF THE TENSIONS BETWEEN THE LARGELY CROATIAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF WEST MOSTAR AND THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY OF EAST MOSTAR. HOWEVER, JUST A LITTLE OVER A BLOCK FROM THE FORMER LINE OF BATTLE ON THE WEST SIDE -- WHERE BUILDINGS ARE BOMBED OUT AND THE TREES ARE SCORCHED -- SITS THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER OF MLADI MOST. THERE, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO REBUILD THEIR ONCE BEAUTIFUL CITY AND TO BRIDGE THE ETHNIC DIVIDE THAT IS THE LEGACY OF THE WAR IN BOSNIA. FOR MORE ON THIS RECONCILIATION EFFORT, HERE IS ___________ WITH A REPORT

TEXT: MLADI MOST [MLAH-DEE MOHST] MEANS "YOUNG BRIDGE" AND IT ECHOES THE REALITY ONCE REPRESENTED BY STARI [STAHR-EE] MOST, THE OLD STONE BRIDGE LINKING EAST AND WEST MOSTAR THAT WAS BUILT IN THE 16TH CENTURY BY BOSNIA'S OTTOMAN RULERS. THE OLD BRIDGE WAS SHELLED INTO OBLIVION BY MOSTAR'S CROATIAN FORCES IN 1993. THE NEXT YEAR MLADI MOST WAS STARTED BY A GROUP OF FORMER VOLUNTEERS FROM A-S-F, THE GERMAN ACRONYM FOR ACTION RECONCILIATION SERVICE FOR PEACE, A BERLIN-BASED PEACE GROUP. NICOLE BURKART, AN INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER FROM THE UNITED STATES, SAYS IT WAS FORMED TO HELP HEAL WOUNDS INFLICTED BY WORLD WAR TWO AND TO ASSUAGE THE GUILT TODAY'S GENERATION FEELS BECAUSE OF THE GENOCIDE COMMITTED DURING THAT PERIOD. TAPE B: CUT ONE -- BURKART (0:18) "THESE FORMER VOLUNTEERS FEEL THAT WHAT HAPPENED DURING WORLD WAR TWO IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW -- THE ETHNIC CONFLICT, THE HATRED. AND SINCE THEN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RECRUITED FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE. WE'VE HAD DUTCH VOLUNTEERS, GERMAN VOLUNTEERS, CZECH, ENGLISH, AMERICAN, JAPANESE."

TEXT: A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER FROM BOSTON, NICOLE BURKART BEGAN A PHOTO PROJECT FOR MLADI MOST WITH EXHIBITS IN BOTH EUROPEAN AND U.S. CITIES. IT PUBLICIZES THE ACTIVITIES OF YOUNG PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BRIDGE. NICOLE EXPLAINS THAT THE INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS, WHO TYPICALLY STAY FOR SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR, ARE RECRUITED FOR THEIR SPECIAL SKILLS, SUCH AS EDITING AND COMPUTER SKILLS NEEDED FOR THE MAGAZINE THEY PUBLISH WITH A YOUTH CENTER IN EAST MOSTAR. OTHERS TEACH ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSES, CONDUCT MUSIC OR THEATER WORKSHOPS, LEAD CONFLICT RESOLUTION WORKSHOPS, OR HELP WITH ART CLASSES.

MOST OF THE INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS LIVE IN A COMMUNITY HOUSE IN WEST MOSTAR, AND THEY ARE JOINED BY LOCAL VOLUNTEERS WHO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE ACTIVITIES OF MLADI MOST. THEY RUN AN OPEN HOUSE WITH COMMUNAL MEALS AND SHARED WORK RESPONSIBILITIES. INDIRA MUHENIC [IN-DEER-AH MOO-HAY-NITCH], A MUSLIM WHO USED TO WORK AS A NURSE IN WEST MOSTAR, IS THE LOCAL COORDINATOR. TAPE B: CUT TWO -- MUHENIC (0:22) "IT'S THE FIRST PROJECT IN MOSTAR AND IN THE WHOLE OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA THAT WAS LIKE [AN] OPEN HOUSE DURING THE WAR, AND THEY STARTED DOING THIS RECONCILIATION PROJECT. SO THE PEOPLE THAT WERE COMING HERE, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER PLACE TO HANG OUT, AND BE TOGETHER, LIKE DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES. AND PEOPLE STILL COME HERE, AND WE'RE ALL GOOD FRIENDS. WE ALSO HAVE LIKE, LITTLE KIDS WILL COME HERE, DOING ART WORK."

