TABLE OF CONTENTS
2.1.1. Educating Uralic indigenous students and postgraduates in Estonia
2.1.2. The Paul Ariste Centre for Indigenous Finno-Ugric Peoples of the University of Tartu
Kindred Peoples Programme II (Government aid programme for supporting Uralic (Finno-Ugric and Samoyed) indigenous languages and cultures (2005–2009)) is a continuation of the Kindred Peoples Programme of 1999–2004. It would be difficult to over-estimate the importance of the latter in supporting and developing the languages and cultures of Finno-Ugric peoples with no nation-state.
With the support of the programme, more than 100 young people representing minority Finno-Ugric peoples have had the opportunity to attend universities and colleges in Estonia. Several important international events have been financed from the programme as well (the 3rd and 4th World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples, 9th International Congress for Finno-Ugric Studies et al). All these accomplishments have contributed to the positive image of Estonia and Estonian government policies in the fields of education, culture and international relations in co-operation with Finland and Hungary as well as in relations with the Russian Federation.
The objectives of the programme are still topical, for these goals may be attained during a longer period of time. At the time being, 80 students representing the minority Finno-Ugric peoples attend the universities and colleges of Estonia and will continue their studies during the next few years.
Kindred Peoples Programme II will not repeat the basic concepts and strategic objectives of the previous programme. While the new programme was compiled, activities undertaken in past years were analysed in depth and in contrast with the premises of achieving further goals. The current programme was compiled, considering the results of this analysis.
The programme will support five different fields (education and training courses, research, culture, exchange of information as well as health care and protection of the environment). The allocation of support in these fields should be mutually complementary among the fields in question. In formulating the objectives in these fields, the programme takes into account the Resolution 1171 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (see Annex 1), the Protocol of the meeting of Estonian, Finnish and Hungarian delegations representing ministries of culture and education (see Annex 2), the Resolution of the 3rd World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples (see Annex 3) as well as agreements concluded by Estonia on education and culture with Finland, Hungary and the Russian Federation.
The programme is managed by the Council of the Programme council due to be formed by the Minister of Education and Research. The Council of the Programme will decide awarding nonrecurrent project grants and allowances pursuant to applications presented. The Council of the Programme has the right to initiate projects, the goals of which are in accordance with the objectives and aims of the programme. The Council may alter the proportions of support allocated to each field on the basis of the success of concrete projects and the changes in preferences, which may occur during the period of the programme.
The objectives of support in the fields of education, research and training are to advance
- the development of Uralic indigenous academic communities using the vernacular
- restoring or initiating education in the vernaculars of Uralic indigenous peoples
- developing teaching methods in the vernacular, especially in the field of mother tongue, second languages and history
- the preservation of the cultural traditions and historical conceptions current among Uralic indigenous peoples
- the improvement of the legal self-consciousness of Uralic indigenous peoples
- the Uralic indigenous peoples’ integration into the contemporary world and
- the Uralic indigenous peoples’ ability to compete in the contemporary world.
In supporting individual projects, priority will be given by the programme to projects involving
- support for lecturers to visit Estonia in order to make allow Uralic indigenous students in Estonia to receive native-medium instruction and maintain contacts with their native culture and thus avoid alienation from their people
- various forms of training and updating courses, especially updating courses for Uralic indigenous teachers
- language immersion projects for Uralic indigenous cultures
- the formation of native-medium teaching methods (courses, seminars, consultation)
- the publication of native-medium teaching materials, textbooks and teaching aids.
As a part of continuous support, the programme guarantees academic education for Uralic indigenous students, preferably for postgraduate students, in various disciplines in the universities and colleges of Estonia. The programme also guarantees resources necessary for the operation of the Paul Ariste Centre for Indigenous Finno-Ugric Peoples.
The objectives of the programme in the field of research are to advance
- research into matters concerning the culture of Uralic indigenous peoples to be conducted by scholars representing the people in question
- the prestige of the cultural heritage of Uralic indigenous peoples
- the creation of a better self-image, formation of survival strategies as well as the improvement of the situation of Uralic indigenous peoples and finding concrete practical solutions to current problems by means of applying the outcomes of research in the fields of demographics, sociology, law, political science, economics and other fields of knowledge
- creating the premises for widening the sphere of use of Uralic indigenous languages
- forming a concept of history founded on the point of view of Uralic indigenous peoples
- collecting, recording and preserving cultural heritage.
In supporting individual projects, priority will be given by the programme to projects involving
- exchange of researchers and training courses for researchers
- research projects (including joint projects), especially applied research
- developing Uralic indigenous standard languages and language planning, including the creation of terminologies and developing language technology resources
- conferences, seminars and meetings
- joint expeditions
- publishing researches (including joint publications with researchers from Estonia and other countries, publications on the Internet and databases)
- compiling and publishing chrestomathic works such as dictionaries, grammars and corpora
- publishing encyclopaedias, scientific and scholarly works in Uralic indigenous languages.
