04-03-2005 02:25									#1
	Appeal on behalf of the Mari people - You help is needed Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE MARI PEOPLE We the representatives and friends of the Finno-Ugric peoples of the world call on the Russian authorities at all levels to take immediate steps to end the attacks on members of the democratic opposition in the Republic of Mari El. We urge international human rights organizations to join us in this cause. In recent months, the local government of Mari El has done nothing to stop the rising tide of discrimination and attacks against the Mari people, thus creating the impression that it supports or may even be behind them. We note with regret that the authorities have done nothing to identify those who earlier this month attacked Vladimir Kozlov, editor-in-chief of the Finno-Ugric newspaper Kudo+Kodu and head of the all-Russian movement of the Mari people, Mer Kanash, beating him nearly to death. The Mari people are an important part of the Finno-Ugric world, and this summer they are scheduled to host the next world congress of Finno-Ugric studies. Consequently, it is especially important now that the Russian authorities in Moscow and in Mari El do everything possible to end the abuse of the rights of the Maris. 21st of February 2005 Signatures: 5651 read Prof. Paul Goble, USA Prof. John Hiden, United Kingdom Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Vice-President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament Dr. Tytti Isohookana-Asunmaa, former Minister of Culture of Finland Béla Jávorszky, former Ambassador to Finland and Estonia, Hungary Prof. Kyösti Julku, Finland Prof. Olavi Korhonen, Sweden Mart Laar, MP, former Prime Minister of Estonia Leena Laulajainen, writer, Finland Dr. Lennart Meri, former President of Estonia Mart Meri, Editor-in-Chief, Estonia Pertti Paasio, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Prof. János Pusztay, Hungary Prof. Raimo Raag, Sweden Kari Rydman, composer, Finland Prof. Pauli Saukkonen, Finland Toomas Savi, MEP, former Speaker of the Parliament of Estonia As. Prof. Tõnu Seilenthal, Estonia Veljo Tormis, composer, Estonia Riitta Uosukainen, former Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Arvo Valton, writer, Chairman of the Association of Finno-Ugric Literatures Prof. Kalevi Wiik, Finland

http://www.ugri.info/mari/

Please sign up and help the oppressed Mari people.

http://www.hunmagyar.org/mari/mari.html

	04-03-2005 07:15									#2
	Increase Your PM Length

Edit: nm, I should read the links

Last edited by Spiffor on 04-03-2005 at 07:29

	04-03-2005 07:16									#3
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Help, help, they're being oppressed! Signed

	04-03-2005 07:29									#4
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

Mari-El is a province in what today is Russian Federation, not all the Mari live in Mari El though, many live unrepresented in neighbouring provinces such as Sverdlovsk, Perm, Kirov, even Tatarstan.




http://www.unpo.org/member.php?arg=38


Mari El is an autonomous republic in the Russian Federation. It borders on the Chuvash Republic, the Republic of Tatarstan and the Republic of Udmurtia. Area: 26,500 km2. The capital is Yoshkar-Ola. It is located at the middle course of the Volga river in the basins of the rivers Vyatka and Vetluga.

Population
They call themselves mari. They live in three ethnic units: Hill Maris, Meadow Maris and Eastern Maris. The first two of them have also literary languages, Meadow Mari being also used by the Eastern Maris. Their earlier official name is Cheremis(s). The population of Mari El is approximately 750,000; 43% of the ethnic Maris living in the former Soviet Union reside in their own republic. Most Maris live in neighbouring areas. In the Mari Republic, Russian immigrants are the second largest population group, representing 48% of the total, Tatars 6% and Chuvash 1%. 52% of the Maris live outside the Mari Republic: in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and in the provinces of Kirov and Yekaterinburg.

The Maris are the only Finno-Ugric nation in Russia whose population has increased steadily, in spite of the slight decrease in the use of their native language. The Maris have retained their language better than any other Finno-Ugric nation. The percentage of Maris living in the Mari administrative territory and the proportion of the Maris in the population of the Mari Republic have remained relatively unchanged.

http://www.rusin.fi/eastmari/eng/overvm.htm

http://www.hunmagyar.org/mari/mari.html

Last edited by laurentius on 04-03-2005 at 08:11