TEXT: WITH THEIR GERMAN SPONSORS, INDIRA SAYS, MLADI MOST IS OPERATING A SUMMER CAMP ON THE ADRIATIC COAST FOR KIDS FROM BOTH EAST AND WEST MOSTAR. THEY OFFER A SERIES OF TWO-WEEK WORKSHOPS ON MUSIC, THEATER, AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION. MARK BOWEN, WHO WILL LEAD ONE OF THE MUSIC WORKSHOPS, ALSO TEACHES AN ENGLISH CLASS FOR 14-YEAR-OLD GIRLS IN THE CATHOLIC SUBURBS OF WEST MOSTAR. HE SAYS THE WOUNDS OF WAR ARE FAR FROM HEALED. TAPE B: CUT THREE -- BOWEN (0:32) "TONIGHT WITH MY ENGLISH CLASS, I DECIDED TO BRING UP THE SUBJECT OF THE WAR AND WHAT EFFECT IT HAD ON THE KIDS AND WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THE FUTURE. AT SOME POINT I JUST SAID, 'WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MUSLIMS?' AND ONE GIRL IN MY CLASS SAID, 'I'D LIKE TO KILL THEM ALL.' AND I SAID, 'OKAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SERBS?' AND SHE SAID, 'I'D KILL THEM, TOO.' I SAID, 'WHY DO YOU WANT TO KILL THESE PEOPLE?' AND SHE SAID, 'BECAUSE THEY KILLED US.' AND ANOTHER GIRL IN THE CLASS BROUGHT UP THE POINT THAT, 'WE KILLED THEM, TOO, AND WE'RE ALL JUST THE SAME.'"

TEXT: ANOTHER VOLUNTEER, SHIN YASUI [YAH-SOO-EE], WHO IS FROM JAPAN BUT WENT TO COLLEGE IN THE UNITED STATES, TEACHES AN ENGLISH CLASS IN WEST MOSTAR. SHIN, WHO IS ALSO FLUENT IN THE BOSNIAN LANGUAGE, SPENDS A LOT OF TIME IN THE HEAVILY DAMAGED MUSLIM COMMUNITY OF EAST MOSTAR. TAPE B: CUT FOUR -- YASUI (0:48) "I TALK WITH THE PEOPLE IN EAST MOSTAR AS WELL, THE YOUNG KIDS, AND THE DIFFERENCE I CAN SEE BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST IS THAT KIDS IN THE EAST ASK, 'WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE WAR?' IN WEST MOSTAR, THE KIDS ASK, 'WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT US AS A PEOPLE?' SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE. THE IMPRESSION I GET IS THAT IN EAST MOSTAR THE KIDS THINK THAT THEY ARE THE VICTIMS -- WHICH IS TRUE. AND IN WEST MOSTAR, THEY THINK -- BASED ON SOME KIND OF COLLECTIVE GUILT -- THAT THEIR PEOPLE HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG AGAINST MUSLIMS. SO, THAT'S WHY THEY ASK ME, 'WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT US AS A PEOPLE? ARE WE REALLY BAD PEOPLE?' AND OF COURSE, MY ANSWER IS, 'NO, I THINK THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP [POLITICIANS] ARE DOING STUPID THINGS.'"

TEXT: SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD TINA CORIC [CHOR-ITCH] IS FROM A CATHOLIC FAMILY. SHE WAS BORN IN MOSTAR, GREW UP IN BELGRADE, AND MOVED BACK TO MOSTAR WITH HER FAMILY THREE YEARS AGO. SHE ATTENDS MEDICAL HIGH SCHOOL IN WEST MOSTAR AND IS A LOCAL VOLUNTEER AT MLADI MOST. TINA SAYS HER CROATIAN FRIENDS AT SCHOOL ARE SOMEWHAT AMBIVALENT IN THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE MUSLIMS OF EAST MOSTAR. TAPE B: CUT FIVE -- CORIC (0:37) "THEY DON'T REALLY LIKE THEM -- AS A NATION. BUT MAYBE AS INDIVIDUALS. AND BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'VE EXPERIENCED, THEY HAVE THESE RESENTMENTS TOWARDS THEM. BUT, AS I SAID, INDIVIDUALS ARE OKAY -- AT LEAST AMONG MY FRIENDS. I DON'T LIKE TO VIEW THEM AS CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS; I LIKE TO VIEW THEM AS PEOPLE. THAT'S MY OWN OPINION. I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY. I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'VE GONE THROUGH AND WHY THEY ACT THE WAY THEY ACT. I JUST LIKE TO VIEW THEM AS PEOPLE AND TO UNDERSTAND THEM AS PEOPLE. I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR RECONCILIATION, AND I WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING USEFUL -- TO CONTINUE WORKING IN PROJECTS LIKE THIS."