The objectives of the programme in the field of culture are to
- support the survival of traditional skills and knowledge as well as the survival of authentic traditional culture as a whole
- find possibilities for supporting the contemporary ethnic culture of Uralic indigenous peoples
- support recording traditional cultural heritage and ethnic memory on modern media
- support mutual cultural exchange among Uralic indigenous peoples as well as presenting Uralic indigenous cultures to other peoples of the world
- promote the return into use of the cultural heritage of Uralic indigenous preserved in folklore and folk art collections in Estonia.
In supporting individual projects, priority will be given by the programme to projects involving
- joint initiatives between participants from Estonia and Uralic indigenous peoples in all areas of the arts, including joint projects with other indigenous peoples of the world
- publishing Uralic indigenous fiction and books on culture, especially children’s books
- expeditions for collecting and recording folk culture
- workshops, brainstorms, camps and seminars for Uralic indigenous artists and writers
- individual development and training for Uralic indigenous artists and writers in Estonia (training programmes, work in the archives)
- Estonian artists’ and writers’ work in the territories inhabited by Uralic indigenous peoples.
The objectives of the programme in the field of information exchange are to
- advance information exchange in the vernacular of each Uralic indigenous people in the whole of the territory inhabited by the people in question
- support the creation of information networks in the territories inhabited by indigenous Uralic peoples
- advance information exchange between different Uralic indigenous peoples
- promote informing the international community of the problems of Uralic indigenous peoples
- support the use of the means of information technology in the exchange of information by Uralic indigenous peoples
- disseminate adequate information on Estonia among Uralic indigenous peoples.
In supporting individual projects, priority will be given by the programme to projects involving
- information technology
- network projects involving representatives of several Uralic indigenous peoples
- support subscriptions of newspapers and magazines, especially children’s newspapers and magazines, in Uralic indigenous languages in all the areas where the respective languages are spoken
- training programmes
- updating courses for Uralic indigenous journalists and other media operatives in Estonia
- supporting Estonian experts’ and trainers’ work in the territories of Uralic indigenous peoples
- providing libraries, educational and media institutions of the territories of Uralic indigenous peoples with materials on Estonia as well as the compilation of such materials.
1.5. Health care and protection of the environment
The objectives of the programme in the fields of health care and the protection of the environment are to
- advance the application of research in order to form survival strategies for Uralic indigenous peoples, improving the current situation and finding solutions for problems in practice
- find possibilities for supporting research on the health, environment and families of Uralic indigenous peoples
- advance the spread of behavior conscious of the environment and health among Uralic indigenous peoples.
In supporting individual projects, priority will be given by the programme to projects of the following nature:
- research projects in the field of demography, ecology and sociology, especially applied studies
- training programmes on health and the environment, including updating courses of various forms (courses, seminars, workshops, camps, individual development) for people dealing with Uralic indigenous peoples’ problems in the field of health and the environment
- promoting environmental and healthy ways of life
- supporting the work of Estonian environment and health experts in the areas inhabited by indigenous Uralic peoples.
The allocation of funds will be decided upon by the Council of the Kindred Peoples Programme in accordance with the preferences of the programme. The Council has formulated the application forms and the conditions of applying. The Council of the Programme also has the right to initiate projects. Subjects liable to apply for support are legal persons of the Republic of Estonia. Preference is given to applications with the participation of Uralic indigenous individuals or organisations.
The programme is financed from the state budget of the Republic of Estonia via the Ministry of Education and Research in the amount of about 3 million kroons per year.
2.1.1. Educating Uralic indigenous students and postgraduates in Estonia
The programme will guarantee educating Uralic indigenous students, preferably postgraduate students. The allocation of grants to applicants will be decided by the Council of the Programme. The programme will guarantee teaching free of charge as well as monthly grants. The applicants must, as a rule, be proficient in their Uralic mother tongue and must have finished the first year of study in an institution of higher education or must have graduated from an institution of secondary vocational education prior to applying.
2.1.2. The Paul Ariste Centre for Indigenous Finno-Ugric Peoples of the University of Tartu
The objectives of the Paul Ariste Centre for Indigenous Finno-Ugric Peoples of the University of Tartu have been formulated in the statutes of the centre (see Annex 4). The operating costs of the centre will be covered from the resources of the programme in full in accordance with the decisions of the Council of the Programme.
A portion of the support will be allocated as non-recurrent grants (project grants and travel expenses).
Subjects liable to apply for support include legal persons of the Republic of Estonia, preferably in co-operation with representatives of Uralic indigenous peoples. The programme will allocate support to projects concerning Uralic indigenous peoples in the fields of research, education, culture, exchange of information as well as health care and protection of the environment in accordance with the objectives and preferences of the programme. The application must contain a thorough background and the budget of the project. Project grants will be allocated by the Council of the Programme.
Travel expenses will be covered for representatives of Uralic indigenous peoples invited to participate in events relating to research, education or culture in Estonia in case it is not possible to cover travel expenses from alternative resources. The organisers of the event must present a proposal for the travel expenses to be covered.
Subjects liable to apply for project funding are organisations (legal persons) from Estonia, government and non-government organisations. In considering applications preference is given to the projects in which one or more representatives of Uralic indigenous minority peoples participate.