The Congress of the Romanians Around the World

Participants in the first congress of the Romanians around the world, held in Bucharest, have highlighted the need for regaining trust in the authorities.

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Valentin Țigău, 27.06.2016, 13:40

Bucharest last week played host to the first Congress of the Romanians Around the World. 49 delegates from 13 countries have voted for a council to represent the Romanian communities in the Diaspora and in the historical Romanian regions around the country. Participants have spoken about the unity of the Diaspora for the benefit of the Romanian citizens and have called for authorities’ support for the preservation of national identity.

The authorities in Bucharest have conveyed a message to the representatives of the Romanians around the world that they have a significant contribution to Romania’s image abroad and that their voice will also be heard in the Romanian Parliament. It is in Romania’s best interest to have active and strong communities abroad and for this reason the Romanian Diaspora will have in the authorities a reliable partner for finding solutions to the problems that these communities are currently facing, the Congress panelists have also said.

The Romanians in the Diaspora have also talked about restoring their trust in the authorities, about unity and cooperation in the interest of the citizens outside Romania’s borders; they have also mentioned their accomplishments and the problems they are facing at present. From Cernauti, in Western Ukraine, Iurie Levcic has pulled the alarm about the danger of denationalization, by closing down schools with tuition in Romania.

Iurie Levcic: “Ukraine hasn’t opened a university or a faculty for the teaching stuff yet. The Romanian schools in Ukraine are passing through a major crisis right now. The Ukrainian state hasn’t done anything so far to build or open in Cernauti at least one kindergarten with tuition in Romanian.”

Svetlana Captari of the Republic of Moldova has called for support for identity preservation through language and culture. The Romanians in the Timoc Valley, in eastern Serbia, are also fighting for the preservation of Romanian language. They have also pleaded for support for gaining Romanian citizenship. Staging courses of Romanian, consular facilities, libraries, setting up a Diaspora museum are among the requests made by the participants in the Congress of the Romanians Around the World. The participants have also voted for the leading structures of the Council of the Romanians Around the World. The 49 delegates have elected pastor Marius Livanu, currently living in Italy, as president of the council. Livanu said he would fight for the unity of the Diaspora.

Marius Livanu: “I don’t want any competition between north and south, between those living on the other side of the Atlantic or here, those in Italy and in other parts of the world. We are all Romanians living abroad and we must work for the benefit of all Romanians.”

Tommy Tomescu of Britain has been elected vice-president, while Savic Alexander of Serbia as secretary general. The status and regulations for the functioning of this body have also been established.

(Translated by Daniel Bilt)