TEXT: SOMEDAY, THE PEOPLE OF MOSTAR SAY, STARI MOST -- THE OLD STONE BRIDGE THAT LINKED EAST AND WEST MOSTAR FOR MORE THAN 400 YEARS -- WILL BE PHYSICALLY REBUILT.* IN THE MEANTIME, THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF MLADI MOST -- THE SO-CALLED 'YOUNG BRIDGE' -- HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THE PROCESS OF EMOTIONAL REBUILDING AND RECONCILIATION. TAPE A: CUT TWO -- MUSIC (SNEAK UP AT *, AND USE AT LIBERTY)
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23-Jul-96 11:18 AM EDT (1518 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] CONFLICT RESOLUTION: HUNGARIAN ROMA N-G-O'S SEEK U.S. BY JUDITH LATHAM (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORTED LAST WEEK [7/16/96] THAT THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITION OF HUNGARIAN ROMA IS "INCREASINGLY DESPERATE." IT STATES THAT "THE UPHEAVAL IN HUNGARIAN SOCIETY SINCE THE COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM HAS BEEN MOST COSTLY FOR THE ROMA. INCREASINGLY DESPISED AND ISOLATED, THEY ARE ALMOST INVISIBLE AS HUNGARY REDEFINES ITSELF ECONOMICALLY, POLITICALLY, AND SOCIALLY." HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CHARGES THAT THE HUNGARIAN GOVERNMENT HAS NOT FULFILLED ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO STAND UP FOR CITIZENS WHO ARE LEAST ABLE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. THE ROMA, OR EUROPEAN GYPSIES, REPRESENT THE LARGEST MINORITY GROUP WITHIN EUROPE. A DELEGATION OF ROMANI CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS FROM HUNGARY RECENTLY VISITED THE UNITED STATES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF CIVIL

TEXT: ALADAR HORVATH [AHL-AH-DAHR HOR-VAHT], A FORMER MEMBER OF THE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT, NOW DIRECTS THE OFFICE OF CRISIS RESOLUTION AND LEGAL DEFENSE AT THE FOUNDATION FOR ROMA CIVIL RIGHTS. THROUGH AN INTERPRETER, MR. HORVATH SAYS THAT THE FOUNDATION WAS ESTABLISHED A YEAR AGO TO OFFER IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE WITH CRISIS MANAGEMENT. TAPE A: CUT ONE -- HORVATH (ESTABLISH 10 SECONDS IN HUNGARIAN, AND FADE) TAPE B: CUT ONE -- HORVATH (ENGLISH TRANSLATOR) (0:15) "WE TRY TO HELP THOSE ROMA WHO DO NOT HAVE ANY MEANS TO TURN TO A LAWYER TO GET HELP. SO WE TRY TO BE THERE IN THEIR EVERYDAY PRACTICAL LIFE WHENEVER THEY FACE A PROBLEM."

