Yhteystiedot ja asiointi

Palaute virtuaalivirkamiehelle

Abstract

The Kindred Peoples Programme, originally known as the Action plan to support Finno-Ugric peoples and cultures in Russia, has been carried out under the Ministry of Education in the years 1994-2004. The project is coordinated by the Delegation for the Kindred Peoples Programme, established for that purpose. In Finland the programme is mainly carried out by the M. A. Castrén Society, which cooperates with the Finno-Ugric nations in the target areas within Russia.

The main focus has been on the production of study material and the support for their publication, support subscrip-tions of newspapers, international exchange and the instruction of Finnish, educational cooperation, and expert courses. The aim of the support for study materials and their publication is to promote the written use and the devel-opment of Finno-Ugric languages. With the aid of the exchange programme and the scholarships, nearly 150 re-searchers and postgraduate students have visited Finland within eleven years. There have also been native teachers of the Finnish language and culture in the universities of the Finno-Ugric regions of Russia, and the same objective has been promoted by the summer courses directed at the Finno-Ugrians of Russia. Expert training has been pro-vided for journalists, representatives of electronic media, and museum and libary personnel, among others, and the courses have been concerned with searching for ways to promote the ability to read and write Finno-Ugric lan-guages.

The biggest problem concerning the Kindred Peoples Programme is that in Russia and some Finno-Ugric areas, decisions have been made during the course of the programme that do not support the vitality of the minority cul-tures or the use of the minority languages. This has caused problems in the publication of works in Finno-Ugric languages, for instance. It is important for the continuation of the programme to promote interaction with local authorities in the Finno-Ugric regions of Russia, to support the activity of individuals and the initiative of communi-ties, and to consider ways to supplement and renew the collaborative networks in Finland and Russia. Projects aiming at the support of the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia can also be devised within the framework of the European Union, in cooperation with Estonia and Hungary.