YTNF :: News

On 20 March 2008 a round table in Buryat devoted to the problems of the Buryat language took place in Ulan-Ude. The round table organized by the Social Inclusion PMT of SCG, in cooperation with the Regional Union of Young Scholars, the Human Rights movement “Erkhe,” and the “All-Buryat Association for the Development of Culture” followed the Politcafè “Why is the Buryat language dying?” that took place on the International Mother Tongue Day on
February 21st. Around 40 people – representatives of various educational institutions, such as the Buryat State University, Buryat National Lyceum and East-Siberian Academy of Culture and Art as well as NGOs members, students, scholars, journalists and writers came together in order to discuss the critical situation of the Buryat language. Buryat is a second state language of the Republic of Buryatia. By law it has the same rights as Russian, but in fact it is hardly visible in the public sphere. So the decision to conduct discussion in Buryat in itself has been a very important step for the promotion of the language.
Recommendations by all those present concerning the improvement of the miserable situation with Buryat were collected, and the resolution was worked out. It was decided that the letter combining recommendations worked out at the Politcafe and round table should be written and sent to the government of the Republic of Buryatia with the demands to take measures for the salvation of the Buryat language.

Courses of the Buryat language start in Ulan-Ude on 4 April 2008. The organizers – the Regional Union of Young Scholars, Human Rights movement “Erkhe” and Social Inclusion PMT – have decided to join their efforts in the cause of revival of the Buryat language while preparing for the events to commemorate the International Mother Tongue Day. The organizers have an experience of conducting such language courses. Thus Siberian Creative Group used to conduct Buryat courses for its members in 2004-2006, and the RUYS started Buryat courses in Ulan-Ude and Novosibirsk last year. Details...

Dear friends, We are looking for participants for the Multiplier Training Course, which is organized in the framework of “Youth Transcending New Frontiers” project (YTNF, www.ytnf.org ). The latter is an exciting project aimed to promote innovative activities of young volunteers at grass-root level in three main fields:  human rights education  the struggle against racism and xenophobia  social inclusion of minorities and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds The project, which is supported financially by the Youth Program of the European Union, will last for three years, started in January 2006. Details...