TEXT: AND ACCORDING TO MR. HORVATH THE ROMA DO FACE MANY PROBLEMS, FROM DISCRIMINATION AND ATTACKS BY LOCAL "SKINHEADS" TO DIFFICULTIES WITH HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT. HE CITES THE EXAMPLE OF A SMALL VILLAGE IN SOUTHERN HUNGARY WHERE THE ENTIRE POPULATION IS ROMANI. HE EXPLAINS THE FOUNDATION FOR ROMA CIVIL RIGHTS WAS ABLE TO HELP. TAPE A: CUT TWO -- HORVATH (ESTABLISH 5 SECONDS IN HUNGARIAN) TAPE B: CUT TWO -- HORVATH (ENGLISH TRANSLATOR) (0:56) "NINETY-NINE PERCENT OF THE INHABITANTS ARE UNEMPLOYED. OUT OF 400 PERSONS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY ABLE TO WORK, ONLY FOUR ARE ACTUALLY WORKING. SINCE THE SELF-GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY ALMOST WENT BANKRUPT IN THIS PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, THEY COULDN'T PAY ANYTHING FOR SOCIAL SERVICES LIKE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND MATERNITY LEAVE. THERE IS HUNGER THERE. CHILDREN HAVE GOTTEN FOOD ONLY ONCE DURING THE DAY -- A PIECE OF BREAD WITH SOME FAT ON IT. ROMANI WOMEN BECAME THE PARTNERS OF OUR FOUNDATION, AND WE STARTED TO WORK WITH THEM VERY CLOSELY. WE MANAGED TO RENT SOME VANS, AND IN THIS WAY WE WERE ABLE TO TRANSPORT FIVE TONS OF FOOD TO THAT PARTICULAR AREA." TAPE A: CUT THREE -- MUSIC (SNEAK FOR :05, UP FULL TO :21 AND FADE UNDER AND SLOWLY OUT)

TEXT: ALADAR HORVATH IS ONE OF A SIX-MEMBER DELEGATION OF ROMANI N-G-O'S, OR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, IN HUNGARY THAT RECENTLY VISITED AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSED ON CIVIL RIGHTS, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT. THE TRIP WAS SPONSORED BY THE U.S. INFORMATION AGENCY. ATTILA SZUCS [AH-TIL-LAH SOOCH] IS COORDINATOR OF THE CENTER FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, WHICH MONITORS AND DOCUMENTS HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATIONS AND OFFERS LEGAL SERVICES TO HUNGARIAN ROMA. TAPE B: CUT THREE -- SZUCS (IN ENGLISH) (0:58) "WE ARE RIGHT NOW TRYING TO LAUNCH A NEW PROJECT TO SET UP MATERIAL TO BE TAUGHT IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO FIGHT XENOPHOBIA AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN OR THE YOUTH. WE THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. AND WE WORK WITH NUMEROUS VOLUNTEERS, AND THEY REPRESENT VERY DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF HUNGARIAN SOCIETY, ALSO FOREIGNERS RESIDING IN HUNGARY. IN THE UNITED STATES YOU HAVE A VERY LONG TRADITION OF CIVIL INITIATIVES, WHEREAS IN HUNGARY WE ONLY HAVE A HISTORY OF A COUPLE OF YEARS. AND THEREFORE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO'S WORKING, AND THUS GAIN EXPERIENCE THAT WE COULD USE AT HOME. WE WOULD LIKE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH SOME FOUNDATIONS, THUS SEARCHING FOR WAYS OF GETTING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR OUR ORGANIZATIONS."

TEXT: WITH ATTILA SZUCS, ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE HUNGARIAN DELEGATION WAS GABOR BERNATH [GAH-BOR BAIR-NAHT] OF THE ROMA MEDIA CENTER. MR. BERNATH, WHO HIMSELF IS NOT A ROM, SAYS THE MEDIA IN HUNGARY ARE NOT YET PREPARED TO HANDLE NEWS ABOUT ROMA IN AN UNBIASED WAY. HIS COMMENTS ARE TRANSLATED BY MR. SZUCS: TAPE A: CUT FOUR -- BERNATH (ESTABLISH 9 SECONDS IN HUNGARIAN)

TAPE: CUT FOUR -- BERNATH (WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATOR) (0:49) "IN THE HUNGARIAN MEDIA ROMA ARE PRESENT IN THREE FORMS OF STEREOTYPES. ONE OF THEM IS AS MUSICIANS, THE OTHER IS AS ROMANI CRIMINALS, AND THE THIRD IS THE POLITICAL STRUGGLE AMONG THE SEVERAL POLITICAL BODIES OF THE ROMANI POPULATION, AND THESE THREE TOPICS ARE THE MOST UNDERLINED [STRESSED] IN THE HUNGARIAN MEDIA. SO, OUR P-R ACTIVITIES ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFERENT TO PULL DOWN [ALTER] THESE STEREOTYPES, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO BUILD UP A POSITIVE IMAGE OF THE ROMA."

TEXT: IN THE UNITED STATES THE MEMBERS OF THE HUNGARIAN DELEGATION MET WITH MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES FROM MINORITY COMMUNITIES -- INCLUDING AFRICAN-AMERICANS, ASIAN-AMERICANS, NATIVE AMERICANS, AND ARAB-AMERICANS. [BEGIN OPT] THEY VISITED THE U-S HOLOCAUST MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON, AND THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. THEY ALSO TALKED WITH THOMAS LANTOS, THE HUNGARIAN-AMERICAN CONGRESSMAN FROM CALIFORNIA WHO HEADS THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAUCUS IN CONGRESS, AS WELL AS WITH MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN ARAB ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE. IN PHILADELPHIA, THEY WERE HOSTED BY THE AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE. AND, IN ATLANTA, THEY MET WITH MINORITY RIGHTS ADVOCATES AND VISITED THE CARTER CENTER AND THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CENTER FOR NONVIOLENT SOCIAL CHANGE. [END OPT] WILLIAM DUNA, PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS IN MINNESOTA -- AND THE ONLY ROMANI MEMBER OF THE U-S HOLOCAUST COUNCIL -- COORDINATED THE HUNGARIAN NGO'S AMERICAN VISIT. MR. DUNA SAYS THE DELEGATION FOUND THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH NATIVE AMERICANS PARTICULARLY INSPIRING. TAPE B: CUT FIVE -- DUNA (IN ENGLISH) (0:36) "WE MET WITH NATIVE AMERICANS CONCERNING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. WE WENT TO MINNESOTA TO LOOK AT PROGRAMS THAT THE LAKOTA PEOPLE HAVE DEVELOPED. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SCHOOLS -- NATIVE AMERICAN SCHOOLS, RECREATION CENTERS, DAYCARE CENTERS, AND THEY ARE INVESTING THEIR MONEY IN VARIOUS BUSINESSES. AS THE RESULT OF THIS, NATIVE AMERICANS ARE MOVING UP THE ECONOMIC LADDER. AND THE N-G-O'S WERE JUST AMAZED BY WHEN YOU HAVE MONEY AND DIRECT THAT MONEY FOR POSITIVE PURPOSES, WHAT THE RESULTS CAN BE."

TEXT: MR. DUNA SAYS THE EXPERIENCE OF EUROPEAN ROMA IS SOMEWHAT ANALAGOUS TO THAT OF NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES. FOR EXAMPLE, BOTH COMMUNITIES HAVE VERY STRONG FAMILY TIES. AND BOTH COMMUNITIES ARE JUST BEGINNING TO EMERGE FROM SEVERE EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION. [BEGIN OPT] AT THE SAME TIME, WILLIAM DUNA SAYS, THEY ARE BECOMING AWARE OF THEIR POLITICAL POWER IN PROMOTING THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS OBJECTIVES. TAPE B: CUT SIX -- DUNA (IN ENGLISH) (0:25) "THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT THE ROMA ARE ORGANIZING. THE INTERNATIONAL ROMANI UNION, WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN EVERY COUNTRY THROUGHOUT EUROPE, TODAY IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, IF SOMEBODY IS MURDERED, OUR ORGANIZATION WILL KNOW ABOUT IT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. AND WE WILL WRITE LETTERS OF PROTEST TO THE GOVERNMENT, ASKING THEM TO PROTECT THESE PEOPLE. AND THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS COMING TO OUR HELP. THERE'S THE SOROS FOUNDATION THAT HAS GIVEN LARGE SUMS OF MONEY TO HELP BENEFIT GYPSIES." [END OPT]

TEXT: WILLIAM DUNA SAYS THAT FOR ROMANI PEOPLE IN EUROPE THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IS JUST BEGINNING. THERE ARE NOW NINE TO TEN MILLION ROMA, WHO LIVE IN ALL THE COUNTRIES OF EUROPE, AND THEIR NUMBERS ARE RAPIDLY GROWING. THAT MEANS EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS IN THE POST-COMMUNIST ERA CAN NO LONGER IGNORE THE DEMANDS OF THEIR ROMANI ETHNIC MINORITIES. SO, MR. DUNA SAYS, THE AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS EXPERIENCE SERVES AS AN INSPIRATION AND A MODEL FOR THE ROMANI GROUPS FROM HUNGARY, SUCH AS THOSE WHO RECENTLY VISITED THE UNITED STATES. TAPE A: CUT FIVE -- MUSIC (SNEAK FOR :05, THEN FULL AS NEEDED)
23-Jul-96 2:43 PM EDT (1843 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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